| Author | Message | ||
  mad4color |
Tip for cheap papers, even Mead Academie: you can strengthen, thicken, and change the texture with a thin coat of white casein paint. You can tint the white casein slightly with watercolors. One tube of Shiva casein white is well worth the price, or you could find a whitish milk paint powder. The casein-coated paper will still have a paper "feel," unlike acrylic mediums. | ||
lbailey |
To Islandartist: Yes, after I laid down some base colors, I went back in with dry brush to add texture. The next time I do one like this I will use a more diluted underpainting and more dry brush. The painting is on 300# Cheap Joes Kilaminjaro CP paper. I really like it after I got used to the surface which is a little delicate. I really like HP better but the don't make it. Lets see more of your work. To Piper: Thank you. It was my first try at reflections and I have to say I was "scared" to try it because I didn't really know how. It took some observation on my part to see what was before me. | ||
islandartist |
lbailey I love paintings looking into or out of windows and doors. Are you using any drybrush on the shingles? I can't tell from the photo. Excellent job. I have a friend I was on Monhegan with a couple weeks ago who will be on the island on Tues. I'm jealous! Bet it's getting quieter every day. | ||
piper |
lbailey! Takes my breath away! The reflection is so delicately real! | ||
lbailey |
This is a painting of a fish house window. It is watercolor and 12x16  | ||
islandartist |
lbailey-I'd like to see some of Port Clyde. I never get the chance to explore aside from a quick meal at the Harpoon. Thought I was going to be painting around there a few weeks ago but, ended up at Owl's Head, that's how we found the arts & crafts society.Did you get the email about the "room without a view"? | ||
lbailey |
To Islandartist: I don't have anymore of Monhegan yet. Most of my stuff is of Port Clyde where I spend mcuh more time and am not sweating from loading and unloading the boat. | ||
islandartist |
lbailey Do you have any more Monhegan paintings you could post ? | ||
lbailey |
Hello Islandartist: Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I did paint that picture from a photo I took on one of my trips to Monhegan. About 6 years ago I took a watercolor workshop from Merle Donovan's Maine Coast Art Workshops and fell in love with Port Clyde. I bought a house there not too far from the ferry dock the same year and now spend about 6 months each year in Port Clyde. I am a member of the Port Clyde Arts and Crafts Society. I have been helping out as a deck hand on the Laura B and the Elizabeth Ann ferry's and get to Monhegan often but don't stay long. When the kids are in school in the spring or go back to school in the fall, they need we AARP guys to keep the boats running. I hope to see you there one day. Perhaps we can go painting. I went to your website and very much like your art. You have captured many areas of Monhegan I love and your style so free and I love the work | ||
sisterchris |
Hi, I wanted to share something I was taught that is very cool. This painting was done on Hahnemulle Ingress (the brand name is important here, I tried Canson, Fabriano, etc. and they were quite different). I use guache and watercolors together. It is magical. I would love to hear from anyone who tries it.  | ||
islandartist |
lbailey Did you paint yours from a photo? I see you left off the one large building on the right. Better choice than mine. I always find that one a difficult building to do as it is so off square and if you paint it the way you see it, it looks strange. You know which one I mean? I like your color pallette, adding warmth to the cold grays. Also one of my favorite spots on the island. http://baldini.homestead.com | ||
lbailey |
I think I have it now. The fact that you have to type in the word "image" is not clear on the first set of instructions. One more try anyway.  | ||
lbailey |
I never see a "browse" message. What am i doing wrong? | ||
lbailey |
This is my 2nd try. The uploading process has no business being this complicated. {fishbeach2} | ||
lbailey |
I really liked the painting of Fosh beach. I just finished one myself. {Fishbeach2} | ||
Chris |
Islandartist, Your paintings brought back so many fond memories of trips to Monhegan. Please share more if you can. Fish Beach was one of my favorite spots, but then there was......you know how it is up there! Everything is a favorite! | ||
islandartist |
carol yes, had to wait 3 days for the right lighting again to finish it. Doing a bit more detail in my paintings now.  | ||
