I read somewhere online that watercolor papers have a limited shelf life and one should try to use up their supply of water within a year's time or the sizing could go bad.
Arches has really changed over the past few years. For a little while, they had moved manufacture to China, and then back to France. Since moving back to France, the paper is not as good as it used to be. For gouache, it ends up streaky if you work thin and the pigment tends to sink in too much. Maybe if I try a coat of gelatin sizing, it might fix it. We'll see.
I know, it's SO sad, it's not what it used to be. It used to be SO amazing. But it's still good. Why is it so hard to find good cold press? I wouldn't mind paying extra money if someone would do it right.
Yes. If you wet the paper with clear water, let it soak in, and then wet it again, the paper that has week sizing will start to look darker at the hills of the fiber and quickly soak in the water. If the sizing is particularly week, the water can even pass through on the opposite side of the paper as small darker dots. Once it dries it returns back to white, however such paper will cause difficulties in painting. This could be fixed with a 15 seconds paper soak and stretch in gelatin + lukewarm water solution, which could be repeated if needed. I hope it helps.
