Arches Aquarelle: A Traditional Watercolour Paper

Since the company’s historic inception in 1492, Arches Aquarelle papers have consistently been a celebrated artists’ staple. Utilised by greats such as Dürer, Matisse, and Dali, to this day Arches Aquarelle cotton papers are of archival quality and consistently made, making them a very reliable choice for all those who work on paper. In this article, I will explore how they are manufactured, test some of the claims made about their properties, and show how they handle watercolours and other mediums, across a range of paper weights and textures.

Arches Aquarelle Gummed Watercolour Pad, 9 x 12 in, 300 gsm (140 lb), cold pressed

Arches Aquarelle: A Traditional Watercolour Paper

The Qualities of Arches Aquarelle Watercolour Paper

Arches Aquarelle watercolour papers are made of 100% cotton, giving them strength, an inviting texture, and natural whiteness. In cheaper papermaking processes, the sheets are bleached by optical brightening agents (OBAs), which in turn weaken the structure of the surface, and leave the paper susceptible to yellowing from UV exposure over time. Arches papers don’t have this weakness since they are acid-free and free from OBAs. They are also treated with fungicide to prevent the development of mould. This combination of processes and ingredients makes their sheets archival in quality.

The company asserts that it is the only paper mill in the world to size its paper with gelatin “to the core”. This ensures that the vibrancy of the colours applied is retained, whilst preventing them from bleeding through, and leaving them malleable on the surface without sinking too deep. The inclusion of gelatin does mean that these papers are not vegetarian/vegan friendly, since it is an animal by-product. Some other high quality paper companies also size their paper internally (when size is added to the pulp mixture before the paper has been processed) such as Fabriano with cellulose, making it a vegan alternative. Other companies may also, or instead, size their sheets externally (when size is applied to the finished sheet), but Arches, with its ratio of internal gelatin, does not need to be.

The company states that the paper has the strength to resist “erasing and scratching without tearing or linting, easily revealing the whiteness of the paper” which I have tested on all of the sheets in the lifting and sgraffito tests. I completely agree with this, despite rubbing and scratching into the pages firmly. I find this to be the greatest asset of the Arches Aquarelle papers, as it allows for freedom of correction.

The paper can absorb a large amount of water due to its cotton and gelatin formulation, with a minimal amount of warping. On the following sheets, I filled the paper up with five layers of water (soaking the paper through) mixed with watercolour paint, to see how long it would take before it warped.

Arches Aquarelle 300 gsm (140 lb), cold pressed

Arches Aquarelle 640 gsm (300 lb), hot pressed

Arches Aquarelle 850 gsm (400 lb), rough

In terms of stretching the paper, I’d find it unnecessary for the heavier weights since they are rigid enough that you don’t have to worry about warping from water unless you’d like the crisp edge that stretching paper can give a painting. The 300 gsm papers could be stretched with gummed tape very easily as a precaution, as explained here in this article.

How is the Paper Manufactured?

Arches Aquarelle papers are made on a cylinder mould, which is a process widely utilised by papermaking companies, such as Hahnemuehle, Fabriano, St Cuthberts Mill, and Daler Rowney to name just a few. As a process, it was designed to mimic some of the qualities of paper made by hand in a competitive volume, whilst still creating traditional features like the deckled edge. With the quality and simplicity of ingredients in Arches Aquarelle papers, the cylinder mould evenly distributes the cotton fibres, making the sheets uniform in finish. You will notice in some handmade papers, such as Khadi, that the fibres are less evenly distributed due to the difference in the pressure of the process. I can’t say whether their uniformity is preferable since it is completely down to personal preference in surface finish.

The Range of Arches Aquarelle Paper Weights and Textures

The Arches Aquarelle paper range comes in a variety of forms for all tastes in watercolour surfaces. The paper is available in gummed pads, blocks, sheets, or rolls, in a broad range of sizes, weights, and textures. Like most paper suppliers, these come in Hot Pressed, Cold Pressed, and Rough.

I applied four Jackson’s Artist’s Watercolours to my test sheets to see how the paint handled on the surface; Permanent Sap Green, Prussian Blue, Blue Violet, and Cadmium Yellow Light. I utilised a variety of watercolour techniques, which I repeated on all of my test papers, so you can visually compare the effect the surface itself has on the finish. From left to right, the tests are flat wash, gradient wash, layering wet on dry paint, layering wet on wet paper, pulling from a line of paint, blooming, dry brushing, lifting while wet, lifting while dry, and sgraffito.

Tests on Arches Aquarelle 300 gsm (140 lb), hot pressed

Tests on Arches Aquarelle 640 gsm (300 lb), cold pressed

Tests on Arches Aquarelle 850 gsm (400 lb), rough

Block Pads

The block pads come in a range of sizes, with the smallest at 4 x 10 in and the largest at 24 x 18 in, which come in either 300 or 640 gsm, each with 20 sheets. I tested a pad in the middle of the range which is 9 x 12 in, Cold Pressed, with 300 gsm paper. Some watercolour pads come with the paper gummed around the entire rim of the sheets that you have to peel off, but the Arches sheets are just attached at the top. I find this easier to work with since you don’t have to worry about accidentally tearing the surface. Of all my tests, being in a pad format makes this the easiest to transport or use on the go. For a Cold Pressed paper the finish is still fairly smooth to the eye but has some tooth on touch.

