Why I Stopped Taping my Watercolor Paper - Try this instead! - Matthew White

Today I'm talking about taping down your watercolor paper and why I stopped doing it.

[TimothyFourTen]

I saw watercolor artist from Russia use a cheesecloth, wet it thorough, laid her Arches watercolor paper 140 lb. on top of it and it stayed wet the entire painting, which was a full sheet. And I do this myself but with a regular old cotton bed sheet! I wet my piece of the bed sheet and lay it on a gatorboard . Then, I lay my watercolor paper (usually Saunders Waterford 140 lb cold pressed) on top of the wet bed sheet and the back stays wet and the front stays dry and I'm good to paint for literally hours - if I wanted to. :)

Another tip:

I use a gatorboard that's been covered over with a piece of vinyl shelf liner - not really necessary but it makes my gatorboard surface so easy to clean after I paint! Enjoy!

[Tine_of_Nice_Dreams]

When watching a new channel I always prepare myself for 5 minutes of self promotion, ad read, hyping up how important the topic is, and waiting until the last minute to really explain what the title hints at. This video is 100% the opposite. Straight to the point very clearly, excellent follow up information and demonstrations of how this looks practically, finished out with free resources? Excellent stuff man, thank you. Don't know if i'll ever be able to paint as skillfully as you but really appreciate you sharing the wisdom.

[thatswhatshesaid.literally]

Excellent tip! I do this on a glass surface so the wet paper creates a vaccum against the smooth glass and doesn't go anywhere while I'm painting.
Another tip for working on larger paintings, if you need to work in one particular area for a long period of time and don't want your mop brush to mess up your previous layers of paint, you can staple the paper (thick weights only here, lol) to a wooden canvas frame and spray water onto the _backside_ of the paper to keep it wet. It won't disturb your layers of paint and you can work in one area forever if you want! 😊

[jhb]

When I studied WC painting, I was taught to soak the paper and sponge wipe down, and then staple tightly to 3/4" plywood board. The staple line is 1/2" in from the edge. When dried the paper is taut like the skin on a kettle drum, and control is never an issue no matter how much water is applied. This takes time. The results are worth it for professionals. When staples are removed, a border line remains which can be utilized or a Matt can cover over.

[mileroadie]

Hi Matt! I'm an operating room nurse, so I consider myself well-practiced in thinking things through from beginning to end. I think such an ability is required in watercolors, too. I think it will help people to realize this is a skill that can be developed, and it's ok to move forward to a new piece of paper; the experiences will not be wasted!

[Theresa_titus]

This is the best advice yet! I just tried the the damp on both sides... Amazing!

[bluesky]

Thank you for solving one of my biggest problems when doing wet on wet painting--the curling edges and buckling overall as they dry. I even tried placing plastic over the painting and then covering that with a big book. I gave up for a while and went to fiber as an artist. But--NOW I'M BACK!

[CarolineT]

Thank you so much for all your videos and the time you put into them. I have to say that of all the watercolor artists/teachers I follow, you are the one person I most consistently review for any new content. You just explain things so clearly and well and I feel that I come away knowing something that I need to work on to improve my paintings. Your words just give me the confidence to believe I can get better at it! I'm am going to try this method on my next painting and see how it goes. Thanks again for all your time and effort here.

[michaelgillespie]

What you describe is one of the real qualities of watercolor that I admire, I'm new to watercolor so this is something I really want to learn and be able to utilize.

[annipetratos]

I live in Greece and the paper drying out can be a big problem.
Another fantastic thing about this video....your paintings!!!! Wow!!

[Baobabaloo]

You're a wonderful teacher! I'm soaking everything up like a spunge! 🙂

[johnytwo]

Another great thing about this technique is that you can use cheap woodpulp papers almost as successfully as the cotton ones!

[consueloyoung]

Thank you Matt for all of the information you have given us so unselfishly!!. I have already downloaded all that you have provided. I look forward to using it. ♥️🙏🏼🎄❄️

[Surai]

I found that taping 140 lb+ paper (I like the 156 lb), requires a lot stronger tape than standard painter's tape, blue tape, etc. Even paper tape fails if the page is too large. This technique solves a lot of those concerns and gives you more time to wash if you're going bigger than a half sheet.

[dschmid]

Thanks Matthew for sharing this great video. I tried your method recently after watching your previous videos. This technique for wet-on-wet definitely worked and always kept the paper flat. I had better results. As I live on the prairies in western Canada, our weather tends to be very dry winter or summer, which affects the paper. I apply a little more water to compensate.

[PaintAndDrawTogether]

Such an intriguing painting approach, especially tailored to the unique painting technique you employed. Thank you for generously sharing your creative process and providing a valuable learning opportunity for many artists. Wishing you a truly wonderful day ahead.

[maryann]

Returning to watercolour painting after several decades I really appreciate this guide. Thank you.

[annewatman]

I’m not really comfortable with landscapes, but I think there’s always something worth learning, no matter what the subject. And, I have been trying landscapes lately. To be honest, I’m basically looking at photos of watercolor landscapes, and trying to see if I can figure out how they were done. I’ve done a couple that aren’t too bad! I painted with acrylics for years, and I feel good about those skills, but watercolors are an entirely different level. I love the challenge, and I want to keep learning.

Also, when I look for watercolor tutorials, I have to like the artist’s style, and they definitely need to be better than me! Your paintings are beautiful.

[davecampbell]

I just downloaded your 5 step guide. Thanks so much, it looks to be very helpful. Your videos in general are some of the most helpful for watercolor painting. Much appreciated! Dave

[enorramic]

Thank you for your video. I especially like your words about not taping paper down. I constantly tape paper down and I only wet down one side of the paper. I will try your technique of not taping down and wetting both sides. Makes sense to me that the paper will stay wetter longer. Thank you! Chris