My Art Materials – Watercolor (Paper)

Over a period, I have explored many art materials concerning watercolor. I have used various brands in different phases. In this article, I am trying to give a broader view on my take on all these art materials. Depending on level of your interest & involvement you can consider some of the points & let me know if you find something new & exciting.

• Paper is the most important element in watercolor, below two parameter plays major role in any paper
  • Type or texture of paper
  • Thickness
• The two most important quality you should look for in your paper is absorbent capacity (Is it able to hold good water or not?) & Texture (how does it feel to your hand, does it feel plain or rough?)
• Type/texture of paper

There are 3 types of papers

• Hot Press (Less absorbent & less texture)
• Cold Press (More absorbent & average texture)
• Rough (More absorbent & more texture)

Pro tip

• First it is important to define what you want to paint ; then you can decide the type of paper
  • For landscape – It is better to use cold press or rough
  • For smooth subject like flower – It is better to use hot press
• If you are unable to define a standard subject to paint & just start from somewhere then go with cold press
• Most watercolor artists use Rough or Cold Press watercolor paper, because they are absorbent and have good textured look
• Cotton papers hold more water allowing painting wet on wet or dry on wet for a longer amount of time. Thus, you have more time to manipulate the paint on paper

• Thickness of paper
  • Thickness of paper is defined by lb or gsm
  • The lighter the paper, the difficult it is to layer on top of it
  • If the paper is thick, then it will hold more water & it is always better

Pro tip

• But most fine artists prefer to use a minimum of 140 lb (300 gsm) paper.