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[mischievous_valkyrie]

Hello everyone
I thought it would be nice to have a thread where Artist can share their wisdom and help those of us who are still learning.

I'm still learning  so I was wondering if any of you seasoned artists could give me any tips on how to properly anchor watercolor paper to a board or something like that, at the moment I've been using my watercolor pad for this job but it isn't doing it as well as I would like plus I can only work on one or two picture's at a time which is a bit frustraiting since I have alot of paintings to do and I would like to get them done before next Christmas lol
So please any tips you can give me would be deeply apperciated!

Also if anyone has questions for me I would be happy to answer the best that I can.

[aurianfae]

As far as I have been told about watercolors, you want to get yourself a nice flat board and some green masking tape and tape the paper to the board. I guess that's supposed to stretch it and keep it flat. Also, on a couple of my watercolors I've tried adding salt to the water, and it seems to help the paper not warp quite so much.

[Windrider]

Alright, since I'm primarily a watercolor artist, I'll answer your question with my opinions - others might have different methods.

My absolute favorite paper for illustrations in watercolor is Letramax 2200 Cold Press Illustration Board.  It has a fine tooth and so is excellent for dry brush effects and gouache details (which is how I finish up my watercolor illos), yet it still takes the washes well and smoothly.  I have tried other cold press boards by Crescent, Bainbridge, and Strathmore but I always come back to my Letramax.  I think it is Crescent that specifically makes a watercolor board, but I still like the Letramax better.  If you use illustration board - which is cotton bristol paper glued to a cardboard backing - you don't have to worry about stretching watercolor paper, you'd have to use a heck of a lot of water and soak it for it to warp.  Note that hot press boards are for inking, cold press are for paints and pastels.

Now, if you are going to do a real watercolor painting (which is how the fine artists, not the illustrators, would say it LOL), there is just nothing that beats Arches, it is the standard that others aspire to.  It is real watercolor paper for real watercolorists - archival, 100% cotton, etc - the best.  The stuff is just yummy (and priced accordingly) - it takes the paint like nothing else.  However, it has a tremendous amount of tooth (bumpiness).  This is awesome for your typical washy watercolor painting, but forget it if you are trying to do tiny details.  Make the painting big enough so you don't have to get in there with a 00 brush or you will be frustrated.

Any unmounted watercolor paper like Arches is going to need to be stretched.  I first soak my paper for 15 minutes or so in a couple inches of water in my bathtub.  How long you soak will depend on the quality of the paper, you don't want it to feel crisp anymore, but you also don't want the "wet noodle" floppiness.  Pull the paper out by the corner and let excess drip off.  Then I lay it on one of several smooth pieces of wood I have (old drawing boards, actually) and sponge off any excess water.  I use butcher tape (gummed watercolor tape) to stick the paper to the wood.  Wet the tape with a damp sponge and tape completely around all four sides, overlapping the corners quit a bit.  Lay the board flat in the sun and the paper will dry to an almost drum-like tautness.  Paint on it, then use an Xacto knife to cut the painting off the board inside the tape.

I googled and found an online tutorial that does it the way I do:
http://www.watercolorpainting.com/stretchingpaper.htm

[Foxeye]

(Sitting here reading this, I turned to my husband and exclaimed "Dear gods, it's so complicated! No wonder I like digital".  He eyed my art computer which is currently undergoing an OS re-installation and commented "yes, I'm sure many traditional artists would say the same thing about your 'material preparation'".)

[mischievous_valkyrie]

@ Aurianfae: Thank You I'll have to try adding salt to my water and see if it works as well for me X3 Thanks again for the tips

@ Windrider: YAY thank you I'm looking for any number of different methods to try and see what works best for me So I'm so very glad that you shared the fount of information with me I'm thinking that it will be very helpful to me on my quest to improve as an artist, lol as for being a REAL artist I believe that I am onE just with my own way of doing things...but then aren't we all? and then of course I doubt that I will ever stop learning, but that's where the real fun is isn't it? discovering new things, I've just learned some new things and I couldn't be more thrilled!
Anyway Thank you so very Much I look forward to being able to try these methods that you have been so wonderful in sharing and I will be sure to post the results of my efforts in this direction *hug*

@Foxeye: Lol Yes I believe that he is correct we all have prep that is both easy and hard depending on ones point of view X3

[Joyrider1978]

There's also a way to "cheat" one's way out of stretching watercolor paper, and that is to use what's called a "block."  Blocks are different than regular pads of paper in that they are glued on 3 or all four sides of the paper, essentially making it impossible for the paper to warp.  You just whip out your block, paint your painting, and slice through the glue when you're done to remove the piece.  This does mean, however, that you can only work on one piece at a time; if you remove it and then want to paint on it some more, it'll be warp central.  Pretty much all watercolor papers also make blocks: again, Arches is the creme de la creme, but for any vegans out there Fabriano Artistico is also an excellent choice (Fabriano uses only synthetic sizing; Arches uses some animal-based sizings).  Canson also makes a pretty decent student-grade paper (and block) called "Montval."

