what kind of tape to use on watercolor paper

Have yous always watched a watercolor creative person doing their thing? Their painting is complete, but you lot are curious why they felt the demand to stretch the paper they painted, and past stretching, we meant that weird way they kept the paper from curling inward as it dries. Today's tutorial is all virtually how to stretch watercolor paper, including how to stretch watercolor newspaper with masking tape. We will include what the wetting paper process entails, too as what watercolor tape could be used for too keeping the paint from certain spaces of your painting. Keep reading for a descriptive guide on stretching watercolor newspaper. We will explain to you exactly how to prepare the watercolor newspaper for the stretching procedure and the various techniques you lot tin use, similar using a watercolor stretching board. If you lot want to acquire how to stretch pocket-sized to large watercolor paper, or any size watercolor sheets, nosotros take explained information technology all.

Table of Contents

i Why Do We Stretch Our Watercolor Newspaper?
ii How to Stretch Watercolor Newspaper
- 2.1 The Wetting Paper Process
- two.2 Spraying, Sponges, and Brushes
- 2.3 Fully Immersing the Newspaper in Water
3 Stretching the Watercolor Paper
- 3.one Methods of Attaching the Watercolor Newspaper
- iii.two Tin can Y'all Flatten a Warped Painting?
4 Final Suggestions For Stretching Watercolor Paper
5 Ofttimes Asked Questions
- five.1 Practice I Need to Stretch Watercolor Paper?
- v.two What Is the Best Way to Gear up Watercolor Paper?
- v.iii Do I Demand to Soak the Watercolor Paper in H2o for a Long Fourth dimension?
- v.4 Can I employ Masking Record for Stretching Watercolor Newspaper?

Why Do We Stretch Our Watercolor Paper?

There is a very practiced reason why artists have been stretching watercolor newspaper subsequently finishing their artwork. It is to prevent the page from curling inwards when the paint dries and to besides give you a smooth and flat surface to work on then that the paint does not get together in pools in undesired areas, oversaturating the painting. Big watercolor newspaper is necessary to stretch because it makes the painting procedure that much easier for the reasons we have mentioned already.

Watercolor sheets of paper are manufactured in such a way that all of the paper fibers are running in the same management, if not a little bit off from the same direction. When you start painting, and the sheet is saturated with the watery paint, the fibers will not expand regularly, and the warped event starts showing.

Using a watercolor stretching board to stretch the page earlier yous paint will help to go along the folio from expanding and warping in means y'all do non want.

Stretching watercolor sheets is done by tightly taping the folio onto a watercolor stretching board, or something apartment and firm, using watercolor record, the newspaper will not buckle, because it will be dry earlier you have information technology off the lath, and that apartment surface it is stuck to, acts like mold to go along your artwork smoothen and flat. Here are the two most common reasons why we would recommend stretching the newspaper for your watercolor artwork:

If the watercolor paper is lighter than 300 grams; or
If the sheet you are using is a large piece of watercolor paper.

We have spoken in previous tutorials about watercolor blocks, which are an alternative method for the stretching process, and a piddling easier, merely harder to travel with which is why many artists still go through the effort of stretching their paper. A watercolor block is made upwards of many watercolor sheets of paper that are set confronting a board underneath the block, supporting the newspaper.

Each edge of the stack of newspaper is covered in a rubbery substance that holds the stack together. The idea is that you paint on the sheet that is visible from the tiptop of the block, so once the painting is fully dry, yous can remove the sail past running a abrupt pocketknife around the edge (finding the open slot commencement to get a practiced angle to divide the page easier) A fresh canvas will exist revealed underneath the page you lot just painted on. Watercolor blocks are not the almost platonic option to use for stretching your watercolor sheet, especially if you are on a budget, because the block can be costly, not to mention cumbersome to carry effectually with you.

This is why some artists opt to stretch their watercolor sheets using a stretching lath.

How to Stretch Watercolor Newspaper

Trying to rush through anything is never going to be helpful to you lot. You lot will about likely take longer than you would if you lot just took your time. The same goes for learning how to set watercolor newspaper, or how to stretch watercolor paper. In this adjacent step, nosotros will teach you just that. From the "wetting paper" process to the use of watercolor tape. We volition also include how to stretch watercolor paper with masking record, or painter's tape, and what happens if y'all utilize a hairdryer to speed up the process.

The Wetting Newspaper Process

The proper name of this first step is what gives information technology away. Yep, you are correct, it means you lot are required to wt the paper or soak it rather.

Yous tin can dab a wet sponge over the surface, or you tin can douse information technology underwater gently, ensuring the whole page is wet.

