Jacksons Handmade Eco Paper

Last updated: May 30, 2014
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Jackson’s Handmade Eco Paper

Jackson’s Eco Cotton Watercolour Paper has been described as “gorgeous”, “soft, so not well suited to masking fluid removal” and “absorbent and suitable for use by confident painters to create stunning effects”.

Eco Paper in Sheets
Available in 140lb, 200lb, 560lb paper weights.
Available in Smooth/Medium, Medium/Rough and Extra Rough paper textures.
Eco Paper in Blocks (glues on 4 sides)
In Smooth/Medium texture only. Available in three sizes.

Jacksons Eco Paper Medium 140lb Eco Block 12 x 16 inches 20 sheets

The soft Eco paper is not well suited to masking fluid removal and has been described as absorbant and suitable for use by confident painters to create stunning effects. “Excellent flow!”

Customer review:
“I have for the first time tried Jackson’s Eco Handmade paper. As a semi-professional watercolour painter I have, over the years, used Arches, Bockingford, Fabriano, Whatman and Saunders among others. I prefer Saunders for it’s good balance of sizing and sturdy strength, but am always openminded. Initial feedback is mixed. It is totally impossible to erase even the lightest of pencil lines in the softest of pencils without ripping up the surface of the paper, which seems exceptionally loose. I resorted to scraping the paper surface flat again with a razorblade. Clearly any attempt to use resist media would be a disaster.The paper is very absorbent, and it isn’t possible to blot off wet washes, let alone lift off dried pigment. This makes it extremely demanding to work with and it is certainly not for the nervous or the novice. On the other hand, it forces the painter to work with boldness and an acceptance of “mistakes” as serendipitous parts of the painting, which is an excellent discipline. On the plus side, the texture lends itself to wonderful effects using wet washes, while the absorbency allows rapid working and working close in to wet areas. Unlike some absorbent papers (like Whatman especially), there is no “bleeding” of pigment applied wet into the adjacent dry paper, and pigments retain their full luminosity. This means it responds well both to loose, expressionistic wet-in wet effects, and to rapid impressionistic work with a large brush and a lot of reserved white. The white is, indeed, very white, and the surface of the smooth/medium is good for very precise brushwork too. I’m not sure it will seduce me away from the reliable qualities of Saunders but it is certainly the most interesting paper I have tried and I feel offers the confident painter the opportunity to create some really stunning effects. It would be particularly interesting for flower painting.”

Click on the underlined link to go to the current offer on Jackson’s Eco Cotton Watercolour Paper on the Jackson’s Art Supplies website.
Postage on orders shipped standard to mainland UK addresses is free for orders of £39 or more.

Julie Caves is a long-standing contributor to Jackson’s Art Blog and previously served as its Editor for ten years. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of art materials, she writes in-depth articles, particularly about oil and acrylic painting, bringing an extensive research background to each piece. Julie studied journalism in California, fine art at the University of Texas at Austin, and completed both an MA at Camberwell College of Art and the Turps Studio Painting Programme in London. She exhibits her work regularly and continues to write part-time for the blog.

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9 thoughts on “Jacksons Handmade Eco Paper”

  1. Michael Bennett

    If the paper is Khardi or like Khardi, it is gorgeous. Hurray for larger sheets! Another lovely eco paper is Esparto – that even my framer made a comment about!

    1. Hi Michael. It is similar to Khadi paper. It is handmade and rag cotton made in India. Both types are very popular at Jackson’s.

  2. Can you confirm why this is called Eco paper (am a new artist). Is it ecologically produced and if so, where can I find out more about how it is produced? Thanks.

    1. Hi Alison
      Jackson’s Eco Watercolour Paper is handmade in India from recycled cotton rags, individually set into the moulds and then dried slowly in the sun. The water used in the production is then run off to irrigate the field neighbouring the factory.
      You can read more on our blog: http://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/?s=%22eco+paper%22

    1. Hi Ekun
      It is a nice weight to apply gesso to for oil painting.
      Paper that isn’t primed is not a good idea for oil painting because the drying oils in oil paint (linseed, safflower, walnut and poppy oils) will rot the paper away. Paper without priming will also soak up the oil and it will appear as a brown ring around the colour and this oily ring is usually unwanted by the artist. The oil being drawn form the paint also means there is now not enough binder in the colour and it may flake off the surface.
      So – no, this paper should not be used plain for oil painting but it can be easily painted with a primer first and then would be good for oil painting.

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