Have you ever wondered why you aren’t getting the same result as one of those YouTube painting tutorials even after using the same paint, same brushes, and the same technique?
If you have, then you’re in the right place. Read on!
Well, the results can differ significantly if you’re not using the right paper. Yes, paper quality matters. In this blog, I’ll try to provide a simple guide for choosing the right paper for your art. I’ve divided it into 3 sections: Watercolour papers, Acrylic papers, and Grid papers. To help you understand the texture of each type of paper, I've attached a few images. Do check them out too!
Watercolour papers:
Surface
types:
One of the first choices you will encounter while selecting a watercolour paper is choosing a surface type. There are broadly 3 types of surfaces: Hot-Pressed (also known as HP paper), Cold-Pressed (also known as NOT paper, as they are not hot pressed) and Rough.
Hot pressed
papers have the smoothest surface. If you want to sketch something with fine
details before applying the watercolour, then hot pressed papers are perfect
for you. They are most popular among designers and illustrators.
Cold-pressed
papers have a medium textured surface. If you are trying to create some texture
in your painting or trying to use techniques like wet in wet, tissue blot,
plastic blot, cotton ball dab, etc, then cold-pressed papers are for you. In India, cold-pressed papers are traditionally manufactured by hand. They have excellent water holding capacity and a natural Ph level, which makes them beginner-friendly.
Rough is the most textured watercolour paper. The deep pits in the paper are perfect for loose watercolour painting style.
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Weight of the paper:
The thickness of a paper is indicated by its weight. Paper weight is generally
measured by grams per square meter (gsm). Higher the gsm, the higher will be the
cost of the paper. The choice of gsm depends on how much water and paint you want
to use. For example, if you want to do multiple washes then you need higher
gsm, say 300 gsm. But if you want to use gouache or tempera or poster colours,
150-200 gsm will be sufficient for you.
Materials:
In general, watercolour
papers can be made from either cotton or wood pulps.
Cotton
papers are superior in quality as they give more stability to the paints and
retain the vibrancy of the colour over time. 100% cotton papers are of
professional quality and they are a bit expensive. If you are a beginner, you
may go for 25% or 50% cotton papers.
Wood pulp (also known as woodfree) paper is made by chemically treating the pulp and removing the lignin. They are cheaper compared to cotton papers and hence are a good option for amateurs and beginners.
Acrylic papers:
Acrylic paint can be used on a variety of surfaces like canvas, wood, patterned fabric, cardboard, and so on. Canvas is the most popular surface for acrylic painting. However, there are many people, especially beginners, who are not comfortable with painting on any surfaces other than paper. In this section, I’m going to elaborate on what types of papers for acrylic painting.
Acrylic is
heavier than watercolour. Naturally, you will need thicker paper for acrylic.
If you want to use watercolour papers for acrylic, you’ll need 400-500 gsm
paper.
You can also
go for canvas papers that are heavyweight with a textured, coated surface that
closely replicates the finished surface of a canvas. They are much cheaper than
the canvases; the cost of one canvas is approximately equal to the cost of 10
canvas papers. Therefore, canvas papers are particularly useful for practicing
and experimenting with different acrylic painting styles with the authentic
texture and feel of canvas.
Grid papers:
Grid papers can especially be useful for people who are into
mandalas and hand lettering. But you should keep in mind that the flimsy grid
papers that are used in geometry classes can’t be used for making art. You need
high-quality grid papers which are thick so that the ink doesn’t bleed through
paper. Higher the quality (gsm) of the grid paper, the more ideal surface
texture it would provide for smooth ink flow. While making mandalas, the grids
can be used to maintain symmetry between each leaf. In the case of hand
lettering/calligraphy, grids can be used to maintain similarity between the sizes
and bending points of each letter. So, do invest in a high-quality
So that’s it for today! I hope that from the next
time, you won’t look clueless when you go to a stationery shop to pick up
papers for your art! Keep creating and stay safe! See you soon :)
Disclaimer: This post is a part of my collaboration with AyushPapers. They have very kindly sent me a bunch of paper samples from their store to help me understand the texture and functioning of different types of papers!