Spraying, Sponges, and Brushes

Equally we said, you have the option to use a sponge, a cloth, or fifty-fifty a paintbrush that is clean, to wet the paper. Dip your choice of wetting item and so run information technology over the paper's surface. Make sure you moisture both sides because this method volition not become through to both sides.

Fully Immersing the Paper in Water

This step is a little quicker than trying to wet the sheet with a cloth or a sponge, just yous will need a suitably sized bowl or a Tupperware that will fit the whole sail y'all are wetting without bending the page. All that y'all need to practice is hold the top two corners of the sheet, and elevate the paper through the water, without lingering likewise long in water.

If you need to, you can echo this procedure until it is wet enough.

Recommended Soaking Times

To prevent any bug afterwards, make sure the newspaper is well soaked. Information technology is important to recollect that when the paper is over soaked, or oversaturated, the fibers will expand considerably, and then contract when it is stale, making the paper fragile, and decumbent to fierce. Under-soaking the paper plenty, the paper will appear flat and rigid on the surface; however, as soon as y'all begin painting, the paper volition warp regardless. When the paper begins to appear or feels limp, you should remove it from the water, usually after at to the lowest degree 10 seconds.

Of grade, the paper y'all choose to stretch should be pinnacle quality, or something similar. As a rule of thumb, the thicker the newspaper, the longer it is going to have to soak it. This means that if the paper you are soaking is 300g, you volition need at least 5 minutes, and any paper that is thicker or heavier can be soaked upward to near 10 minutes. Just keep an eye on your page.

Stretching the Watercolor Paper

The board that you lot use for the stretching should be at least an inch larger than the size of the newspaper. This is so that y'all take infinite for the tape to hold the folio downwards without bending or dissentious the newspaper. Before you begin stretching your watercolor sheets, you will demand a few supplies gathered together.

The lath for stretching needs to be shine, or you tin paint a primer over the surface to take away some of the absorbent factors.

Marine-grade plywood
Canvas
Paper Stretcher
Plexiglass

Now attach the paper to the board of your choice, and you tin can cull i of many methods. It is more mutual to use gummed tape, an adhesive record that is water-activated and is easy to remove. If you have a hardy stapler that can handle stapling through the board so stapling the page downwards is another smashing option.

Subsequently you lot have attached the watercolor paper to the watercolor stretching lath, y'all must look for it to dry completely before you can use it. The best drying place is somewhere warm, merely preferably out of directly sunlight because the UV rays will zap the paint's pigments. If yous utilize a hairdryer, and so behave in heed that this will not give you lot a better result, fifty-fifty if it saves you lot fourth dimension. the natural drying process is much better for quality artwork.

Methods of Attaching the Watercolor Newspaper

You could, in theory, try to adhere the watercolor sheet using any means necessary, but the more ordinarily used method is with record. Keep reading to acquire how to stretch watercolor down and go on information technology on the board.

Using a Canvas Frame

In order to use this method, you lot will need a blank canvas. If you have the means, yous tin can either purchase stretcher bars from the art store and assemble the frame from scratch, or y'all can only buy a canvas and strip information technology from the frame later you have bought it. Again, you need to soak the paper in h2o for a few minutes before placing it on a cotton towel with the watermark facing downwardly. You will need to position the canvas frame so that you tin can wrap the folio around it.

To adhere the paper to the frame, yous will need to utilize a stapler, making certain that it is deeply attached.

If the paint is dry, it should be left to dry for at least several hours, and it should non be sped upward by using a rut source to speed up the process, and so no hairdryers this time. Having stale the paper, you should now be able to stretch the canvas so that information technology is perfectly firm and stretched. Once yous have taped effectually the paper and are prepare to brainstorm painting, yous can then use the tape to create a half-inch border, which can also be helpful when framing the artwork. When the painting is finished, you are then able to gently pry the staples off, to divide the page from the board.

Using Gummed Tape

Now that you take learned how to set up a watercolor paper for the stretching office, information technology is time to learn how to stretch watercolor paper with gummed record, which is a especially designed tape that is perfect for use with watercolors. This tape is activated past water, so over-soaking the page tin cause the mucilage to dissolve. Information technology is not the aforementioned as making tape, and then do non confuse one for the other. Gummed record is a stronger version, making it more efficient when working with watercolor pigment. Ane astonishing affair about gummed tape is how it molds with watercolor paper.