However my favoritest of favorites for literally any kind of painting whatsoever are Ampersand's boards.  Claybord has a super-smooth surface, Aquabord is slightly textured (both of these are literally a layer of clay over masonite; very absorbent and very forgiving).  They also make Gessobord for oils/acrylics, and Pastelbord (in various colors) for pastels, but it's Claybord and Aquabord that I love.  I've even used them for egg tempera and encaustic (!) with fabulous results.  They make lil' 5x7" sampler packs if you want to test the different surfaces... sigh.  For someone who hates paper and canvas (because they are "bouncy") and is a lazy git like me, Ampersand are lifesavers 

[mischievous_valkyrie]

lol Never say Cheat! tis just a simpler way of doing things, I've actually been using a block which sadly do warp..Must be those tea washes I've been trying ^^ but yeah as you said you can only work on one at a time with those or if one happens to have more than one then two at a time lol but yeah I'm working on expanding my store of knowledge about such things and I have to say that you all have been very Helpful (Even you Foxeye you made me Giggle X3)
I rather intrigued by those Ampersand boards where would one find them? sadly I don't have a straight up art store here in town just Micheals and Roberts which have been very nice to by from but are still rather limited in their supply of art stuff ;.; but I make do with what I can get,  anyway I would like to know more, *smacks forehead why didn't I think of this earlier any good art supply websites that you would care to recommend I would love to go and check them out.
Anyway Joyrider thankyou for sharing I'm so excited to be getting all this great information  *hugs*

[Joyrider1978]

Where are you located, mischievous?  There are a few art supply mail order companies in the US (I happen to work for one) and most if not all prolly ship overseas as well.  Would feel bad (like I'm promoting my company) if I tell you what they are, but a quick google search for Ampersand Claybord pops up some online shopping results.  Also their website (http://www.ampersandart.com/) has a lot of neat info.  Good luck, and good for you for expanding your artistic horizons! 

[Windrider]

Foxeye :laughs: yes, it is complicated which is why I went to college to learn about all this (just kidding).  If I'm stretching watercolor paper, I'll usually fill up all my wood boards so I have some on hand later.  But all that is why I love illustration board - just buy and paint, you just have to know what to buy.  Almost all my EQ color work has been on illo board.

About adding salt when watercolor painting - I don't often do it, it changes the way the paper takes the paint.  Which is good for certain effects you might be after, but I would try it both with and without until you learn what happens.

I only tried using watercolor blocks once and stopped using them because they do buckle and warp and come unglued at the edges unless you are only using dry brush.  They might be better made nowadays, but I haven't tried recently.

Clayboards: When I was doing a lot of nature illustration in ink, I used this stuff called EssDee English Scraperboard, I still have a stockpile.  It is a clayboard most often used for old fashioned scratchboard inking.  I loved the effects I could get with ink.  I hadn't thought to try color with it.  It really does suck the ink/paint right out of the brush though, and I like my paint to flow.

Valkerie:  I didn't mean to imply that people here aren't REAL artists.  I come from an academic background and there was this huge conflict in the arts department between the illustrators and the so-called fine-artists.  The fine artists always said the illustrators weren't "real" artists (yeah, right).  Traditional watercolorists (the "purists") in particular frown on the illustrators very untraditional use of papers/boards and mixing media such as pastels or gouache over dried watercolor.

[Afke]

Lol, I don't know anything about this stuff either. I use traditional materials too, but basically I'm just mucking around. Oh and yes, how I love to mix.

I did learn how to stretch my paper (any kind of paper really) with tape on some kind of wooden board (I don't know all the specific words/translations) at school, but that's as far as they taught us material-wise. I think that's a great miss now, I wish I knew how I could work with my materials and not misuse them.
I do remember they told me that before one starts painting preferably the tape should be dry before the paper, otherwise it might still wrinkle, but that's all the knowledge I can add.

