Q: How is watercolor paper stretched? Should the brown paper strips be left on at the time of painting?
A: All watercolor paper will buckle when becoming filled with
water, but the 300 lb moves only slightly. The thinner papersóthe 90 lb
and the 140 lb--buckle the most. The purpose of stretching, or
mounting, is to hold the paper in place until the painting is complete.
When the paper dries, it will lie flat. If you do not stretch or mount
the paper, it will remain buckled after it is dry.
There are many ways to stretch watercolor paper, but the original way is to use brown paper tape. This is how it is done:
1. Soak your watercolor paper. You can immerse it in a tub or sink.
2. Lay the paper on a drawing board.
3. Using the sides of both hands, push the water out of the paper, starting from the center of the paper.
4. Wet the brown paper tape and lay it down on all four sides of
the paper. The paper tape should sit about a quarter of an inch into
the paper. Do not remove the tape until your painting is complete and
dry.
NOTE: Possible problem: Some brown tapes will bleed their brown
dye onto the paper. The brown dye, however, usually only gets on the
edges--if it bleeds at all. You may want to test your tape on a small
sheet of watercolor paper first.
Alternatives:
Masking tape with a medium tact works best. You can simply tape down your dry
watercolor paper before you begin your artwork. Again, do not remove
until you have finished your painting and it has dried completely. It
will lie flat. Be careful, however, as masking tape with a strong tact
can tear your paper. Do not use white drafting paper tape. It is
designed for dry work and will come up when wet.
Staples: Some artists like to staple their watercolor paper to a board.
Personally, I donít use staples because I like the edges of the paper.
With staples you cannot bleed a painting, and it can only be matted,
not mounted, and the holes from the staples will show.
--by Camille LaPointe-Lyons