Tests on Arches Aquarelle Gummed Watercolour Block Pad, 9 x 12 in, 300 gsm (140 lb), cold pressed

To compare my tests I found that the vibrancy of my colours was the lightest on this paper since I think it sunk further into the surface when dry. I prefer the results on this paper for blooming and sgraffito since I think the colours flowed together more easily on a slightly smoother surface, and similarly, the reduced texture allowed me to scrape white areas away very easily.

Tests on Arches Aquarelle Gummed Watercolour Block Pad, 9 x 12 in, 300 gsm (140 lb), cold pressed

Sheets

Individual sheets of Aquarelle watercolour paper are also available, which at full size are 22 x 30 in. You can buy these individually at full size, cut in half, quartered, or in packs of 5, 10, or 20 sheets. They come in the same weights and textures as the gummed pads, with the addition of much heavier 850 gsm sheets. Unlike the gummed pads, each of these full-size sheets has a watermark impressed into the paper, with the company name, and an infinity symbol which signifies their archival quality.

Watercolour papers are given watermarks to authenticate them, although if you buy a pack of cut sheets, only one out of every four quarters will have the watermark. This is something to be aware of if you’re hoping to have a completely flawless surface to work on without any distractions on the surface. That being said, the impression is stronger on one side than the other, so you can choose to disguise it more if you wish. Personally, I think having the paper quality visible signifies to collectors that you are selective about the quality of your surfaces, and reassures longevity.

Since the sheets I’m testing out are from a single sheet quartered, they have a deckled edge on two sides, and a sharp machine-cut edge on the other two. I’m not so keen on this irregularity and would prefer to have a deckled edge the whole way around, so would probably prefer working with whole sheets. If you prefer sharp edges, these could be easily cropped.

Arches Aquarelle 640 gsm (300 lb), cold pressed

Testing the Arches Aquarelle Sheets

I tested the sheets in their three available weights, with differing textures, on individual quartered sheets. They are 300 gsm Hot Pressed, 640 gsm Cold Pressed, 640 gsm Hot Pressed, and 850 gsm Rough. The differences were most noticeable in the feeling of applying the paint, and appear visually more clearly on some tests than others. Hopefully, this allows you to select which paper you prefer based on the finish of your preferred techniques.

The 300 gsm and 640 gsm Hot Pressed Papers are both sturdy sheets with some flexibility, smooth without being slick, and pick up fine details in brushmark without diffusion into a deeper texture. These are also very well suited to use with graphite, pen, or coloured pencils due to their regularity. Even at the lowest weight of 300 gsm and high smoothness, this paper resisted warping for the most part and allowed for manipulation on the surface. Both of these Hot Pressed Papers would be easy to crop through tearing after using a bone folder. The 300 gsm paper, similar to that in the gummed pad, has the dullest colour payoff of all these sheets.

Arches Aquarelle 300 gsm (140 lb), hot pressed

The 640 gsm Cold Pressed paper is much heavier, feeling already at this weight like a sheet of card. Out of all the sheets I most enjoyed using this texture, giving a medium level of tooth, feeling that the paper was absorbing just the right amount of product for payoff, whilst leaving plenty on the surface to move around before drying down. The paper was completely resistant to warping, and I feel that the colour appears deeper and more satisfying than on the Hot Pressed sheets. This paper would be difficult to fold and tear even with a bone folder due to its rigidity, so would need to be cut. I think this paper would be my favoured choice for mixed media since the tooth and strength of the paper would allow for all kinds of media to shine. Here I have tested it with pencils, pastels, and inks.

Tests on Arches Aquarelle 640 gsm (300 lb), hot pressed

Tests on Arches Aquarelle 640 gsm (300 lb), cold pressed

The 850 gsm Rough paper was exciting to try as something I wouldn’t naturally gravitate towards. Despite the ‘Rough’ label, I didn’t find the texture to be much Rougher than the Cold Pressed Sheets. On closer look, I think the main difference between them is the density of the texture, with the Rough sheet appearing with wider spaces between fibres, as opposed to a closeness in the Cold Pressed sheets. This paper is of course very heavy and feels like a sheet of card, but still retains the lovely cottony touch. You could paint on this sheet with no support to lean on. I found that I needed the most product on my brush to paint on this sheet since it was more quickly being caught by the paper. Despite this, the product remained bright and malleable on the surface, and I was still able to do all of my manipulating of the paint tests to great effect. I found the finish of the colours to be the strongest on this sheet. To cut this sheet you would definitely need a craft knife and ruler, or a guillotine. This paper is best suited for water-based media, or pastels. I think it could be too Rough for pencils to appear at their best, but is not too dissimilar to a high quality pastel board.

Tests on Arches Aquarelle 850 gsm (400 lb), rough

The well-renowned reputation of high quality and reliability in Arches is completely justified in their classic range of Aquarelle papers. The texture and handling of media on their cotton papers make them a joy to use. For me, I am often frustrated by papers that pill and lint, and I did not have this problem with Arches whatsoever. I suspect that since they are at a higher price point than some other papers on the market some artists may have been discouraged from trying these out. I would recommend trying a single sheet first, since once it’s cut into quarters it’s a lot more surface to work with than you’d initially feel. Longevity in our work is incredibly important, and it’s very reassuring that Arches can help preserve your paintings for generations to come.

Further Reading

How is Paper Made?

Art Paper Sizes and Formats

A Guide to Masking Fluid

Art Terms Explained: Watercolour Painting

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