This quote defines my journey in learning watercolor painting. In every step, what does work has been revealed by first doing what doesn’t work.
I didn’t used to stretch the watercolor paper. Using very little water in my paintings, I didn’t feel it necessary (plus, I was impatient to get started).
For the first couple years, I researched methods for “fixing” buckled paper at the end of a painting, such as…
- Dampening the back of the painting and weighing down with heavy objects
- Ironing the back of the painting.
These methods may work for minor buckling, but were not the solution for paper that hadn’t been prepared properly in the first place. I learned the hard way – and it took a while to realize – it was time to emulate what so many master watercolor artists have been saying all along:
Stretch the paper first!
What does it mean to STRETCH the watercolor paper?
Stretching occurs when you prepare the watercolor paper in advance, so it won’t wrinkle during the painting. It involves soaking the paper with water, attaching it to some kind of board and allowing it to dry completely before beginning the painting.
As a beginner, I used a watercolor block (such as Arches 140 lb. Cold Press block). The purpose of the block was to keep the paper from buckling, as the paper is glued down on all sides, and it works pretty well, although I have encountered a bit of warping.
I now purchase large, single sheets of watercolor paper. It’s cost effective and allows for different sizing. And I always stretch prior to beginning a painting to prevent the paper from warping and buckling.
Every artist has a favorite method for stretching the watercolor paper.
After lots of research and experimentation, I’ve found two simple and relatively inexpensive techniques that I’ll share with you. I encourage you to experiment with different methods until you discover what fits your needs.
I’d like to recognize these two artists who have kindly shared their techniques:
- Thanks to watercolor artist, Phil Schmidt, for sharing his method for stretching watercolor paper in the Youtube Group “Watercolor Steps.”
- Thanks to Susan Harrison-Tustain, for her Youtube demo on using Gatorfoam board. Susan uses white Lukas tape to attach the paper to the board, instead of staples.
Materials:
- Watercolor paper, cut to your preferred size – Arches 140 lb. Cold Press paper is used for this demonstration, approx. 9 x 11 inches in size.
- Squirt bottle filled with clean water
- Stapler – Mine is inexpensive, like you would use for stapling paper, along with standard staples
- Gatorfoam Board
- Large, soft brush for spreading the water over the paper – I’m using a Princeton Neptune Synthetic Squirrel Brush Oval Size 1
- Paper towels and/or bath towel for cleaning up
You can view the entire list of materials that I use HERE. I’m an affiliate of Blick Art Materials and receive a small commission when you click any of these links. I constantly research different art suppliers to find the best deals and encourage you to do the same.
Stretching Watercolor Paper: Two Methods
I experimented with two popular methods of stretching watercolor paper. Here are the results and my thoughts.
- I used Arches 140 lb. Cold Press watercolor paper, approx. 9 x 11 inches in size. Results may vary if you are working with larger pieces of paper. In fact, for larger pieces of paper, I soak for 3 to 10 minutes in a tub of water.
- For both methods, I attached the paper, while wet, to Gatorfoam board with standard staples. This can be seen in the video below.
Method 1: Based on Susan Harrison-Tustain’s Youtube demo
Soak paper in water and then staple to Gatorfoam Board
Fill a container (large enough for the paper to fit), your sink, or bathtub with clean water. Immerse the paper in the water, allow to soak for 3 to 4 minutes. Some artists soak the paper up to 10 minutes.
When soaking is finished, lift the paper, allowing excess water to drip off. Staple to Gatorfoam Board.
Susan Harrison-Tustain uses white Lukas tape to attach the paper to the board. I use staples. It’s a personal preference, and I encourage you to experiment, to see what works best for your needs.
Method 2: Spray paper with water, staple to Gatorfoam Board
Based on Phil Schmidt’s demo in the Youtube Group “Watercolor Steps.”
This video demonstrates the method I learned from Phil Schmidt.
Results:
I compared both methods – soaking in a tub, and spraying. The goal was to see if the paper would dry smoothly using either method.
In this photo, both sheets of watercolor paper have been sitting for about an hour. They are still damp, but not dripping wet. The soaked paper on the left appears to be drying flat. The sprayed paper on the right has some wrinkles.
I took another look about 2 hours later. At this point, the paper was just barely damp, and, to my consternation, there were still wrinkles in the paper on the right.
But no worries! Upon returning the next day, both sheets of watercolor were perfectly dry and perfectly flat!
Additional Tips:
- Stretch in bulk – I like to stretch a number of pieces of paper, in different sizes, to have on hand when needed.
- Dry the paper in a safe place – away from pets and children – to avoid pet hair and fingerprints.
- Allow time to dry completely. If the paper is cool to the touch, it’s still damp.
I hope this tutorial is helpful to you, and I’d love to hear how it goes! Please share your results, questions, or different methods for stretching paper in the comments so we can learn from each other! And thanks for sharing!