carol |
islandartist. nice painting and effect... did you do this one on loaction? | ||
islandartist |
sisterchris Thanks for the nice comments. | ||
islandartist |
Piper The sky is my first try at using plastic wrap. I actually used the wrap from my watercolor block and just softened the texture. I let the effect go down into other parts of the painting. I'll try the effect again on the right subject. Have you ever tried it? | ||
sisterchris |
Hi Islandartist, your painting is lovely. It looks like you used a very limited number of hues and came up with a very soothing painting. Thanks for sharing it. | ||
piper |
There is something so delicately suggestive of moisture in that sky! Nice work. | ||
islandartist |
Thanks for the help. The slash required was the\ and not the / but the prompt told me the mistake. Anyway this is Monhegan Watercolor from my trip. 140# D'Arches HP 14x20. "Fish Beach Monhegan" | ||
islandartist |
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Anonymous |
Jean's original instructions: For loading images, I can't type it exactly, or it will try to load an image, so I will put it in words. 1. First thing, name and set your pixels in your photo program on your computer to around 200 to 250 pixils or less. 2. Start a message as usual. 3. Type backslash image brackets {} like these around a title or explanations. The backslash should be the \. The brackets should be like this{hi} 4. When you preview your message it will show the message banner. 5. Click POST and the UPLOAD page will come up. 6. Click BROWSE, and you can search your own hardrive or diskette where you stored your image that you want to upload. 7.After you find your image and click on it, to open it, and it's title should be displayed in the upload slot. 8. If you get the wrong image name, just click the blue writing below to cancel the image. 9. Click UPLOAD and it will go on the board. Jean Instructions by Piper: Keep trying Mystery Artist. None of us got it right the first time. 1. Put your painting or photo into a photo program. (I used the one that came with my camera.) Whatever setting is recommended for email will be a fairly good size for this board. 2. label the image and make sure it it has a JPEG extension 3. Right click on the desktop and make a new folder. Then save your image to that folder. 4. Get on the net and get to this forum. 5. Scroll to Add a Message 6. In the message box key in the back-slash, type the word image, then key in a curly parenthesis, type the title, and key in the other curly parenthesis symbol. 7. put in your user name and push `Post this Message' 8. a box saying Browse' appears. Click on that and follow the directions. (Click desktop then whatever you named your new folder.) If the folder is empty and computer says it cant be found push the little triangular drop down. enter *.* as the extension and browse again. Violla your image will be there. 9. Select your image and click on upload. 10. It will happen! Before you do anything do a copy and paste of these instruction and print them out. That is what I did with Jean's info. Now, try again By CJAS Graphics (Terry) on Friday, June 29, 2001 - 03:14 pm: This section of the Artist Community can be used to post examples of our work for others to see and hopfully to be inspired by. Try to keep the sizes down so that those with slower computers don't have to wait until the coffee brews to access it. | ||
islandartist |
Well, I'm sitting here with a dummy sign around my neck cause I looked where you said and didn't find the instr. Am I posting attachments to this group by email or directly from this board? Thanks dum de dum dum. | ||
carol |
welcome back islandartist.if you look under last week > sample pictures/paintings.> posting pictures > june 29 th. it's explained good there. do you use a scanner or a digital camera? i use a camera. also check out formatting over on the left side. are you going to show us some paintings you did on the island? love to see them. we will all try to help you if needed. | ||
islandartist |
Can someone tell me how we add photos of paintings on this board. Sorry, I know it was explained earlier. | ||
feather |
