Watercolor paper…the basics.

Why can’t it be simple?

You go to the art store and ask for watercolor paper and you get a flood of questions back. What weight? What surface? Do you want that in a sheet, block or roll? What size of sheet or block do you want?

What’s up with this block thing? I didn’t know that I was building anything. I just want something to paint on. And I didn’t know that paper had a weight problem.

OK. Let’s try and sort this out.

First, this weight thing. The thickness of watercolor paper is indicated by its weight. It is measured by pounds per ream (lb). A ream is 500 identical sheets of paper. So let’s say you are buying a sheet of watercolor paper that is 22” x 30” in size. A 300 lb sheet of watercolor paper is going to be thicker than a 140 lb sheet. There are standard weights for watercolor papers. They are 90 lb, 140 lb, 260 lb and 300 lb. As a rule, paper less than 260 lb should be stretched (more on that in another blog) before using, otherwise it is likely to warp.

Surface. Watercolor paper ranges from smooth to rough. The terminology used to identify what surface you are wanting to buy is: “Hot pressed” which is the smoothest paper; “Cold pressed” or “Not” pressed which has a medium rough texture and is preferred by most painters; “Rough” which has a coarse rough texture.

Paper comes in sheets, blocks and rolls. Sheets and blocks are most common. The most common size of sheet is 22” x 30” (Imperial). However, sheets do go as small as 19” x 24” (Royal) and as large as 40” x 60” (Triple Elephant).  A watercolor block is a stack of watercolor sheets that have been glued together on all four edges. A block usually has 15 – 25 sheets. Once you’re ready to start a new painting you just peel away the used sheet. These are great for travel and painting on location. Watercolor blocks range in size from 4” x 5” to 20” x 29”. Watercolor paper can also be purchased in rolls that range from 44-1/2’ wide x 10 yards to 51” wide x 11 yards.

Hope I’ve helped clear some things up. Until next time, have fun painting.