Preparing Supports for Watercolor Painting
Article by Vladimir London, Watercolor Academy tutor
In this article, you will learn how to prepare watercolor paper for painting
During painting, the paper will come into contact with water, and sometimes a lot of it. When wet, paper expands. The expansion of the paper depends on its quality and the degree of wetness. Unevenly soaked paper will buckle, forming hills and valleys. Painting on such a wavelike surface is not ideal because paint will flow from the hills into the valleys, forming small puddles. It is challenging to work under such conditions, especially when trying to make even washes.
Sketch by Vladimir London, Watercolor Academy tutor
Art students often ask me how to prepare a watercolor painting support. Should the paper be left loose or be fixed firmly to a board? It depends. If you are doing a quick, small (A5 for example) sketch on 300gsm or event thicker paper, then stretching the paper is not necessary. Small paper can be clamped to the board with binder or bulldog clips. You can also wet the paper and pin it to the board in the four corners with pushpins.
There are blocks of watercolor paper with all four sides glued into the pack. These ready-made supports which will not form hills and valleys are watercolor boards. They are much more expensive than paper so you must decide whether the price is worth avoiding the hassle of stretching.
Some premium quality heavy papers (450 or 600gsm) will take water without buckling. They might bow slightly but do not form hills and valleys.
However, if you intend to paint on a bigger 300gsm or thinner paper, it has to be prepared properly.
Painting by Ilya Ibryaev, Watercolor Academy tutor
There are many methods to prevent the paper from buckling when painting. The most common approach used by watercolor artists is stretching the paper mechanically. This can be done in various ways. I will describe the most used methods below and discuss their pros and cons.
Some watercolor papers are single-sided. Whatever method you go for, make sure that the correct side is used for painting.
To learn how to paint in watercolor, enroll now
Watercolor Academy Online Course
A self-study, self-paced course where you can learn how to paint in watercolor by watching video lessons and doing assignments
- Unlimited access to 80 watercolor painting video lessons
- Lifetime membership without deadlines
- Unlimited support from the Academy tutors
- Constructive critique of your artworks
- Member access to the Academy's Art community
- Place in the Academy's Students Gallery
- Exclusive members-only newsletter and bonuses
- Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence in your name
One-time payment - Lifetime membership
$297 USD
ENROLL NOW
Personal Tutoring online + Online Course
One-to-one, unlimited and custom-tailored to your skills and needs Personal Tutoring by the Watercolor Academy teachers
- Everything in Online Course, plus:
- Dedicated team of art tutors
- Assessment of your current level of art skills
- Personalized curriculum tailored to your skills and goals
- Up to 100 art tasks with by-task assessment
- Unlimited one-to-one personal coaching with detailed per-task instructions and feedback
- Artwork critiques and results-oriented guidance
One-time payment - Lifetime membership
$997 USD
ENROLL NOW
