New Arches paper for Oil allows you to paint on paper without priming it first. It is available in sheets, pads, or on a roll.
We have tried it and it’s really nice!
a recent customer question answered about this paper here.
Arches paper for Oil – Sample made using Sennelier Alizarin Blue Lake oil colour, Jackson’s Procryl brush and Zest-it clear oil painting medium
The new Arches Huile paper looks and feels like traditional Arches Aquarelle paper but has a high-tech oil barrier that allows you to paint with oil colour and solvents. The solvents absorb evenly while allowing the paint to sit on the surface. Arches Oil Paper has a tough surface that can take scrubbing with stiff bristle brushes, as well as lifting out highlights with solvents and a rag.
This paper is ready to use without preparation, can be cut or torn to size and is flexible like watercolour paper so can be rolled when the painting is dry. It is a lightweight alternative to a canvas surface and is great for oil sketches.
*Mould-made
*300gsm (140lb)
*100% rag (cotton)
*Neutral pH, acid free
*Watermarked
*4 deckle edges
*Imperial size 22×30 inches (76x56cm)
*Not surface texture (cold pressed)
*Safe to use with oil colour without priming the paper
*Can be used safely with acrylic and watercolour paint as well.
Arches paper for Oil – close-up picture of the Not (cold pressed) texture
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What happens if you use oil paint on unprimed regular paper:
1. Oil oxidises the paper and will cause it to deteriorate over time- it is a conservation issue.
2. Oil soaks in and leaves a ring of ugly oil around the paint, like crisps do on a napkin. (painters who like their oil paint dry will sometimes squeeze paint out onto a kitchen roll (paper towel) and leave it to soak off some of the oil)
3. It soaks deeply in the paper fibres and becomes dull as much of the oil and colour is now under the surface.
4. Oil soaked off can leave the pigment under-bound so it may flake off later.
So- you can prime regular paper (on both sides so that it lies flat again, after curling with the damp) 2 or 3 coats. Or you can use this lovely new Arches for Oil paper!
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Sample painted on Arches paper for Oil shows the oil paint smoothly applied with medium, dry brushed to leave some paper sparkle and thickly applied for impasto texture. The highlight was able to be lifted out with solvent.
Click on the links or images above to go to the paper on the Jackson’s website.
It looks like it gives the paint a really nice texture on application. It sounds like it’s quite versatile with the types of paint you can use on it as well?
Yes, it can be used with all types of paints.
brilliant I have been waiting for years for someone to produce an oil paper that does’nt have a silly fake canvas texture!
I hope it proves popular so that they might extend the range to include a Hot press choice, also would be very useful to me if they released a block equivalent like thier famous Aquarelle blocks.
Roll on payday, can’t wait to give it a try! 🙂
Yes, a hot press surface would be great. I do hope it proves popular enough to extend the range 🙂
Yes, please, hot press! I’ll be the first one to buy a roll! I love this paper, but smoother surface would work better for my purposes.
I will let them know what you are looking for. I agree as well!
With water based paints including water mixable oil and traditional water colour, will the paper buckle in the same way as 140lb watercolour paper buckles?
Hi Brendan. It doesn’t seem to buckle very much with my small sample, anyway. But it repels water, the water beads up on the surface. Water mixable oil works better than watercolour. If you keep wetting it on both sides it does start to absorb water.
Hi Brendan. The paper acts a bit waterproof. Water beads up on it. So it doesn’t buckle much. The paper seems to like solvents best. Post on the blog.
Can you use both sides of the Arches oil paper? I painted on one side and I was not prepared for the quick absorption. Can I use the other side now? Is there one side of the paper that is preferable to the other?
Thanks
Hi Lynne
I spoke to the supplier and they say you can paint on either side of the paper, both are primed.
I didn’t find the paper super-absorbent when I used it so perhaps it is more suitable for some techniques than others. I used a more fat method – I used a buttery oil colour straight from the tube and also mixed with Zest-it oil medium. I didn’t make it lean with solvent. Could that be the difference?
I will be using Winsor and Newton water mixable oil paints on the arches oil paper. Which is the painting side,how can I tell ? And does it let you remove layers of paint with zest it or use medium that go with the water mixable oils ? Also what’s the best support for holding the paper in place when painting ?
Thanks
Hi Kim
I checked with our supplier and he said:
“The Arches for Oil is suitable for painting on both sides. However, since it is watermarked, I would personally prefer to see a picture where the watermark read the right way round.”
About the Zest-it he said:
“I would probably need to have a full chemical breakdown in order to be able to ask the mill technical department if they would expect any adverse effect.”
I did a test when we first got the paper and I think I did some lifting out for highlights and it seemed to work fine. Zest-it should work the same as any other solvent.
As far as holding it in place – I would either tape the corners with masking tape to a drawing board or use drawing board clips and then use that board on your easel or table.
I hope this has helped.
[…] with oil on paper with the top three paintings pictured below. I did like painting on the paper Arches paper for Oil and will definitely use it again. A few of the works from this series will be on exhibition on the […]
How is the framing handled for this paper? Is it framed w/glass & mat? You would have to back it w/a heavier material if you frame w/traditional oil techniques without glass & mat. If you use heavy paint, does it crack & buckle?
Hi Betty
Using oil on a flexible surface is not as stable as on a rigid surface. So when painting on paper keeping it a thin sketch would be best.
If it is a finished work and not a sketch, you may want to frame it and then, yes, behind glass would probably be best.
When using glass a mat/mount is used to keep the glass raised up off the work.
