After all…  it’s just paint, brushes, and paper, right?

The surprising truth is, lots of traditional art supplies contain hidden animal-derived ingredients.

And animal products have been part of the art world for centuries.

This can make it tricky to know what’s lurking in your supplies!

These materials were used because they offered unique properties – like ox gall to improve paint flow, or animal hair brushes for high water-absorption. And until relatively recently they were hard to replicate with synthetic alternatives.

But as more and more artists move towards animal-friendly products, the demand for vegan art supplies is growing. And many brands are starting to rethink their materials.

I understand many artists’ desire to find “vegan” alternatives to watercolor supplies – I’ve had plenty of questions on the topic over the years.

And selecting the right supplies can be a bit of a maze!

But the big question is – can you switch to animal-friendly tools without sacrificing quality?

Whether you’re making the switch for ethical reasons, environmental concerns, or simply out of curiosity – this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about vegan watercolor supplies.

Vegan Watercolor Brushes: Bristles Without the Beasties!

“Can synthetic brushes truly match the performance of natural ones?”

This question pops up quite a bit, 

and the answer is a resounding…

“Maybe”

Modern synthetic brushes have come a long way, offering pretty good handling capabilities compared to their animal-hair equivalents. 

But…

To truly see how synthetic brushes measure up, I compared their water-holding capacity using a simple demonstration.

I tested two similarly sized brush heads  –  one made of Kolinsky sable, the other synthetic “sable” fibers:

The demo below represents continuous brush strokes of a fully loaded brush. In my tests, the water-holding capabilities of natural hair still surpassed the ability of synthetic fibers.

However, in other respects – such as stiffness, elasticity, and the ability to keep a fine point  – synthetic brushes cope very well indeed

The gap between synthetic and natural brushes is definitely narrowing, making synthetic options a great choice for vegan artists.

And in all honesty – if you’ve never used natural hair brushes, you won’t have a point of comparison to notice the difference. You’ll adapt perfectly well to using synthetics.  

Many well-known artists do!

The Evolution of Synthetic Brushes

Synthetic watercolor brushes have come a long way since they first appeared in the 1970s. Early versions were made from stiff nylon fibers –  better suited to oil painting than delicate watercolor work! 

The big breakthrough came when manufacturers found a way to taper polyester fibers to a fine point, and make them softer and more absorbent.

Companies like Princeton and Rosemary & Co. now offer synthetic ranges like the Aqua Elite and Red Dot Collection. I have both, and consider them great for quality and affordability.

So today’s synthetic brushes do a good job to mimic natural hair – and they’re getting better all the time.

My Top Vegan-Friendly Brush Recommendations

• Princeton Aqua Elite range: an excellent and affordable synthetic option.
• Rosemary & Co Red Dot Collection: This range offers synthetic fibers that replicate sable hair, providing all the qualities of natural hair but in a 100% synthetic form.
• Escoda Versatil brushes are another good example, said to mimic kolinsky sable. 
• Escoda Perla signature series selected by Joseph Zbukvic (Amazon link). These are typically stiffer and provide more control for detailed work, but they don’t hold as much water.
• Princeton Neptune Series are synthetic squirrel and amazing – these are very soft and best used for big washes of color.

Vegan Watercolor Paper: 100% Critter-Free

Next… “Is watercolor paper really made with animal products?” 

Surprisingly… Yes. 

Many traditional watercolor papers are sized with gelatin, which is an animal-derived product. 

“Sizing” is the substance that modifies the absorbent qualities of the paper. And it’s very important to get paper with a well-balanced sizing – this makes the handling properties of the paper much more user-friendly. 

Choosing the right paper is arguably the most important decision when it comes to your watercolor supplies. High-quality paper can dramatically affect how your paint behaves and how enjoyable the whole painting process feels.

Several manufacturers now offer vegan-friendly options.

Vegan-Friendly Watercolor Paper Options

• Hahnemuhle Collection: All their papers are sized without gelatin, making them entirely vegan-friendly. Their Collection papers seem to be particularly popular among artists.
• Meeden watercolor paper: Surprisingly, another vegan option – and a solution for learning on cotton paper without paying the premium price. I’ve been using this a lot recently and I find the dispersion of pigments with wet-on-wet is pretty good! (Amazon link)
• Fabriano Artistico: 100% cotton, mould-made paper and vegan-friendly sizing! I quite like the texture compared to my usual watercolor papers. I like the “extra white” version of this paper. The texture is similar to Arches…

Here’s a few more examples that I researched. These are not papers that I’ve tried myself  (let me know in the comments if you use them!)

• Canson
• Strathmore
• Legion

In my experience, all watercolor papers behave slightly differently, and this is down to the materials (cotton or wood-pulp) and the sizing. Vegan papers use synthetic, or sometimes plant-based alternatives to gelatin. So keep in mind, the absence of gelatin may result in variations in absorbency and surface properties. But it’s mostly a question of getting used to the handling characteristics of your choices

Vegan Watercolor Paints: More Pigment, No Piggies!

I’m happy to say, the paints of my favorite watercolor brand Daniel Smith are all vegan

Well… Almost all of them!

There are a few Daniel Smith paints that aren’t vegan friendly:

• Ivory Black. Also sometimes known as “bone black”, it contains the pigment PBk9, which is derived from charred animal bones.  
• Sepia, Joseph Z’s Neutral Grey & Payne’s Gray (because they all contain PBK9) 

It’s not just pigments you need to watch out for though… Some brands such as Sennelier and M. Graham both use honey in their formulas to make their paints smoother and help them stay moist for longer. So strictly speaking – not vegan

Please note that the watercolor brands mentioned are all high quality paints, and this is not a criticism of their quality. However, from a strict vegan perspective, they do contain animal-derived ingredients like honey and ox gall.

So while pigments themselves are typically mineral or synthetic, some paints contain animal-derived ingredients – it’s always worth checking the labels!

Navigating Vegan Watercolor Paints

• Daniel Smith extra fine watercolor: Most of their colors are vegan, with exceptions that contain Ivory Black (PBk9).
• Winsor & Newton Cotman Series: This student-grade line is mostly vegan-friendly, except Ivory black and Silver which both contain PBk9. For some reason Viridian Hue and Raw Umber are also stated as non-vegan.
• Rembrandt Artists’ Watercolor : According to feedback from the manufacturer, Royal Talens, these are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free (with the exception of Ivory black, color #701)
• Holbein: This Japanese brand of professional-grade watercolors are vegan, but again, Ivory black uses PBk9.

Other vegan brands I researched include QoR, Da Vinci, and Schmincke…

Conclusion: Crafting Your Vegan Watercolor Toolkit

So, does choosing animal-friendly watercolor supplies mean compromising on quality?

The answer is — not necessarily!

Synthetic brushes have come a long way, offering pretty  impressive performance – especially if you’ve never used natural hair brushes before. Vegan-friendly papers can rival traditional options, while many top watercolor paint brands are already free from animal-derived ingredients.

Have you tried any of the vegan watercolor supplies mentioned? I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions in the comments!

Happy painting!

The post Vegan Watercolor Supplies Made Simple! (Brushes, Paper, and Paints) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

Whether this is because you prefer a vegan-friendly option, or you’re just looking for a cheaper alternative to those expensive sable brushes… Below I’ll explain all the differences you need to know

You’ll learn how synthetic brushes compare to traditional natural hair brushes, what to look for, and the different synthetic options available.

Ready?

The Rise of Synthetic Watercolor Brushes

Synthetic filaments for watercolor brushes were first developed in the 1970s. This innovation originated with the Dupont company in the USA.

In the early days these synthetic strands were made of nylon. This was tapered to a fine point to simulate natural bristle hairs. But nylon is very stiff, and not best suited to softer brushes like the ones needed for watercolor painting!

Furry Stuff!

It took artists centuries of trial and error to discover the best types of hair for watercolor painting. The delicate hairs of natural watercolor brushes have the capacity to make long, continuous, fluid brush marks…

There are many types of natural hair, such as sable, squirrel, and goat, each with unique qualities. Squirrel hair for example is incredibly soft and holds lots of water while sable has an elastic “snap” for better control.

So the challenge for man made fibers is to mimic these desirable characteristics. 

For the History Buffs – The Tech Behind the Bristles:

The real breakthrough for synthetic brushes came when Dupont developed a new process to taper polyester fibers, which are softer and more suitable for watercolor applications.

