Stretching watercolour paper onto a board prior to a watercolour painting session is a practice that helps to keep your paper flat once the painting is dry. Paper stretching is a process of intentionally saturating the paper with water so that it expands fully, and then taping it to a board so that as the water evaporates again, the sheet is held taut against the board. If you do not prepare your watercolour paper in this way, it can become wavy once it is fully dry, an effect usually called buckling or cockling. This is caused by an uneven wetting of the paper as watercolour paint is applied to it during the painting process. Where the paper is wet it will expand to soak the water up and then contract as it dries, but as this happens as differing rates across the paper the buckling effect occurs, causing this irregularity.

This film shows you how to stretch watercolour paper successfully, guaranteeing a flat watercolour painting that allows you an unhindered appreciation of the painting itself every time.

0:16 Introduction
0:17 Why You Should Stretch Your Watercolour Paper
1:02 What You Need To Stretch Watercolour Paper
2:28 Before You Stretch Your Paper
2:56 Soaking The Paper
3:50 Placing The Soaked Paper On The Board
4:30 How To Apply Gumstrip To The Edges Of Your Paper
7:33 Painting On Stretched Watercolour Paper
8:19 How To Remove Your Paper From The Board
9:22 Removing Used Gumstrip From The Board
10:00 Summary
10:37 Credits

Please note: If you are using a wood-based board to tape onto, it's best to seal it first; say with polyurethane varnish. This will stop the wet paper drawing lignin from the unsealed wood. Although unlikely, lignin can leave a visible stain on the paper and would in any case negate the use of acid-free paper, but this depends on how long you might leave the paper on the board, and how long it takes for all the moisture to evaporate.

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