What Are Arches Watercolor Paper?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Arches watercolor paper is the most widely used paper in America. This popularity comes from the durable yet sensitive nature of this famous French paper. Arches papers aren’t just for watercolors. Use them also for

drawing, calligraphy, gouache, printmaking, acrylics, and even digital printing

.

Is Arch watercolor paper good?


Arches is a good all around professional artist quality paper

. The quality control has some minor issues, but overall it is fairly consistant. Arches will not hold up to intense working and layering, but does hold up to a reasonable level of working. If you’re not stretching it or buying a block, always get 300# paper.

What watercolor paper is comparable to Arches?


Speedball Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper

A more cost-effective alternative to Arches, Fluid’s cold press paper is perfect for using on a regular basis without sacrificing too much quality. Paint flows easily on these 100 percent cotton sheets, which are reliably absorbent whether you’re painting with watercolor or gouache.

Why is Arches watercolor paper so expensive?

How Is Watercolor Paper Made And Why Is It so Expensive? The main reasons for the high cost of the best quality watercolor paper is

due to the cost of the materials used and the time it takes to produce it

. The best quality watercolor paper is made from 100% cotton.

What is Arches watercolor paper used for?

Arches watercolor paper is the most widely used paper in America. This popularity comes from the durable yet sensitive nature of this famous French paper. Arches papers aren’t just for watercolors. Use them also for

drawing, calligraphy, gouache, printmaking, acrylics, and even digital printing

.

Which side of Arches paper do you paint on?

I contacted customer support at Arches and the representative told me that it’s

acceptable to paint on both sides of watercolor paper

. So, it’s safe to say that there’s no “wrong” side to paint on, it’s more of a personal preference.

Can you watercolor on canvas?

Normal canvas, even if it has been gessoed, is

generally not absorbent enough to work well with watercolors

. The watercolors would lift off too easily, which would make blending or overlaying colors particularly difficult. There’s a way to do it, using Golden Absorbent Ground, which you can learn about here.

Did Canson buy arches?


Arches is owned by Canson

. Those slightly more in the know might think Canson originally owned Arches, and now ColArts, Winsor and Newton’s parent company, have acquired it. The Truth: … Recently, Canson has been acquired by Hamelin, and ColArts became the Arches distributor in 2017.

What is the difference between hot and cold pressed watercolor paper?

Cold press is the classic, textured watercolour paper that we commonly associate with watercolour pieces. It is the classic, go-to paper that most artists will probably use for their watercolour projects.

Hot press is a non-textured watercolour paper

. The surface is incredibly smooth.

What is rough watercolor paper good for?

Rough, as suggested by the name, is the most textured watercolour paper. The deep pits in the paper are brilliant if you want to get the most out of the granulation of your watercolour paints. This heavily textured paper is well suited to those with

a loose watercolour painting style

.

What brand of watercolor paper is best?

IMAGE PRODUCT 1st Runner-up

Canson Montval Watercolor Block
2nd Runner-up Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor Paper U.S Art Supply Premium Heavy-Weight Watercolor Pad Winsor & Newton Cotman 200-Pound Water Colour Cold Press Gummed Paper Pad

What is the best watercolor paper for students?

Name Best For Paper Type
Arches Watercolor Paper

Overall Cold, Hot, Rough
Canson Montval Watercolor Block Field, Plein Air Cold Strathmore 300 Series Beginners, Students Cold Arches Hot Press Hot Press Hot

What is Kilimanjaro paper?

Kilimanjaro Original Bright White Watercolor Sheet Paper is made of

super white 100% cotton rag sized internally and externally

with plant-based, synthetic sizing. It is archival, acid-free, and chlorine-free, and is tough enough to handle lifting, scraping, and scrubbing.

Can I use both sides of watercolor paper?

Unless it’s a watercolor board or canvas that has only one surface prepped for watercolor (the “backside” is usually reserved for mounting), the only rule is…

Use whichever side of watercolor paper that you prefer

. To save money, I often use both sides of my watercolor paper.

What weight of watercolor paper is best?

A: The best paper for watercolor is one that has a weight of

140 lb. or 300 GSM

. There are various brands of watercolor papers available that come in these weights so you can get started on your paintings.

Does watercolor paper get old?


Watercolour can deteriorate over time

. More specifically, the sizing of the watercolour paper can deteriorate. … When there is no more sizing, water and paint would be absorb by the paper and colours would look off and paint would have difficulty moving around, proper wet on wet techniques will be difficult to achieve.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.