What Makes Watercolor Paper So Special? And Why Is Paper So Important?
The Most Common Mistake
Probably the most common (yet easily fixed) mistake beginners make with watercolor is using the wrong paper. I mean, paper is paper, right? Well, if you think that, then you’re sadly wrong and your painting will suffer. Not to mention your level of frustration will soar. I find this thought process slightly humorous. I mean, we would never think about using oil paints on computer paper. Yet, so many forget that watercolor paint (though it may appear simplistic and almost elementary in nature) requires a special type of paper. So, what is the difference between watercolor paper and regular paper?
All Paper Is Not Created Equal
For time’s sake, I’m only going to cover 3 ways watercolor paper is different from other types of paper – such as computer paper, drawing paper, and even Bristol paper (which is commonly used for Copic Markers and inked illustrations)
Reason #1: Thickness/Weight
The first (and usually the most obvious) way watercolor paper is different from other paper is in its thickness, also known as its weight. Somewhere on the packaging of any type of watercolor paper, you will find the numbers 140lb or 300g. This basically means that during the process of making the paper, a stack of 500 full sheets will weigh 140 pounds. As you would probably guess, the higher the weight, the better quality the paper – and also the more expensive. 140lb and 300g is considered the standard weight for watercolor paper. In comparison, computer paper and drawing paper are, as you would guess, much thinner and thus lighter in weight compared to watercolor paper.
Reason #2: Material
The second way watercolor paper is different from other paper is in its material (or make-up). Most standard paper uses recycled wood shavings alone, or mixed with a small amount of cotton, to create its super fine and thin appearance. However, watercolor paper, since it uses water, needs to be more absorbent than traditional paper. This is why watercolor paper uses cotton intertwined in its fibers. This is also the reason watercolor paper doesn’t warp or buckle under water as quickly as traditional paper – such as computer paper, drawing paper, and even Bristol paper (which is much thicker in appearance compared to other papers).
Reason #3: Texture
And finally, the texture of the paper is what sets watercolor paper apart from others. Texture (also known as the “tooth” of the paper) is key when painting with watercolor. As one would guess, the more “tooth” or bumps to the paper, the more absorbent the paper will be. This is where the terms cold press and hot press come from, which I will talk about in more detail in a future post. For now, just know the bumps do matter. :) If you would ever like to try this out for yourself, try painting on some Bristol paper with watercolor. Bristol paper is completely smooth (which is important when coloring with markers or even inking illustrations with a fine tip pen), so the lack of texture helps the ink appear smooth and sharp. However, add watercolor paint to this paper and you are going to have absolutely no control of your paper. Instead of absorbing into the paper, the paint will sit on top, creating cool abstract textures and details. Also, since the paper is smooth, the paint takes forever to dry and is nearly impossible to use any heat source to quicken the process – right down to the blast of air pushing the paint around as if it’s on ice. If you want to experiment and play, I highly recommend playing around on some cheap Bristol paper. After you are done, you will appreciate watercolor paper so much more.
Well, that is it for this post! I hope you learned something new. If you would like to learn more about paper, make sure to check out the post below. Click the image to hop over to the next blog post!
