How to stretch watercolor paper

Stretching your watercolor paper is an important step because it keeps the paper from wrinkling when you paint. The first step in paper stretching is soaking the paper. Then you can staple or glue the paper to a board. Alternatively, you...

​You’ve seen it happen… Right ? You lay down a nice watery wash of paint, you settle down to enjoy your painting, and then… It all goes lopsided ! When watercolor paper absorbs liquid, it buckles and deforms, leaving ridges and depressions which make paint flow difficult to control. It’s a nuisance which all watercolor

Learning to paint with watercolors has been a lot of fun, but there have definitely been a few bumps along the road. One of the biggest frustrations that I ran into when I was first getting started was that my paper wouldn’t stay flat. The minute the water touched it, it would buckle and wrinkle.

By Barbara Tibbets in Art Tutorials > Painting Tutorials I’m a watercolorist and have been painting since the mid 80’s. One of the hardest concepts to grasp as a beginner was WHY I would want to stretch watercolor paper. For a little background, my very first watercolor class was at a craft store. That instructor didn’t bother to stretch paper and most of us were using watercolor pads like these in order to save money on materials. I fell in love with […]

You may have heard the term "Stretch Your Watercolor Paper". This does not mean: you will make your paper last longer, nor does it mean you...

The right way to straighten a watercolor painting step by step. Does if ever bother you when you've created a stunning watercolor painting but the paper is all buckled? Learn several different methods you can use to straighten your paper! #watercolorpainting

You may have heard the term "Stretch Your Watercolor Paper". This does not mean: you will make your paper last longer, nor does it mean you...

What to use when you don't have watercolor paper. Ideas for watercolor paper substitutes and alternatives, different watercolor painting surfaces, how to make regular paper work for watercolor, best watercolor paper alternatives, tips for using watercolor on non-watercolor paper.

Watercolor Paper Recommendation: Arches Watercolor Paper

How To Stretch Watercolor Paper is usually stretched on a smooth and hard surface made from plastic, and industrial wood