Advice On Paper
It's important to use watercolour paper rather than standard cartridge paper. Normal paper will not hold the quantities of water that you'll be using when you paint. An inexpensive, white, medium-weight watercolur paper is perfect for the beginner.
You can get sealed blocks of paper that don't even need to be stretched and soaked. Another advantage of these blocks is that you don't have to carry an easel with you if you're painting outdoors; the block is firm enough on its own.
Watercolour papers are available in three surfaces :
- Rough
- HP [Hot-Pressed]
- NOT [Cold-Pressed]
Rough paper has a prominent texture; HP paper has a smooth surface and NOT paper is in between. The thickness of the paper is given as its weight in grams per square metre [gsm]. Usually, watercolour paper is white but colours are available.
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