How to Stretch Watercolor Paper©
Posted: Saturday, January 22, 2011
by Arlene Wright-Correll
http://www.learn-america.com
This week’s email question asks, “Someone was talking about stretching their watercolor paper. Since I did not know what they were talking about I did not understand what they were saying. How does one stretch watercolor paper and why?”
The answer to these two questions is basically simple and I can understand why one would wonder why an artist stretches watercolor paper. First you must realize that it is not totally necessary to stretch watercolor paper. However, stretching does make the paper surface lie flat and it allows the paper to accept the paint without buckling.
One technique and I would suppose the most widely used one is called “the taped edge technique”. The artist uses a smooth, clean board like the back of a piece of tempered Masonite or a new drawing/stretching board. I like the quarter inch or half inch thick white foam core board since it is a size and weight that my hands can easily handle in my old age. It can be purchased at any arts and crafts store, comes in about a 24” x 36” size and costs about $5.00 or $6.00. I find this provides a type of surface against which the paper can lie until it is dry. I also need wide gummed tape, a pair of scissors and a razor knife or utility blade at this point.
The first step is to thoroughly wet the paper and the best place to soak the sheet of paper is in a clean bathtub. All papers, but the very heaviest benefit from soaking and stretching and some artists do several at a time simply to make the best use of the prepping time. Let the paper lie submerged in cool water until you can gently curl up a corner with little resistance. Do not under-soak the paper or it might have a tendency to buckle. Do not over-soak as you run the risk of dislodging the sizing which will change the overall performance of the sheet of watercolor paper.
Now you have the paper thoroughly wet you lift the sheet by one corner which allows the excess water to run off. Gently blot the surfaces on the back and front with a clean sponge and remember to squeeze the sponge of any excess water. Next gently lay out the sheet on your mounting board and smooth it out with your hands.
Taking un-spliced lengths of moistened, gummed tape apply them along the edges while gently pulling and smoothing the paper as you attach the tape. I like to place the tape along the long edge first and then doing the opposing long length with my second side being attached. Next I do each of the short sides and set the whole thing aside to allow the paper to dry completely.
When my paper is bone dry I cut it from the board leaving the gummed tape that remains on all 4 edges of the paper and then I later trim that away sometime in the future when I want to reuse the board again. Do not attempt to pull the sheet away as it will cause damage to the sheet.
Another more complicated way, used by some traditionalist artists is to use canvas stretcher bars which allows the artist to join four pieces of the stretcher and soak the paper as I have previously described. The paper must be 1” larger on all sides of the stretcher bars and again some traditionalists use gummed tape, but if I was doing it I would probably use staples by stapling along the outer edges of the stretchers. I would also lay the paper down and set the stretches on top and folding over the paper edges and stapling them to the outer perimeter of the bars and since this is too much work for me in my old age I do not use this method. However, it may well be the method for you!
For the more “gung-ho” type of artist one can mount watercolor paper to acid-free backing board with wheat starch which requires more preparation but it is a great way to insure a rigid work surface and no warping. Simply soak your sheet and allow it to dry almost completely and then apply a layer of wheat starch to back of the paper and set it upon the backing board as you smooth it out while applying even pressure. Now give it time to dry and you have a perfectly flat, unbuckled piece ready for you to paint your newest master piece.
May the Creative Force be with you!
Arlene Wright-Correll
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