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Watercolour Drawing Paper Have you ever wondered how some of the great watercolourists of the 19th C achieved precision of line, subtle washes & luminous effects? The great watercolour painter, JMWTurner advised his students to "respect their paper". At first glance this advice is simple but why did he think it was so important? Whilst Turner used a variety of papers he preferred using the very best quality, gelatine sized paper .In the early 1800's this paper was made by hand from linen & hemp. Just these two facts indicate he preferred a strong paper coated with a good layer of best quality gelatine.
Modern art papers are made from cotton which is a weaker fibre than linen or hemp (cotton also absorbs light.). Whilst they are coated with gelatine the layer is usually not as thick as it was in the old handmade paper. Thus it is easier to "break through" the gelatine layer in a modern paper. Nowadays watercolour paper is usually 300gsm in weight upwards.This is because of the need to produce a strong paper (thickness = strength if you like) but also to minimise cockling of the sheet when damp.
The lighter, handmade paper used by Turner,Girtin & other artists of the period needed stretching but had the extra benefit of being able to be used for pen & ink detail & detailed sketching . This was especially valued for architectural sketches & watercolours.
The new handmade watercolour drawing paper made by Griffen Mill incorporates the best qualities of these old handmade papers.Made from hemp & hand sized with gelatine,the old recipe has been brought up to date so that the paper is archival. Just like the old papers it takes three weeks to make. If you are interested in this paper,please contact the Mill & we shall contact you when the paper is ready. Please note the colours of the papers are a general guide only. It has been difficult to show the subtle variations in the white papers particularly.
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