NOTE: Arches no longer makes watercolor board...sadly. One descent alternative (but not equal in quality) is Crescent Watercolor Board. Here is a link. amzn.to/3ZwAh4A
I don't stretch my paper. When I'm finished painting, I lay the painting face down on a clean towel, wet the back lightly with water, put another towel on top, and then something to weigh it down. Comes out flat every time!
I didn't realize i have been watching you for 9 years! I remember when you first posted this. The time has flown. So glad this came up on my feed again. Thank you.
OMG, you are so good at zeroing in on key questions, answering them succinctly, and getting off the stage. As a retired guy, I don’t have time to experiment endlessly. I’ve only got so many paintings in me, so I look for quick wisdom like this. Old guys rule!!
I’ve come here from bookbinding, so I have a cast iron nipping press. Lucky me. Big screw, brings a cast iron plate done on the paper. Heavy weights over boards would also work. I’ve put a clean water wash on the back of my buckled painting to relax it again, placed between blotting paper/kitchen paper, and some flat boards, and nip it up fo 24 hrs.. It came out nice and flat. But blow me down, the thing was still bowing after a while. But not irregular. I glued it as a front piece onto a card made of Bristol board, and it’s pulled that into a slight bow. These molecular forces are powerful!!
You are absolutely right about the blocks, they buckle and warp all over. I do prefer to use them for the sake of convenience and it's important to note that when they are fully dry again (may need to give it a few days) they will return to being almost perfectly flat. So I find I only need stretched paper when I'm working very, very pouring wet with paper that's lying flat on the table. If I keep the moisture controlled or slightly tilt the paper, the lakes and puddles aren't really a problem.
Even after 6 years, this video is extremely helpful about why and how to stretch paper. I’ve tried blocks and thought it was MY fault that the paper buckled! Now will explore heavier paper and paper boards. Thank you!
Stretching is one of those subjects where everyone has an opinion! When I started, gummed tape was the only way to go, especially with larger pieces. Now, when I’m teaching with smaller pieces on 140lb. I find that artists tape works fine. Especially with beginners. Not ideal.. but good enough that the paper doesn’t buckle. This reminds me to discuss stretching in my next class! Thanks Steve!
I'm a beginner in watercolour. You cleared up the confusion I had about stretching papers. Thanks for a clear demo, salient info with no blabbing on off track, and appreciate your opinions.
Thanks a lot. I'd never thought about stretching paper before. Saved by your comment near the end, "Do I HAVE to stretch paper? That answer is no. NOW you're talking my language." Whew....I'm staying with your language, too.
Marian McAfee Glad it was a help. Stretching is really just a matter of whether you wish to deal with buckles or not. Simple as that. If you despise them, you must stretch or use paper that won't buckle. Many artists just put up with the buckles.
Is there a way to remove the buckle in a finished piece? I have what I *thought* was going to be a quick practice but I'm very pleased with it...so now I want to "unbuckle" it. (It's not terribly wavy.) Also--you have a new Patreon subscriber. :)
@@melaniesee8916 you may have already discovered an answer to your year old question. But one good way to flatten a completed painting that I've found works well for me is to lightly mist the back of the totally dry painting with water. Then lay it on a flat surface (I sandwich it between two layers of paper towel to help quicken the dry time) then stack some heavy books on it making sure to have the painting covered from edge to edge in weight. Leave for several hours to flatten and dry out completely. The humidity level in your local air will influence how long this takes. I live in Utah and usually just leave mine overnight to simplify things. If its a rainy day it can take a little longer, if it's a hot dry day it can work in about 6 hours. Once dry the painting will be nice and flat and ready to frame. I've found this process works much better than trying to iron the painting.
I use 140lb paper and secure it to a board with bulldog clips. I work in a loose style and allow the anomalies of watercolors to happen. The wettest part of my painting process is at the beginning. Also I work at an angle so what hills and valleys that do form does not really effect my painting. This is the method I have used for years. Though I have used masking tape and other stretching methods. I found that unless you use really wet washes 140lb paper doesn't buckle that much. And for the way I paint the bulldog clips work just fine. My first watercolor teacher had us secure our paper down with push pins at the corners. He did not want us to worry so much about stretching the paper, but more about the painting process. When a lot of time and effort is put into preparing your paper you may feel hesitant to paint, for fear of spoiling the paper.
