Arches : Aquarelle
Arches Aquarelle watercolour paper is acid-free and chlorine-free, made of 100% cotton fibres which provide strength and stability. The paper is tub-sized in natural gelatine and air-dried. It can take scrubbing, scratching and erasing while keeping the original intensity of the watercolour. Arches Aquarelle uses no optical brighteners, so its natural white colour will not yellow with age. Excellent for watercolour, gouache, pen and ink, acrylic, and calligraphy.
Arches Aquarelle Paper: Popular Questions from Artists
Arches Aquarelle watercolour paper is a premium, traditionally crafted artist paper that offers exceptional quality for wet media techniques. The 100% cotton composition gives the paper natural, lasting whiteness, a beautiful texture, and remarkable strength and longevity.
Available in various formats, including sheets, rolls, pads, and blocks, Arches Aquarelle paper comes in multiple grammages ranging up to 850gsm for work requiring extreme wet techniques.
Arches Aquarelle Paper is ideal for watercolour painting and all wet techniques, including ink, gouache, and acrylic. The paper's gelatine sizing ensures that even when soaked for extended periods, it retains sufficient gelatine to prevent excessive absorption. This allows colours to remain vibrant on the surface without bleeding through or sinking too deep into the paper.
Artists can choose from a wide range of formats and weights to match their specific technique, making Arches Aquarelle paper suitable for everything from delicate washes to bold, heavily saturated applications.
What distinguishes Arches Aquarelle watercolour paper from other artist papers is its gelatine sizing process. As the only mill to gelatine size its watercolour paper ‘to the core,’ Arches ensures superior colour retention and workability. The 100% cotton content provides an inimitable touch, natural beauty, and archival quality.
The paper undergoes fungicidal treatment to prevent mould, contains an alkaline reserve, is acid-free, and uses no optical brightening agents. This makes Arches Aquarelle paper permanent in accordance with ISO 9706 standards. Due to this combination of traditional craftsmanship and technical excellence, Arches Aquarelle paper has been the choice of professional artists for generations.
Arches Aquarelle paper can be used on either side, though there are differences between them. To help you identify, look for the watermark along the edge. If the letters read correctly (not backwards), you are looking at the front.
Most artists use the side with the more pronounced texture (depending on what surface texture you have purchased), which is the watermarked side, but the choice ultimately depends on personal preference. The gelatine sizing to the core means both sides perform excellently for watercolour and other wet techniques.
