Below you will see instructions on how I like to stretch watercolor paper. It is packed with tips and tricks to make sure you won't be bothered by the traps of young players. I hope this is a point of reference, so I have explained everything that I might think of that might go wrong - so if you have problems, you will have all the remedies.
Stretching paper is really straightforward, but it's a reference for everyone - just like a drug note - it's full of information about things we might not have experienced. So don't be overwhelmed by information - stretching is an invaluable thing and your paintings are done professionally. Stretching itself does not involve much, and it will immediately become second nature. Tips and hints will ensure that your paintings are perfectly deployed and you won't encounter any unnecessary traps during the painting phase.
I have never had problems with stretching paper - so if you have actually experienced something - then this will be a simple matter. The most common of these is the use of the wrong cardboard to stretch the paper. Or use the wrong tape. Sadly, there are some substandard tapes on the market.
So here are the explanations and answers - before you even know the problem!
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Have fun - there are many benefits to stretching paper, but the most important ones are:
* Tightening, uniform surface tension, allowing the paint to flow evenly, allowing us to mix gently and evenly tone
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*Stretching avoids the concern of creating large waves when using paper in wet, wet washes - [waves or buckles cause the paint to lie in the slot - it doesn't look too good!]
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* You will want to relax and incorporate your ideas into your paintings. The need to fight against the effects of warped paper will reduce your enjoyment in the painting process, as well as unprofessional effects.
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* It's great to be able to lie in a gorgeous wet wash without worrying about causing flowers, wrinkles and broccoli flowers.
The 3/4-inch Gator board is a good, rugged, lightweight archive substrate that secures paper before painting and forming.
I like the materials I use
- Arches 140 lbs. Hot pressed paper
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- 3/4" thick white crocodile board
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- Lukas white glue [water activated] file with 1 1/2 inch wide [Jerry' Artarama has imported this product for us from Germany - thank you very much!].
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- paper towels
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- large sink, trough or bathtub
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- Drafting tape
How to stretch paper
Determine the size of your painting and allow the edges to have at least a 3 inch border. One inch of it is used for drafting the belt. boundary. This will give you an original white clean border around the painting. It gives us a clean professional look that we all like. Apply a drawstring to the edge of the painting before the paper is stretched and dried - before you start painting.
I use two sizes of crocodile boards - depending on the size of the painting I want to create: 16" x 24" or 24 "x24"
Before you wet the paper, check that the paper is suitable for your cardboard - leave at least 1/2 inch of cardboard edge around the paper. The more the better.
Cut the white tape into the length and width of the board - allow for a little extra folding of the edges.
Put the tape roll in a plastic bag because you don't want the water to get close to it. You can imagine how frustrating it is to activate chewing gum while it is still in the roll!
Place an "X" in the opposite corners of the correct side of the watercolor paper. This allows you to quickly identify the correct side of the paper.
You can fix the paper by fixing it under the light. You will see the indented trademark in one corner. If it reads the correct method - then this is the right side for you. I used my bathtub to soak the paper, so I took my tape [already cut], my cardboard and paper into my bathroom. Place your tape completely on your board and you have placed it on the floor for easy stretching. You don't want to drip on the tape. I placed my circuit board on the floor near the bathtub. I put the paper in the bathtub and make sure that every side is wet. I let it soak for three minutes. Put some water in the bathroom sink or in the large jar.
Three minutes later, I took the paper out of the water and held a corner to let the excess water flow away. Paper can be acceptable, and when you shake it a little, it reminds you of a thick, soft fabric that swings back and forth. Bring your paper to your board. Align the paper in half to create a soft roll in the center and align this center with the center of your cardboard.
Lower the paper to try to center it and leave at least 1/2 inch of the Gator Board border [clear cardboard space around the paper]. I put the paper above the board - position / center and then placed it on the board. Do not pull and stretch the paper to move it to the correct position. This may require some experimentation to center the paper. If you didn't succeed at first, just gently pick up the paper on both sides and lift it up and try again.
After placing the paper on the cardboard, you may see some bubbles under the paper. Simply lift the two corners and roll the area back - then remove it. The paper will be re-implemented. If the bubble is not excessive, but if the bubble flows from one side to the other and causes the tape to lift, don't worry too much about the bubble - then lift the paper again. When the paper is dry, the bubbles under the paper are usually discharged by themselves. The only bubble you need to be aware of is the tape we are going to put on paper and cardboard. More about the following:
Now, there are a few things to note at this stage:
You don't want to spill any glue on the tape to the area you want to paint. Once we wet the tape - we need to pay attention to the liquid emulsion glue on the back of the tape. If this drop is on your paint surface, this will be your problem.
Keep your cardboard/paper away from the area where you want to wipe the tape.
I took the tape into the water. Hold the end with one hand and I pass the water reasonably quickly - and the tape is completely immersed in the water with the other hand. [I use the other hand to press the tape under the water]. As I said - I did it very quickly, so the tape just "passes through" the water - not soaked.
I shake the tape on the sink to remove excess water.
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Make sure your paper does not spatter.
Now do not place the wet tape on top of the paper surface. We must avoid dropping gum on this surface. I will explain it later.
Once you gently shake off excess moisture on the tape - grab each end of the wet tape and keep the tape straight.
Bring the tape to the paper - bypass the cardboard instead of the cardboard. We don't want to drop the gum on the paper!
Secure the tape on top - and up to the edge of your cardboard. Your board edge will be square, so it's best to use it as a guide. Align the tape with the edge of the board. Now put the tape on top of the cardboard and paper - just move the tape to the edge of the paper to cover the 1/2 - 3/4 inch paper edge. Place the tape on the paper.
Now you may need to smooth the tape a bit. The thing to remember here is to do it lightly because we don't want to stretch the tape. You may also see some bubbles under the tape. We don't want these to stay there. What I did was how to smooth the tape and remove any bubbles is simple:
I brought some paper towels - some sheets [or clean towels]. I put them on paper and tape. I gently pressed them. This will increase some excess moisture and make the paper dry faster. It also helps to remove air bubbles under the tape. Remove the paper towel. But you need to do more to make sure that all the tape does not stick to any bubbles - read on...
Now hold more paper towels to easily position them in your hands - and take very gentle movements - gently press all the tape areas around the tape. Up and down, not left and right, because this can stretch the tape. This should remove any air bubbles from the tape. Let the paper dry before going away, and look at it from several different angles so that you can clearly see that all the tape is firmly bonded to the paper and cardboard.
If there is any area that does not stick - then just put a little pressure on these areas. You may see a bucket that extends to the tape in the paper. As long as the tape is safe on paper and on cardboard - this is not a problem at all. When the paper is dry and becomes taut, the buckle will disappear.
- Flatten your paper
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- Don't improve at any stage
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- Do not use a hair dryer to speed up drying. [You can use a hair dryer when painting - but you can't use a hair dryer during the stretch paper stage]
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- Don't put paper in the sun
You can lay the board flat and let it dry in the warm sunny place [sunlight through the window]. But not in the open air outdoors.
Troubleshooting:
Q: When the paper is wet, there are bubbles underneath.
Solution: Don't worry - they will smooth out as the paper dries. As long as the tape sticks to the paper and cardboard, there is no problem.
Q: The tape is going up.
Solution:
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1 - The tape may be too wet - in this case use a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
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2 - Are you using the appropriate Gator Board? Nine out of ten - the board surface is the problem.
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3 - You may not be completely immersed...
Orignal From: Watercolor tips and tips stretch watercolor paper
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