Artists’ Tips ~ Watercolour Papers (January 2012)
PAINTING OF THE MONTH: Winter Lane.
Watercolour requires little in the way of equipment – a piece of paper, a few colours, and a couple of brushes – and hence its attraction to so many amateur artists.
The most important of these pieces of quipment, I would suggest, is the quality of the paper. Watercolour is a difficult enough medium to control in the first place, but, no matter how good are your paints and brushes, if you are using poor or inappropriate paper your chances of enjoying the experience or producing a satisfying painting are virtually impossible.
Firstly, ensure you have WATERCOLOUR paper and that it is produced by a recognised name (eg Bockingford, Saunders, Arches)
Watercolour paper comes in many weights, surfaces and degrees of sizing (which is what stops it acting like blotting paper) and I will discuss each of these in the coming months – but it is always worth experimenting with different surfaces/papers. I use several different papers, dependent upon the dimensions of the painting, and the effects I want to achieve.
For information, this month’s painting, Winter Lane, was a two hour demonstration watercolour, painted on 200lb ‘NOT’ Bockingford watercolour paper.