The most important thing that my paper test has taught me is that each paper has it's on unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. Some papers, however, are definately more "blessed" than others, (these are generally the more costly - but there are exceptions). Since each artist has their own individual needs and wants out of a paper, there is no "perfect paper" for everyone. What might be the "best" over all paper for my wants and needs might be a horror for someone else. There are so many variables...price, whiteness, absorption speed, ability for fine detail work, smoothness of washes, texture, color mixing (on paper) ability, mulitiple glaze-ability, ease of correction etc.... Each person has to search out and find their own "perfect paper(s)" for themselves. However, my results may help to narrow the field of which paper(s) you may want to personally experiment with, and which ones not to bother wasting time on because the strenghts don't match up with your needs or wants. | ||
Lex |
Sounds like we had a similar night, Kukana. I'd done a very spare, Japanese-style piece that was nearly perfect. Then I began wondering whether I should fill in the white background with a bit of color. Big mistake. Only way I could fix it was by washing over the entire piece in light blue, which muted everything. sigh...live and learn... | ||
Kukana |
Exactly Cathy. We should all try to put our energies into finding a inexpensive source for great paper rather than an substitute and settling for yukky paper and ways to make it work. By the way Feather and all others interested in AquariusII, I spent all night last night (insomnia!) painting a gorgeous full sheet of some aspens on Aquarius II. I finally went to bed quite pleased and "full of myself". When I woke up this morning I decided to Tweek it a bit. I gently scrubbed out an area and completely ruined the piece beyond salvation!!! AquariusII, as much as I love it and pretty well know how to work it is NOT FORGIVING! Just thought I'd share that with you to add to your paper test book of knowledge!! | ||
Cathy |
Hmmmmmmmmm good points all. Donna, I will give the Crescent a try, I am interested in doing portraiture and those are the qualities I am looking for in a paper. I tried the Bristol because Burton Silverman, a wonderful portraitist prefers Strathmore Bristol plate, although he uses a heavier weight that comes in sheets. I couldn't find the sheets when I was looking and thought a pad of 100 lb. would at least give me a feel for what the paper is like. I really loved working on it and knew that heavier would be even better. Thanks for your input. As I have read this discussion the thought occured to me that we may be confusing 'cheap' (as in poor quality paper) with 'cheap' (or inexpensive in price). Mead Academy in my opinion is cheap in quality. The paper Kukana bought for $2.19 is inexpensive but a good quality paper. Thanks for the discussion. It's nice to talk about art. | ||
Kukana |
Hey Donna, now we're talking spendy paper!!!I've tried it, HP. Carrie Parks uses it quite a bit for her portraiture. I actually painted so wet with it that it separated on me once. Big disappointment that time but otherwise I like it. Well Known Artist Michael Atkinson swears by it. | ||
Donna |
Have any of you tried Crescent watercolor board? Never buckles. I do a lot of portraits on the cold press. It will scrub well, and will take lots of washes. Can be cut to size with an exacto knife. It is now availabe in a solid acid free. Available in up to 32x40. | ||
Lex |
Good points, all. I suppose my justification for even considering cheap paper is that if I can't improve upon my quick color sketches when I commit to good paper, my technique obviously needs work because I'm not quite ready for prime time. Perhaps I should have qualified this thread by stating at the outset that my purpose for discussing cheap paper at all is to talk about what I find useful for working out compositional ideas and testing which colors work well together. And if the sketches happen to be of any interest to my family somewhere down the road, so much the better if I've used at least acid free paper. Finally, while using cheapness alone as a factor is almost always false economy, many of us cannot ignore the fact that materials cost money while the value of our time is relative. (For example, I'm indefinitely housebound, other than medical appointments, due to a July car wreck. A real pinch in the wallet. So materials are a factor while I have waaaay too much time on my hands and aching back/neck.) So I'm willing to take the chance that my "masterpiece" (yeh, right) will wind up on Mead Academie sketch paper in Van Gogh paint, while I struggle for years trying to reproduce it with artist grade paint on Arches 300-lb paper. Anyway, if I'm not disremembering, wasn't Picasso's "Four Converging Lines" (that cute, if Spartan, butt line drawing that adorns so many of our bathrooms) executed on a napkin? | ||
