Can I Paint on Watercolor Paper With Acrylics?

How do you use acrylic paint on paper?

You can paint with acrylics on watercolor paper, and you don't need plaster or primer first. You can thin the acrylics to make them as fluid as watercolor and therefore transparent. Or you can use them inconsistency as they come out of the tube. They do have water-emulsified pigments (water-based paints), after all, and they're not solvent-based.

The strength of the paper really depends on the weight and quality of the paper, as well as the amount of water involved in the application and the coverage that the paper receives from the paint. If you want to display the painting, it will need to be framed, under glass.

Consider the weight of the paper

You should use fairly thick paper, such as 246-300 lb, otherwise, you will have problems with the paint warping when drying. You may also have some sagging and waviness when painting, but heavier papers will have a better chance of drying completely than canvas paper or student-weight watercolor paper (115 to 140 pounds, for example).

You can also look for watercolor paper that is a blend of cotton and synthetic fibers (professional quality watercolor paper), which can reduce sagging.

Or use a watercolor block

If you have lighter paper (140 pounds), you can use a watercolor pad to prevent the paper from warping when painting. It also avoids having to stretch the paint. However, you will have to wait for the part to dry completely before removing it from the block.

Other ideas

You can stretch the paper like you would watercolors or tape it down, but if you are using undiluted paints, it would be better to use a stronger (heavier) paper anyway.

You can also cover lighter paper with acrylic medium or a light coat of plaster, which will make it absorb less paint. However, buckling and curling could still occur.

Considerations

Decent watercolor paper can be a lot more expensive than paper made for acrylic, so shop around. You may also find that you want to take the guesswork out of how it will turn out and just use the paper made for the backing, to begin with, if the finished part will matter. It is best to save papers that contain wood pulp for practice.

If you're in the mood to experiment, test your techniques on an additional sheet of paper before starting the job, using the paint thinning and application weight you plan to use on your final piece. This will give you an idea of ​​whether your paper will warp and whether it will lie flat after drying.

If it is deformed

Buckling occurs when the paper dries at uneven speeds in different parts of the paint. To try to flatten a distorted painting, place its image side down on a clean surface. Spray the back with distilled water (be careful not enough dipping the paper to reach the water-soluble paint on the other side) to dry evenly. Couvrez-le avec une serviette, une serviette en papier, du carton, un morceau de verre ou une seule feuille de papier ciré (évitez les coutures) et alourdissez-le avec des objets lourds tels que des livres au moins pendant la nuit sinon pour day. Again, you should probably test the method before trying it on a major part.

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