Dupont sold the patent to Japan’s Toray Industries, who collaborated with the Takamoto brush company to create “Taklon” fibers.  These synthetic hairs are designed to mimic the handling properties of natural sable.

Here’s where it gets confusing 

So Taklon is a specific type of polyester fiber developed by Toray to mimic sable hair. But not all Toray fibers are Taklon! 

The thing is, you’ll find both Toray and Taklon brushes claiming to replace sable hair. 

In my experience, there are 3 general categories of synthetic for watercolors:

• White fibers: Tend to be stiffer with more “snap.” Great for detail but with poor water retention.
• Gold-colored fibers: Softer and more absorbent, but still with some elastic snap. Mostly designed to mimic sable hair.
• Dark brown fibers: Very soft with less “spring.” Made to mimic squirrel mops.

For example, White Toray fibers are used in the Escoda Perla signature series selected by Joseph Zbukvic (Amazon link). These are typically stiffer and provide more control for detailed work, but they don’t hold as much water. 

On the other hand, brushes like the Princeton Aqua Elite range and Rosemary & Co Red Dot Collection use Taklon fibers for a softer, but elastic feel similar to sable. Escoda Versatil brushes are another good example, said to mimic kolinsky sable.

Other brushes use dark, soft strands that simulate squirrel hair, like the Rosemary & Co Sienna collection.

Why Synthetics are becoming popular

Sable hair has rocketed in price recently!  Suppliers are becoming fewer and farther between…

Also, if you live in the US, you may have noticed certain brushes are difficult to come by because of bans on importing sable hair. This means as natural hairs become more rare as a result of these supply/demand and regulatory issues they get more expensive.

So a lot of artists are opting for synthetics.

Natural vs Synthetic Watercolor Brushes

Today’s manufacturing processes do a pretty good job of simulating natural hair But how do they stand up compared to the real thing?

Kolinsky brushes – the gold standard:

Kolinsky sable is considered the gold standard of all watercolor brushes! 

Why? Because of its unique natural characteristics:

• Fine tip that returns to a sharp point
• Stiff and elastic
• A good water-holding capacity and release
• Durability

Kolinsky hairs are naturally tapered at both ends, giving them a noticeable “belly” in the middle when gathered together in a watercolor brush. 

This belly helps it fan out in the middle. The fanning creates gaps between the hairs that hold water really well. This lets the brush hold a lot of water and release it smoothly when you paint.

When you wet the brush, water makes the hairs stick together. But the hairs also want to spread back out to their original shape. This push and pull between the water and the hairs creates a balance. This balance helps the brush hold its shape and keep water inside it.

The hairs’ springiness means they can bend and spread apart under pressure, then return to their original shape, which is great for smooth controlled brush strokes. 

Finally, Kolinsky hairs have tiny scales on the surface which help trap water, enhancing their ability to hold and release water gradually. 

All these qualities make them ideal for creating fine, controlled lines and smooth long brush strokes in watercolor painting.

How synthetic fibers mimic natural hair

So the ultimate goal is to imitate all these natural qualities… Different manufacturing techniques do this in a few different ways to give synthetic fibers their desired properties.

To replicate the tapered ends and noticeable belly of Kolinsky hair, synthetic fibers can be designed with fine points and a slight curve to create a paint-holding belly. This helps them hold and release water smoothly, similar to natural brushes.

Fibers can be treated through processes like etching, or even baking to achieve the right texture and flexibility. Etching adds a surface similar to the scales on natural hairs.

To mimic the springiness of natural hair, synthetic fibers can be made with varying levels of stiffness, providing the snap needed for smooth brush strokes. By blending different types of fibers in the same brush, manufacturers can create brushes that offer a painting experience comparable to natural hair brushes.

The Real Test: Comparing Water-Holding Capacity

To truly see how synthetic brushes measure up to their natural counterparts, I compared their water-holding capacity through a simple demonstration.

Below you can see how two similarly sized brush heads compare – one made of Kolinsky sable, the other synthetic Taklon:

This represents continuous brush strokes of a fully loaded brush. As you can see, in my experiments the water-holding capabilities of natural hair still surpass the ability of synthetic fibers. 

However, it should be said that in other respects, such as stiffness or elasticity, and the ability to keep a fine point, synthetic brushes cope very well.

Best Synthetic Watercolor Brushes – Choosing the Right Ones

For years I’ve painted with Kolinsky sable brushes. And the thing is, once you get accustomed to these natural brushes, it can be difficult to switch to anything else.

However, if you’re newer to watercolor painting, starting out with synthetic brushes can be a smart choice.

Synthetic brushes are often more affordable and durable, making them a practical option for beginners. They mimic many of the desirable qualities of natural hair brushes, but without the higher price tag. Plus, they’re easier to care for!

Here are my overall favorites. One of the best synthetic watercolor brushes I have tested is the Rosemary & Co Red Dot range:

• Rosemary & Co Red Dot Pointed round size 10

Another good alternative is The Princeton Aqua Elite range:

• Princeton Aqua Elite Round size 10

As you gain experience, you might find that you’re ready to experiment with Kolinsky sable or other natural options, but starting with synthetic brushes can provide a solid foundation and help you develop your skills without a huge investment

One day, thanks to new brush making technologies by manufacturers, synthetics might be just as good as natural hair!

The post Synthetic Watercolor Brushes (What You Need to Know!) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

I found this in a tiny art store in my home town of Coventry. It was thanks to this that I first discovered watercolor painting.

(The art shop doesn’t exist anymore… It was in a street called “Spon Street” full of medieval buildings that survived the bombing raids of the 1940’s… I loved going there to buy new pencils and art supplies).

Even though I cherished this little palette, looking back it probably wasn’t the best choice

Today I want to show you what I think is the best travel palette for watercolors… and I’ll explain my reasons why.

Choosing a travel palette for watercolors

The main drawbacks with tiny palettes like the one above are as follows:

• The mixing surface is tiny
• The palette came with a pre-selected choice of paint colors
• It uses tiny half pans that make it difficult to pick up paint.

And all of these limitations can affect the way you paint…

A good palette provides a place to store paints and protect them from dust. It should be practical to use, and have a decent mixing area for making good-sized paint puddles

I also recommend you buy an empty palette so you can fill it with your own choice of paints. 

And so… This is type of mixing palette I would suggest you use:

This is a Holbein aluminum folding palette

I actually bought this palette a while ago, and then completely forgot about it!

It was only recently when I started thinking about my travel palette setup that I found this in the bottom of a drawer

I’ll show you how I set this up in a minute, but first let me tell you why I think this is a good choice…

1. You only need a limited color palette

There are lots of different versions of the Holbein palette with different numbers of paint wells. But as you can see, the version that I chose only holds 13 paint colors – which is plenty! 

If you choose your paints correctly you only need a limited range of colors to mix just about any color you want. 

I think using a limited color palette is an advantage – it makes color mixing less confusing and you’ll learn about the properties of your paints quicker…

2. Built in wells vs. pans

You may have noticed that this palette features built-in paint wells rather than the empty compartments or slots designed to hold individual plastic paint pans.

With this design, you don’t need to buy or fill watercolor pans. Instead, you can simply squeeze paint directly from the tube into the wells.

I love this for a couple of reasons!

Firstly, I’m not a fan of watercolor pans! And I find half-pans even worse… They’re just too small to fit a medium-sized brush for picking up paint effectively.

Secondly, filling your own watercolor pans can be tedious! It often requires filling the pans in stages, allowing the paint to dry between layers. The cake of paint contracts as the moisture evaporates and sometimes they end up falling out of the pan!

The ready-to-use paint wells in the Holbein palette avoid these issues. You can squeeze tubes of color directly into the wells and forget about them.

I like quick and simple solutions, so that suits me fine

Additionally, the wells are open on one side, allowing you to lay your brush in the paint more easily than with a closed pan.

3. Large mixing surface

As you know… watercolor painting relies heavily on the use of water. To work effectively in this medium, you need to create fairly large puddles of paint. If the mixing surface is too small, you can’t mix up a decent quantity of paint, and you’ll be forced to repeatedly remix new puddles.

Another benefit of Holbein-style palettes is its large mixing wells. The mixing surface is generous compared to some other folding palettes. There are 3 good-sized mixing compartments next to the paint wells, and the whole of the lid doubles as a mixing surface

How to prep a watercolor palette to prevent beading (breaking-in)

I’m going to show you how I set up this new palette. But first…

One of the challenges with new mixing surfaces is something known as “beading”. This is where watercolors form droplets or “beads” instead of spreading out evenly, making it challenging to mix colors properly. The new shiny surface is “hydrophobic”, meaning it repels water.

