Watercolor blocks

Name: Watercolor blocks
Rating: 5 (3 reviews)
Author: Canson

Watercolour Art Material

Rate this tutorial

Designed for use in all situations, the block (4-sided glue pad) allows you to use all types of wet techniques without pre-treating the paper: It is the perfect companion for nomadic artists.

1. Composition

Rigid Cardboard (or Rubber) Backing: You can place your pad directly onto your easel, a table… and even your knees!
A Supple Cover: Fixed to the rubber backing, it folds back easily under the block.
10-50 Sheets of Paper by Weight: A coating of glue, applied directly to a sheet of paper, stabilizes and assures its tension.

2. A Medium for Each Paper

The block is designed for all wet techniques: oil, acrylic, and especially watercolor, which requires great quantities of water.
The principal types of paper used in these media are available in pads: smooth, grained, in various weights and classic fine arts formats.

3. How To Use Them

Gluing the sheets of paper ensures a perfect session:

There’s no risk of curling in the presence of water! It is therefore unnecessary to pre-treat the paper: the block is ready-to-use.
Once the work is finished, and after the drying is complete, delicately separate the used sheet of paper from the rest of the block with the help of a fine blade (razor, scalpel…). A fissure in an angle or at the center of one of the sides permits blade insertion.
The next sheet is ready to use!

4. Advantages

Adaptable, the block is spontaneity’s best friend. Ready to use in any situation, it allows you to save precious time and to work as easily outdoors as in the studio. Having regularized the tension of the sheets of paper, the risk of distortion is entirely eliminated.

Trick of the Trade: A Palette … Made of Paper

Along the same lines, “palette” pads offer a succession of glued sheets of paper. They take the shape of a real painter’s palette, with a central hole to make manipulation easy. Mix your colors directly onto the top sheet, exactly as you would do with your usual palette. The difference? Once your work is finished, you need only detach and throw away the used sheet of paper. Fastidious cleaning sessions are over!