Never Throw Away Watercolor Paper

Do this instead!

Do you have lots and lots of leftover scraps of watercolor paper? Maybe they have paintings that you are no longer happy with, or test sheets, or color studies, or other stuff that is no longer useful.  You know they have no value, but you just can't bring yourself to throw them away.  Actually, it's a good thing!

It's a good idea to NEVER throw away a piece of watercolor paper - even used ones. The reason is that they can find new life and new use with a simple process of renewal.

The renewal is especially useful if, like me, you paint in other water-based mediums; acrylic casein, or gouache. If you're not currently working in other media,  here's one good reason to start.

The method covered in this article renews the surface of used watercolor paper for any of the water-based media listed above. Read and follow along or scroll to the bottom to find a short tutorial video on the process instead.

What You'll Need

Materials To Tone Paper

Only three things are needed : Watercolor ground, an inexpensive utility brush, and Yellow Ochre casein for toning the paper

The process of renewing used watercolor paper is simple and easy enough but there are a few steps and a few supplies needed.

In essence, renewing used paper is a matter of coating the surface with a 'ground' that makes it usuable again. Since I want the option of being able to work on the surface with watercolor, I use a watercolor ground as the resurfacing agent. If you intend on painting over old paper with acrylic paint, you could use acrylic gesson instead.

Recommended Products

Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground - This ground has a thick, but brushable consistency and is easily applied with a brush. Softer brushes create a smoother finish, bristle brushes create a bit more texture. It is advertised to be more absorbent than paper when used with watercolor (I don't find that to be the case). for those mediums as well. Watercolor ground comes in white and and three tinted versions. I use the white version since I may paint over the re-surfaced papers with traditional watercolor. 

Blick Acrylic Gesso - Use this only if you intend on working with acrylic paint over the finished surface. Like the watercolor ground, a soft brush creates a smoother surface while a bristle brush creates more texture.

Richeson Yellow Ochre Casein - Optional. This can be used to tone the surface in preparation for painting with gouache, casein or acrylic.

An Inexpensive Utility Brush 2" or 3" wide - any inexpensive utility brush can be used to apply the ground or gesso.

Sorting The Paper

Sort The Paper

Sort the paper by weight/thickness. Gouache and casein both need thicker, sturdier surfaces.

There is one step to take before applying the ground to the used paper. That is sorting

the paper by weight. What that really means is sorting by thickness. This is important because two of the mediums you might use on the renewed paper are casein and gouache. Both have the potential for cracking on surfaces that are flexible.

It's likely that most of your used watercolor paper is 140 pound cold pressed. It's the most popular surface and it's the most popular weight. It's a fairly thick paper and it's really good for watercolor and acrylic. It's not great for casein or gouache unless it is supported. 

If you happen to have some used sheets of heavier weight/thicker paper - like 300lb watercolor paper, it is ideal for casein and gouache. It's a very thick paper, very solid surface, and it works well for those two mediums in particular.

So, be sure to sort your papers again by weight/thickness before applying the ground. Doing so at this stage gets them organized and will allow you to store the finished papers in a way that makes it easy to find the right paper for the medium you are using.

Applying The Ground

Apply The Ground

Thin coats are best. A soft brush leaves a smoother surface. A bristle brush leaves more texture.

Both thicknesses will be treated the same way, by applying the chosen ground - watercolor ground or acrylic gesso.  I prefer to use watercolor ground on all of the papers. Since it works with all watermedia, it means the renewed sheets are versatile.

Lay out the individual sheets - it's a good idea to place old cardboard or dropcloth under neath.  Using an inexpensive utility brush, apply the watercolor ground - adding a little water on the brush makes the ground a little easier to spread. Depending on what is painted on the underlying paper, some of the underlying paint may show through. You can let is show, in essence creating a toned surface in one step.

Let each layer dry completely. You may notice that the sheets curl a little bit - especially the lighter weight.

If you prefer a consistent white surface, continue to add layers to get that surface looking the way you want it to - completely white or perhaps a little bit transparent.

Cover the backs too! For one thing if will help them lay flat. Plus you can paint on both sides, just like with an unused sheet of watercolor paper.

Toning The Paper

Tone The Paper

A toned surface is a great underlay for gouache and casein paintings.

Once the papers are covered to your liking, and completely dry, you have the option of adding a tone to the paper. Only do this if you know you'll be using the renewed sheet with casein, acrylic or gouache. Toning is the same process as adding the ground - simply paint over the white ground surface with a toning color. I like to use yellow ochre casein. Yellow ochre because I prefer an underlying warm tone that is not to overpowering. Casein because it can be painted over with any of the three opaque media mentioned before.

There are a couple of distinct benefits to renewing used watercolor paper this way.  First it saves money  since you can avoid buying those other surfaces needed for opaque media. Second, it's gratifying to give pricey watercolor paper new life.

Video Tutorial