The Holbein palette is made out of enameled metal, but the same problem occurs with plastic. Over time, palettes will break-in and become less water repellent – but who has the time for that?

The best way to fix this is to rough up the surface beforehand. This can be done using something slightly abrasive like a magic eraser. 

(Some people also use baking soda mixed with a little water, or even toothpaste!)

However, don’t use anything too abrasive like sandpaper – this will create deeper scratches that can cause staining.

Here you can see the difference this makes to the spread of the mixing puddles before after roughing up the surface:

The paint colors in my palette.

The colors I chose for this palette are as follows:

1. Paynes gray – Pigment number: Pb29+PBk9
2. Burnt umber – Pigment number: PBr7
3. Burnt sienna – Pigment number: PBr7
4. Quinacridone rose – Pigment number: PV19
5. Pyrrol scarlet – Pigment number: PR255
6. Raw sienna – Pigment number: PBr7
7. Hansa Yellow Deep – Pigment number: PY65
8. Lemon yellow – Pigment number: PY175
9. Phthalo Green Yellow Shade – Pigment number: PG36
10. Cobal Teal Blue – Pigment number: PG50
11. Phthalo blue Green Shade – Pigment number: PB15:3
12. French ultramarine – Pigment number: PB29
13. Ultramarine Violet – Pigment number: PV15

These are all Daniel Smith paints, and with the exception of Payne’s gray they are all single pigment paints.

My objective with this palette was to have a selection of paints that are high in chroma (in other words brightly saturated) and to cover a large range of hues.

You can see on this color map taken from my “Successful Color Mixing” course, these paints give me a good distribution of hues for the whole color spectrum. In other words I can achieve a large “gamut” of mixing possibilities…

These paint choices are an extension of the “split primary palette” (including a warm and cool version of each primary color) and the “secondary palette” (which includes secondary colors like green and purple to expand the chromatic range of the palette).

I’ve also included some convenience neutral hues like grays and browns 

Setting up the travel palette

Like many artists, I arrange my paints in a logical sequence, grouping similar colors together according to the spectrum. 

Most folks refer to this as “ROYGBIV” ! for red – orange – yellow – green – blue – indigo – violet – the acronym for remembering the sequence of hues that make up the color spectrum.

Using the color map as a guide, you can see I started with gray and neutral brown colors then worked my way clockwise around the color circle, pigment by pigment, ending with purple. 

This gives me the following setup:

Now simply squeeze the paints into the palette in the order you want and wait for them to dry

What’s your preferred palette?

I’m setting up this Holbein aluminum folding palette for travel, but it can easily serve as your home painting palette too!

Here’s why I like this palette so much

• It’s portable! Take it anywhere…or store when not in use.
• No fiddly pans: Fill it with tubes, which I find better value.
• Choose your own colors: Customize your palette with your favorite paints.
• Big mixing surface: Ample space to create large paint puddles.

So what’s your favorite paint palette? Let me know in the comments below

The post Is This The Perfect Travel Watercolor Palette? first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

I like to get to the bottom of things. To find the explanation to artistic mysteries.

Well, this is one of them. 

And you’ve probably noticed this yourself if you’ve read your paint labels (You have, haven’t you?!)

So… Why is it that some paints all have the same single pigment in their formula, but they have a completely different color appearance?

I’ve had this question several times from readers and members of my course. So I thought I’d lay it out for the benefit of everyone (even if you’re not a boffin).

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a look at this:

The pigment known as PBr7 is used to produce paints such as Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, and Raw Umber. Each one has a very different color appearance, and yet, they all use the same pigment.

Yes… Just one pigment!

This makes color choices based on pigment numbers alone very tricky!

So what’s happening?

Color index names, such as PBr7, are not actually a precise description of the color appearance of a paint, but rather information about the chemical composition of a pigment. 

As a quick reminder… The color index system is a standardized method used to identify and categorize pigments. In the case of PBr7, “P” stands for “Pigment,” “Br” represents “Brown,” and “7” is a numeric identifier for the pigment. 

The “real” color appearance of a pigment can vary depending on certain factors…

The effects of particle size of pigment on color

The more aware you become of the pigments you’re using, the more you’ll notice slight differences in color between paints that contain the same pigment.

This difference is often because of the pigment particle size.

Pigment color can change with particle size.  Smaller particles are typically lighter in value, and a different hue. In fact, manufacturers can tweak the color of a pigment by adjusting the size of its particles, making them either bigger or smaller.

So milling the pigments to a smaller size makes them lighter in appearance. 

Pigment color and the effects of heat

Sometimes the pigments are also heated to obtain variations in hue, which gives paint a slightly different color appearance.

This process is known as “pyrolysis.” 

Pyrolysis is when heat breaks down organic materials chemically. When pigments are heated, their molecules change, which can alter their color.

You’ll notice that whatever process is applied during manufacturing the “foundation color” of a pigment will always remain similar. For example, PBr7 will always be a “brownish” color. This is true of all variations in color appearance in paints that use the same single pigment.

Subtle Variations in Pigment Color – Factors and Effects

The same pigment, with the same chemical composition, can be sourced from different places. This can have a subtle effect on the color appearance of paint.

Once again, the pigment index number PBr7 provides us with a good example.

Traditionally PBr7 refers to pigments from a type of clay that is rich in natural brown iron oxides. 

These include Sienna and Umber, two of the most common earth colors used by artists.

Historically “Sienna” is named after the city of Siena, Italy, where it was produced. And  raw umber pigments were sourced from deposits in Umbria, Italy. Afterwards these pigments were mined primarily in Cyprus.

These days, iron oxide pigments are mostly man-made by synthesis of natural ingredients. Depending on the specific formulation and process, manufacturers can create a wide variety of colors using these pigments, often employing traditional techniques like heating and milling.

PBr7 Raw Sienna Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Raw Umber

PBr7 can be used to make a large range of colors depending on how manufacturers process it. 

In the past, when it’s in its natural state, traditional sienna-based pigments had a yellowish-brown color, known as raw sienna.  But if you heat it up, it turns into a warm reddish-brown tone, which we call burnt sienna.

Umber-based colors used another clay pigment with iron oxide. Umber colors were darker than Sienna-based paints because they have a higher content of manganese, making them either greenish-brown or dark brown. 

Similarly umber in its natural state is known as raw umber. When heated, raw umber becomes burnt umber, which is a much darker brown.

These days, manufacturers mimic the natural processes through synthesis, allowing them to create a wide spectrum of colors using PBr7.

My favorite colors that I keep in my palette are burnt sienna and burnt umber. They are excellent convenience colors for browns and make good mixing complements for making grays and neutral hues.

PV19 Quinacridone Rose, Violet & Magenta

Another common pigment, PV19 can range in color from bright rose to a more subdued violet or magenta color. 

Quinacridone pigments range from purple to orange, although they’re predominantly seen in pink-red shades. The pigment’s hue is influenced by both its particle size and slight variations in its chemical structure.

Quinacridone rose makes an excellent cool primary red and is an essential part of my mixing palette

Navigating Paint Color Matching: Tips for Success

These are just a couple of examples where pigment names make artist’s life confusing

But how do we accurately judge paint colors, especially when matching paints between brands, if we can’t rely on pigment numbers alone?

Traditional paint names like “burnt sienna” or “french ultramarine” are usually similar in appearance from one manufacturer to another.

This gives us a clue to matching colors between different brands, especially in cases where locating paint colors by pigment alone is challenging.

In fact, color index numbers often have common names.

For example:

• PB29 “Ultramarine Blue”
• PB:15 “Phthalo Blue”
• PG7 “Phthalo Green”
• PR255 “Pyrrole Scarlet”
• PY35 “Cadmium Yellow”

While pigment numbers may not always provide a perfect match across brands, they are still a helpful starting point for locating colors. Here are some additional tips for matching colors between brands:

1. Use Traditional Names: Look for traditional paint names like “burnt sienna” or “ultramarine blue” across brands, as these names often indicate similar color appearances.
2. Compare Swatches: Compare swatches or samples of the colors you’re trying to match under the same lighting conditions to ensure they’re visually similar.
3. Consult Color Charts: Many paint manufacturers provide color charts or online resources that show how their colors correspond to traditional names and the pigments they contain.
4. Try Dot Cards: A quick and relatively cheap way to compare real paint color appearances is to get a “dot card” of the manufacturer’s paints. these are like mini samples of a large range of paint colors. Here’s one by Winsor & Newton – and another by Daniel Smith.

