Why I Stopped Taping my Watercolor Paper - Try this instead!

I’m not really comfortable with landscapes, but I think there’s always something worth learning, no matter what the subject. And, I have been trying landscapes lately. To be honest, I’m basically looking at photos of watercolor landscapes, and trying to see if I can figure out how they were done. I’ve done a couple that aren’t too bad! I painted with acrylics for years, and I feel good about those skills, but watercolors are an entirely different level. I love the challenge, and I want to keep learning.

Also, when I look for watercolor tutorials, I have to like the artist’s style, and they definitely need to be better than me! Your paintings are beautiful.

I tape and blowdry my paper to stretch it. I could wet both sides of the paper except the edges. Quickly tape the paper down, do wet into wet, then blowdry it. I will try it!

Love this .
but after your 1st coat (wet on wet) and you have let it dry, do you then just paint on dry or wet the paper again?
Thankyou

You say you let your paper dry. Are you saying only the front that you are painting on dries while the back stays wet?

Thank you Matthew, downloaded guide, so useful, kind regards K

How do you do dry on dry? How do you let it dry between layers and do later layers?

Well this was very helpful. Thank you !!

Thank you Matt, for sharing this great technique. I never heard it before, but intend to practice it now.

Wonderful tips thanku so much..❤

Thats genius!

👍🏻🇦🇺

Strong look of the left on this one, soy simp heavy projection of weakness;
& no, nothing even remotely approaching success, very ordinary indeed.
Why do the least competent try to teach? 5 steps to lower mediocrity is a far more accurate description.

Sounds like a great idea. I’m excited to try this. I just am confused about one thing. After the initial wash, you have to let your paper dry so you can go onto next step. Doesn’t the back dry out and then curl? Do you have to rewet the back to do second step? What if you are painting over a few days? Could you clarify please. Thank you 😊

Thank you for the simplicity best I’ve read yet. Now I understand the wet on wet in watercolor. I’m an oil painter and am trying watercolor…again. I may get it right this time. Thanks!

I'm starting a piggy bank to enroll in your full workshop. I really want to push myself through the experience of watercolor painting.

I've heard that if you put wet gauze under wet paper, the paper stays wet even longer. the time for work increases. but I haven't tried this method yet. :)

I have tried this several times and realized that the surface that wet paper is supposed to adhere to is essential for this idea to work..(I like the idea of doing it on glass…I think that might work better than wood? In the meantime,until I get a good quality result…I think I’ll continue to “tape” down my more serious projects….

Thank you. I’m going to try this

I tried your wetting the paper technique and I love it Thank you @Matthewwhite ! but at the same time I love having the white border around my paintings how can I do that please? Thank you!!! I have your 5 Steps to Plan Successful Watercolor Painting.

Hi Matt. I tried this method you recommended so I could work on a background and have it turn out nicely. My paper was quite wet front and back. I let it dry when I was done and it did not dry flat at all and the corners lifted up quite badly. What did I do wrong? I used heavy 300 lb high quality paper as well.

I never tape.

Thanks so much. You've inspired me! I'm gonna have a bash at this..
😊

Thank you.

Can you use this method instead of stretching the paper?

I was taught to wet thoroughly my paper...leave for a couple of minutes to soak in then tape the paper with brown gummed paper tape. When everything dries it is as tight as a drum. Can be used on any type of paper. For acrilics gouash and pencil or ink drawings.

I use Painters Tape , the trick i put them on clothing to get a thin layer of cloth fibre on the Tape so its easier to remove later and I wont destroy my paper surface. I pre wet my papers esp when I work with lesser weighted that tends to roll up itself when getting wet, after the treatment is works perfectly. The Tape get lose easy with out damaging the Illustration because it has no permanent bound after the stretching. I also love to use Cutting mats they also work perfectly and surface

Amazing tip!!

I do this on a board that has Formica adhered to it. Zoltan Zabo used to teach this method.

Double side wet. Longer time to work wet into wet.

This really sounds interesting and makes sense for some of the problems I'm trying to overcome. I downloaded your plan and am excited to try this. Thank you!

You're a wonderful teacher! I'm soaking everything up like a spunge! 🙂

interesting! yet what if you arent painting edge to edge - hows the buckling factor?

Mind blown

Great info,,,,in depth explanation!

In my years of experience in watercolour I find soaking the paper in a bath for an hour, laying onto the board whilst soaked through and then taping down the edges with gummed paper tape and allowing it to dry thoroughly ensures there is no buckling. You can then wet the paper throughout your whole painting process and the paper will remain tight as a drum.

I used to wet both sides, but the paper would buckle as it dried. I would really get it soaking wet though, that might be the problem. I wanted it really wet, because the paper would tightly stick to the smooth board and I would have tons of time to work. I did also tend to get nasty back runs at the edges if I didn't regularly remove excess water while it was drying.
Since you don't seem to be suffering from either problem, I'll give it another go with less water.

What is the weight of the paper you are using?

If you paint this way, and as you are going along you find that it begins to develop a ripple in the paper, lift the edge of you paper closes to the ripple, and take a wet brush and 'paint' water over the rippled area (again, back side). Give it a minute, and it should flatten back out. If it doesn't, it is still too dry in the area,, so lift the paper and repeat the process.

I didn't know I had to wet the back of the paper as well as the front. I found out the hard way, as my paper got lumps on it. Thank you

Use a more heavy weight paper

So cosy. I love it ❤

I love this!! I teach beginner workshops and want to introduce watercolors. My concern was having to get boards and tape etc. Does it matter what the surface is below the paper? Will plastic tablecloths be okay? Also if I pre-print a design on the paper with waterproof ink can I still use this method? Thanks in advance for any help

I’m new to watercolors. I’m a sculptor and drawer. My question is by wetting both side of paper what type of surface do you use to place it on. I was going to go and get a plastic, vinyl, or glass( plexiglass) ty rcp.finearts.

❤

Hello! I am using Canson 140 lb cold pressed, and when i do this method it still curls up into itself. Any tips?

Do you wet the back for each layer?

What weight of paper do you use to apply this much water. Thank you

is it better to use heavier paper for this? will something like 140lb buckle too much?

This is a cool technique and I've yet to try it out but I want to ask, does this have any benefit over stretching? I guess it's convenient since you don't have to do anything ahead of time but you can achieve the same effect with both ways right?