A.J. Nivens Yes, yours is a good example of useful non-stretchery... (made up that word). Its not a necessity to stretch and many artists with loose styles prefer not too. It all has to do with results. If buckling hills and valleys are hindering the results you're after you'll need to stretch. Many artists don't bother because its not an issue.
this is how I feel: I just started and had no idea paper had to be prepared with a lengthy boring process. I use 140lbs paper and it always buckles immediately.after that, having a regular background is almost impossible. It is quite disheartening!
Steve, I am getting back into watercolor after a long hiatus. Your talk on stretching was the most lucid, well produced video I have seen to date. It answered all my questions in a logical sequence. I will watch your other videos eagerly and have subscribed ( which I normally avoid). Thanks!
Ps..your limp test was a game changer for me. Aand i found out that different weight papers take different times in the water. Since i have smaller sinks now but still have my commercial oven suzed cookie pans thats what i used for soaking.
I was so nervous about searching for a good video but this pulled up first and I don't feel the need to search anymore. Thank you for saving me time, great video!
When I started WC painting I was taught to staple. It us very effective. It works very well unless I am going to fliat a painting instead of matting the painting.
Your video editing, the information you give, and the way you deliver is just awesome, it keeps me glued to the screen and I really learn some valuable things in the end. Great work!
I wish I could support your page Steve. You very well deserve it. I am NOT one of the 1% lol. But always striving. Starting watercolor late in the game of life isn't easy, but I am not quitting. You have helped me so much and I'm sure thousands more. Thank you for this informative vid, yet again!
Same Joy, not giving this up, although I'd bet there would be a lot more people doing watercolor if they didn't need to stretch this paper! It's the thing that always set me back in getting started.
Thank you, Steve. I watched all your 'best paper' videos, and you've helped me decide what to get. I have been struggling with watercolor, and only now realize that I have been working with the wrong paper. Who knew that all watercolor paper was not created equal? Me :( So, thank you so much!
I worked on Strathmore for a while so I could practice, but it's terrible paper. I switched to Arches and the paint and water behaves completely different.
Nice video. I have always stretched watercolor paper with gum tape method, and although, as you correctly point out it is not 100% reliable, like with all things, one does master the art after a while and success rate naturally increases (I'm at over 90%). Stapling method seems too much effort - especially removing them. And commercial stretchers are too expensive, esp. if one likes to have several boards ready for painting at any time. This is how things have developed : Gum tape is 50mm wide so I get boards cut exactly 50mm larger than the standard dimensions of the papers I use (I buy blocks not sheets). This ensures that a) the outer edge of tape corresponds exactly to edge of board and b) half of tape sits on the paper and half on board. So process is quicker, more accurate and consistent. I also stick small wooden "buttons" (mine are wood plugs, which I found in hardware store) on the underside of the board close to corners, so I can stack the boards flat one on top of the other - a neat solution! (I stretch 10 boards at a time). I suppose the solution one finds will depend on how one works and how often one paints. Which is what is nice about this video - it does give an overview of the options. I just wouldn't dismiss the tape method that quickly!
Australian botanical artist Angela Lober has an interesting stretching method displayed on the RU-vid blog of her Norfolk Island Pine watercolor on hot press paper. After the painting is finished and dry, she turns it over onto a clean towel, spaying the back of the paper with water and then carefully brushing off the buckling with. large brush. Then she tapes it to a clean window to dry in the sunlight and it dries “tight as a drum.”
You can imagine I looked strangely at your topictitel when you know that the abbreviation "WC paper" in my country of birth is used for Water Closet paper...🤗 (But clicked and watched because of my interest in watercolor).
What I've started to do lately is to glue my paper to a 4 ply backing board and it works great. It may bow slightly with heavy washes, but returns to flat with just a little weight applied to the back once the paper is dry. All I do is draw an outline of my paper centered on the backing board. Then I apply archival adhesive like Yes glue or Lineco inside the outline (or the back of the paper itself), and line the parts up and put them together. Next I start at the paper's center and roll out any air bubbles or unevenness with a brayer and put a weight on it to keep it flat overnight. Next day is happy painting....
I watched the video and used a second hand canvas as a test. I even used the back of a watercolor painting for the paper. I wet the paper and stapled it to the stretcher bars on the canvas. Most successful test I've ever done. Tight as a drum.
Don't be afraid ;-) I enjoyed your presentation: clear and to the point. I've just started watercolour painting and, like you, wanted to avoid pre-stretching my paper. So, I selected 300 gsm (140 pound) and 535 gsm (250 pound) papers and, so far so good; though I do prefer the heavier 535 gsm paper, which doesn't seem to bow at all. Thanks for providing confirmation that I may be on the right track.
