Choosing Your Watercolor Paper

Hello everyone, if you are looking to start watercolor painting, you may have heard that choosing the right paper is essential. But why is that, and more importantly, how do you choose the right paper? Let's explore the reasons together in this article.

Knowing How to Recognize Poor Paper

Before we look at how to choose paper, let's first see what makes bad watercolor paper. When painting with watercolors, you use a lot of water, which allows the pigments to diffuse and blend. Therefore, you need to choose the appropriate paper for this.

- A poor-quality paper will buckle because it absorbs water too quickly, which isn't visually appealing and could damage your drawing.

- A poor quality paper also risks losing fibers and becoming damaged very quickly once it is saturated with water, which will prevent you from blending colors.

- On the other hand, poor-quality paper can absorb water too quickly, preventing you from creating smooth color blends, or even making the colors appear dull because the pigments do not adhere well to the paper.

Let's look at all the important aspects of choosing good watercolor paper

The Paper Weight

The grammage indicates the thickness and weight of the paper, measured in grams per square meter (g/m²). The higher the grammage, the thicker the paper and the better it absorbs water. Typical sketching paper ranges from 90 to 120g/m², while thicker paper starts at 200g/m² and can go up to 300g/m².

For watercolor, which is a very wet technique, I therefore advise you to opt for thick paper to ensure that it does not warp and that it withstands the layering of colors. Generally, paper of at least 250 g/m² is recommended.

The Paper Size

The paper size corresponds to its dimensions. Shown above are the main existing sizes. There really isn't a "good" or "bad" size for watercolor; it depends on your preferences. Sizes A5, A4, and A3 are more commonly found.

You must keep in mind that watercolor should be practiced on a flat surface to avoid dripping. If you opt for a very large size, it could be more complicated, as it's important to ensure that the working surface is smooth, and you must also be able to let your watercolor dry once you have finished, especially if you used a lot of water. Once these factors are considered, it's up to you to choose based on your preferences.

The Texture

The texture of paper primarily depends on its weight and composition. Generally, watercolor papers are made of cellulose, or even cotton for the best ones. There are also many hybrid papers between cellulose and cotton, offering good value for money. In fact, these are the ones I recommend you use.

On a dry technique, the texture of the paper can influence the smoothness of the drawing, but with watercolor, this is not a problem, as the pigments can slide thanks to the water. A very textured paper can therefore indicate its robustness or composition, which is quite a good criterion to consider.

Note that some high-quality watercolor papers have been developed to have no grain, so there are exceptions.

The Color of the Paper

Watercolor papers have subtle shades ranging from yellow to pure white. There isn’t really an optimal choice. Keep in mind that a paper with a yellowish hue will act as a “filter” on your colors, giving the whole a softer and warmer atmosphere.

Conversely, a very white paper will intensify colors, and the result will be more vivid and saturated. It's up to you to choose based on your preferences.

Papers and Prices

There is one last aspect to consider: the cost. Indeed, it is not negligible. With an unlimited budget, everyone would obviously turn to 100% cotton paper. However, reality is often different, and good watercolor paper can quickly become expensive.

When choosing your paper, this will be an important factor to consider. I advise you to calculate the cost per sheet of a pad rather than looking at its overall price, because some pads are more expensive but offer better value for money per sheet. On average, prices range from €0.30 to €0.40 per sheet (for an A4 size), but this does not mean that more expensive sheets will necessarily be better, nor that cheaper sheets will be of poor quality.

If you would like to order your watercolor paper, please click on the following link:

Winsor & Newton Watercolor Paper

To conclude, choosing your watercolor paper is an important step for any beginner. By knowing the basic characteristics (weight, texture, etc.) and understanding why suitable paper is essential for this technique, it becomes easier to find a medium that meets your needs and budget.

Whether you choose cellulose paper for initial sketches or 100% cotton paper for finished works, the important thing is to practice and explore effects to develop your style.

To conclude, by knowing the basics (weight, texture, colors, etc.), you will be able to choose a paper suitable for watercolor. Whether you start with a cellulose paper costing a few cents per sheet for your first trials, or you engage in more advanced works with 100% cotton paper, it depends on your preferences and possibilities, but, after this article, you should no longer have any problems.

Editor: Chloé Pouteau