| Have you ever gone in to buy some paper | | | | need to be stretched before painting. |
| for painting and been overwhelmed by the | | | | If you don't stretch the paper it will |
| choice? You would think it would be a | | | | buckle when wet making painting |
| simple thing to buy a sheet of paper, | | | | difficult and the paint will dry in the |
| wouldn't you? Well, it can be if you | | | | hollows giving a disappointing result. |
| know what the different choices mean and | | | | Stretching paper needs to be done in |
| how it can affect your finished | | | | advance and the paper allowed to dry |
| painting. | | | | before you use it. You will need a |
| Manufacturers have created a whole range | | | | clean drawing board, some 1½ inch wide |
| of paper products for the artist. So | | | | gum strip, and water to soak the paper |
| many choices that unless you know what | | | | in (the bath is handy for this). |
| some of the terms mean it can be very | | | | Soak the paper in the water until it is |
| confusing. | | | | saturated, this will take less than a |
| When you want your painting to last for | | | | minute. Place the paper onto the board |
| a long time always go for acid-free. | | | | and smooth it out from the centre to the |
| This is the type of paper used in | | | | edges. |
| archives. | | | | Cut pieces of gum strip to fit the |
| The next thing is the surface texture of | | | | length and the width of the paper, plus |
| the paper, whether you want a fine | | | | a couple of inches. Dampen the gum |
| texture or rough. You may be asking | | | | strip and use it to stick the longer |
| "How do I know? I just want something | | | | edges of the paper to the board, and |
| to paint on!" | | | | then do the shorter edges. Smooth out |
| The texture you choose will depend on | | | | the paper and the gum strip and leave it |
| your style of painting. If you like to | | | | to dry naturally and on the horizontal. |
| have a lot of detail in your paintings | | | | Do not place it near a heater! |
| you will need a smooth textured paper - | | | | If you just want to paint without |
| in which case you want one that is 'Hot | | | | needing to prepare the paper, there are |
| Pressed'. | | | | pads of ready stretched paper that save |
| If you use a lot of watercolour (or | | | | you having to do this yourself. These |
| watercolour style) washes then the paper | | | | pads have the paper glued around the |
| you should choose will be 'Not'. That | | | | edges and you paint on the top of the |
| means 'Not hot pressed'. It has a bit | | | | pad. Once you've finished the painting |
| more texture than Hot pressed papers. | | | | and it is completely dry, a knife is |
| If you paint a lot of landscapes and/or | | | | inserted at one of the edges and moved |
| like granulation (which happens when the | | | | around the sides to cut through the glue |
| colours separate while they dry) you | | | | and free the top layer. |
| will probably like using Cold pressed | | | | It is a good investment to buy good |
| papers. These have the roughest | | | | quality paper. It is much easier to |
| texture. | | | | use, and gives a better result. |
| Papers are sold in weights. This | | | | Next time you need to buy paper think |
| affects the thickness of the paper. | | | | about how you like to paint, and it will |
| Papers that are less than 300-lb or | | | | be much easier to decide on the type of |
| 640gsm (grams per square metre) will | | | | paper to buy. |