Good luck!

The post Different Colors, Same Pigment  – A Watercolor Paint Mystery first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

And I would tend to agree…

Paper is the source of light and the foundation for your paint.

But paper’s quality and handling properties vary enormously depending on the type and brand.

This makes choosing paper somewhat confusing. Especially for beginners!

So… in this comprehensive guide, I will tell you all you need to know about watercolor paper and how to make an informed choice about what to use.

What is watercolor paper?

Watercolor paper is a relatively thick and absorbent paper specially designed for wet mediums like watercolors. It enhances the luminosity of watercolor pigments to their fullest. It can be made from cotton fibers, wood pulp, or both. It’s available in different textures and various thicknesses, although the most commonly used type is cold press 300 gsm / 140 lb.

That’s a fairly broad answer. 

As you can probably guess, there are many variations within the characteristics described above… The composition, thickness, and surface finish ALL affect how the paper handles with watercolors.

Also, the materials used to make watercolor paper will determine its strength, longevity, and price.

We’ll get into all these details below… 

Faced with the abundance of different types of paper on the market, some beginners ask if they really need a special kind of paper to paint with watercolor.

Just so you have no doubts, let me explain…

Do you really need watercolor paper? 

Yes, you need to use a special kind of paper to paint correctly with watercolors. Because this painting medium is so wet compared to others, you need a surface that can withstand a lot of moisture! 

The clue is in the name – they don’t call it “watercolor paper” for nothing

What is the difference between watercolor paper and normal paper? 

Watercolor paper is thicker and generally more robust than ordinary paper stock. It also has a special finish known as “paper sizing” that alters the absorbency of the paper. This treatment allows the paint to be absorbed into the paper fibers in a balanced way, allowing the artist time to play with the paint before it dries.

Note: sizing isn’t always only a surface coating. A lot of papers are also internally sized. 

So what is the best watercolor paper? 

For watercolor painting, the best quality paper is made of 100% cotton, is acid-free, with a neutral pH value. It will also be “archival,” meaning the paper will preserve its properties over a long period of time, and your painting won’t fade.

Cotton paper:

Cotton is stronger and more durable than wood cellulose (the stuff ordinary printer paper is made from). Cotton is a pure source of cellulose. Its fibers are longer, making it tougher and more resistant.

The strength of cotton makes it suitable for use with wet mediums like watercolor. This type of paper is more durable and “dimensionally stable,” meaning it retains its shape better. If you’ve ever painted on watercolor paper, you’ll know it “buckles” and deforms when heavily wetted. Although cotton paper still warps when soaked, it will perform slightly better than wood-based paper.

Cotton also has excellent absorbency properties.

And cotton is also naturally white, which means the paper needs little bleaching or other treatments to alter the color appearance (see “tint & color” below for more about this).

Acid-free / pH neutral:

If you remember from your chemistry classes, pH is a measure of the acidity of a substance

Acid-free and pH-neutral paper indicates it was made using an alkaline pulp and has a neutral pH (pH 7). Wood pulp is naturally acidic. This acidity is removed to avoid yellowing and prevent the sheets from deteriorating over time.

But cotton is naturally archival and pH neutral.

Archival properties:

Acid messes up the longevity of paper. It causes the paper to discolor over time and can even degrade certain paint pigments. 

That’s why you should look for acid-free paper.

But cotton is naturally archival and pH neutral!

This property renders the paper archival, meaning it remains stable over time without deteriorating.

After all… You want your masterpieces to last for centuries! Right?

Tint and Color Appearance:

Another aspect of watercolor paper worth mentioning is the tint or general color appearance. 

Most papers are not pure white. They need some kind of treatment to make them brighter or more uniform in appearance. 

As mentioned above, cotton paper is “naturally” white but not bright white. Some manufacturers add OBAs (optical brightening agents) to make paper pure white. 

Extra-white papers are altered with these chemicals. 

But OBAs do not last forever! 

They fade over time and cause watercolor paints to shift in color. That’s why artist-quality archival papers are not whitened in this way. For longevity, you should favor “natural” off-white paper.

Characteristics of the best kind of watercolor papers:

To sum up, these are the essential properties of artist watercolor sheets. To choose the best paper, remember to look for these features:

• 100% Cotton
• Acid-free
• pH neutral
• Archival
• Traditional color

That being said, cotton paper is also the more pricey option. If you’re starting out with watercolors, it’s understandable that you’re reluctant to splash out on high-priced paper… 

What is the best watercolor paper for beginners? 

The ideal type of watercolor paper for absolute beginners is commonly known as academy-grade paper. These are generally made out of cheaper wood cellulose. This paper has a different quality, durability, and archival properties than artist-grade paper. But it’s more affordable for getting started with watercolors.

(In addition, the most appropriate texture and weight for beginners is cold press paper weighing 300gsm / 140lb. You can read more about textures and weights below.)

It’s true… The “best” watercolor paper can be pretty expensive. The highest quality is generally classed as “artist” grade paper. As a result, this may not be the perfect option for beginners. Spending large amounts of money and living in fear of ruining the paper isn’t fun!

As an alternative, manufacturers make student-grade papers that are more affordable. This makes them better suited to artists who are getting started with this medium and want to experiment.

They are cheaper because they use lower-grade materials such as wood pulp. The internal and surface sizing is also usually poor quality!

Surface handling properties (Sizing)

Before you read further, it’s helpful to talk about sizing. This is an essential factor affecting the paint’s handling properties on the paper surface. Traditionally, the substance used for sizing is gelatin.

All watercolor paper is sized to alter its absorbency. But sizing involves finding a delicate balance. The paper needs to be sufficiently absorbent to fix the pigments to the surface – but at the same time, not so porous that it sucks the paint deep into the paper fibers, making the colors look dull…

I suggest you read my in-depth article “watercolor paper sizing” for a better understanding.

Types of watercolor paper 

The different types of watercolor paper are categorized by three main properties: academy or artist quality, surface texture, and thickness (defined by the weight).

Within these parameters, there’s a lot of choice. 

Academy-type papers are great for becoming familiar with watercolor painting. But they are limited. They won’t handle as well as artist-grade paper. 

However, there are very good reasons for using both grades. Let’s discuss the differences between these two types of paper:

Academy vs. artist-quality watercolor paper

I consider academy paper essential for beginning with watercolors. It allows you the freedom to splash paint around and develop your early skills without worrying about price constraints.

But as you progress, you’ll benefit by transitioning to artist-grade paper to experience watercolors to their fullest.

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Academy watercolor paper 

This is the economic version of watercolor paper. It will help you become familiar with the paint before moving on to more expensive sheets.

But getting good results is actually more difficult!

You are more likely to get streaky brush marks or blotches.

The paint reacts differently on these surfaces and is actually more challenging to control.

Which is a bit of a paradox! Because these papers are sold as “academic” grades, but they are, in fact, more difficult to use than pro “artist” grade papers!

Crazy huh?

That is not to say you can’t paint great artwork with this paper. You will just have to accept blemishes and some quirky handling properties. As your skills evolve, you’ll adapt to this type of paper very well and learn to adjust your painting technique. 

This type of paper is made from wood pulp and is less durable. It is likely to have been treated to modify the paper’s acidity and may contain brightening agents to make it whiter. 

Some of my favorite academy-grade papers include the following:

• Canson XL series 
• Arteza Watercolor Paper (Amazon link)

Artist watercolor paper 

You’ll really feel a difference when you shift to artist-grade paper. 

This paper type is made from 100% cotton, and the sizing is well-adjusted. This means watercolor paints become easier to control. Notably, the dispersion of paint pigments when working wet-on-wet is smooth and uniform. You can create soft blends and transitions in color. Artist-grade paper gives you time to work before it dries. And this type of paper also handles perfectly for glazing (layering paints).

My favorite artist papers include:

• Arches Cold Press
• Fabriano Artistico Traditional White

Watercolor Paper Textures (Hot press vs. Cold press vs. Rough)

There are three categories of watercolor paper texture, ranging from smooth to coarse: these are hot press, cold press, and rough. Hot press is smooth, cold press has a medium texture, and rough paper has the most pronounced grain.

