7 Great Alternatives to Watercolor Paper

Finding the perfect surface for watercolor painting can be a challenge, especially when traditional watercolor paper is expensive, out of stock, or simply not available. Many artists—whether beginners or seasoned professionals—often face situations where they need to practice, experiment, or create on a budget, making it essential to explore alternatives to watercolor paper.

This lack of access can be frustrating and may even limit your creativity. Watercolor paper is prized for its absorbency and texture, but relying solely on it can restrict your artistic options, especially when you want to try new techniques or mixed media projects. Without suitable alternatives, you might find yourself putting off practice sessions, missing out on creative breakthroughs, or spending more than you’d like on supplies.

Fortunately, there are several practical and inspiring options for artists looking to expand their horizons. In “7 Great Alternatives to Watercolor Paper,” you’ll discover how surfaces such as parchment, rice paper, Aquabord, watercolor canvas, light fabric, synthetic paper (Yupo), and vellum can serve as effective substitutes. Each material offers unique textures and effects, allowing you to experiment, save money, and keep creating—no matter what supplies you have on hand.

7 Great Alternatives to Watercolor Paper

Paper has long been the preferred surface for watercolor artists, with quality watercolor paper enhancing both the finish and longevity of artwork. However, there are times when you may need to experiment or practice without access to traditional watercolor paper. Fortunately, several effective alternatives can help you explore new techniques or simply keep creating when supplies are limited.

Parchment, Aquabord, rice paper, watercolor canvas, vellum, synthetic paper (Yupo), and even light fabrics are all solid alternatives to watercolor paper. With the right preparation, you can even use watercolors on wood or metal primed with watercolor ground. Experimenting with different surfaces is a valuable way to expand your skills and discover unique effects.

Why Should You Look for Watercolor Paper Alternatives?

Quality watercolor paper is essential for professional results, but there are good reasons to seek alternatives:

• Traditional watercolor paper can be expensive, especially for practice or casual use.
• You may want to experiment with new textures and effects.
• Some alternative surfaces can inspire creativity and push your technique further.

If cost is a concern, consider using lightweight watercolor paper for practice, cutting high-quality sheets into smaller pieces, or painting on the reverse side. Still, exploring other materials can be rewarding and educational.

Parchment

Parchment offers a unique, textured surface for watercolors, though its natural warm tone may mute some colors, especially whites. If you prefer plant-based options, look for unbleached parchment paper like Beyond Gourmet Unbleached Parchment Paper. While parchment is not suitable for oil painting, it can work well with watercolors and gouache.

NB: For archival or professional work, animal-based parchment may raise ethical concerns. Plant-based parchment is recommended for most artists.

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Rice Paper

Watercolors on this thin, transparent, and absorbent surface can be used to create interesting pieces of art. Often used in Chinese and Japanese ink paintings, rice paper also makes a good replacement for watercolor paper. But you’ll need first to mount/paste the paper on a mat board before you start painting. Rice paper is usually available in plain and designed variants (with embossed or embedded patterns). Watercolors on rice paper can get exciting as:

• The paper is transparent and the color of the mat board can influence the colors on your painting.
• Designed variants of the paper add a new dimension to your artwork.
• When pasted on the board, even plain rice paper creates fine wrinkles, adding a unique texture.
• You could crumple the paper and smooth it out for a more pronounced texture.
• Watercolors flow and settle along the wrinkles to form ragged edges within and around the subject.
• The rice paper can also be a good match if you would like to mix your watercolor technique with some calligraphy on top of it.

Paste the rice paper on the mat board and leave it to dry overnight before you begin to paint. As the material is delicate, you’ll have to tread lightly! Do remember that this is not like regular paper.

Aquabord

Watercolorists can use Aquabord to create long-lasting, interesting, and captivating works of art. The base panel of this watercolor pad is coated with special mineral-enriched clay. It allows the free flow of water and pigments to create soft finishes. The absorbent surface also lends itself to glazing, making it possible for you to easily stack one layer of damp or wet paint over an underlying dry one without compromising on the luminosity of the colors.