[mischievous_valkyrie]

Valkerie:  I didn't mean to imply that people here aren't REAL artists.  I come from an academic background and there was this huge conflict in the arts department between the illustrators and the so-called fine-artists.  The fine artists always said the illustrators weren't "real" artists (yeah, right).  Traditional watercolorists (the "purists") in particular frown on the illustrators very untraditional use of papers/boards and mixing media such as pastels or gouache over dried watercolor.

Lol I didn't think that you did I was merely teasing you, and really depending on  how one looks at it everyone is an artist, in their own way they have just chosen a different kind of art one that speaks to them X3
I do have to say that the way you describe them makes me grin.

@ Joyrider: Hey I don't mind, I'll be looking them up, and I live in southern utah,or new sorrows End as some might call it X3

@ Afke: yay for mucking around I do alot of that and sometimes it pays off and sometimes well lets not go there.

You guys are all so awesome thankyou for replying to this thread and sharing your artistic wisdom with one who wants to learn more.

[Faerydae]

I found that watercolor pencils really helped me learn how watercolors worked.

I do not stretch my paper though - and it seems to do okay - at least those that have bought the paintings have expressed their pleasure.

I dislike a lot of tooth at this time though - I tend to like smoother paper.

I have not, in 7 years, been able to successfully find a shred of hot press paper - so though I've wanted to try it, I have not been able to.

I only use salt for effects at this time, myself. I love salt blooms, though I can't seem to get them as dramatic as I'd like to yet lol.

[Windrider]

:laughs:  Guys, the lower division art program at any university is just organized "mucking about" not all that different from what you are doing.  Even us illustrators had to take oil painting, watercolor, 2 and 3-D design, etc, not to mention all that life drawing where the teachers had you experiment with all sorts of media.  It is sort of a ritual among art students to ooh and ahh over some new pencil/brush/paper another student had "discovered."

You can get away with not stretching watercolor paper if you (1) don't paint very wet and/or (2) if you use a heavy paper.  Some watercolor papers come in different plys.  I know many of the big name watercolorists use a heavy ply Arches that is so stiff it might as well be masonite; it doesn't have to be soaked and mounted even though it is just paper.  But seriously, ca-ching!  Regular Arches is expensive enough, if I win the lottery I might try the heavy ply stuff.  

Tooth: I like both heavy tooth and fine tooth, but for different things.  Most true watercolor papers have a fairly pronounced tooth, but you should not expect to do a small painting with fine details.  The tooth helps the washes flow and gives the painting depth and texture, you can do details if the painting is a large enough scale that the details are proportionately large.  But for small, detailed illustrations I use bristol paper, whether plain or mounted to make illustration board.

Faery: making salt blooms is the only reason I use salt in watercolor.  To get dramatic blooms, you just have to be brave and lay down an intense, dark, saturated wash.  I find it works really well for texturing if I'm painting rocks, though I'll also use splattering with a toothbrush and/or daubing with a natural sponge for that as well.

If you find hot press board, you'll find it really weird to paint on - it isn't absorbent at all.  It is made for inking.  You can get some sparklingly crisp lines on that glass-like surface; the inks just lay on top and don't bleed even a little.

[Treefox]

Ooh, this thread is absolutely and highly instructive! Even though I only understand half of all the cold-press-illustration-board stuff. I must admit I only stretched my water color paper at art school, after that I was usually too lazy. Also, I guess I don't paint very wet. My current coloring style is more like Afke's. I usually do the basic layer with Prismacolor markers and then add water colors and just plain color pencils. I really developed a love for adding a lot of layers, for me it just gives the picture more depth. And I'm really dependent on my opaque white to touch everything up (and a major touch-up it usually is).

[Windrider]

Treefox, Joyrider (who works at an art store) could probably tell you the difference in process for making it hot or cold press, but really the only thing you have to know about illustration board is:

Hot press = smooth, hard surface for inks.
Cold Press = "paper" textured, absorbent, for paints and pastels.

It always says on the back which type it is.  Both types of illustration boards are made out of Bristol paper (which is a cotton rag paper unlike your usual sketch bond paper which is made out of cellulose) glued to cardboard backing.  You can also get Bristol by itself without it glued to a board.  I use plain Bristol for my more ambitious and detailed pencil drawings - you can paint on it but not very wet.  You'll want it on board if you are going to paint.

If all you've ever done is color on bond paper, I'd like to encourage you to get a piece of cold press illustration board and try it out - it is really the staple for illustrators (or at least is was until CG came around).  It really makes a difference using the proper materials for the job.

