If you use the "floating" method, where you lay the paper on a wet surface, make sure the surface is a nonporous one. If you use a porous surface, it will absorb the water and that defeats the purpose. I use an old glass cutting board for this. Works great.
I wonder if an plastic glass could work too if the surface has a few cuts. I did not had a cutting mat in college and I ended up using my plastic glass, I tried to save one side but I forgot a few times 😣
I bought a large piece of glass for this purpose - something originally intended for use as a white board. I also bought a set of glass cutting boards for working on smaller papers.
It’s funny how we love “watercolor” and yet are so afraid of using water to actually do it. Haven’t tried soaking paper beforehand but it makes sense to since all the surface fibers would have the same amount of water available to absorb at the same time. Your suggestion to lay a damp cloth underneath the paper is a good one. I usually just keep a spray bottle handy because I forget about prewetting the paper before I start playing with paint and then get impatient. It’s a vicious circle, lol. Thanks for this Oto. Nice to see you, too. ☺️🌺
I often use watercolor as an ink, for flat illustration work; then the typical wet-in-wet watercolor effects are not needed. However I do want a nice even uniform coating, so that means good paper. Pulp paper gives splotchy results.
Great video! I love the tips about wetting the back of the paper and about making the damp sandwich (that’s a new one to me)! I use one of the mister bottles that hairdressers use in light layers to help maintain the moisture across my paper while I’m working.
this is so helpful! i'm in hawaii which is humid but it's so warm, plus the ceiling fans, that my paper dries out very fast. i always forget about wetting the back! will try laying down a wet paper towel underneath and also soaking my loose sheets... thank you!
Hi! Lovely to discover your channel, I'm passionate about watercolors, and want to improve my practice! I have some super basic questions though, and not sure I'm in the right video, feel free to suggest me another if you've already addressed this topic! I paint a lot, but always did it on completely dried 300gm paper. I managed to get some results I wanted but always a bit annoyed with the result (not those beautiful 'watery' stamps of colors...). Anyway. Could I get advices on : - The process: Taking a sheet of paper, water it (how? With a brush? Mines are super small!) while fixing it on a table / cupboard with tape, then wait until it dries completely before starting painting? How long does it usually take? - After that, should you keep your brushes wet to the minimum? Hope someone can give me a bit of clarity on this !
Do we need to be careful not to rinse too much of the sizing out of the paper? Is this something we just need to experiments with as papers vary greatly?
very helpful - thanks. this is the one thing that i have problems with above all other issues with wc but then i need a fan on near me year round so i sure hope this will combat the fan well. :-) have a lovely week!
The paper I have found that stays wet the longest is W&N professional - it’s a very thirsty paper, gives plenty of time to work (it can also take a beating.)
Can you get your paper dripping water for like what, a week? I tested salt on a painting and left it aside to dry. But it never did. And I'm observing it ever since. There it is, wet - and I mean wet - on both sides for 7 days and counting, because I don't believe it will dry anytime soon. No wonder my experiments with salt always fail. 😂
That's funny. I read the title as "5 Tricks to Prevent Watercolor Paper from Dying Too Fast". How long can you store watercolor paper? If I put my Arches in a drawer, will it still be good after 20 years from now?
With 100% cotton paper there is no problem, only cheap paper, like the kind used for newspapers, which contain wood chips, shall deteriate very fast. Old master drawings are still in a good condition, because the paper was 100% made out of rags. You just have to keep them in an acid free portfolio or mount them with acid free board.
A "finished painting" will be ok in 20 years. However, the sizing in UNUSED watercolor paper breaks down and disappears with time. This can take anywhere from 2-5, or more years. Paper can also be resized with a sizing solution. It all depends on the type of sizing and how the paper is stored. Some people have very old watercolor paper that still works great, while others have paper that has lost the sizing quite quickly, because it wasn't stored properly.
I had my hot press watercolor Arches pad on a drawer and the sizing started to fade after a couple of years. Now I'm trying to use it all and it's so hard to stop me from buying more :(
I use Crescent Gator Board. Lightweight and moisture resistant (but not completely waterproof). I tried lots of DIY things, but frankly, just buy something that is designed for purpose.