I’m a beginner, I’ve never stretched my paper of 140 Lb I only hold it down with tape and when I’m done I’ll let it dry before removing the tape and there’s minimal to none bubbling or buckling and if there is some a I place it flat under a heavy stack of books for a day or 2 and problem solved.
Ready to resume painting after a hiatus & thought about this issue. THANK YOU for a thorough review of the WATER ISSUE. It's not about stretching, but about how much water you use, from start to finish. If there's buckling, something has to change.
I LOVE your Q and A after every point. It drives the point home and if my mind wandered, I still learn the lessons you are teaching. Brilliant teaching method. Appreciate your videos. Will subscribe now.
I had a painting class in college where we made WOOD frames for stretching papers, very similar to canvas stretchers and we stretched both watercolor papers as well as many kinds of drawing papers. The wood frames were a lot like picture frames, so no solid board under the paper. I do like drawing on stretched drawing paper, but didn't have proper woodworking tools for it after college so I left it behind - you have to make perfect right angles and they have to be pretty sturdy to withstand the tension. I never tried to use commercial canvas stretchers, but I may give that a try sometime.
Thanks for this Steve! A wealth of knowledge in a short and sweet video! I didn’t need to watch 15 videos and try to fish through it all and make sense out of them to then decide which was the best option for my preferences! This makes it very clear to me I will continue to not use stretching unless I will be doing a painting in which my watercolour touches the edges.
Another awesome video! I avoid stretching at all costs myself. I find that with a hefty stack of heavy books I can flatten all my finished paintings perfectly once completed. I've only tried this on 140 lb paper and up so I'm not sure how well it would work on lighter papers though. - George
Yes, its possible to flatten a painting after it dries. Doesn't prevent the valleys when you're painting unfortunately. All your washes will run into them. Can be very aggravating. For 90lb., stretching is essential. The buckling is much worse. Thanks for watching George!
Great information and thank you so much for taking the trouble to share with the rest of us. I have quite a few instructional books on watercolour and most of them just gloss over this subject completely. Was thinking of investing in an expensive Keba paper stretcher, but now think I will just switch to 300 lb paper and save myself a lot of hassle AND be flexible with what size paper I want to paint on. Fantastic advice delivered in a fun way!
Ohhh and thank you for the other information. Until today, did not know I need to stretch paper at all. I see people taping the edges and was struggling just trying to find out what kind of tape to use...
Thanks! This wirked perfectly. Just painted my wife's valentine and previously had not liked the rippled look to the card. I soaked my arches for 10 minutes in a paint roller tray and stapled it to a sheet of MDF. No bucking or wrinkling while painting. Looks great. I'm going to check out your mention of the gal who uses canvas stretchers.
Me at start : Yeah, I know how to stretch paper... A bit later : Staples & tape??!!! Later still : Ooh, that stretcher looks like a better way to- Later : Oh, another one! I'm going to get me a- At the end : What? Sod stretching, I'm off to go get some 300lb paper! Cheers for the vid. :)
Thanks so much for this. Why professional watercolourists think that just putting a bit water down with tape is good enough is surprising given what you have said. I have watched a dozen videos and as usual yours is the most informative. I didn't know how long to leave the paper (Arches 140) and now I know. Staples make good sense. I'm still not at the point where I want to spend the money on 300 lb paper, but perhaps later. Thanks for the tips. As usual I should have gone to "The Mind" first.
OMG thank you x3. I am experienced artist. Always avoided watercolor because this is so tedious, plus have to mat and frame.....so expensive. Now want to do more with watercolor...looking for simplifying recommendations. Very helpful, thanks.
Well preventing buckling after the painting is done is not really the purpose here. Stretching is done to prevent buckling while you are painting and keeping the paint from pooling in the valleys. 🙂
Sorry .. your video mentions how to just start painting without pre-stretching and that you don’t like to.. so I thought I’d mention it. Mine doesn’t buckle while I am painting. If I were let it dry, it does bow. But just ironing it.. it’s gone. I use heavy paper too.
Sure, seems like a great way to smooth out a buckled painting! I usually just press mine under books. Some people even wet the back and press. I don't like to stretch because of the extra time it takes, but most people stretch to avoid the peaks and valleys that occur while they paint. Really can mess up a nice smooth wash if it buckles a lot. Bigger sheets with very wet washes are usually the problem. Thanks for the input Stacy!