Oh... Treefox, when you are layering your media, try doing your basic layer in watercolor first, let it dry, and then do your markers on top, then colored pencils last.  Watercolors are sensitive to other things on the paper and it is usually recommended that they go on first.  Colored pencils in particular are waxy and will resist the watercolor paint.  All kinds of media can go on top of watercolors: Inks (either India or Dr Martins), markers, pastels, pencils (of any type), charcoals and conte, and I've even done a watercolor painting, sealed it with transparent medium, and then did acrylics on top of that.

[Windrider]

The difference a board makes:

All the brands of illustration board that I've tried are perfectly serviceable surfaces for not-so-wet watercolor, for detailed painting, and gouache.  Where the difference in brands becomes apparent is in the washes.

Now, in college I was sort of the "queen of the washes."  This is not so impressive in these days of click and fill perfect CG gradients, but back then... well, let's just say that I may have had artistic lacks in other areas, but man could I do a controlled gradient in watercolor washes!  The gradients were never perfect like CG, but to me, it was important that they were NOT perfect - that they had texture and variation to add richness to the finished work.

This is where I really like my Letramax illo board in particular.  To demo the difference, here are a couple pieces from my senior student project.  These are BIG paintings for me, about 18 x 30 inches.

"Ascent" done on my beloved Letramax:



"Dream Waters" done on Crescent illo board:



Close-ups of the washes showing the difference:





On the Letramax, the wash would flow on and if done VERY wet (as this one was) the pigment would marble in this beautiful fashion.  If painted a little less wet, it would be more smooth.  So lots of versatility.  And yes, this wash was a one-shot deal, except for an added layer in the very dark areas once the first was dry.

The Crescent brand board, on the other hand, did not want to puddle and flow for that huge board-covering wash.  So I resorted to layering washes, which led to a less "flowing" look.  Perfectly wonderful board for the rest of the painting, though.

So you see, half my reputation as Wash Queen was built on the Letramax board!

[Treefox]

Windrider, I'll heed your advice next time I color something. I'm rather curious how it'll turn out, meaning how the difference will feel during drawing.

Colored pencils in particular are waxy and will resist the watercolor paint.

Very true. Actually, according to my experience, colored pencils work on top of almost anything.

All kinds of media can go on top of watercolors: Inks (either India or Dr Martins), markers, pastels, pencils (of any type), charcoals and conte, and I've even done a watercolor painting, sealed it with transparent medium, and then did acrylics on top of that.

Wow... and the acrylics didn't drown the watercolors? Amazing!

And thanks for showing the difference of the boards, not only it shows what you mean very well, the illustrations themselves are just gorgeous. Once again I agree that it is sad that one cannot see a compilation of your work in the internet. Those colors, details, shading are brilliant. One example: I love the blueish light reflection of the water on the creatures in the boat. Just adds so much contrast between the warm skin/fur tones and the blue water reflection and also gives this an even more surreal feeling.
Is there a story that goes with the illustrations? Seems like.

[bukittyan]

I used to "stretch" my paper by painting all over it with clear water and allowing it to dry (I taped it to a board), which is the lazy-person's way of doing it. I usually used dry brush techniques with my work because I was really afraid of wet brush techniques, so that worked well for me. Plus, it kept the paper from warping too badly, since it had already warped and stretched from the previous wetting.

Now, I'm going to sit in awe of Windrider's work and admire all the beautiful colors.

[Windrider]

Wow... and the acrylics didn't drown the watercolors? Amazing!

I like watercolors better than any other medium for landscape backgrounds and skies.  But sometimes I'd like a little more oomph for the dark, foreground or detailed areas.  The acrylics didn't drown the watercolor in that painting because only the background was watercolor with maybe a little acrylic glaze here and there.  The foreground was in shadow and detailed in acrylic.  I don't have that painting scanned, sorry.

Is there a story that goes with the illustrations? Seems like.

Yes there is, but it is a very disjointed, Jungian, dream-like story and without words.  The project was called "Dream Waters" and consisted of 16 paintings in this large size and a number of smaller paintings half that size.  The "story" is based on Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey.  I kept a dream diary and plugged my dreams into the different stages of his hero's journey format.  There were reoccuring elements: me, my dog (the hero's companion), the "other self" and his companion (the red horse), etc.  The boat became a character in its own right, which is funny since I often talk to my boats.    But it became a metaphor for creativity - the boat is a vessel which is empty at the beginning, but returns from its journey into the subconscious brimming with life.

The painting "Ascent" above is one of my favorites from that series.  This is the other, "The Garden Beneath."  In spite of how dark this is, it is almost 100% watercolor with just a little gouache in the water's foam.  Lots of dry-brush here.