Each of these textured surfaces has a different interaction with the paint. You will notice that watercolor paint performs in a distinct way on each surface finish. 

Here’s an overview of each one:

Hot press

The hot-press paper has the smoothest surface finish. The name comes from the production process of pressing the paper between hot metal rollers to generate a smoother texture. 

This surface is perfect for detailed work. There’s no grain to interrupt the flow of your brush strokes. It’s also well adapted to mixed media techniques like pen and wash.

However, the surface is harder and less absorbent than cold press or rough paper. This means it can be tricky to work with as a beginner because the paint absorbs slowly, and watercolor washes can pool on the surface, increasing the risk of unpredictable effects such as back runs or blooms.

Cold press

Cold-pressed paper is also classified as NOT, which stands for “not hot-pressed.” Which I guess is a bit of a mouthful! So it’s more commonly referred to as “cold press.” This name describes the manufacturing process where the paper is pressed between cold metal rollers. The rollers are covered in felt, which imparts a slight texture.

Cold press is more absorbent than hot press paper (but generally less absorbent than rough).

These qualities make it the most “forgiving” type of paper for newcomers. It has a reputation for being easy to use and can tolerate some corrections. 

Cold press textures accept some detailed brushwork, but artists can easily make textured brush strokes. This makes the paper well-suited to a wide range of painting styles.

Rough

You guessed it! Rough paper is the most heavily textured painting surface for watercolors.

Rough papers are pressed between coarse felt sheets, which emboss the texture onto the damp paper as it dries. 

Rough papers tend to be the most absorbent. Brush strokes and irregular watercolor effects such as granulation are more pronounced. 

This makes it less easy to work with if you’re new to watercolors but well adapted to expressive painting styles.

Which is better: cold press or hot press watercolor paper?

Cold press and hot pressed papers are each appropriate to different painting styles and skill levels. As a beginner, the more absorbent and moderately textured surface of cold-press watercolor paper provides an easier surface than smooth hot-press sheets.

I often get asked which type is better, but that’s not the real question…

If you enjoy irregular watery effects or want to paint a lot of detail, try hot-press paper. If you prefer an easy-going surface and expressive dry brush techniques, cold-press is better.

For a more detailed comparison of these two options, I recommend reading my article on cold-press vs hot-press paper.

What paper texture is best for watercolor? 

Cold press moderately textured paper is the first choice of most watercolorists. It is the most flexible surface finish because it adapts to so many different ways of painting.

Paper Weight & Thickness

Different thicknesses of watercolor paper are expressed by weight. The heavier the paper, the thicker it is. The most popular and versatile paper weight is 140 lb / 300 gsm.

All manufacturers express weight in two measures: 

• lb (pounds per ream) 
• gsm (grams per square meter).

The reason paper thickness is important is because of the paper’s tendency to warp when wet.

The thicker the paper, the less it warps (but it also gets more expensive!)

The best compromise in terms of thickness is 140 lb (which is approximately the same as 300 gsm). This warps less than 90 lb (185 gsm) paper but will still buckle more than very thick 300 lb (640 gsm) paper.

You can begin to see why this is the most popular type of watercolor paper!

I suggest you read this article for a more detailed explanation of paper weights.

Paper Sizes and Formats

Watercolor paper is available in a confusing array of formats and dimensions. However, the most common and versatile form is 9 by 12 inch watercolor pads.

Pads, blocks, and sheets

Watercolor sheets are usually sold in traditional large-sized formats, the biggest being the imperial full sheet (22 by 30 inches). Not all artists, particularly beginners, need paper this large.

Watercolor pads, on the other hand, are extremely handy. The sheets of paper are glued along one edge, making them easy to remove. They’re sometimes also available as spiral-bound pads. Pads offer a wide variety of smaller, ready-to-use dimensions (compared to sheets, for example).

Blocks are also available in a wide range of dimensions. Blocks are glued on all 4 sides. This holds them slightly flatter when working with wet watercolor washes (but doesn’t completely prevent buckling). 

However, blocks prevent you from tracing! You have to freehand your pencil outlines onto the paper, which is time-consuming and potentially harms the paper as you erase sketch lines. 

That’s why my favorite format is pads.

Further reading: see my article on watercolor paper sizes for a more in-depth comparison.

Personal Paper Preference

Taking into account all the various paper parameters, for me, the best watercolor paper is as follows:

• Artist grade 100% cotton cold press 140 lb 300 gsm arches 9×12 inch paper pads.
• Academy grade cold press 140 lb 300 gsm 9×12 inch Canson Xl pads.

I consider these the best all-round surface texture, thickness, size, and format for everyday watercolor painting. I also keep larger dimensions of the same paper to hand for painting bigger subjects – usually about 10 x 14 inches.

FAQ

Which side of watercolor paper do you use?

The manufacturing process creates a slightly different surface finish to watercolor paper. To find out whether this makes a difference to the handling qualities of watercolor paints, I examined this question in this article.

How do you stretch watercolor paper?

You’ll notice that watercolor paper bends and distorts when wet. The only way to have a completely flat surface while working is to stretch the paper. Read my guide to stretching watercolor paper here…

Do you have to wet watercolor paper before painting?

When to wet paper or not can be a confusing question for beginners. I will tell you everything you need to know in this article.

The post Best Paper for Watercolor (Expert’s Ultimate Guide!) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

This is my favorite grey paint. I always have some on my palette ready to go! 

It’s a convenience mixture, made up of more than one pigment. But I really like the color appearance, and I find it’s excellent for painting shadows!

Keep reading if you’d like to get to know this color better…

What is Paynes Gray?

Payne’s grey is a convenience mixture of two or more pigments (usually black and blue), made readily available by several brands as a pre-mixed paint color.

The idea behind convenience paints of any kind is speed, consistency of color, and of course “convenience” (bet you didn’t figure that out!)

It’s true that many watercolor artists (myself included) prefer to use single pigment paints. But I sometimes make an exception, as with Paynes grey. This is because I tend not to use it for mixing, but rather I apply it directly when painting shade and shadow shapes.

Origins of Payne’s Gray

Originally this color was an invention of the British artist “William Payne”. Born in the 18th century, he progressed the art of watercolor significantly with new techniques and inventions. His most famous innovation was the dark grey paint color we now call “Payne’s Grey”.

It is assumed that Payne created this mixture as a less intense alternative to pure black pigments. (Mixing with black often produces a dull, harsh appearance, since black pigments lack transparency – read more about black watercolor here…).

How to make Payne’s grey

The color appearance of Payne’s grey can be reproduced by mixing black pigments such as ivory black or lamp black with a blue hue such as ultramarine or phthalo blue. The majority of paint manufacturers use this combination, sometimes with the addition of a red or violet color.

The original formula for this paint mixture by William Payne was said to be Prussian blue PB27, Yellow ochre PY43 and Crimson PR83 (blue, yellow and red). 

Most brands now use 2 or 3 pigment combinations using black as the cornerstone pigment. Here are some examples:

• Daniel Smith: PBk9 & PB29
• Winsor & Newton: PBk6, PB15 & PV19
• Holbein: PBk6 PB15 & PR122
• Schmincke: PBk7, PB29, PR101 
• Sennelier: PBk7, PB15 &  PV19

My own personal preference is Daniel Smith’s version.

Making Payne’s grey is pretty simple to replicate. The mixture starts with black, and you add a small amount of blue ultramarine. Here’s a swatch of Payne’s grey from the tube, and a mixture I made myself using ivory black PBk9  and french ultramarine PB29:

As you can see the Payne’s grey swatches have a bluish tint, and look less aggressive compared to the black swatch of Ivory black.

Is Payne’s Grey warm or cool?

This mixture of pigments has a dark blue-grey appearance. Consequently Payne’s grey is a cool paint color, not warm. The blue undertone of this paint gives it a cooler appearance than most black pigment paints.

In some ways the color is similar to indigo which is also a cool blue-grey. But Payne’s grey is darker in appearance.

Why I like Payne’s grey watercolor

The version of Payne’s grey that I use is Daniel Smith’s. Both of the ingredients in their mixture (ivory black and ultramarine) are granulating colors. As a result this convenience mixture produces a wonderful granulating texture. 

I use it mostly for “cast” and “form” shadows. The fact that it has a cool blue tinge is an advantage. Exterior shadows created by sunlight are naturally blue toned (compared to interior lighting which produces shadows with a warm undertone). 

