Color Water

what paper for water color paintings?

Does it matter what kind of paper you water color paint on? If so, what paper is the best to use and where could I get some? And what would be a good value water color paint set thats not too expensive?

D’Arches would be your best bet for watercolours. If you aren’t going to spend that much on your surface then go to an art store and buy a paper of a weight no less than 120 lbs.
The paper weight means that with one hundred sheets of that size the package weighs 120 lbs. Any thing lower than that weight is rather dicey for watercolours although I have worked a lot on 90 lbs paper it isn’t as good to stretch.
Be advised that you have two types of pressed papers to work with. A cold press is very rough on the surface, that is to say that it has a large tooth to the paper. A hot press is a very smooth paper. Further more, if you are buying in single sheets find the water mark before you do anything. The water mark is visible by holding the sheet up to a strong light and you can usually find it in the lower right hand corner. It will stand out lighter than the paper around it and you can see the name of the company or the company logo. If it looks backwards then you have the wrong side to paint on. The face of the sheet that you can see the watermark correctly is the proper side to work on. It takes the colour more readily than the backside and has been groomed for your paint. Always paint on the face of the sheet where the water mark is. If you are halving the sheet, then mark the proper face with a slight mark of a 2H pencil to show the proper face on the halved sheet that doesn’t have the watermark.
There are also watercolour pads that can be procured at stores like Staples. They are blocks of paper bound together on one pad by a strong rubber seal on all four sides and this assists in the drying of the paper. When you paint in water your paper will warp, and go into valleys and hills so to speak. If the paper is not stretched properly it will dry that way, but these pads will keep the paper taught so that when it does dry the paper will draw taught again flattening itself out.
One word of encouragement though.
Water colour is one of the most difficult mediums to master. It looks simple but simple aint easy. So to allay any frustrations I will give you the first and cardinal rule of watercolours.
” The first five-hundred watercolours you do? THEY DON’T COUNT”.
All the best to you.

Painting Water Color part 2.avi