I too find the buckling more of a problem for my finished pieces, not so much while painting. Never thought of ironing them. Any special tips? Do you use steam or dry iron? What setting do you put the iron on?
anniejmoran ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6AJLZ8hrJ_o.html There are more videos than just the link I just posted for you. Just search RU-vid keywords “ironing watercolor paper” .. that’s how I learned.
I must say I use the soaking and gummed tape method and I haven’t had problem as yet. I make sure that I have half of the width of the tape on the paper. Great tip about holding the paper up to see if it bends. I never thought about that 😊
I’ve had both success and failure. Paper tapes differ greatly in quality though and will even stretch a bit too. I also had a roll go bad over time. The gum just got weak I guess. Not sure. Staples just add insurance. Some artists don’t even bother with the tape.
Thank you for this! When I was at school we used to run the paper under a tap, use the brown tape and pop a drawing pin in each corner... 😂 now I just work small scale on thick paper! And you answered my question about using a block to avoid having to stretch! Thanks for sharing 👍
I want to thank you so much for this invaluable video. I am no longer puzzled! I am gradually wading through all your video’s, as I am a new to watercolour. In a very sort time, I have seen a fair improvement in my watercolour efforts and its all down to your sharing fine knowledge.. You make your lessons fun, informative, and achievable. I am at last enjoying painting!
Thank You Steve for helping me sort this out! I took a hiatus from watercolor and recalled wetting tape and applying it to wet paper. I found a recent hint to add diluted white glue to the tape. Result: Ripped edges on my "masterpiece"! 8-( Ugh! I need to try a new method and I think you've saved me some steps!
This was great fun! Now I don't feel so inadequate when I don't stretch. I had already saved the canvas stretcher idea to try just because I was intrigued. Keep up the good work. So delighted I found new and refreshing guidance for my watercolor education. Yep, I'm just starting this journey.
thanks for saying 'foam board' - I was wondering "what do you staple it TO?" BTW - how long does it generally take for the paper to dry after stapling it down, and can i put it in front of a fan to speed drying process? I've heard people over the years say to let it dry overnight, but that seems nuts. If I have to wait that long for the paper to dry, I won't even want to start ! (I have issues with waiting.)
Hi Steve some great tips as usual, what a contentious subject... I have been experimenting with an idea I came across by accident one day when I tried to pick a wet sheet of paper off my glass table - I use a sheet of Plexiglass now cut to 1/4 imp. I do my sketching first then soak my sheet and lay it on the plexiglass, I lay a clean tea towel on top pressing out any air bubbles and removing excess water then secure the edges with about 8 small bulldog clips and start laying my wet in wet straight away. Even as the surface dries there is enough moisture on the back for the suction to hold the paper firm and flat and I can still add my fine details at the end without any bleeding. I know this will not work for everyone but it works well the fast and loose style I am playing with at the moment. I did have a few occasions where the "size" on some papers caused some adhesion when dry but it released when I slipped a pallet knife underneath.
As a beginner I truly appreciate your tutorials. I have learned so much! Re stretching paper: I am painting primarily miniatures and find using Arches perfectly fine without stretching. If my paper buckles a bit, I simply let it dry thoroughly then sandwich it between an acid free mat board and non-glare glass. Press down or weight down overnight. The piece is flat in a few hours. Perhaps when I am more confident & skilled I will attempt painting on larger sheets of paper that requires stretching. Thanks for sharing! Your watercolor tips are brilliant!
+B Cohen Very similar to how i approach it. I usually don't consider stretching unless the painting is 12 x 16 or larger, and then only if using very sizable wet washes. Thanks for watching!
I would love to use 300lb arche paper, but it's outside my budget. So, have been using 140 lb and stretching. So far I've done 3-4 mins soaking and taping with gummed tape. Once in place, I rub down the tape with a dish towel to really make it stick, and since doing that, the paper has never run away,from the under the tape. I also put down a 1/2 inch of masking tape to create a white border. Maybe that helps too. I will try the stretch test next time to see if I have the right wetness. So far, may paper always comes out perfectly flat at the end.
The Mind of Watercolor Hi Steve - You unraveled a mystery for me with this. Thank you. I use the heavier paper or arches board so I never stretch. That said I do a LOT of field sketching and use Stillman & Birn sketchbooks which hold up well, however I should say that I'm not soaking it with wash after wash.