Make a edge with a pencil around your paper, and make certain it is about half of an inch. This will exist the guideline for where to place the tape. One time the page has been taped downwardly on the lath you are using to stretch the canvass, and then you lot must lay it somewhere prophylactic for it to dry. This will keep the folio from warping or curling inward, ruining the flush effect of the paper and making the painting process that much harder. When the paper has dried properly, that is a sign that you can have the tape off. Using a palette pocketknife, wedge the tape from the paper. If you try to rip off the tape, yous volition damage the sheet you want to paint on.

Watercolor Newspaper Stretcher

If y'all tin can afford this method then this is probably one of the better methods for stretching your watercolor newspaper. For this method, you lot will need a mallet or a hammer. Place the soaked paper onto the board that has grooves all around the perimeter. There are safe straps that are placed on top of the paper, and they can exist wedged into those grooves with either your hammer or the mallet.

If you are worried about getting the page out again, adding a bit of wax from a candle can help with a scrap of grease.

Using Masking Tape

This is where you learn how to stretch watercolor newspaper with masking tape. Because of how the tape works, y'all will demand to first attach the folio to the board with the record. Then y'all volition go the paper with a sponge. Make certain the paper is sufficiently wet otherwise the stretching will not happen properly.

You can so leave the board with the wet page fastened in a condom place to dry without whatsoever run a risk of any first falling on the lean and wet surface, or any damage to the page. Remember that an over-saturated page will be risky because it will tear easily. Avoid using a hairdryer because the intense heat might just do the reverse of what you intended for information technology to do

Tin can Yous Flatten a Warped Painting?

It may be the example that you lot have already finished your painting and did non experience the need to stretch your watercolor newspaper. Now you are sitting with a painting that has warped slightly because you ignored the stretching procedure before you began. At that place may exist a way for you lot to salvage the painting by following a few simple steps. To begin with, spray a piffling h2o on the back of the painting to brand it slightly wet, just over damp. Subsequently, you will position the board onto two pieces of newspaper and and so put weight onto that stack.

The wights could be books, which will help to go on the age smooth. In all, it might accept a few hours to dry.

Terminal Suggestions For Stretching Watercolor Paper

Stretching your watercolor newspaper is quite a necessary function of the painting process. If you are new to watercolor art, this might have seemed a bit overwhelming because you idea you could only get-go painting direct onto the paper. Here are a few final suggestions that you can read for a better idea of how to stretch your watercolor paper.

It is important not to wet the watercolor tape too much, as this will take away the gum, making information technology not viscid anymore.
Wash your hands before you start, to forbid any dirty fingerprints from ruining your clean canvas.
If you can, try using watercolor record instead of masking record for attaching your page to the lath.
Use some books as a weight for extra polish stretched paper.
If you employ hot water to soak the page, information technology might shrink. Instead, you should apply a sponge soaked in common cold water to soak your paper.
If the page is 300gram in weight, y'all can soak the folio for at least five minutes, and more for heavier pages.
Find a safety place for the watercolor lath for stretching to dry, and avert using hairdryers.
You could utilize a stapler that is strong, rough, or some drawing pins to attach the page to the board.
If you lot are using gummed tape to attach the watercolor sail to the lath, you will need to wedge it off gently with a palette knife when the drying time is up. If you lot pull information technology off, the paper might tear underneath.
When wetting the newspaper, you tin can either soak the page, or you can use a fabric or a sponge to wet the folio.

This tutorial is seriously the game changer when it comes to your watercolor artworks, and the professional person value they have developed. This means that stretching is not something you should try to avoid unless you are avoiding it by painting on a watercolor block, which makes the stretching process redundant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need to Stretch Watercolor Paper?

If you are working with large-sized watercolor newspaper, then information technology is very necessary to stretch it. This will prevent any warping or curling inward, and keep your painting flush and even. If you are using a watercolor block, that does the stretching for you, and then y'all volition not have to do it beforehand.

What Is the Best Way to Prepare Watercolor Paper?

Preparing the paper you want to paint on with watercolors is getting it ready for the stretching process. This can be done by soaking the upper first, then attaching information technology to the board, or whatever form of stretching mechanism yous adopt.

Do I Need to Soak the Watercolor Paper in H2o for a Long Time?

You need not soak the paper for too long. Simply 5 minutes for a paper that weighs about 2300 grams, and up to x minutes if the paper is heavier. Make sure yous are vigilant because oversaturated paper tin can tear hands.

Tin I use Masking Record for Stretching Watercolor Paper?

We would rather advise using gummed record considering it is specially designed for use with watercolor record. Masking tape might crusade the newspaper you are painting on to rip, just gummed tape's adhesive is activated by water, which is one of the main components of watercolor pigment.

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Source: https://artincontext.org/how-to-stretch-watercolor-paper/