The right paper can make all the difference in your painting. If you’re an avid artist, you should know the importance of good quality watercolor paper for your art projects. But what if you have an art piece in mind and you suddenly run out of watercolor paper? You must ask yourself; What can I use if I don’t have watercolor paper?
Regular paper will not do for several reasons, but you can consider using parchment, aquabord or rice paper, among other alternatives.
If you’re interested in finding out all the different alternatives to watercolor paper, stay with us till the end; we are here to answer Best Things to Use if You Don’t Have Watercolor Paper.
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What Not To Use – Regular Paper for Watercolor Painting
Many people think that regular paper might work for the painting instead of watercolor paper. But unfortunately, that’s not the case.
There are many reasons why you should never use regular paper for watercolor paint. Let’s have a look at some of these reasons –
Texture
Regular paper is a cheap paper made of wood pulp and has a weight of around 20 lb. On the other hand, watercolor paper is a thick paper manufactured from cotton fibers and resin.
This cotton paper undergoes hot press or cold press to almost 300 lb. of paper weight to achieve different textures. You can get textures like hot pressed paper, cold pressed paper and rough textured paper. But with regular paper, achieving such textures is not possible.
Quick Absorption
A big problem with regular paper is that it tends to absorb watercolor fast. When the watercolor paint gets absorbed too fast, there is no scope to control the color, resulting in a blotchy illustration.
Buckling
Buckling refers to the phenomenon of creating a ripple effect once the paper gets wet. It is a common issue with regular paper. As a result, any artwork done on regular paper turns out wavy and wrinkled.
Tearing
Regular papers are devoid of any texture, so they soften and tear down after applying heavy washes of watercolor or too much water.
Yellowing
Another issue with regular paper is yellowing after the paints dry down. Watercolor papers are acid-free, which is why they don’t become too brittle and yellow after they dry down. But with regular paper, the yellowing is unbeatable.
What Can I Use Instead Of Watercolor Paper?
Parchment
Although parchment has a totally different consistency than watercolor paper, it works best for painting! It is a highly textured material made from sheepskin, but there are vegan parchments available.
Parchment works best with watercolor paints and gouache, but it is not compatible with oil painting. You can work with watercolors on parchment, but the colors might come out a bit dull since the surface has a warm color tone. Watercolor paints would look great on parchment if you’re going with a soft and muted color palette.
However, if you want a bright and vivid outcome with fine details, gouache should be your color of choice. Gouache and parchment are a match made in heaven because of how well they complement each other.
Rice Paper
Rice paper is an interesting alternative to watercolor paper. It is usually quite thin and transparent, but you can create wonderful art pieces with this paper.
This thin, acid-free, and absorbent paper has been around for a long time and was primarily used in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese handmade ink paintings. Today, it is used as a surface for watercolor painting among many watercolor painters.
All you need to do is paste the paper on a mat board and let it dry overnight before you begin coloring. Using rice paper sheets for water coloring can provide interesting outcomes since the rice paper is transparent, and the mat boards can alter the colors of your art piece.
You can also try using embossed mat boards to achieve a unique texture with your paintings.
Try being very gentle with the sheets when treading since the paper is very delicate. You can smooth out the edges of this paper sheet if it becomes creased for some reason. Overall, it is a good paper to use instead of watercolor paper.
Aquabord
An excellent alternative to watercolor paper is Aquabord.
Many watercolorists love using Aquabords instead of watercolor paper because the surface is so versatile; from watercolor paints to gouache paint, there’s nothing that cannot be used on Aquabord. The paintings done on this surface are unique, long-lasting, and colorful.
Most artists face issues like permanent staining or blooms when working with different media and paper. However, Aquabord allows you to glaze over the stained corners and fix the issue in no time. The benefit of simply glazing is that you don’t have to compromise with the radiance and lustrousness of the colors.
Watercolor Canvas
One of the most popular base materials for artwork among artists has been canvas. The reason why so many artists prefer using canvas is because of the incredible texture.
Whether working with acrylics or even oil paint- you can always rely on canvas. Today, you can find different canvas primed with watercolor base coats that allows you to work with watercolor paints.
The issue with watercolor canvases is that the color absorption is less. So, you need to exercise your paint techniques on practice sheets to perfect layered washes. Try using watercolor blocks to perfect your skills before jumping straight on the canvas.
You can watch videos to learn how to use the top sheet of the blocks if you’re facing any difficulties.
However, since watercolor canvases are less absorbent, you can easily wash off the paint if you’ve made any errors. Another benefit of these canvases is that they incorporate oil paint, acrylic, gouache, and watercolor paints to create unique pieces.
You can find canvases of different sizes, which is why you don’t have to limit yourself to a standard size anymore.
Light Fabric
Another interesting alternative to watercolor paper is a thin and light fabric. You can use a good quality soft fabric like cotton gauze or silk for creating artwork.
Although light and thin fabrics work as excellent options for creating interesting art pieces, they are challenging to work with, especially among beginners. The amount of cotton fibers in the fabric plays an important role in how well the fabric will absorb the paint.
You might also face difficulty controlling the bleeding colors on the other side with a piece of fabric. A good idea would be to use a fabric medium with watercolors to prevent such issues.
Acrylic and watercolors can be used to create high-quality paintings on fine fabric. If you prefer using muted colors for your painting, fabrics are the best choice as they reduce the brightness of the colors. You can also save some money that way.
Final Words
Still struggling with the question, what can I use if I don’t have watercolor paper? Give our recommendations a try and create fun paintings without watercolor paper.