I am a beginner to watercolor and never even thought of stretching the paper! The Arches Block paper, I thought was my answer however before buying paper for watercolor painting, I have been searching for more information. I think you have answered my questions! I can't afford stretchers. I have been using 140 lb cold press arches paper for mixed media journals and probably don't use as much water as I will when I start to do watercolor paintings. I am so happy to have found your channel and am a new subscriber. Thank you! ~ Deb
Thank you for this video, I just started out watercoloring as a hobby, and suddenly I felt very overwhelmed with all the supplies and techniques and everything... I think I need to take it slow, since I don't want to lose my drive to actually do it :(
I just started following your channel recently. I appreciate your style and humour. I was interested in the stretching methods and followed up on the Otto system. I had a great conversation with the inventor's wife about his art and how it came about. Very nice lady. Great information on all the formats and methods. thks Mike
I use 140 and hate stretching. I find the gummed tape very difficult to remove and often leaves glue on painting. I use a light box so 300 # is not for me. I will try the staples. On another note, if I end up with a warped finished painting, I carefully protect the back with a flat bed sheet and iron out any ripples and get a flat piece ready for framing. Going to look into the otto stretcher. Most of my paintings are 11 x 15 (1/4 sheet). THANKS. Love your videos as always.
This was a fantastic Answer & Question video! This helped me with many questions about why I should or shouldn't bother stretching paper, I just bought my first Arches Block of Hot Pressed paper and I was nervous about using it, but now not so much. I'm going to try and find one of those boards to stretch my paper with staples, I figure if I'm spending all this money on Watercolor painting, than I want to do things the right way as best as possible so my work will be as good as I can make it, while I continue to learn and grow my skills! Thank-you very much for a wonderful video, I find the way you teach to be the best, all your hard work is so appreciated! Take care and Blessed Be!
Thanks so much for your answer and help. I am learning....:) I am going to go for higher quality, more expensive paper - I don't want to stretch it. I do so much "practice" water color now on any paper so as not to waste money - because frankly - what I paint now looks pretty bad...but I don't care! I'm learning! Your videos are so helpful!
I learned to strech thin and relatively thick paper with PVA/elmers glue instead of tape, on glass. Sadly you gave to sacrifice the edges but it holds to death, no staples needed lol
Holy smokes, never even heard kf stretching the paper?! I just lay it on a board and iron it, sometimes mid project but always at the end. This seems like alit of work for nothing. Thanks for sharing, am learning alot!
@Adam You got a great buy on the Neptunes for sure! When it comes to points you can get a poor point on any brush or brand no matter how expensive. I try, when possible, to test points in the store. Black velvets usually hold a really good point but they are no different than any other brush in terms of some individual brushes being better than others. I've seen some in the rack that weren't very good. Over all either line are excellent, its just down to what you prefer and how they perform for you.
I appreciate this info. I was under the impression that blocked paper was stretched. I was considering buying that, but instead will try the heavier paper or watercolor board. Thanks!!
I’ve recently gone back into doing watercolors and I am using 140 lb, cold press. Years ago I was taught to use gummed/masking tape and a Masonite board. No staples. One taped the paper to the board, soaked everything for about ten minutes, wiped off the excess water with a clean sponge, and let it dry overnight in a horizontal position. Normally, that works, but not always. I just tried it again and the tape failed in several places. The paper looks like a shalom course of hills and valleys. I do not like the paper tape because it tends to permanently stick to the watercolor paper. One cannot staple if one is using a Masonite board. Therefore, it is off to the lumber yard to get some pine boards I can cut to fit my papers (A4 normally). Thanks for the video. I learned a better way to stretch my paper.
Your methods are the only ones that have truly worked for me. Unfortunately where I live art supply stores don't carry 300 lbs paper anymore. I guess people didn't understand why it was more expensive or what the use was, so it was probably not a very popular choice. :(
Great video. Definitely the best one on stretching I've seen. Probably worth noting that even 140 lb paper won't buckle much unless you are doing a fairly full wash across large portions of the paper. So for some compositions, you don't need to stretch or use very heavy paper.
I appreciated everything about this video - thank you!! I really appreciated the link to the other video - I had found a very similar tutorial on Dragonfly Spirit Studio (you tube channel) but wasn't sure I if I should try that or something like the auto-stretcher. I decided to try the video way of stretching before investing in one of the other items and WOW! Is it ever awesome and easy-peasy. The paper stretches as tight as a drum and is really bonkers good to paint on. While I rarely stretch, if I do that is the method I love. One slight difference from the video you posted is that I don't feel like I need to use the 1.5", heavy duty bars - I have had perfect luck with the standard "medium duty" 1" bars. Granted, I take the painting off the bars and then frame or mount it otherwise. I think if you are leaving the painting on the stretcher frame, though, the wider frame would be more attractive. Regardless, hugely helpful.