Kukana |
Wouldn't you just feel sick if you painted a breakthrough painting but it was on such crappy paper that you couldn't even frame it and make it look decent. All for saving $1.19 per full sheet.Plus, I firmly believe, IMHO that an artist could actually have mastered a fantasic new style but might never recognize it for lack of decent paper. There are techniques that I can do on Arches that, as practiced as I am with that technique, couldn't reproduce on cheap strathmore to save my life. I actually think good paper is MORE important for the begininer than for the pro.The pro can recognize when its the painter, paint or paper thats acting up. A novice can't always tell the difference. My theory is the same as computer geeks. GIGO (Garbage in, garbage out!!) Plurge..Life is short. Thought for the day.. If there anything on earth more fun than living..I want to know what it is!!! | ||
Cathy |
Good point Kukana, I just figured that the Bristol from the pad is about $1 if you compare it to the size of a full sheet. Still pretty inexpensive. Looks like cheap paper ain't so cheap when you compare it to better quality paper bought in bulk. | ||
Kukana |
Hey friends and other folks, I've been following this conversation and wondering what exactly you define as cheap. I have found that buying Arches 140 CP in bulk to be as about as cheap as one can get. ($2.19 for a full sheet is pretty cheap!) I think that tablets are the most expensive way to buy paper. What am I missing here? I can't imagine how frustraating it would be to turn out a great idea onto crappy paper when Arches is so cheap!! I'd cry! | ||
Lex |
I'll agree with advice to buy quality papers, but I don't think it needs to be the heaviest, expensive stuff. Heck, I've yet to buy a scrap of 300-lb. Despite the inevitable bit of buckling I find 90-lb Arches rough very satisfying to work with. And the combination of mild buckling and weight of 140-lb paper appeals to me visually - I prefer to see the depth this lends to mounted and framed pieces. | ||
feather |
I agree with Cathy and Birdpainter. The better quality papers typically are much more versatile and forgiving than the cheap and offer the beginner a definate leg up. A couple of big fat buckles on a cheap 90# paper can turn a promising beginner away from watercolor as fast as finding a roach in the soup at a restaurant. Experienced painters, on the other hand, are often able to figure out specific charteristics a cheap paper and how to work it's strengths to their advantage. While at the same time discern a paper's weakness and figure out what techiniques to avoid on it at all costs. I totally agree with the ladies. Personally, when giving "one shot" advice, I encourage beginners to buy the best paper and brushes that they can comfortably afford to start with. The quality of paint, on the other hand, cannot as easily be judged by price alone. | ||
Birdpainter |
It seems that alot depends on what you have gotten used to and what fits your individual tastes. Lex was obviously "uncomfortable" with 300# rough paper. I have gotten hooked on it and am not really satisfied with anything else (right now, anyway.) Different strokes......! Sid | ||
Cathy |
Feather, that St. Armand hot press paper sounds really interesting. I am going to try that. I guess the bottom line with any paper is; does it help you achieve the effect that you want? I have painted mostly on Winsor Newton 300lb cold press, some on Arches 140 cold press, yupo and then the Bristol as mentioned. I have tried the cheap watercolor papers and hated them (like Mead Academy) and would recommend to any beginner to invest in good paper because it really makes a difference in your work. It is more forgiving when you make mistakes and gives you a chance to correct. I started out in the beginning doing exercises on 300lb. and the quality really made a difference. Besides, I still have them, they are good to refer back to. Maybe I will post some. I know I have argued in another discussion that it's not what paper you paint on, but your talent that makes it valuable, in the case of the beginner, nicer paper makes your work more of a keepsake. | ||
Lex |
Cathy, I haven't tried any roll papers, tho' my mom inadvertently created a rather excretory piece on a sheet of paper towel when she dabbed up some excess brown. That wadded up piece of paper provided a weekend of sophomoric fun: she left it on my pillow; I tucked it partly inside my grandson's diaper, leaving the colorful side exposed. My grandmother practically recoiled in horror when, after she saw the li'l feller sitting in her favorite chair, I picked up the piece of paper, sniffed it, licked it and pronounced it almost suitable for human consumption. Viva is my favorite paper towel. Stuff lasts forever. I have some sheets going on two years old now - one has finally turned bluish-grey and stiff, so I'll hafta toss it...or frame it. | ||