I don’t only use this color for shading and shadows! It’s also great for painting skies since it mixes well with other blues. But I like to have it available when painting shadow shapes. If you need to paint a large area you also get a consistent color appearance without worrying about running out of paint

Keep in mind that this is a mixture of more than one pigment. Shadows are never just grey! They contain other colors from reflected light in the environment. So when I Payne’s grey for shadows I’ll sometimes need to blend it with another color for more vibrant shadows. This is another reason why I prefer the Daniel Smith version with only 2 pigments. (Remember, the more pigments, the muddier the mixes become).

Payne’s Grey Characteristics and Swatch

Here’s a breakdown of the characteristics of Payne’s grey (based on the brand Daniel Smith). This will vary from one manufacturer to another. For example the Winsor and Newton version uses non-granulating pigments in its ingredients. I prefer the granulating version by DS!

• Pigments: PB 29, PBk 9 
• Lightfastness: Excellent
• Transparency: Semi-transparent
• Staining: Low Staining
• Granulation: Granulating

This is why it’s useful to get into the practice of swatching your paints, to get to know the specific properties of your own color palette.

You can see from my own switch that DS Paynes gray isn’t very staining. The white mark at the top of the swatch shows where I lifted the paint with a damp brush after drying. 

Related: Read more about my recommended watercolor paints here…

The post Paynes Grey (Exploring Paint Colors in Depth) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

It can be pretty confusing!

It’s easy to get lost in all the different formats and sizes of paper for painting with watercolors. It’s enough to make your head spin!

So below, I’ll go over what options are available and answer some of the most common questions about the sizes of watercolor paper you can find on the market…

What are the different sizes of watercolor paper?

The US and Europe have different paper size standards. They also use different measurements – imperial (inches) and metric (cm). So depending on your location, the most common paper sizes you’ll come across are as follows:

• 7 x 10 inches
• 9 x 12 inches (known as ARCH A size)
• 10 x 14 inches
• 12 x 16 inches
• 14.8 x 21 cm (A5)
• 21 x 29.7 cm (A4)
• 29.7 x 42 cm (A3)

But in reality, the sizes available are also related to the chosen format. In other words, rolls, sheets, pads, blocks… and even postcards are only available in specific dimensions.

Let me give you an example…

The 9 x 12-inch format is available in both watercolor blocks and pads. But the similar-sized A4 format is only available as pads! Go figure!

Watercolor sheet size

Another good example is watercolor paper sheets. The handmade paper-making process uses a traditional wooden frame mold. Other sheets are derived from a cylinder mold machine. The resulting sheet sizes depend on the size of the molds, which use imperial measurements, and each has its own sheet name. The best-known examples are:

• Full sheet watercolor paper size (Imperial): 22 x 30 inches 
• Half sheet watercolor paper size (Half Imperial): 15 x 22 inches 
• Quarter sheet watercolor paper size (Quarter imperial): 11 x 15 inches 

Standard Watercolor Paper Sizes

Standardization of paper dimensions became important for commercial reasons. For example, the British Imperial system of paper dimensions was created in 1836. (Conventional measurements and units facilitated trade and commerce so that goods could be accurately measured and valued).

Even today, artists often refer to paper sheets by the standard imperial names.

But as you can see from the abovementioned sizes, not all watercolor paper sizes conform to one specific standardization! Paper sizes can vary from country to country. Sometimes traditional formats remain in use. Other times manufacturers seem to invent their own rules! (Just take a peek at Fabriano’s watercolor paper, and you’ll see what I mean).

An international standard was adopted around 1975, known as the ISO standard (International Standards Organization). This is the well-known “A” format that uses metric dimensions. Many manufacturers worldwide produce paper according to these sizes. 

A4 is the most commonplace paper size in Europe! Everyone and their granny knows this is what you put in the printer!

But North Americans tend to use a different system of paper sizes and names than the rest of the world.

Hmmm…

In the US, the equivalent of an A4 sheet is the Letter size: 8,5 x 11 inches. But you won’t find watercolor paper in this format either! The closest match is the popular 9×12-inch format.

Is your brain getting numb yet?

So why so many obscure and unusual sizes for watercolor paper?

One reason could be “proportion.”

In fine arts like watercolor painting, aesthetics are important. So the proportions of the sheet (its height and width) add to the overall feeling of balance and harmony of a finished painting. 

So this variation in paper size caters to the diverse needs and preferences of artists who work with watercolors. Artists can then choose from non-standard sizes to suit specific needs.

Sheet sizes originated from the traditional framing sizes of hand-held molds. These were made using dimensions that looked good for the finished piece of artwork. As a result, they were more aesthetically pleasing!

The standard “A” sizes like A4 and A3 are sometimes criticized by artists as less artistically pleasing. This is probably why we get a range of non-standard sheet dimensions like these:

• 7 x 10 inches (aspect ratio 10:7 – more elongated)
• 9 x 12 inches (aspect ratio 4:3)
• 10 x 14 inches (aspect ratio 7:5 – more elongated)
• 12 x 16 inches (aspect ratio 4:3)

None of these lengths match any standard paper format, except perhaps the 9×12 inch sheet. This dimension corresponds to the “ARCH A” paper size.

If you compare the proportions of these imperial sized sheets to the A4, A3 formats, you’ll see that the “A” formats are slightly longer and thinner. I admit, I prefer the 9×12 in option

Large Watercolor Paper

Some artists prefer to buy large sheets and cut them down for economic reasons. Others just like to paint on colossal paper formats! 

So what is the largest size of watercolor paper? 

Rolls of watercolor paper are the format that offers the biggest dimensions. Arches make rolls up to 51 inches wide and 10 yards long. Other typical roll sizes are 36 inches wide and 10 yds in length.

Another option for large paper is to buy it in packs of sheets. But if your objective is to save money, you must be careful and calculate correctly.

For example, you can buy 5 imperial-sized sheets of Arches watercolor paper for about $100. If you cut this down into quarter imperial sheets, you would end up with 20 pages ($5 per sheet – Amazon). 

However, you can get a 10 x 14-inch watercolor block for under $50! That’s more than half the price… ($2.5 per sheet – Amazon)

There’s a significant advantage to choosing the most popular paper sizes available. Because of its popularity, this should help keep market prices low. I like the 9×12-inch format, which probably works out to be the cheapest. For example, at the time of writing, you can get a 9×12 inch pad of Arches cold press paper for 19 bucks! ($1,58 per sheet!)

Have fun!

Related reading: for a complete overview read my article about the “best paper for watercolors“

The post Watercolor Paper Sizes (Everything You Need To Know!) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

And now you’re wondering…

“But what the heck is neutral tint?” 

Why would you need it, and how is it used in painting?

This paint name causes quite a bit of confusion for artists. Depending on your chosen brand, there are a few variations, but this particular shade was designed for a specific purpose…

Let me explain more…

Neutral tint watercolor paint 

Neutral tint is a special kind of gray paint used mainly by watercolor artists. It is a mixture of pigments that produce an unsaturated gray and is intended to gently tone down brighter colors. It is said to be neither warm nor cool in color temperature. Hence the term “neutral.”

Some artists use black watercolor as a way to mix dull or muted colors for shading. But black pigments can be harsh when combined with other paints. Gray paints will desaturate a color more gently. And a lot of artists prefer neutral tint. 

A handful of traditional paint colors are used as a base for painting shadows or to tone down another color. 

Neutral tint is one of these. 

It was developed to easily desaturate (neutralize) any other color in an artist’s palette. 

What are neutral colors in art? 

Neutral colors in art are any colors that have been desaturated to remove the hue. That is to say, they do not appear to have a particularly strong color appearance. White, black, and gray are all examples of neutral colors. 

Neutrals make an excellent background for a piece of art. They do not shout for attention and can provide contrast to stronger, saturated colors. 

Neutral paints can also be used in mixing to create toned-down versions of another paint color. Or they can be used directly to paint shading and shadows.

Pure neutral colors do not have any color information. They are not saturated, so they contain no indications about the hue. But pure neutrals like this are pretty rare. In the real world, muted colors often have a hint of color. For example, shadows are very rarely pure gray.

Neutrals became popular on artists’ palettes to quickly add shade or darken values. Back in the 18th century, artists began using mixtures of various pigments to use as neutrals. 

