All About Paper - Part IV - Handling

Part IV – Handling (Conclusion)

In this final chapter on All About Watercolor Paper I will discuss the proper methods for the handling and storage of paper to ensure best results and maximum longevity. 

Unused watercolor paper should be stored in a cool, dry place that is free from extreme temperature, light, and humidity. Sizing is a necessary additive to paper, and it will deteriorate with age – paper needs to be used in a timely manner before the sizing has decomposed and the paper becomes too absorbent. Extreme differences in temperature will cause the fibers in the paper to expand and contract, and each time they will contract less – causing the paper to become softer and more absorbent. Moisture and humidity cause the same problems, and need to be avoided for the same reasons.

Don’t soak and “stretch” your paper. Many of us learned to do this in art school, but it’s an old wives’ tale that has been repeated for generations and it is actually harmful to the paper. There are still some artists who soak their paper out of habit because it is the way they were taught, but it's really not a good thing and that's why you don't see it in books anymore or see artists who are trained correctly in using materials teaching it.

Paper is not made by knitting or weaving fibers like the construction of cloth – it is made by matting loose lint fibers, more like the construction of felt. Stretching it will actually thin the surface and weaken it. It's not knitted or woven, so the fibers, if stretched, will pull away from each other and weaken the paper. It will not 'shrink' like a woven or knitted object -- the fibers are not long enough and there are no spun yarns or threads pulling it from edge to edge.

Soaking will also remove the sizing that has been added by the paper manufacturer. Sizing is a starch or gelatin that is added to the paper as a stabilizer, and it makes the paper stiff, and it controls the rate and amount of water/paint absorption. Without sizing, paper becomes limp, and you cannot use any lifting techniques to remove paint, masking fluid would be difficult or impossible to remove, etc. Soaking also changes the texture of the paper. Manufacturers use engineered presses to create a calculated and uniform compressed surface on the papers. Soaking expands the fibers, removing the benefits of compression. The paper will become easy to damage, and can then pill or tear under any sort of light rubbing, such as using an eraser or with brushstrokes from painting. The combination of sizing and compression in the manufacturing process is what makes the paper a usable substrate for watercolor painting.

Larger paintings in particular need heavier paper, and artists who like to work wet -- washes and glazes-- should also use heavy paper. Lighter papers are fine for practicing brushstrokes, or for small projects like note cards or miniatures, or for work that is executed with little water. Blocked paper is different, and blocked paper will hold it’s shape much better than loose paper. However, even with blocks there is still an issue with the weight-to-size ratio, so blocks are not generally made in sizes larger than 18x24.

Soaking results in a paper that is softer, weaker, and more absorbent. To avoid paper buckling while painting, the key is to use the right weight of paper that can handle that amount of water. If your paper buckles, then you need to use a heavier weight.   

Read the other articles in this series: 

All About Paper - Part I - Surface Textures 

 All About Paper - Part II -- Sizing Matters

All About Paper - Part III - Weight 

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Annie Strack is an industry trained expert in the uses and properties of artist materials. She is a Brand Ambassador for Hahnemuehle Paper and several other companies, and teaches at art centers, art supply stores, and workshops around the world.