feather |
I agree with Lex. One thing for sure, my paper tests have clearly demonstrated that the discriptions of Hot Pressed, Cold Pressed, and Rough made by the manufacturer are so totally subjective that they can only be used to compare the other products offered by that particular mill. In general across the board terms, this information is just about WORTHLESS in trying to compare the texture of papers made by other companies. Take for example St. Armand; their Hot pressed paper is so textured that it is more textured than many companys' "rough" types. However it is a absolutely beautuful paper for washes and "acts" like an ideal Cold Pressed....{no pin holes, washes go very easily, (and more imporantly stay in place where you put them like a dream), it doesn't buckle and doesn't need stretching, takes detail fairly well, and colors just glow on it.) But it sure doesn't act like a typical Hot Pressed, and anyone buying it thinking they are getting a slick surface which colors will freely mix on like oil on water will be very disappointed at the six/seven dollar a sheet investment for something that doesn't come close to looking like a typical HP paper. And it acts differently too. I suggest that everyone experiment with at least a few papers that have caught their interest to see what differences are out there. Cheap Joe's recently begain to offer sample packs that provide a nice start in this process; and I won't name names, but a few company's sell paper by the single independent sheet as long as you by ten sheets of paper all together regardless of the brand. Montval definately needs to be stretched before use, and even when stretched it still doesn't take too kindly to soggy wet washes. But it is a worth while paper to at least try out for those that paint on the dryer side, especially considering the bargin basement price! | ||
Cathy |
Wow Lex, you're on a roll...uh, have you tried a roll of toilet paper yet? :-) I mean, think about it, even most of the better quality brands are around .50 -.60 cents a roll and it's claimed to be very absorbent, and wait let me get a package... here's what it says; Great combination of softness and strenth... hmmmm... don't care if it's soft.... This is... What?... only single ply????... I thought it was double ply!!! I don't know if I can recommend this now. But if you want to try it, probably best to get the unscented kind... I think I am seriously going to try it... just to see what would happen... but then maybe mrfloppy might post and say I can't sell it cause it won't last too long. What do you think Lex??? You know I'm teasing :-) I have enjoyed your cheap paper banter! ;-D | ||
Lex |
Part Fin, Cheap Papers, in which, having learned his lesson regarding papers, Lex demonstrates he's learned nothing about brevity... Having made an adequate number of mistakes I finally bought two sheets of Arches, a 140-lb CP and a 90-lb rough. And I've actually used the 90-lb sheet - after admitting I'm a complete coward and cutting it into at least 8 small sheets so I could practice and screw up cheaply. Good thing because while some of the pieces turned out rather well others were embarrassingly bad. Arches rough ain't easy to work with - it drinks pigment like an old Chevy Suburban guzzles gas, then lures you into a back alley, pummels you senseless, rifles your pockets and steals everything left on the palette. Working Arches rough wet into wet is like government spending exemplified - after a while you wonder where it's all going but before you have a chance to think about it too long your wallet's empty. It finally occurred to me to let the stuff dry between brush strokes and glazes. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure there's half a tube of ultramarine blue en route to Uranus via a wormhole that opens up when Arches rough is saturated. Generally satisfied with that experience I tried a top-glued pad (not a block) of Arches precut paper, 12 sheets of 9x12 140-lb CP that feels more like rough to me. I like it. It's like working with the 90-lb rough only it doesn't buckle so easily. Somewhere around here is a block of Winsor & Newton Artists' Water Colour Paper (they make everything sound sew phancois), 15 sheets of 12x16 140-lb rough that feels more like CP to me. See what I mean about disparity in descriptions of artists' materials...but I digress, as usual... Oh, yeh, and a couple of full sheets of Strathmore's student grade paper; ditto a full sheet of Fabriano's student-fare; and a couple more full sheets of artists' grade stuff I got for a buck apiece in my local shop's smudged-'n'-dented bin - one Arches and one Whatman's, I think. I gotta start painting big but being a cheapskate and scaredy cat, it ain't gonna be on 550-lb elephant's ear - not yet. | ||