Yes I would recommend this too! The only reason I don't use it myself is it's super expensive in the UK. What I use instead is foam board, sandwiched on the out side by two mount boards, all sealed in with packing tape all over. It took time to make, but it was lightweight, ridgid, and waterproof. however, it won't be useful if you are using gummed tape and need to cut the painting out with a knife.
Old school, soak the paper, stretch with paper tape, which has to be wet to activate the adhesive. My biggest problem is with older papers. It seems like the paper becomes very thirsty over time and soaks up whatever color you put down. Or is that a problem with the sizing breaking down over time? If so, what does that mean for the archival quality of the paper?
I think the archival quality is a different matter. Archival basically means that there is no acid in the paper so it will not deteriorate over time. It does not mean that the sizing will remain in good condition. You could try refreshing the sizing by painting gelatine on the paper. Search on UA-cam, I think there is a video about that. I tried it once, but on rough paper whose sizing was good, just to see what will happen. All I remember is that the paper became more smooth, it completely lost its tooth.
Any suggestions for those of us who stretch their paper? And, I live at 10,000 elevation. Finally, I would like advice on the water to use. I have a well and the water is very hard. I also have a tap where we use a water softener. It’s hard to find distilled water so is it best to use the hard water or the softener water?
Is this the 'stretching method'? Artists have so many different opinions. I don't stretch simply because I never finish a painting in one day or a few hours. I use a steam iron at the end to get out buckles.
I love, love, love your scientific approach- empirical results I can count on! I appreciate you 🎉
If you use the "floating" method, where you lay the paper on a wet surface, make sure the surface is a nonporous one. If you use a porous surface, it will absorb the water and that defeats the purpose. I use an old glass cutting board for this. Works great.
I wonder if an plastic glass could work too if the surface has a few cuts. I did not had a cutting mat in college and I ended up using my plastic glass, I tried to save one side but I forgot a few times 😣
I bought a large piece of glass for this purpose - something originally intended for use as a white board. I also bought a set of glass cutting boards for working on smaller papers.
It’s funny how we love “watercolor” and yet are so afraid of using water to actually do it. Haven’t tried soaking paper beforehand but it makes sense to since all the surface fibers would have the same amount of water available to absorb at the same time. Your suggestion to lay a damp cloth underneath the paper is a good one. I usually just keep a spray bottle handy because I forget about prewetting the paper before I start playing with paint and then get impatient. It’s a vicious circle, lol. Thanks for this Oto. Nice to see you, too. ☺️🌺
I often use watercolor as an ink, for flat illustration work; then the typical wet-in-wet watercolor effects are not needed. However I do want a nice even uniform coating, so that means good paper. Pulp paper gives splotchy results.
This was a concise, well made, no nonsense, informative video.. I'm glad I got to know. Thanks for making it
Great video! I love the tips about wetting the back of the paper and about making the damp sandwich (that’s a new one to me)! I use one of the mister bottles that hairdressers use in light layers to help maintain the moisture across my paper while I’m working.
I've learned so much from you. Much appreciated.
Thank you! I look forward to trying these! Will these work on non-cotton watercolor paper?
this is so helpful! i'm in hawaii which is humid but it's so warm, plus the ceiling fans, that my paper dries out very fast. i always forget about wetting the back! will try laying down a wet paper towel underneath and also soaking my loose sheets... thank you!
Great tips. Thanks.
great tips! Thank you for making your videos; I always find them very helpful even when I can't afford new materials!
Great info, thanks!
Thank you doctor Oto, this was really helpful. 😊
Hi! Lovely to discover your channel, I'm passionate about watercolors, and want to improve my practice!
I have some super basic questions though, and not sure I'm in the right video, feel free to suggest me another if you've already addressed this topic!
I paint a lot, but always did it on completely dried 300gm paper. I managed to get some results I wanted but always a bit annoyed with the result (not those beautiful 'watery' stamps of colors...). Anyway. Could I get advices on :
- The process: Taking a sheet of paper, water it (how? With a brush? Mines are super small!) while fixing it on a table / cupboard with tape, then wait until it dries completely before starting painting? How long does it usually take?
