What is the best surface to paint watercolor on?

 

Watercolor paper 300 gm Arches Cotton
Painting by the student, Kari Melkevik

What is the best watercolor paper?

Here we are in the middle of a busy and very enjoyable week here in the south of France. Weather is perfect, well almost, a little cool in the mornings and evenings. There is a TV team from “France Arte” to make a documentary about Henri Matisse living in Nice and in this Villa. Villa Le Reve, in the 1940s.

This time we are 12 people in the Villa Le Reve, mostly from the pensioners class that I teach in Norway, but there are two others who booked too late who stay just across the road and join us for meals. They love to come back again and again. Spring and Autumn suit them because the is when they love traveling it is still warm and it makes the summer long. Once again we have become friends in a very short time and a two want to come back in Autumn and luckily we do have a few places left.

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Villa Le Reve and Tv arte filming in the garden
TV Arte

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Some are beginners, who have come with their partners, some are much more advanced. Two are art teachers who are here for the second time. So what brings people back here again and again? Well, the light is amazing. Most days have clear blue sky and the light reflects off the azure blue ocean and gives an amazing effect.

Today we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose (140lbs) and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper (140lbs)and 600 gm Arches cotton paper (300lbs) (I bought some large sheets for us to cut up and share and try them out). There is a huge difference in price.

After trying landscapes we shared our favorites. Most preferred the 300 gm Arches Cotton paper, surprisingly no one preferred the 600 gm expensive Arches Cotton paper. This was very interesting.

Some felt they had more control on the lighter papers. This is very important. On the cellulose paper, the pigments and colors don’t go so deep into the paper so you can make the details more easily.

One of the ladies has experience of painting on china in the past so she is used to doing tiny very precise details on a hard surface. Most prefer the 300 gm Arches Cotton paper. The paper can hold a lot of water and the pigments soak in and can make a lovely misty effect, so the distance looks really realistic. But another side of it is that this paper is very good for watercolor techniques and it is too expensive for use for drawing, or acrylics etc. So, I think that maybe the 600 gram is something that they have not experienced before and if they have more experience they would know that it sucks up a lot of water and pigment and it is probably best for paintings over 50 cm. The 600 gram paper is like a different technique.

The advantage, when you get to know it is the misty foggy distance views. You can continue to add colors from dark to light. you can work the paper much more because you can wash it, the paper is almost like painting on jeans. If you make a mistake it is much more forgiving but you have to be patient and learn. We all used the same watercolors so that was not a factor.

Some asked which paper should we use in the future, and the answer is not black and white. It depends on what you want to draw. You should choose the paper for the effect you want to achieve.

I learned today a lot about the different papers. Having all the students trying their different effects was fun and it taught me a lot too

300 gm cellulose paperToday we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper Today we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper

600 gm Arches Cotton paperToday we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper (I bought some large sheets for us to cut up and share and try them out). There is a huge difference in price.Today we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper Today we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper

300 gm  Arches Cotton paperToday we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper Today we tested lots of watercolor papers. We tried 300 gm cellulose and 300 gm Arches Cotton paper and 600 gm Arches cotton paper

If you like this and want to know more, I am holding some painting retreats in Vence on the Cote dÀzure in France in September and October and I have an online class about drawing faces.

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8 thoughts on “What is the best surface to paint watercolor on?”

  1. Great post Magny I love Arches paper and I like the 300 g which I use it often, I would use the 600 g only on bigger size paintings! These are lovely mini paintings and I wish I could be there in France to experience this beautiful retreat! But I am following your posts on Instagram and enjoy to see your stories! Have wonderful time there! <3

    1. Thanks a lot for sharing your paper preferences. It is a fantastic to have the opportunity to hold a retreat in France, the workshops are important to get further in the creative journey. And the best thing is that we get new friends, and get lots of support from each other.

      1. Oh yes that’s surely fantastic what you’re doing and I would’ve loved to be there in France! But I am so far away I used to go to France when I was in my country Italy!

        1. Oh yes I would love to have you here. I’m sure you would have lots of positive energy that would make the workshop amazing.

  2. I love the Arches paper too! I also like handmade papers – like what I get from Twinrocker (www.twinrocker.com) – as they allow for more “happy accidents”. I also like the Aquabord from Ampersand for the firm portable surface of it (especially for working outside).

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