Lex |
Part 3, cheap papers, in which Lex refuses to relent in his ceaseless babbling about all the poor purchases he's made... So, I finally stepped up to some recognizable name brands in an effort to discontinue my masochistic penchant for attempting to make watercolor stick to the equivalent of Saran Wrap. Problem is, I discovered (or, I should say, rediscovered, as countless folks before me had committed the same errors) that names like Strathmore and Canson-Talens don't mean a whole lot. Nor do designations like "Cold Press" or "Rough". I'm not claiming that those companies don't make decent products. A talented artist could probably work wonders on the economy line of papers from those makers. But I couldn't. My sample of Canson's Montval came in a block of 15 9x12 sheets of 140-lb CP. To give an idea of the huge disparity among various paper manufacturers' designations, Montval CP feels similar to the bargain basement "The Art of Lassen" paper (very shallow, barely palpable texture), while Arches' CP surface in full sheets feels quite rough by comparison. The Montval seems to work best when not presoaked or worked too wet. Too much moisture causes buckling that doesn't flatten out after drying, and can even cause the glue to prematurely separate. It also doesn't accept much reworking - the surface pills up and doesn't accept repainting evenly. The label doesn't indicate whether sizing is used and to me it feels like none was applied. Even nonstaining pigments can be difficult to lift without surface damage. On the positive side Winsor & Newton masking fluid can be removed without damage to the surface. And with reasonably light washes and brush strokes Montval paper is fine (if a bit expensive in this use) for watercolor sketches and can even be suitable for finished pieces. I've done a couple of seascapes using Montval that turned out fairly well when I was careful to go lightly with the water and pigment. Fine for carefully planned work but not for spontaneous use. Another paper that also presents at least as much frustration as satisfaction is Strathmore 300 Series watercolor paper in precut sheets, top-glued as with most sketchpads. I've tried two or three different pads of various sizes, weights and textures and all share similar working characteristics. My current pad contains 12 sheets of 11x15 140-lb "rough surface" paper that feels slightly more pebbly than the Canson Montval, but is in no way "rough" when compared with Arches full sheet rough, or even Arches CP. Working characteristics are essentially the same as Canson Montval so I'll skip the details. This is the stuff my ex-wife and daughter used in their fashion renderings with gouache in college. Their work looked fine so the stuff does have appropriate applications. Strathmore Bristol was a big disappointment for me in watercolor application. I've used it for calligraphy and was satisfied. But the slightest amount of water seemed to cause the stuff to buckle - a bit more water and it disintegrated. I'm not kidding. It's like toilet paper. Granted, sometimes I work a bit wet, but even 40-lb sketch paper has held up better than this stuff did. Specifics: Strathmore Bristol 300 Series smooth surface, in a top-glued pad of 20 100-lb 9x12 sheets. | ||
Lex |
Part 2, cheap papers, in which Lex babbles on about bargain basement watercolor papers... Along this merry path I've tried a few cheapo papers advertised as suitable for watercolor. Well, I suppose any paperlike substance is suitable for watercolor, after a fashion. Not to name names but... "The Art of Lassen", endorsed by Fabio-handsome marine life painter Christian Riese Lassen, is labeled as a drawing/watercolor paper. My sample, bought at Walgreen's for three bucks and change, came in a top-glued pad of 15 sheets, 9x12, 108 lbs (yup, that's what it says inside), acid free (ditto), with a surface similar to most student grade cold press papers. IOW, any surface texture is more visible than palpable either with fingers or brushes. It's whiter