Stretching your watercolour doesn’t have to be messy or difficult. You can do it with masking tape and be ready to paint 15 minutes!
Can you use masking tape on watercolor paper?
Masking tape works best on watercolor paper, less so on the canvas, Yupo, and clay board surfaces because the paint can seep under the tape if it is not sealed well.
What tape do you use for stretching Watercolour paper?
Self Adhesive Gummed Tape
Only use Brown Self Adhesive Gummed Tape to tape down your stretched paper. Using regular household tape or masking tape will not work as it will not adhere to a wet surface. When applying the Gummed Tape do not allow the adhesive to drip onto your paper.
Can I stretch watercolor paper without tape?
Wetting the back of watercolour paper
This is a quick method to stretch paper, and it does work ….. well sort of. Use a wet sponge to go over the back of a sheet of paper a few times. However, be careful not to rub the water in, or you risk damaging the paper.
Do you really need to stretch watercolor paper?
If you intend to use a lot of water in your watercolour painting, then it’s important to stretch your paper before starting to avoid cockling. This is where the sheet wrinkles and forms ridges that are almost impossible to remove.
What can I tape my watercolor paper to?
Masking Tape and a Art Tote Board
To stretch your board this way – simple placing your watercolor paper – flat against a wooden board and taping all the edges down with masking tape. Then – wet your paper with a large 2in soft brush and allow it to dry before painting directly onto the board.
Will masking tape damage paper?
Blue masking tape, aka painter’s tape, can be used to temporarily mark off areas for painting on walls or furniture but can still damage or leave gunk on a paper surface.
Why is my paper tearing with masking tape?
If you pull the tape too quickly though, you’re likely to tear the paper. Instead, pull the tape slowly and gently and let it release from the surface gradually. Also consider the angle at which you pull the tape from the surface.
What kind of tape do you use to stretch?
PTFE Tape
PTFE Tape. PTFE is a great and inexpensive tape that you can use to stretch. The good things about it is that it is very good in price, non-adhesive so it only sticks to itself, super thin so you can slowly increase your size, and it doesn’t irritate your ears like some tapes do (such as electric tape).
Should you tape down watercolor paper?
Stretching is a simple process that ensures the perfect painting surface for watercolour and gouache and involves soaking the paper, taping it down whilst wet and, as it dries, shrinking it only to the extent that the tape will allow so that it has no movement at all when further layers of water are applied.
Which of the following types of tape is best for stretching paper?
Gummed tape is a specialized type of paper tape that has a permanent adhesive. It needs to be wet to be activated. Gummed tape the best type of tape to use when you are stretching out big canvases.
What is the best masking tape for watercolor painting?
Scotch blue painter’s masking tape
Scotch blue painter’s masking tape is the best tape to use on watercolor paper. I recommend this for two reasons – it does not leave adhesive residue behind and it leaves almost no mark in the paint when peeled off, unlike other brands of tape that might cause a lot of damage to your painting surface.
Is there a right side and a wrong side to watercolor paper?
There is no front/back/correct side or surface.
I’ve been asked this question so often that I’ve lost count. I’ve even read articles and forum posts where seasoned artists attempt to advise others on which side of the watercolor paper is the “front” or which edge is the “top.” It’s time to lay these fallacies to rest.
How do you keep tape from tearing in watercolor paper?
Tips to avoid tearing your paper
- Make sure your painting is really dry (really, really) – damp paper is far more likely to rip, so ensure it is bone dry.
- Remove it slowly – ripping off tape is fun, but dangerous!
- Remove it at an angle – pull it off at an angle away from the painting, not vertically.
What watercolour paper does not need stretching?
Do I Have To Stretch Watercolour Paper? If you don’t want to Stretch Watercolour Paper, you don’t have too. It is usually only necessary to Stretch Watercolour Paper that is 140lbs / 300gsm or less. The heavier the paper, the less likely it is to buckle.
Does erasing ruin watercolor paper?
Because the repeated erasing will have damaged the surface of your watercolor paper, even if you have been careful. And the pencil line impressions even when the graphite has gone, especially if you like using a hard pencil like me – an H or HB – will show through your painting.
How do I stretch watercolor paper?
Many artists soak or stretch their watercolor paper prior to painting.
Lay your sheet of watercolor paper over the board.
- Using a large brush, saturate the front of the sheet completely with water (you can’t use too much, so be generous).
- Turn the sheet back over and let it sit face up for about 15 minutes.
Is masking tape the same as artist tape?
All types of artist tape are masking tapes, but not all masking tapes are meant for those applications. Artist tape is meant for this type of work, so it has properties that keep paint from bleeding into areas that have been masked off.
Can you stretch watercolour paper after painting?
Yes, it is possible to stretch the watercolour paper across a board without wetting it. The best way to do it is to tape the paper to a board all the way around.
What are the disadvantages of masking tape?
Masking Tape Cons
Can leave behind a sticky residue that is hard to clean. Must be removed within hours of application for clean removal. Can peel up paint if it sticks to the tape’s surface. Can buckle under water-based paint, which allows paint to seep below the tape.
What happens if you leave masking tape on too long?
If you peel it too soon, you risk the paint dripping where it shouldn’t; if you leave it on too long, you risk chipping away some of the paint when you take it off. Either way, the result is a sticky mess.