All these paints are called convenience colors. In other words, they’re a mixture of two or more pigments designed to give artists quick access to a ready-mixed and regularly used color.

Using off-the-shelf paint colors like this is fast and “convenient” – hence the name

But most of these “neutrals” have an underlying color bias. Some lean towards blue (cool), others towards red (warm).

For example, traditional neutral paints include:

• Indigo (Pigments PB60 and PBk6)
• Sepia (Pigments PBr7 and PBk9)
• Payne’s gray (Pigments PB29 and PBk9)

As you can see, these traditional neutrals are a mixture of black pigments (PBk6 or PBk9) and some other hue.

But indigo has a dark blue appearance. It leans towards blue, so it’s a cool neutral. Sepia is dark brown, so this is a warm neutral paint. Payne’s gray is somewhere in between, but it tends slightly toward blue (it contains ultramarine blue, after all). So again, this produces a soft cool gray appearance.

None of these neutral paints are strictly “neutral.”

So what is neutral tint in watercolor?

Neutral tint is the result of many experiments to find a neutral gray color that has little effect on the other colors you mix it with. Therefore, it is designed to be as close to pure neutral as possible.

Neutral tint is neither warm nor cool. We call this “achromatic” (colorless).

Watercolor artists wanted something easy to use as a ready-to-go neutral gray. But as you can see from the examples above, many traditional options were either cool or warm neutrals or some other version of gray. In other words, they are “chromatic” (they contain color).

Using traditional neutrals like indigo or sepia is fine, so long as you take into account the color influence they have on your paint mixture. 

Alternatively, you could try neutral tint…

Neutral tint watercolor comparison 

There are several different versions of neutral tint.

For example, Daniel smith’s formula is a mixture of three pigments:

• PBk6 (Lamp black)
• PV19 (Quinacridone rose)
• PB15 (Phthalo blue)

This is the most popular combination of pigments for neutral tint across several brands. 

Here’s a table of comparison for some of the most popular artist-grade paint manufacturers:

My own personal preference is Daniel Smith…

How to mix a neutral tint with watercolor

Without going into detail, any of the above pigments mentioned in the brand comparison above can be used to mix your own version of neutral tint. The most popular combination is:

• Lamp black, PBk6 
• Phthalo blue PB15 
• Quinacridone rose PV19 

What is a watercolor neutral tint used for?

Neutral tint is used to desaturate or neutralize other paint colors when mixing darker shades. It can also be used as a stand-alone paint color for monochromatic work or as a go-to color for shading.

Any bright color can be muted by mixing with other paints. The amount of desaturation depends on the paint color you choose to mix it with. 

For me, the simplest way to achieve this is by mixing the color with its complement. Remember, complementary hues are the colors on the opposite side of the color wheel. So, for example, if you want to dull yellow, you add purple. Or, to tone down a green, you add red, etc. 

Alternatively, you can mix any color with a neutral tint. 

I often use Payne’s gray for painting shadows because I prefer the hint of blue contained in this convenience mixture. This is because most daylight shadows tend toward blue, so this paint gives a realistic look to most cast shadows.

Neutral tints will work similarly. If you’re using a glazing technique, it will take on some of the color properties of the underlying colors on the paper without affecting the initial color appearance. Or it will retain some of the color properties of the original color when mixed. 

To sum up

Personally, I use neutral tint sparingly. I might pick up a tube to do a monochrome study, but otherwise, I use complementary mixing for muted colors.

The downside with a completely desaturated gray like neutral tint is it can look pretty flat. Whereas dark shades mixed using other colors can produce more lively and harmonious results.

For more about using black and dark pigments in painting, read my article about black watercolor here…

That doesn’t mean this paint is not useful. But remember to have fun experimenting by mixing your own neutral colors too!

You might find the results interesting!

The post Neutral Tint Watercolor (All The Answers!) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

And no… I’m not talking about the dimensions of the sheet

As you begin to understand more about your art materials, at some point, you’ll come across the topic of sizing. 

Sizing is a substance that is added to paper to modify its handling properties. Each type and brand of watercolor paper is sized differently. It’s a traditional method of making watercolor paper perform as it should. Without it, your paint would do all kinds of weird things on the sheet’s surface. 

As a beginner, I used to find this pretty confusing! 

What exactly does sizing do, and how does it affect the way you paint with watercolors?

In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know.

What is watercolor paper sizing?

Sizing is used to alter the absorbent qualities of paper. Watercolor paper absorbs paint directly into the fibers like a sponge without sizing. Traditional sizing uses gelatin, but plant-based and synthetic sizing are also commonly used. Size can be applied internally, externally, or sometimes both. 

Sizing influences three properties of watercolor paper:

• Its Absorbency
• Its Strength
• The Color appearance

Artist-quality paper is traditionally sized with gelatin (an animal-based by-product of the food industry). This is a naturally transparent and water-soluble substance, but it has a slightly yellowish color. Adding gelatin produces a creamy-colored paper rather than bright white. 

The strength of the paper is also influenced by sizing. Surface sizing provides a hard coating that protects the paper from wear and abrasion.

Finally, the degree of internal and surface sizing modifies the permeability and absorbent qualities of the sheet. 

External vs. internal sizing of watercolor paper 

A quick note about two different methods of sizing commonly used in the production process:

• Internal sizing
• External sizing

Internal sizing happens in the early stages of the paper manufacturing process. It is added to the wet paper pulp before the sheets are formed.

External sizing (also called tub or surface sizing) happens at the end of the process. First, the paper sheets are dried and then dipped in a gelatin bath, coating the external surface.

External size bestows a crisp hard outer surface on the paper. In contrast, internal sizing modifies the structural properties slightly and helps to keep sheets stiff and more dimensionally stable. 

Why is sizing important?

Most artist-quality watercolor paper is mold-made or handmade and purposely designed for painting with wet media. Sizing is a vital ingredient because it significantly affects the handling properties of the paper during painting. 

Good watercolor paper brings out the best in watercolor paint and highlights its best qualities! 

That’s the whole point

The sizing agent allows the wet paint to remain on the surface long enough for you to work without sucking colored pigments deep into the fibers. 

If the pigments are entirely absorbed, you can’t continue to play with the paint. It fixes in place. Most good watercolor papers allow time to move pigments around in a wet wash or lift color off the surface if needed. On the other hand, if sizing is too strong (hard), the pigments never get absorbed and float around on the surface for too long.

At the same time, thanks to the sizing, the slightly impermeable surface allows the dry paint strokes to settle near the surface of the paper. This emphasizes the colors making them more luminous and vibrant! (if the sizing is poorly done, paint gets soaked up, resulting in flat-looking colors).

As you can probably tell… Good sizing is a bit of a balancing act! It has to resist the wet paint just enough to improve its handling properties, but not too much, or it would never stay put!

The amount of sizing

The amount of sizing used during the paper-making process significantly impacts how the paper handles during painting. 

There are three general categories of sized paper:

• Unsized paper
• Soft sized
• Hard sized

Unsized paper (sometimes called water-leaf) is the kind that absorbs moisture the most. Think of blotting paper or the filter paper used to make coffee. Paper towels and kitchen rolls are other good examples.

Soft-sized paper includes things like newsprint. (These are perfect for printing because the ink needs to absorb deep into the fibers and stay there.)

Hard-sized includes all types of coated art paper, such as watercolor paper

Of course, these are broad categories, and the degree of sizing used in the production process differs quite a bit. 

Handmade papers will have the biggest discrepancies from one batch to another. 

And each brand has its own way of doing things! 

As a result, Arches watercolor paper will behave slightly differently from Strathmore or Fabriano Artistico. The amount of sizing can be softer or harder depending on the manufacturer’s choice.

This is where things get tricky!

Your brand choice can make a big difference in how you paint.

Sized papers improve the workability and handling properties of the paper surface. Well-sized watercolor paper offers a perfect balance of absorption and, at the same time, allows the paint to flow and disperse correctly on the paper surface.

This is important because it influences the watercolor techniques you employ while painting.

For example, glazing is an essential technique in watercolor painting (this is where you apply subsequent layers of color, one on top of the other). However, for glazing to work properly, you must let the underlying paint dry before applying the next layer. 

Now imagine a sheet of watercolor paper that isn’t correctly sized. If the sizing prevents the pigments from fixing to the paper fibers, glazing becomes problematic. Each new brushstroke will reactivate the first layers. All the colors mix and blend together each time you paint a new glaze. 

