Watercolor Paper

How to Choose a Right Watercolor Paper?

Do you know how many different types of watercolor paper I've tried? A huge amount. I didn't want to spend money on my scribbles. I was searching for the perfect paper. But if it existed, I wouldn't have anything to tell you now 😊 

Paper can be divided into groups based on different parameters:

• Surface

• Weight

• Composition

Surface

• Hot pressed (Satin) - Due to the manufacturing technology, this is the most challenging type of paper. Paint does not spread well, and mistakes are difficult to correct. Smooth paper is very difficult for large formats. Use its main property, smoothness, to get the perfect scan. Mostly used in botanical illustration.

• Cold Pressed (NOT) - Medium texture is convenient for medium formats (A3-A2), because the slightly rough paper holds water well, but at the same time, it does not give a noisy feeling in the image due to the surface's too large cellularity. Drawings on this paper give the impression of velvetiness. Many specialists recommend this paper for beginners.

• Rough (Torchon) - Rough-grained paper is good for large formats (A1 and above). Due to the large graininess, this type of paper allows a painter to emphasize the texture in large formats.

• Extra- Rough graininess makes the paper closer to smooth. It is almost impossible to emphasize texture on such paper. But it is quite convenient to draw on it. There are some exceptions though, that make this kind of paper similar to Torchon.

Weight

• 90 gr is similar in weight to regular printer paper. Not recommended for painting watercolor. It quickly warps.

• 180 gr quickly gets wet but also dries much faster. When wet, it turns into waves faster than heavier kinds of paper. Convenient if tightly stretched on a planchet. Suitable for small formats (A7-A4).

• 300 gr is the most widely used type of watercolor paper. Suitable for medium formats (A3-A2, and possibly higher). It gets waves when wet, but less than the previous ones. Good balance between price and convenience.

• 640 gr is convenient for large formats due to its heavy weight. It turns into waves less than others when wet. It takes a long time to dry after getting wet. Much more expensive than previous kinds.

Composition

• Cellulose - processed wood. Dries quickly, hardly absorbs water. Suitable for quick sketches outdoors.

• Cotton. It is believed that 100% cotton paper is ideal for watercolors. This paper can withstand numerous layers of paint, rubbing and all sorts of other experiments. But keep in mind that cotton dries much slower than cellulose, so this composition is suitable for multi-layered, long, complex work and for wet techniques.

• There are varieties of paper with different proportions of cotton and cellulose, but at the moment I cannot say anything useful about them.

Practical tips

• It is better to test any paper in advance, because the result on papers from different manufacturers may vary.

• The paper should not contain acid  or come in any contact with acid. Acid destroys paint.

• Store the paper in a closed package, away from dust, moisture or salt in the air, so that it lasts longer.

• If you want the paper to last a long time and your paintings not to fade out over time, choose high-quality paper.

• Don't be afraid to experiment, try different types of paper, then you will find the perfect one for you.

• It is believed that 90% of the result depends on the quality of the paper, so buy high-quality paper.

• Check out the following watercolor paper brands: Arches, Fabriano Artistico, Saunders Waterford, Hannemühle, Baohong, Canson Heritage, Moulin de Roy, etc. 

Summary

Choose paper according to your goals.