Paper

You are going to need something upon which to paint. This generally means paper. By paper I don’t really mean paper as watercolor paper isn’t what we usually consider paper. It isn’t a cellulose product made from wood pulp, which is the general type of paper we come in contact with every day through newspapers, magazines, books and mail. Watercolor paper is special. It is rag paper. It isn’t made from wood pulp, it’s made from cotton. It is then made into paper using the same sort of process that regular paper is with a few exceptions.

First, it is “acid free.” That means it will not deteriorate over time like the old pulp novels used to yellow, brown and then disintegrate.

Second, it comes in different weights or thicknesses.

Third, it comes in textures that are the result of how it is manufactured.

If you want to read a lot of technical information on paper, go to Handprint.

First, make sure whatever you are buying says watercolor paper. If it says mixed media, check to see what it is made of. If it is mixed, don't buy it. You want 100% cotton paper, acid free. Some comes in a natural off white color and some is bleached to a bright white. I would suggest that to start you use a white paper, just so you can see the true colors of your paints and how they mix on the paper.

Second, if you are sketching, anything in the “90 lb” range is fine. But if you want to do watercolor you need a paper thick enough and heavy enough not to warp or buckle when wet. You may be getting your paper very wet if you do a lot of washes or glazing and you may be doing it several times. You don’t want to use anything less than 140 lbs or 300 g/m2. You can get much heavier paper, 300 lb, but it is very pricey and you won’t want to do that until you get pretty good. Very good in fact. Really, really good. I still don't use 300lb paper. Many professional artists don't use 300lb paper. Mostly because the absorption rate of the water is so different from 140lb.

You can buy watercolor paper in sheets that you can fold and tear into smaller sizes or you can buy a “block” which is a stack of pre-cut paper that has glue around the sides it to keep it together in a sturdy pad. You paint the top sheet, wait for it to dry, then carefully separate it from the rest of the pad. More on mounting and framing later.

Third, you will need to decide what kind of texture you want. While most paper is manufactured similarly the finish determines what texture it has. There is Hot Press, which is very smooth, Cold Press which is a bit rough and Rough which is very textured. How your paint behaves on the different finishes will vary. I find my paint sits on the surface and takes longer to dry using Hot Press and soaks in almost immediately with Rough.

All paper will have some sizing of some sort, which will effect drying and how much paint soaks into the paper. Sizing varies by manufacturer, weight and Hot Press, Cold Press or Rough.

Most teachers recommend starting with Cold Press as a middle of the road compromise. After you've been painting for a while, what paper you use may depend on what subject you are painting. Hot Press can be nice if you do a lot of glazing or portraiture. Rough can be nice for landscapes or cityscapes.

There is a plastic paper developed in Japan called YUPO that is very fun to work with. It has it's own unique challenges but also provides some visual effects that cannot be achieved otherwise.

There are many good papers out there but once again, rule number one is to buy the best you can afford. If you wait for sales you can get paper pretty reasonably. I use only Arches. I've tried Fabriano, Kilimanjaro (Cheap Joe's brand and probably student grade) and Stonehenge (available at Blick's, Jerry's Artarama and Cheap Joe's) and didn't care for any of them. Don't buy Strathmore or Canson. Their sketch pads are fine but their watercolor paper is inferior. I use Arches Cold Press 140 lb Watercolor blocks most often as then I don't have to deal with mounting a sheet on a board and I can use the block in the classroom or outside doing plein air. They come in many different sizes so not a problem. I also have Hot Press and Rough in blocks. It does come in 300lb blocks but they are very pricey and I am years away from justifying that expense.

Do not buy Canson or Strathmore watercolor paper. It is student grade and a waste of money and your time and effort. I don't know if Winsor and Newton make paper but if they do, don't buy that either. I have never heard it recommended on any blogs, probably because it is student grade paper.

Arches is widely available from all major art suppliers, plus amazon. I used to get my cold press at Aaron Brothers when they have a Buy One Get Two Free sale. It happened a few times a year but they didn't carry Hot Press or Rough. Now that they have been bought out by Michaels I buy my paper at the Blick's store locally or online from Cheap Joe's or amazon or whoever has the best deal. Get free shipping if you can.