than average which may indicate bleaching. No mention of cotton content or use of sizing. I've used it for working out sketches, compositions and color choices and found it to be more than adequate for that purpose. Forget reworking it or attempting to lift stains, tho' - the stuff pills up badly and the damaged areas won't accept repainting uniformly. It may also be satisfactory for graphite, charcoal, pastel or oil pastel use for folks who wish to experiment - cheaply - with more heavily textured paper. The Lassen paper seems to be the same on both sides so there's no advantage nor disadvantage to using one or the other. Some of my paints have soaked through this paper. Bienfang - another paper advertised for watercolor and drawing, also available for around $3 per pad. Working properties are very similar to the Lassen paper. Not quite as white or as heavy - feels more like 90 lb. Both of these are suitable for working out ideas before committing to good paper...but why bother? Sketch paper seems to work just as well and is much more economical. Oh, well...live and learn. | ||
Cathy |
Here's cheap, I have been using 100lb Strathmore Bristol Smooth. It comes in a pad of 20 sheets 11"x14"and I bought it at the local craft store because I had a 40% off coupon. Original price 8.99, ended up being just over $5 with coupon and tax. I did the little girl with pansies on it, (posted under paintings). I liked the paper, it takes a bit of water, but too much will make it buckle. It doesn't bleed through. I quite like it. I am going to try a heavier weight sometime and think that will eliminate the buckling. It comes in sheets. Anyone else tried it? | ||
dazey |
Another really cheap paper you might try is the 100% cotton rag paper sold as "resume paper" at the home office stores like Office Depot. You can do light water color washes on it and it has a nice tooth. As far as I know, it only comes in 8 1/2" x 11". | ||
Kukana |
I took a class from Mary Britten Lynch. She had us do a couple of paintings using "Stitch and Tear" Pellon from the fabric store. It gives a kind of rice papaer effect. Fun with Acrylics but not as fun with watercolors. | ||
feather |
I haven't forgotten about my paper test. I've been working on it and I have only one final test to complete. I will write up my findings and post an E-mail address for those interested. Regarding expensive vs cheap WC papers; I have found several fairly cheap ones that are doing surprisingly well in my test. The draw back is that most need to be streched, unless you plan to dry brush an entire painting. | ||
Lex |
This topic didn't quite seem to fit neatly into the previous discussions about papers so I started a new one... Being a bit of a cheapskate I'm always struggling between that familiar lowest price vs. best value dilemma. I don't want to settle for inferior just because it's the cheapest, but sometimes the cheapest also happens to be a great value. Also, the handprint website site has done an outstanding job of describing the characteristics of various full sheets of quality watercolor papers, so I didn't wish to duplicate that discussion, or offer conflicting opinions when I have little or no experience with most of those papers. So I'll confine my opinions to the truly cheap: sketchpad papers and bargain examples of watercolor papers. This example, on Mead Academie 9x12 50 lb sketch paper, shows why sketch paper is one of my favorites for working out compositions and colors.  I can count on these colors being faithfully reproduced on most watercolor papers, assuming I use the same technique (single wash or stroke of color, since sketch paper just doesn't lend itself to glazing). The paper also forces me to work sparingly, something I constantly struggle against since I tend to try to use watercolor as if it were gouache or even acrylic or oil. And since I love the Asian style, which itself is spare, sketch paper is a perfect budget alternative to traditional rice paper. And despite the fact that sketch papers are best used with light applications of watercolor, they can be flooded surprisingly heavily without bleeding through to the reverse side. I don't know whether this is because the papers are sized or because watercolor pigments simply don't bleed through the paper fibers. Certain ink dyes, however, will bleed through. I've used every popular brand of student-grade sketch paper readily available at places like Wal-mart, Eckerd, etc., and they all seem to work similarly, whether in 50, 80 or 90 lb common weights. Next: bargain price so-called watercolor papers... |