This project was a turning point for me artistically.  These paintings are not perfect, but in them for the first time I turned my back on the absolute realism of my science illustration background and was intentionally going for something NOT realistic, both in the theme and how they were painted.  This led to the style of art I use for children's books and for EQ, which is rather different from my science stuff.

[mischievous_valkyrie]

  I'm so happy this thread has taken off so well and that you are all sharing what you have learned and what works for you.
Windrider those are some gorgeous pics I like the surreal feel that they have,  and I really like being able to look at an example of what you discribe its really helpful, now I really want to try out salt blooms, what kind of salt should I use for those? I'm thinking that they might make an interesting explosion effect in a painting that I'm working on for a friend.

[Treefox]

Thanks for illuminating that project further! Achieving such dark tones with watercolor is not easy, I think. I actually did it once in art school. That was one of the times that I think I couldn't have done it with normal paper that I use nowadays (or the cheap kind of pseudo watercolor paper that I like to use). The paper really did help to "bind" the color to achieve dark tones, layer by layer.

This led to the style of art I use for children's books and for EQ, which is rather different from my science stuff.

Is there one drawing style you prefer?

[Faerydae]

Thanks for illuminating that project further! Achieving such dark tones with watercolor is not easy, I think. I actually did it once in art school. That was one of the times that I think I couldn't have done it with normal paper that I use nowadays (or the cheap kind of pseudo watercolor paper that I like to use). The paper really did help to "bind" the color to achieve dark tones, layer by layer.

i think that really depends more on the types of watercolors that you are using though ... like for pans I'd totally agree - getting deep dark colors, not so easy.

But I have a totally different experience with the tubes and pencils ... it's actually insanely easy!

I wish I had discovered tubes and pencils for watercolors when I was in high school .. I simply hated the pans and it turned me off of watercolors for decades.

Had my BF not given me a gift of watercolors in the fall of 2008 ... I'd still be avoiding watercolors LOL. I flipping LOVE the tubes ... though it's harder to stay *light* with those ... hmmmmm, maybe that's where I'd be better off with the despised pans! LOL!

[Treefox]

Well, I usually use my cheap but wonderful watercolor crayons, only use pans sometimes. I guess I would use tubes more if they weren't so friggin' expensive. ;-)
But I did like to paint with acrylics at art school, I must say. But also a bit too expensive and taking too much space for me right now.

[Windrider]

I was about to clean up after painting this latest calendar cover and remembered this thread.  I thought you might like to see my watercolor workspace:



My drawing board is an antique; my grandparents bought it for my dad when he was a teenager.  It is in desperate need of a new top - I am going to get one at least a foot longer, because I am always running out of room and the art "stuff" tends to overflow onto the floor and any nearby furniture.

Brushes include a couple size flats (for large washes), a badger brush (for blending gouache - not used on this project), and various size round pure sable brushes, some of which still come to a very fine point and other which are worn and very round.  I also have a couple size "rigger" brushes.  These are very interesting, "riggers" were originally made for those who painted pictures of the old sailing ships back a couple of centuries.  With them, you can paint long lines (i.e. ship rigging) that don't vary in width even if you don't keep the pressure on the brush constant.



Note the old cigar box of watercolor tubes and the four palettes which are more or less divided by color.  These palettes are in disgraceful condition - I have done far too many projects without cleaning them in between.   

I have never used pans even as a student.  But when you keep tubes as long as I have, you find that invariably they end up all dried up inside the tube after a while (ahem... years.... um, even decades). Or the darn tube splits as you are trying to get a stubborn lid off.  No problem.  Just peel (or squeeze) all the paint out into your palette well, mush up with some water (if dried), and the next day you have a homemade pan.  I am Scottish (frugal.... er, cheap) so I don't like wasting perfectly good paint.  I still have some of the same paints I was using when I was a student - some colors (like the Thalos) are such potent dyes that it takes decades to use up a tube.



Palettes all clean and ready for the next project.  Notice that the names of each color are written in Sharpie on the outside of the palette (not that I pay much attention to that anymore, but I did when I was a student).  Note that there is no white.  The little jar by the paint brushes is "Pro White," which is what I use instead of white gouache - it has far greater covering power and is not annoyingly sticky.  Of course, a watercolor purist wouldn't use white at all, but rather let the white of the paper show through instead - which I also do, but not religiously.   

[Treefox]

I love these pics! While my output isn't this gorgeous, my table looks quite the same when I'm painting. I also tend to occupy all shelves and whatever is standing besides my drawing tables with colors, pencils, brushes and reference material.
And I absolutely agree on the dried colors. Even if they seem completely dried up, you usually can bring them back to life with some water.