I adore this paper and would be lost without it! I painted my ‘Obscure Poet ‘
Portrait on it. Do you know if Arches have any plans to bring out a hot pressed
version yet?
Hi Donna
Great to hear!
It doesn’t look like they are thinking about a HP, I’m afraid.
I will keep checking.
Not a comment but a question: I have
a 4′ square oil painting on this
paper and want to transport it before
framing it. If I roll it will the
paint crust off? It is not thick or
impasto. I appreciate your input.
Hi Judy,
It is always better to transport paintings flat if possible. If you need to roll it I would suggest doing so on a wide cardboard tube so you don’t need to roll it too tightly, with the painting on the outside of the roll (and then wrap with something so there isn’t a chance of any marks adhering to the painting). But really, securing it flat between 2 boards will always be the best way!
Thanks
Lisa
Is this paper suitable for polymer acrylics?
Hi Alex
Sure you could use acrylics on this paper, but you could use polymer acrylics on regular watercolour paper too.
Many thanks
Lisa
1. I cut 26” squares from a roll of arches oil
paper. Presently they buckle on a flat
board. How do I get the paper to lay flat?
2. Any specific
recommendations/information about what
masking tape (or 3M painting tapes) adhere
adequately to the oil paper to tape them to
a board while painting? Thanks.
Hi Thomas
I am doing some tests on oil painting paper at the moment. There will be a blog post in a few weeks.
Many artists like this tape for attaching paper to a board: https://www.jacksonsart.com/handover-yellow-low-tack-lining-tape-1-25mm-x-40-metres/
One way to flatten curved or buckled paper is to mist it with water and lay a second board on top with a few heavy objects on top to press it flat – it should dry flat. With the heavy sizing of the oil papers I’m not sure how much they are affected by water, though, so it might not work for them. Please let me know your results if you try it.
If you paint with gesso or acrylic paint on the back of a watercolor
painting- it does a lot to flatten the paper out.
Thanks Kristi, that’s a good tip!
Hi Julie,
For a finished work to be framed under glass
would it make sense to use varnish with oil
paper?
Hi Tim
There are 4 reasons to varnish an oil painting.
1. Protection from being scratched especially if the paint was lean because of a lot of turps.
2. To even out or change the surface sheen.
3. To create a barrier that can become dirty with pollution or soot instead of the painting and it can then be removed and reapplied later with less damage to the painting.
4. After the paint has dried all the way through, you varnish to seal the paint to stop it from absorbing any more oxygen and becoming brittle. You want the oil in the paint to absorb enough oxygen, but no more. A final varnish after the painting is dry enough, is an anti-aging treatment.
So although framing behind glass will protect it from scratches and dirt, and you may not want to alter the sheen, for the last reason, you may still want to give it a sealant coat.
I hope that helps.
Hi Julie,
If we do varnish this paper, is that
varnish removable (assuming the
work lasts that long and needs to be
updated?). I’ve found that the layers
have dried quite quickly because
they’re thinner. Is waiting three weeks
enough time to wait before
varnishing? Thank you!
Hi Meghan
Varnish being removable doesn’t depend on the surface, it depends on the varnish.
Choose a removable varnish. The bottle will say what product will dissolve it.
If you are preparing it for some future conservator then write the type of varnish on the back so they can remove it then.
Most oil paintings use very thin layers, that is best practice for not cracking. They still take months to dry, it is a slow process. While it may feel touch dry it is still absorbing oxygen to finish hardening. If you wish to varnish early I’d recommend a retouching varnish, which is breathable so the oxygen can continue to be absorbed.
Can I airbrush on this paper?
Hi Howard,
Yes you can, but is your airbrush ink acrylic or oil based? If it’s acrylic or waterbased then you may as well use regular Arches watercolour paper, there is no need to buy the paper specially sized for oil painting.
Many thanks
Lisa
[…] Arches Oil Painting Paper […]
Lots of great information! I got everything I
was looking for about oils on paper.
If I want a watercolor background (or
watercolor sketch) and a detailed oil
painting on top (the subject), do I need
to use any specific primers over the
watercolor background before using
oils?
Comments mentioned that the paper
repels water, how do you go about
getting the paper to accept a watercolor
wash with color blooms? – (this
watercolor technique was my intention
for the background layer.)
Thank you!
Hi Elyse
My first inclination would be to recommend doing the watercolour on watercolour paper. Then sealing it with an acrylic medium like Polymer Medium or soft gel, so that the paper is sealed from the oil. Wait a day or two for it to dry completely and paint the oil painting.
Hello Julie,
Thanks for your brilliant blogs. I’m thinking of splurging on either
an Arches or a Fabriano Oil Painting Roll, which can free me up,
be less ‘precious’ getting started on new work. Do you see any
specific differences between the two products – they seem pretty
similar. I also may do some acrylic work. I know you say a water
base might not be appropriate for these surfaces, but I work
fairly impasto with acrylic and sometimes use as a base for oil
paint.
I like the idea of a roll and the ease of use, but am I going to hit
problems [ wetting etc ]. I suppose I’m also trying to minimise
costs by starting with one roll. I currently work on gessoed
board.
Hi Michael
Thank you, I’m glad you found the article helpful!
Yes, they are similar in weight, but they do have a different surface texture. Each of the oil papers has a different feel to it, a different absorption.
You can see the visual difference in the top photo of this more recent article Everything You Need to Know About Oil Painting Paper. Find the Not texture in the middle, that’s Arches. Then the Tela is the next down.
But you won’t know which you like better until you try them. So maybe get a small pad of each and try them out before you invest in the roll. It will also let you test how much water they can take without needing to be taped down.
Arches Huile
Fabriano Tela