Terms of UseHow to Stretch Watercolor Paper Explore this Article methods 1 Soaking the Paper 2 Attaching the Paper to a Board 3 Using a Canvas Stretcher Other Sections Questions & Answers Things You'll Need Related Articles References Co-authored by Antoine de Villiers
Last Updated: March 27, 2023
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This article was co-authored by Antoine de Villiers. Antoine de Villiers is an Artist and the Founder of Antoine Art Studio LLC based in Savannah, GA. Antoine has over 25 years of experience, specializing in oil painting, graphite & charcoal drawing. She has had over 70 exhibitions around the globe and her work has received numerous awards including Best Figurative Artist by The Richmond Art Museum, Indiana (USA), Best Solo Artist by Eric Smith at the New York Art Expo, and first place in Figurative Painting by Pamela Jean Tinnen from Artrepreneur. She earned her Web Design Diploma from Boston Business College and studied Indian Art, Visual Art, and Modern Art at the University of Oxford, Department of Continuing Education. This article has been viewed 19,150 times.
Stretching your watercolor paper is an important step because it keeps the paper from wrinkling when you paint. The first step in paper stretching is soaking the paper. Then you can staple or glue the paper to a board. Alternatively, you can use a canvas stretcher to stretch out the paper.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Soaking the Paper
1 Wash your hands first. Washing your hands reduces the oils that you transfer to the paper. Scrub your hands in warm water with soap for about 20 seconds before rinsing.
2 Submerge the paper in cool water. Fill a clean bathtub or plastic tub with about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of water. You need enough water so that the paper is able to float and be submerged in the water. Lay the paper in the water, and then dunk it under.
Cool water helps the paper keep its sizing. Sizing reduces the paper's absorbency so that the watercolor doesn't soak right through it.
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3 Let the paper soak in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. Check on the paper periodically to see if it's soaked enough. Check the paper by bending one corner down a bit. If it stays in that position, it's soaked enough. If it doesn't, it needs more time. If it flops down onto itself, it's been soaked too long.[1]XResearch source
If it's too wet, you can still stretch it, but the paper may absorb more paint when you're working than you'd like.
4 Shake the extra water off. Pull the paper out of the tub by grasping 2 corners. Let it hang over the tub to drain off excess water. You can give it a shake or 2 to help it release the water.[2]XResearch source Advertisement
Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Attaching the Paper to a Board
1 Lay the paper flat on the board. The kind of board you use is up to you. You can use foam core, for instance. It should be a little larger than the paper you're stretching. You can also use sealed plywood or a traditional wood drawing board.
2 Stretch and smooth the paper out. Use your hands to smooth the paper out. As you do, gently stretch it out. You don't have to pick it up to stretch it out. Just move your hands outward from the middle, expanding the paper slightly.
Also take this time to smooth out extra water.
3 Staple the paper to the board as one option. Open a stapler all the way. Place staples about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in from the edge. Space the staples about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) away from each other, and go all around the paper.
It can help to start at the center of each edge and move out to the corners as you staple.
4 Use butcher's tape as an alternative. If you prefer, you can use butcher's tape instead of staples. Moisten the glue on the tape with a sponge. Lay it over the edge of the paper, glue side down. Smooth it out with your hands, pressing it down. Blot up any excess water, and move on to the other sides. Fully tape down all four sides.
Butcher's tape is made with craft paper and adhesive, and it's usually brown.
5 Dry the paper flat and then cut it off. Lay the board out flat so the paper can dry. It may take a day or so to dry. Once it is dry, you can cut the paper off on the inner edge of the tape using a craft knife. Remove the tape for the next time you want to use the board. For the staples, use a staple-pulling tool, and then cut around the edges to make a smooth edge. Advertisement
Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Using a Canvas Stretcher
1 Lay the paper flat on a towel. Take the paper out of the tub, and smooth it out flat over a towel. Blot off excess water with another towel, so you don't end up soaking the canvas stretcher.
A canvas stretcher is a simple wood frame in a rectangular or square shape. You staple canvas or paper around it to stretch it out. It should be slightly smaller than the paper you want to stretch. You can find them at arts and crafts stores.
2 Place the canvas stretcher on top of the paper. Place the stretcher bar on top of the paper on a flat surface like a table.[3]X Expert Source Antoine de VilliersArtistExpert Interview Set the frame on the paper so that it's fairly centered. You should have enough paper that it will come up around the edges of the frame.
3 Staple along the top edge. Fold the paper over the top edge, and place staples along it where you've folded it over.[4]X Expert Source Antoine de VilliersArtistExpert Interview Add a staple every 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) along the top, leaving about 2 inches (5.1 cm) at the corners.
4 Continue around each side. Start with one side, and fold the paper down. Staple down the edge, still leaving about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) between staples. At the corner between the top and the bottom, fold the corner to a triangle, and fold it over the other edge. Staple it down.[5]X Expert Source Antoine de VilliersArtistExpert Interview Finish all the sides in the same way.
As you are turning, make sure you are stretching it flat. Some people prefer to do opposite sides first, such as the top and then the bottom. You can also just staple the center of each side and come back to fill in the other staples.
5 Let the paper dry. Leave the paper out to dry for several hours. With this method, you don't have to let the paper dry flat. You can prop up the frames for the best airflow.
