Watercolour Paper - Beginners Guide

What makes watercolour paper different to any other?

  • It is thick enough to withstand being wetted by the paint without damaging the surface or suffering too much buckling
  • Its surface is treated to prevent too much paint soaking in. Without this it would act like blotting paper or tissue. This treatment is called sizing.
  • It is does not have a shiny finish as this would repel the water making painting impossible
  • The surface is usually textured to allow the paint to flow and settle and to allow techniques where an almost dry brush dragged over the paper just leaves paint on the tops of the textured ridges
  • The manufacture of the paper ensures that it is free of acids that would cause the paper to yellow and decay over time



Paper can be purchased in spiral bound pads, gummed blocks or as loose sheets. The usual size for a sheet is 22” x 30” (55cm x 76cm) – this is known as a ‘Full Sheet’ and is an imperial measurement. It may same an odd size to pick, but it’s almost exactly the same size as Leonardo’s Mona Lisa (La Giaconda), so it certainly works and has stood the test of time. You will also find half and quarter sheets.

Pads and blocks are made in many smaller and convenient sizes. Blocks come with the corners gummed together – this allows you to paint without the paper cockling (buckling). When you are finished use a knife to lift the top sheet from the block.



Paper often comes in three different textures

  • Rough has a prominent tooth, or textured surface. This creates a grainy effect as pools of water collect in the indentations in the paper.
  • Cold pressed or NOT has a medium texture. This is the most commonly used and the one best suited to beginners. Incidentally the NOT means ‘not hot pressed’
  • Hot pressed – this is the smoothest paper. It acts differently to textured papers as the paint does not flow in the same way, but is good for very detailed works such as technical or botanical paintings.
The thickness of paper is measured in two ways either pounds (lb) or gsm.

  • Pounds – this is the weight of one ream (500 sheets) or full sheets of the paper. It is usually abbreviated to lb.
  • gsm – grams per square metre
A typical 140lb (300gsm) paper is about the same thickness as a postcard. For comparison the thickness of student notepaper or photocopy paper is 65 to 80 gsm. The thinnest paper you can get away with for very small paintings is cartridge paper at about 120gsm although it will need flattening out when dried and is really only good for working sketches when painting outside.

Papers thinner than 140lb (300gsm) will cockle when wetted and will need stretching unless the painting is only small or no large washes are used. Stretching paper involves sticking it down whilst wet so that it dries to  a taut flat finish that does not buckle.

For 140lb paper stretching is optional and not needed at all for thicker papers. You will still need a board to support them whilst painting though.

Click here to see how to stretch paper

Different brands and type of paper

There are many brands around the world all producing paper with their own qualities, textures and specification. Look out for those that are acid free (you don’t want your works to slowly rot away!). Some well known brands are Arches, St Cuthberts Mill, Bockingford, Fabriano, Canson, Daler-Rowney, Winsor and Newton, Strathmore, and Lanaquarelle.

  Papers are usually white or off white, but you can get tinted papers. To use these you will need white paint for any white areas. There is a huge variety of papers that you can use – Chinese painting is done on rice paper and there are many handmade papers with interesting textures and surfaces. 
Picture
Tinted Bockingford paper - several different colours are available
Picture
Rice paper for Chinese painting on the left and a paper handmade for cotton offcuts in India on the right

Storing and handling paper 

  • Keep the paper in its original packaging until needed.
  • Make sure the paper is stored flat.
  • Avoid extremes of temperature or humidity.
  • Do not store in direct sunlight.
  • Handle the paper by the edges or underside, as oils on the skin can leave marks where the paint does not flow properley
  • Soaps and detergents can also affect the paper’s absorbency.
  • The sizing on the paper’s surface is easily damaged when wet.
  • Masking Fluid shouldn’t be left on the paper for too long to prevent damage to the paper when removing it.
  • Avoid soaking the smooth HP sheets because the surface will become slightly rougher.
Next - more about Watercolour Paints