What is Watercolour Paper?
One of my favourite methods of colouring a stamped image is to watercolour with Tombow markers, and for that watercolour paper needs to be used. Whether a stamp artist or professional artist, watercolour paper is all the same; it is personal preference that determines what brand and style of paper is used.
Watercolour paper is paper that has been treated specifically to prevent absorption. There are three things that determine the weight and feel of the paper, and that is how much pulp is used, how it is treated, and how it is processed. A hot pressed surface is smooth, while a cold press surface is a little roughter.  On close inspection, each piece of watercolour paper has a smooth side and a rough side. Again the roughness is determined by the factors discussed above.
Watercolour paper is labelled by weight. Weight is determined by pounds per ream, or grams per square meter. The lighter the paper, the higher the tendancy to warp. Â
 As a rubberstamp artist, 70 pound paper is acceptable to use because less water is placed onto the paper, thereby decreasing the risk for warping. I purchase a heavier pound paper in booklet form because it travels well, it  warps less, and book paper goes on sale.Â
In summary, picking the right paper isn’t  rocket science. With the information provided, your next trip to the art store should be a little easier.
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2 People have left comments on this post
Jul 24, 2009 - 04:07:33thanks! That was very useful! Now I am going to look to see if you have a water coloring with Tombo markers tutorial …
Sandra
thank you for this posting about H2O paper; I’m always a tad confused, when purchasing this, as every sales person has something different to tell, & of course,sell you.