- After that, should you keep your brushes wet to the minimum?
Hope someone can give me a bit of clarity on this !
Awesome tips. Thank you 😊
Do we need to be careful not to rinse too much of the sizing out of the paper? Is this something we just need to experiments with as papers vary greatly?
very helpful - thanks. this is the one thing that i have problems with above all other issues with wc but then i need a fan on near me year round so i sure hope this will combat the fan well. :-) have a lovely week!
The paper I have found that stays wet the longest is W&N professional - it’s a very thirsty paper, gives plenty of time to work (it can also take a beating.)
How lovely to see your face.
I really like your advice. Thanks! I tried wetting the back, but I can’t remember what happened.
Can you get your paper dripping water for like what, a week? I tested salt on a painting and left it aside to dry. But it never did. And I'm observing it ever since. There it is, wet - and I mean wet - on both sides for 7 days and counting, because I don't believe it will dry anytime soon. No wonder my experiments with salt always fail. 😂
That's funny. I read the title as "5 Tricks to Prevent Watercolor Paper from Dying Too Fast". How long can you store watercolor paper? If I put my Arches in a drawer, will it still be good after 20 years from now?
With 100% cotton paper there is no problem, only cheap paper, like the kind used for newspapers, which contain wood chips, shall deteriate very fast.
Old master drawings are still in a good condition, because the paper was 100% made out of rags. You just have to keep them in an acid free portfolio or mount them with acid free board.
A "finished painting" will be ok in 20 years. However, the sizing in UNUSED watercolor paper breaks down and disappears with time. This can take anywhere from 2-5, or more years. Paper can also be resized with a sizing solution. It all depends on the type of sizing and how the paper is stored. Some people have very old watercolor paper that still works great, while others have paper that has lost the sizing quite quickly, because it wasn't stored properly.
I had my hot press watercolor Arches pad on a drawer and the sizing started to fade after a couple of years. Now I'm trying to use it all and it's so hard to stop me from buying more :(
Can anyone recommend a good art board surface for taping down a larger painting?
I use Crescent Gator Board. Lightweight and moisture resistant (but not completely waterproof). I tried lots of DIY things, but frankly, just buy something that is designed for purpose.
@@starr-starr excellent idea… thanks!
Yes I would recommend this too! The only reason I don't use it myself is it's super expensive in the UK. What I use instead is foam board, sandwiched on the out side by two mount boards, all sealed in with packing tape all over. It took time to make, but it was lightweight, ridgid, and waterproof. however, it won't be useful if you are using gummed tape and need to cut the painting out with a knife.
Old school, soak the paper, stretch with paper tape, which has to be wet to activate the adhesive. My biggest problem is with older papers. It seems like the paper becomes very thirsty over time and soaks up whatever color you put down. Or is that a problem with the sizing breaking down over time? If so, what does that mean for the archival quality of the paper?
I think the archival quality is a different matter. Archival basically means that there is no acid in the paper so it will not deteriorate over time. It does not mean that the sizing will remain in good condition. You could try refreshing the sizing by painting gelatine on the paper. Search on UA-cam, I think there is a video about that. I tried it once, but on rough paper whose sizing was good, just to see what will happen. All I remember is that the paper became more smooth, it completely lost its tooth.
Sizing does break down over time. Might be your problem
I started using Stonehenge aqua 300lb and it never seems to dry out. A totally different watercoloring experience.
Any suggestions for those of us who stretch their paper? And, I live at 10,000 elevation. Finally, I would like advice on the water to use. I have a well and the water is very hard. I also have a tap where we use a water softener. It’s hard to find distilled water so is it best to use the hard water or the softener water?
You can stretch it over stretcher bars using staples and then you can wet the back of the paper to keep it wetter longer.
Is this the 'stretching method'? Artists have so many different opinions. I don't stretch simply because I never finish a painting in one day or a few hours. I use a steam iron at the end to get out buckles.
Agree, arches 300 lb paper is great.