Aquabord is fairly versatile and can support different techniques and materials like gouache paint. As an artist, you would appreciate that. You can also easily remedy common problems such as blooms or permanent staining by lifting the paint off or glazing over the affected areas.

Watercolor Canvas

Canvas has predominantly been an ideal base material for acrylic and oil painting. However, special watercolor canvas and normal canvas, primed with multiple layers of watercolor gesso, have opened up this substrate for watercolors.

However, the watercolor canvas is not as absorbent as watercolor paper, or other textured paper bases, making it quite tricky to add layered washes. You will, therefore, have to adapt your technique to get the desired look and feel. Having said that, there are several benefits to using watercolor canvas:

• As it is less absorbent, you can easily lift or wash off paint to fix any issues.
• You get to use a combination of gouache, acrylic, oil, and watercolors in your work.
• You can preserve the finished piece by applying one or more layers of clear varnish instead of using glass frames.
• The size of your watercolor painting is no longer limited to the standard sizes of watercolor paper.

Light Fabric

You can work with watercolors on thin or light fabric, such as silk or cotton gauze. It could, however, get more challenging to control the bleeding colors, and this will likely also depend on how much cotton fiber the base has. You will have to mix the watercolor with a fabric medium to use it on cloth. Alternatively, you could first use watercolors and brush them over with the fabric medium.

Fabrics support several types of paints. It lets you use watercolors with acrylic to come up with some interesting creations. Fabrics also tend to mute the brightness of watercolors, making sure to work up sufficient contrast to bring out the lighter colors.

Watercolors mixed with fabric medium tend to dry up fast. Use a few drops of a drying time extender so that you have more time on hand. From mixing cups to palettes and brushes, art supplies used for painting may not be reusable. Therefore, h

aving a bit more time on your hand is vital. If you’re unsure what drying time extender to go with, consider the Golden Artist Colors Acrylic Retarder Additive.

Last update on 2025-06-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Synthetic Paper

If you are up for an exciting challenge, you may try your hand at watercolors on synthetic paper, aka Yupo (or even parchment paper/baking paper).

Yupo is waterproof in nature, and the paint applied on the smooth surface will stay wet until all the water evaporates. Therefore, do not stack layers of paint on Yupo. If you do so, you may end up removing existing or the underlying paint. Needless to say, give your Yupo-based creation some time before you put it up for display.

There are a few things to do or be wary of when using watercolors on Yupo:

• Prep the surface by rubbing it with alcohol to remove any oil/dust residue on the surface.
• Use watercolor pencils or a colored pencil to draw the image outlines.
• Do not touch the prepared surface as any smudge or rub marks will repel paint.
• The finished piece must be suitably sealed to preserve the artwork.

Yupo sheets are reusable. You can wash away an entire painting and try it all over again if the outcome isn’t satisfactory.

Vellum

Vellum, traditionally made from calfskin, is prized for botanical art due to its smooth, off-white surface and luminous finish. For a more ethical and affordable option, try plant-based paper vellum, which works well with watercolor and is widely available.

Final Words

If you’ve ever found yourself limited by the availability or cost of traditional watercolor paper, remember that creativity doesn’t have to stop there. As we explored in “7 Great Alternatives to Watercolor Paper,” options like parchment, rice paper, Aquabord, watercolor canvas, light fabric, synthetic paper (Yupo), and vellum offer accessible, inspiring ways to keep painting and experimenting—no matter your budget or circumstances.

By trying these alternatives, you can overcome the barriers that come with relying solely on watercolor paper, discover new textures and effects, and expand your artistic skills. Whether you’re practicing, experimenting, or creating finished pieces, these surfaces can help you stay creative and resourceful.

Ready to keep exploring sustainable art solutions? Check out our Reviews and Guides for more tips, or dive into our Watercolor section for additional inspiration and techniques.

Sources  

• AlteNew: 5 Best Watercolor Paper for Beginners | Pros and Cons
• Joshua Nava Arts: Painting on Rice Paper
• John Lovett: Watercolor Canvas​
• Botanical Art & Artists: All about Painting on Vellum
• She Must Make Art: Watercolor Success on YUPO