6 Pull out the staples and cut the paper. Use a staple remover to take out the staples. Pull the paper off the frame, and cut it at the fold. The paper is ready to be used for painting. Advertisement
Community Q&A
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Question I have a limited availability of some hot press (140 lb) paper - high quality and expensive. Does it need to be stretched? Sylghouls Top Answerer If the paper is heavyweight and high-quality and you don't intend to use large washes, then you don't have to stretch the paper (though stretching it anyway will give you more freedom to use more water at your discretion). Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3
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Things You'll Need
Watercolor paper
Water
A tub for soaking paper
Sealed plywood, glazed artist board, or foam core
Butcher's tape or staples
Craft knife
Canvas stretcher, optional
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Co-authored by: Antoine de Villiers Artist This article was co-authored by Antoine de Villiers. Antoine de Villiers is an Artist and the Founder of Antoine Art Studio LLC based in Savannah, GA. Antoine has over 25 years of experience, specializing in oil painting, graphite & charcoal drawing. She has had over 70 exhibitions around the globe and her work has received numerous awards including Best Figurative Artist by The Richmond Art Museum, Indiana (USA), Best Solo Artist by Eric Smith at the New York Art Expo, and first place in Figurative Painting by Pamela Jean Tinnen from Artrepreneur. She earned her Web Design Diploma from Boston Business College and studied Indian Art, Visual Art, and Modern Art at the University of Oxford, Department of Continuing Education. This article has been viewed 19,150 times. 2 votes - 100% Co-authors: 5Updated: March 27, 2023 Views: 19,150
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Co-authored by: Antoine de Villiers Artist This article was co-authored by Antoine de Villiers. Antoine de Villiers is an Artist and the Founder of Antoine Art Studio LLC based in Savannah, GA. Antoine has over 25 years of experience, specializing in oil painting, graphite & charcoal drawing. She has had over 70 exhibitions around the globe and her work has received numerous awards including Best Figurative Artist by The Richmond Art Museum, Indiana (USA), Best Solo Artist by Eric Smith at the New York Art Expo, and first place in Figurative Painting by Pamela Jean Tinnen from Artrepreneur. She earned her Web Design Diploma from Boston Business College and studied Indian Art, Visual Art, and Modern Art at the University of Oxford, Department of Continuing Education. This article has been viewed 19,150 times. 2 votes - 100% Co-authors: 5 Updated: March 27, 2023 Views: 19,150 
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624 
1 Wash your hands first. Washing your hands reduces the oils that you transfer to the paper. Scrub your hands in warm water with soap for about 20 seconds before rinsing. 
2 Submerge the paper in cool water. Fill a clean bathtub or plastic tub with about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of water. You need enough water so that the paper is able to float and be submerged in the water. Lay the paper in the water, and then dunk it under. 
3 Let the paper soak in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. Check on the paper periodically to see if it's soaked enough. Check the paper by bending one corner down a bit. If it stays in that position, it's soaked enough. If it doesn't, it needs more time. If it flops down onto itself, it's been soaked too long.[1] 
4 Shake the extra water off. Pull the paper out of the tub by grasping 2 corners. Let it hang over the tub to drain off excess water. You can give it a shake or 2 to help it release the water.[2] Advertisement 
1 Lay the paper flat on the board. The kind of board you use is up to you. You can use foam core, for instance. It should be a little larger than the paper you're stretching. You can also use sealed plywood or a traditional wood drawing board. 
2 Stretch and smooth the paper out. Use your hands to smooth the paper out. As you do, gently stretch it out. You don't have to pick it up to stretch it out. Just move your hands outward from the middle, expanding the paper slightly. 
3 Staple the paper to the board as one option. Open a stapler all the way. Place staples about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in from the edge. Space the staples about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) away from each other, and go all around the paper. 
4 Use butcher's tape as an alternative. If you prefer, you can use butcher's tape instead of staples. Moisten the glue on the tape with a sponge. Lay it over the edge of the paper, glue side down. Smooth it out with your hands, pressing it down. Blot up any excess water, and move on to the other sides. Fully tape down all four sides. 
5 Dry the paper flat and then cut it off. Lay the board out flat so the paper can dry. It may take a day or so to dry. Once it is dry, you can cut the paper off on the inner edge of the tape using a craft knife. Remove the tape for the next time you want to use the board. For the staples, use a staple-pulling tool, and then cut around the edges to make a smooth edge. Advertisement 
1 Lay the paper flat on a towel. Take the paper out of the tub, and smooth it out flat over a towel. Blot off excess water with another towel, so you don't end up soaking the canvas stretcher. 
2 Place the canvas stretcher on top of the paper. Place the stretcher bar on top of the paper on a flat surface like a table.[3] Set the frame on the paper so that it's fairly centered. You should have enough paper that it will come up around the edges of the frame. 
3 Staple along the top edge. Fold the paper over the top edge, and place staples along it where you've folded it over.[4] Add a staple every 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) along the top, leaving about 2 inches (5.1 cm) at the corners. 
4 Continue around each side. Start with one side, and fold the paper down. Staple down the edge, still leaving about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) between staples. At the corner between the top and the bottom, fold the corner to a triangle, and fold it over the other edge. Staple it down.[5] Finish all the sides in the same way. 
5 Let the paper dry. Leave the paper out to dry for several hours. With this method, you don't have to let the paper dry flat. You can prop up the frames for the best airflow. 
6 Pull out the staples and cut the paper. Use a staple remover to take out the staples. Pull the paper off the frame, and cut it at the fold. The paper is ready to be used for painting. Advertisement 
Sylghouls Top Answerer If the paper is heavyweight and high-quality and you don't intend to use large washes, then you don't have to stretch the paper (though stretching it anyway will give you more freedom to use more water at your discretion). Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3