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Quality Watercolour Paper, Pads & Blocks

We stock a fantastic range of quality watercolour papers and as part of our ongoing commitment to you our customers we only stock the highest quality watercolour paper available but at some of the lowest prices you will find. We stock paper from four of the biggest manufacturers of fine art papers including Arches, Bockingford, Daler Rowney The Langton and Hahnemuhle fine art paper.

To ensure you find exactly what you are looking for as quickly as possible we have split our range of fine art paper into individual categories. Just find the brand you prefer from those listed below, decide whether you want to buy loose sheets of watercolor paper a watercolour pad or a watercolour block then click the corresponding link.

Arches watercolour paper has been milled in Lorraine, France since 1492.Even after many changes in technology and the use of the cylinder mould, Arches fine art paper has maintained the quality and performance that artists have relied upon for centuries and is now considered one of the finest watercolour papers made today. It is 100% cotton fibre (sometimes known as Rag Paper), has a neutral PH value to make it acid free and has a uniquely hand-made look and feel. Each sheet is permeated with sizing to give each fiber a consistent feel and absorbency. Arches paper is also watermarked and stamped with each and every sheet of paper produced being hand checked for quality before leaving the factory.

Arches Watercolour Paper

Watercolour artists have for many years appreciated the qualities of Daler Rowney The Langton. The Langton Watercolour paper is colour stable, mould made and acid free. The best watercolour papers are acid free to prevent the deterioration of paint and to preserve the integrity of the paper over time. The paper has a 'NOT' surface (otherwise known as Cold Pressed) which is between the roughest and smoothest texture of papers making it a versatile paper for watercolour and linewash work.

[DR The Langton Watercolour Pads & Blocks]
[DR The Langton Prestige Watercolour Pads & Blocks]
[Daler Rowney Aquafine Watercolour Pads & Blocks]
[Daler Rowney Bockingford Watercolour Pads]
[Daler Rowney Watercolour Postcard Pads]

Daler Rowney
Watercolour Papers

Bockingford watercolour paper is one of the worlds most popular watercolour papers - not surprising considering Bockingford paper offers superb quality at a great price. This high quality fine art paper is made at St Cuthbert’s Mill, near Wells, Somerset using a cylinder mould and the purest cellulose fibre. It is acid-free, internally sized with a neutral pH to give an archival standard paper and buffered with calcium carbonate to protect from atmospheric contamination, highly light fast and colour stable.

[Bockingford 300gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Bockingford 425gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Bockingford 300gsm Tinted Watercolour Paper]
[Bockingford Watercolour Pads]
[Bockingford Watercolour Cards]

Bockingford Watercolour Paper

Choosing A Watercolour Paper

An artists choice of paper is a very personal thing and watercolour artists pick their papers for different reasons. The three main types of watercolour paper surfaces are: rough, hot-pressed or HP, and cold-pressed (or NOT).

Rough watercolour paper has a prominent tooth, or textured surface. This creates a grainy effect as pools of water collect in the indentations in the paper.

Hot-pressed watercolour paper has a fine-grained, smooth surface, with almost no tooth. Paint dries very quickly on it. This makes it ideal for large, even washes of color.

Cold-pressed watercolour paper has a slightly textured surface, somewhere in between rough and hot-pressed paper. It's the paper used most often by watercolour artists.

Watercolor paper differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, so when you are trying to determine which is best for you remember to experiment not only with the different kinds of paper but also with various brands of paper.

The thickness of watercolour paper is indicated by its weight, measured either in grams per square metre (gsm) or pounds per ream (lb). The standard machine weights are 190 gsm paper (90 lb), 300 gsm paper (140 lb), 356 gsm paper (260 lb), and 638 gsm paper (300 lb). Fine art paper less than 356 gsm (260 lb) should be stretched before use, otherwise it's likely to warp. For your convenience we have included a video on this page that shows you how to stretch your paper. Alternatively you can read the instructions above. Or why not make this job a doddle by purchasing a paper stretcher available in both quarter and half imperial sizes

Hahnemuhle Watercolour Paper

Hahnemühle have been producing fine art paper since 1584 of unparalleled quality for artistic and graphic use. This tradition, and drawing on their long history of paper making, has made Hahnemühle one of the leading European paper producers. Hahnemühle watercolour paper is a real vat paper, produced on a cylinder mould machine, which gives it the characteristic deckle edge. The use of various types of natural felt gives this paper a unique surface structure. The papers allow for optimum colour reproduction, have a resistant surface and withstand repeated erasing. These features make Hahnemuhle watercolour paper suitable not only for watercolours, but also for other wet-painting techniques such as gouache and tempera as well as for drawing with charcoal, pencil and crayons.

How to stretch watercolour paper

Cut four strips of gummed brown tape, one for each side (edge) of your paper. Make sure that you cut your tape slightly longer than the sides of your piece of watercolor paper.

Soak your sheet of paper in cold water for a couple of minutes.
This will allow the fibres in the paper to expand.

Carefully lift the sheet of paper and gently shake off the excess water. Place it on your drawing board. Make sure that your drawing board is
lying flat at this point.

Smooth your watercolor paper out with a clean sponge. Remember if the
sheet of water colour paper is not perfectly smooth at this stage, it won't dry smooth. So take your time.

Moisten a strip of gummed tape and stick it down firmly alone one side so that one third of the tape width is on the paper and two-thirds on the board. This will stop the water colour paper pulling off the board when it dries. Tape down the other sides of the sheet of watercolour paper in the same way.

Leave to dry for several hours, away from direct heat. As the water evaporates, the fibers in the paper contract, leaving the sheet of watercolor paper flat. Keep the board flat while the paper dries, otherwise the water will drain to one edge and your paper will dry unevenly.

That’s it. When you start painting your paper will now stay flat because you won't ever soak the whole piece as much as you did during the stretching process.

Tips:
Don't use hot water to soak watercolour paper as this could remove the sizing from the paper, and don't soak it for too long for the same reason. Sizing is added to watercolour paper to reduce its absorbency.

Use different colour sponges for smoothing a piece of paper and moistening gummed tape so you never run the risk of getting gum on your sheet of water colour paper.

If you don't get on with gummed brown tape, an alternative method is to staple the paper onto your drawing board instead.

Stretching Watercolour Paper - Video Tutorials

[Arches 185gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Arches 300gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Arches 640gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Arches Watercolour Blocks]
[Arches Watercolour Pads]

Saunders Waterford Watercolour paper is a high quality watercolour paper that is mould made from 100% rag (cotton). It is acid free and watermarked, has deckled edges (only on full imperial sheets) and is calcium cabonate buffered. This watercolour paper is available in Hot Pressed, NOT, and Rough Surfaces and either quarter, half or full Imperial size sheets.

[Saunders Waterford 190gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Saunders Waterford 300gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Saunders Waterford 425gsm Watercolour Paper]
[Saunders Waterford 640gsm Watercolour Paper]

Saunders Waterford Watercolour Paper