Watercolor Paper:
Everything You Need to Know

Watercolor paper is the foundation of a painting. Your paper choice contributes to the success of the painting, as well as the archival qualities of the finished piece. Whether you’re a student or a professional you need to know a few facts about the paper you use. I paint with watercolors so I’ll provide information about the paper I could use and what I do use.

Let’s start with what Watercolor paper is made of--fiber. Fiber comes from Cotton, Linen, Flax, Hemp, Jute or some other plant source. The other ingredients in paper are Cellulose that is made up of a Wood pulp. Here’s a tip: two things to look for in paper is paper made with shorter cotton fibers that make the surface get fuzzy as you rework an area, and paper that doesn’t use Chemical buffers to Neutralize the acid in the wood pulp. This tip deals with how a painting will look and how long it last before it yellows as well as how it affects the paint applied to the paper.

The next thing to consider is the Finish of the watercolor paper. This is very important because the finish means the texture you paint on. There is no right or wrong choice in this—it’s your decision what texture you prefer in the finished painting.

The first finish is called Rough press and has a lot of texture in it. I don’t use this paper for what I paint. Cold Press has less texture and I use this paper where I want a lot of texture, like landscapes, seascapes and some old buildings. Hot Press is the next and the one I use the most. It has a very smooth surface and is good for painting very fine detailed work.

Sizing (absorbency) is added to paper to make it more water resistant. If paper is too absorbent the paint color will run, and you lose control of where you want the color. Internal Sizing is a Gelatin/Starch additive added by the manufacturer while the paper is still in a liquid state. External Surface-Sizing is done by applying the additive ( gelatin or starch ) on the surface of the paper after the sheet is formed and dried.

When you see 140lb paper or 300lb paper this is the traditional way that paper is measured and referred to as Paper weight. If you take about 500 sheets of what we call 140lb paper and weigh it that is what 500 sheets of that paper would weigh.

Watercolor paper usually comes in 140lb, 200lb, 300lb and even 400lb for painting and the standard size is 22x30.

The inconsistencies in the traditional method of measure lead to the use of metric measurements or Grams per square meter or gsm. An example of this is 140lb paper would be 300gsm. Charts in art supply catalogs provide a quick and easy reference.

The thickness of paper is also important. I use 300lb paper because it doesn’t curl or buckle with heavy washes and it will not fall apart if I use a scratching out technique. I like to use masking tape to give me a crisp clean border. The thicker paper doesn’t tear when I remove the tape at the end when the painting is finished.

A few brands I’ve used include: Fabriano Artistico is a traditional watercolor paper in 22x30 at 300lb hot press. I mainly use Arches bright white watercolor paper 22x30 at 300lb hot and cold press. Depending on how much texture you like in the paper you’ll chose Rough Hot or Cold press finish. I use the full piece of paper on many of my paintings, as I prefer the finished piece to be 16x20 to 16x 27 in size. I've purchased both Fabriano Artistico Traditional White Watercolor Paper and Arches Bright White Watercolor Paper from Dick Blick Art Materials.

Paper comes in several convenient products for the artist to use. First is the single sheet of cut paper. An artist can use the full sheet or cut it down to whatever size the artist has planned for the finished painting.

Paper comes in many choices of size, weight, and finish. Sketchbooks and Pads are good for field sketches and for Plein Air Painters. It’s a good idea to carry a sketchbook around with you all the time! You never know when an opportunity for a good painting will present itself! Be prepared for a quick sketch for such a painting at any time.

Paper companies also sell Bound Blocks of paper where the paper is mounted to a backer board. The block conveniently keeps the paper stretched flat and smooth as you paint on it. This is a good choice for some Plein Air painters because the paper comes in larger sizes then pads or sketchbooks.

After a painting is dry you just remove the sheet of block paper by inserting a knife between the sheets and carefully breaking the binding. The only down side I see with Bound Blocks is you can only use one sheet of paper at a time.

Paper companies also sell rolls of paper and it is a good choice for the artist, as rolls are usually less expensive to buy. I like roll paper because it is sold in large sizes. If I’m painting a very large painting this is my only option. It comes in Hot, Cold and sometimes rough press finish. Roll paper is usually thinner then single sheets and ranges from 90 lb to around 156lb. The thinner paper is easy to roll, handle, store and ship.

My choice of watercolor paper, paints, brushes and other supplies are based on my experience and personal preference. If you have questions, please contact me.

For information on other art supplies I use, please see:


Watercolor Brushes
Watercolor Paints
Art Pens
Drawing Tools

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