Choosing the paper for painting. Choosing the right paper for painting is not easy, and it is no coincidence that, in online e-commerce as in physical stores, many customers hesitate before deciding which painting album to take home. But this, as we know, is the most straightforward and most immediate decision, like every artist, even the beginner, already knows what will be the technique he will use to give free rein to his art. The difficulty comes somewhat later. Coarse or fine-grained paper? What thickness? What weight? Better smooth or rough? And in what format? Album or roll? There are many types of paper for painting on the market.
Of course, but the question that must be answered at the time of purchase, after all, is only one: what is the paper that will give you the result you are looking for? When you can give a specific answer to this question, the choice of the painting album will become automatic. To do this, however, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the different types of paper for painting on the market. Let’s start with the weight!
The weight of the painted paper
Many people confuse weight and thickness, thinking these two terms are synonyms that indicate the same aspect. However, this is not the case: the thickness expresses the actual size of the paper, while the grammage corresponds to the value in grams per square meter of the paper, and therefore to its density. Bible paper weighs about 30 grams per square meter, whereas photocopy paper averages 80 grams per square meter. As for the painting paper to show drawing ideas, it isn’t easy to go below 150 grams per square meter. The choice of weight is crucial for any technique. Still, it becomes an essential criterion for the watercolor paper: in this case, we are dealing with very humid colors, and therefore with water that will tend to warp the sheet. Therefore, according to your style and technique, you will choose albums with more or less high weights. Therefore, those who work with speed and with little water can be satisfied with sheets of 200 grams, while those who use more water will have to focus on weights equal to or greater than 300 grams.
The weight of the painted paper
Many people confuse weight and thickness, thinking these two terms are synonyms that indicate the same aspect. However, this is not the case: the thickness expresses the actual size of the paper, while the grammage corresponds to the value in grams per square meter of the paper, and therefore to its density. To be clear, Bible paper weighs about 30 grams per square meter, whereas photocopy paper averages 80 grams per square meter. As for the painting paper, it isn’t easy to go below 150 grams per square meter. The choice of weight is crucial for any technique.
Still, it becomes an essential criterion for the watercolor paper: in this case, we are dealing with very humid colors, and therefore with water that will tend to warp the sheet. Therefore, according to your style and technique, you will choose albums with more or less high weights. Therefore, those who work with speed and with little water can be satisfied with sheets of 200 grams, while those who use more water will have to focus on weights equal to or greater than 300 grams.
A particular case: the choice of the material of the watercolor painting paper
Watercolor painting is the one that, more than the others, is concretely conditioned by the type of paper chosen. Acrylic colors, for example, can be used with satisfaction on practically any type of paper. The life of the watercolorists, on the other hand, is more complex, who, by making a mistake in the choice of the album, can irremediably jeopardize their works – and this is especially true for beginners, who often find themselves in difficulty incorrectly measuring their contribution. Of water. What distinguishes the types of watercolor paper is primarily the material used for their production. The possible options, leaving out the rice paper, are mainly two: on the one hand, there is the cotton paper, and on the other, there is the cellulose paper. In between, as painting enthusiasts know, there are mixed papers, composed partly of cellulose and partly of cotton, which have the advantage of lowering the typically high price of 100% cotton paper, the finest.
But why would all watercolor painters want to use cotton paint paper? Simple: its characteristics are optimal for all wet techniques, especially for watercolor. It should emphasize that 100% cotton albums are characterized by paper with a neutral ph. Therefore, strongly resistant to aging. That’s not all: whereas pure cellulose paper tends to yellow over time, the cotton paper does not have this drawback. The water absorption is also calibrated and homogeneous to avoid annoying puddles of water, and the color absorption is equally homogeneous, thanks to the typical sizing of these sheets. Unlike low-quality paint papers, cotton and mixed sheets deform only slightly when wet painting, only to return to their original shape after drying. As for the gram mage, it has already been said that it is necessary to turn to albums with relatively high values to adapt to even the wettest paint.
The sizes of the painted paper
Some artists love to draw in their studio, others love to immerse themselves in nature, and still, others always keep everything they need in their bag to indulge their artistic impetus at all times. From case to case, of course, different sizes of paint paper are needed. The choice, moreover, is certainly not lacking, starting from the classic painting paper albums usually containing 20 sheets, up to the spiral blocks or glued at one end, which is well suited to sketches and travels. As for the blocks, the choice of sizes is generally extensive, both below and above the classic A4 format. For those who have extensive works in mind, the choice must no longer fall on albums and blocks but rather on the role of paint paper, which allows you to obtain the desired portion of paper from time to time.
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