Lifting is also a helpful technique for watercolor artists and is affected by sizing (this is a method where you remove paint from the surface by re-wetting it or soaking up some of the colors from the paper with a brush). 

If the sizing is too soft (too absorbent), the pigments are drawn deep into the paper fibers. Therefore, they will be difficult to remove using lifting techniques.

Wet-on-wet techniques are also widely used in watercolor painting. 

Some types of paper (student-grade paper in particular) have very hard sizing, preventing the pigments from being absorbed and causing excessive dispersion on the surface. 

Personally, I’ve become accustomed to using Arches. The surface makes it relatively easy to handle glazing techniques. You have time to play with the paint, and wet-on-wet methods disperse perfectly. 

Keep in mind the handling qualities of different grades and brands of paper can vary widely. Student-grade watercolor sheets, in particular, have poor sizing. Try to find the one that suits your technique the best. 

FAQ

That said, people often ask a few other questions about sized papers. Here are some replies to a few common queries:

Do I need to size watercolor paper? 

All watercolor paper is pre-treated with sizing, so you do not need to size your paper. So long as it is labeled “watercolor,” it should be suitable for wet media. 

Some artists use sizing mixed with paint to create a “ground .”They apply this as a light wash over the paper before starting a painting as a way to add an aesthetic effect.

But I’ve never found this necessary!

Does watercolor paper have sizing on both sides? 

The majority of watercolor paper is sized on both sides. This is a result of the traditional paper-making process. The sizing is either added to the wet pulp or applied to the surface by dipping it in a gelatin bath. So inevitably, both sides of the paper are sized. 

Does soaking watercolor paper remove the sizing?

Sometimes artists stretch their watercolor paper to ensure a flat surface while painting. Unfortunately, the paper is drenched during this process, which disturbs the surface sizing. 

If you have ever stretched watercolor paper, you may have noticed that the surface texture ends up slightly fuzzy after stretching. This is because the expansion and contraction of the paper fibers and the loosening of the surface sizing cause this effect.

The surface sizing is still there, but there will be less of it. Less gelatin on the sheet also means you can do less lifting or scraping to remove errors.

Can the sizing on watercolor paper go bad?

Over time paper sizing can deteriorate, or the paper might have bad sizing for some reason. This can produce patchy-looking results when you apply a wash of color. 

You can also get splotchy marks where too much sizing has been applied or grease marks from too much handling. 

Sometimes this can be recovered by soaking and brushing the surface with clear water. It will dissolve the surface sizing, redistribute it across the surface, and help wash away any oily marks.

Further reading:

For an in-depth look at paper sizes read this !

A complete over view of watercolor paper

The post Watercolor Paper Sizing (Explained!) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.

But this can be a very confusing topic, even for artists who have been painting for a while.

In this article I’ll help you understand how the weight of watercolor paper affects your painting experience and how to make the right choices.

Let’s get to it !

Watercolor Paper Weight

A lot of “artist quality” paper is made using a traditional cylinder mould process. This is a slow method of production which ensures a uniform surface and robust quality.

And it’s actually the best way to make heavier weights of watercolor paper, which comes in very handy for water-based art applications.

Paper weight is an issue for watercolor artists because of the problem of “buckling” (the way the paper warps when wet).

Light weight paper will buckle a lot, whereas heavier weights of paper warp less.

So for more watery applications very light weight paper will need stretching. *

But stretching can be a time consuming process. So maybe you need a heavier grade of paper?

On the other hand, heavier weights of paper are more expensive…

So how do you know which weight of paper to choose?

What does Watercolor Paper Weight Mean?

The weight of watercolor paper is a way of describing its thickness.

So when you compare weights, you’re really talking about how thick the paper is.

The higher the weight, the thicker the paper.

As you can imagine, different thicknesses behave differently when subjected to a lot of water, as is the case with watercolor painting. So finding the appropriate weight for the amount of water we typically use in watercolor painting is a key characteristic to take into account.

But the weight of paper can be expressed in two different ways:

Pounds (lbs)

Grams per square meter (gsm or g/m²)

Unfortunately, this is where things get tricky. Because these two measurements are calculated in different ways, which can get pretty confusing.

Watercolor Paper lb (pounds per ream)

Traditionally, weights are expressed using the British Imperial system, in pounds per ream.

A ream is made up of 500 sheets. And the size of each standard sheet in a ream is called the “basis size”.

In watercolor painting the basis size of paper is the imperial full sheet which measures 22” by 30” inches.

​

So the weight that you see printed on the label of watercolor paper is actually the weight of:

• 1 ream of imperial full sheets.

or

• 500 sheets measuring 22” x 30” inches.

The problem with the imperial unit of measurement is that not all papers use the same “basis size” for measuring a ream.

For example, the standard size of a sheet of drawing paper measures 24” x 36” inches which is quite a bit bigger than the basis size of watercolor paper. As a result, a sheet of 90 lb drawing paper does NOT weigh the same as a 90 lb sheet of watercolor paper !

Watercolor Paper gsm (grams per square meter)

To overcome this problem we now use a metric system which measures the weight in grams per square meter or gsm:

This is the weight in grams of a single sheet of paper which is exactly 1 square meter.

GSM is a much more straightforward way of measuring and comparing paper weight because it doesn’t take into account the standard sizes of different types of paper.

The “grams per square meter” system always compares the same size sheet (1m x 1m).

So instead of comparing apples with oranges, now you’re comparing apples with apples!

Often you’ll find both measurements are expressed. For example 300 gsm paper is roughly the equivalent of 140 lb.

After a while you will probably settle on a favorite brand of watercolor paper and a particular weight (my own preference for finished paintings is Arches cold press 140 lb / 300gsm). 

Sometimes you might come across a pad of paper where the weight is only expressed in pounds, or maybe the metric gsm method. In cases like this it’s very useful to understand the different equivalents in weight between both systems…

Watercolor Paper Weight Conversions

For convenience, here are some of the most common watercolor paper weight conversions for these two systems of measurement:

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(Remember that these are equivalents and can vary slightly from one manufacturer to another).

All this is very well, but what weight should you choose to get the best out of your watercolor painting ?

Let’s try to simplify things…

After shopping around for watercolor paper for a while you will probably notice the most commonly produced weights are 90 lb (185 gsm), 140 lb (300 gsm) , and 300 lb (640 gsm).

It’s easiest to think of these weights as “thin, medium, and thick”:

• ​90 lb (185 gsm) = thin
• ​140 lb (300 gsm) = medium
• ​300 lb (640 gsm) = thick

​

What is a Good Weight for Watercolor Paper

For me (and a lot of other watercolor artists) the best watercolor paper weight is:

140 lb / 300 gsm.

This weight is not too thin and not too thick. It’s just the right weight to avoid warping for most types of wet painting applications. And it’s cheaper than heavier types of paper!

Just don’t get the 300 gsm mixed up with the 300 lb paper !

But how does 140 lb paper really compare with thicker or thinner options ? For comparison, below are the answers to a few common questions:

Difference between 90 lb and 140 lb Watercolor Paper?

90 lb / 185 gsm paper might be fine for some sketching situations but personally I avoid using this weight for painting. It’s just too thin and buckles easily, which makes controlling the movement of paint on the surface very tricky.

Some artist grade paper manufacturers don’t even bother making 90lb paper !

140 lb / 300 gsm on the other hand is a good thickness for most uses.

Is 90 lb Paper Good for Watercolor?

Not really! 90 lb paper is more like the kind of weight you would want for decent drawing paper. If you’re going to apply watercolors on top of sketches, go for something heavier.

What is the difference between 140 lb and 300 lb watercolor paper?

140 lb (300 gsm) paper is a medium thickness paper that accepts water soluble media very well, but if your style of painting involves a lot of wet-on-wet techniques, or you paint large washes, you might need to stretch this type of paper beforehand.

Alternatively you could go for 300 lb / 640 gsm paper !

This is almost as thick as card and won’t buckle in most watercolor painting situations.

But it is a bit pricey !

If you can I would suggest trying both these weights. It’s possible you’ll fall in love with one or the other Get yourself a small pad of each option for testing – for example:

Arches cold press 140 lb / 300 gsm

Arches cold press 300 lb / 640 gsm

For a quick explanation of watercolor weights, watch my 1 minute YouTube version above…

The post Watercolor Paper Weight Explained (Find Out What’s Best) first appeared on Watercolor Affair.