Watercolour Paper Weights
Watercolour paper comes in various weights. The weight of paper used should be carefully considered because different weights will behave differently with the amount of water applied to the sheet. Also the surface of the paper is affected by the weight. The heavier the paper the more pronounced the texture.
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150g/m² | The lightest weight of watercolour paper available from St Cuthberts Mill. Often used for sketching or dry brushwork where little water is used. Soaking and stretching is strongly recommended if an amount of water is intended to be used. This weight is only available in Bockingford watercolour paper. |
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190g/m² | 190g/m² - A light paper, which offers artists a cheaper alternative to 300g/m². As with the 150g/m² sheet it is suitable for dry brushwork where little water is used. Soaking and stretching is strongly recommended if an amount of water is intended to be used. |
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300g/m² | The most commonly used paper weight. It is both versatile and suitable for all types of watercolour. If wet in wet techniques are used soaking and stretching is recommended, however dry brushwork should be fine. |
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425g/m² | A medium heavy weight paper. Popular because soaking and stretching should not be required when using this weight, unless heavy amounts of water are used. |
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535g/m² | This weight is only available in Bockingford watercolour paper, and is the heaviest weight in the Bockingford series of paper. Suitable for heavy washes. Soaking and stretching is not required. |
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638g/m² | This weight is only available in Saunders Waterford watercolour paper, and is the heaviest in the Saunders Waterford series of paper. A very heavy paper favoured by many professional artists due to its stability when applying heavy washes. Soaking and stretching is not required. |
Metric vs Imperial measurments
Watercolour papers are weighed in g/m² (gsm) or lbs. It is rather confusing to most people because the g/m² and lbs weights do not correspond to each other. The simplest way to refer to paperweights is using the g/m² method, as it is measuring the grams per square metre. The lbs method is measuring the weight of a ream of paper (usually 500 sheets) in a given size (normally in imperial size which is 560 x 760mm - 22" x 30"). This means if the paper size changes to say half imperial, the lb weight will also change for a sheet that is exactly the same thickness.
Watercolour Paper Information
| What is mould made paper? | Different surfaces |
| Soaking and stretching techniques |
St Cuthberts Mill page
Watercolour paper page Bockingford watercolour paper page Saunders Waterford watercolour paper page St Cuthberts Mill Award