Twinrocker Handmade Paper

Earlier this week, I recieved a lovely package from Twinrocker Handmade Paper containing an assortment of their watercolor papers. Twinrocker is generously sponsoring a substantial Merit Award for the Louisiana Watercolor Society 42nd Annual International Exhibition, and in addtion to the award, they are also sending samples of their paper to each of the artists that were juried into the show.

Twinrocker Handmade Paper samples

The Twinrocker Handmade Paper is very bright white, and has natural feathery deckled edges. It also comes in tinted colors, which are wonderful to use with goauche.

Sketch with masking fluid

I couldn't wait to try the new paper! Here, I've sketched out a simple beach scene from some reference photos I shot while I was in the Virgin Islands recently.

painting in progress

I painted in the initial washes, and followed with layers of colors to build up values.

More dark values added

At this point, the painting is almost done and masking fluid still covers a few areas that are being protected from paint.

Masking fluid removed and details painted

Here's the finished painting, after the masking fluid is removed and the last highlights have been painted. Overall, I love the Twinrocker Handmade Paper. This sheet is heavy, cold-pressed, and tub-sized, so it can be painted on either side. It's a bit smoother than I normally expect for cold pressed, but by using softer brushes I got the same textured effects that I would get on other cold-pressed papers. I'm not sure if it's the result of extra compression, or extra sizing, but it was extremely easy to lift paint off this paper. I used masking fuild to preserve the whites, but I could have just as easily lifted the paint to create perfect highlights. That feature, along with the beautiful brightness of the paper, makes this a truly wonderful surface to paint on. Twinrocker Handmade Paper is made in a variety of sizes, all with natural deckled edges. Additionally, the company makes custom papers in any size, color, weight, or material imaginable. These are wonderful papers that professional artists will love to use.

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