Thank you! I've watched many videos about paper stretching but none of them discussed the need for the waterproofing the paper and how to do that! I put one layer of varnish on my boards and thought they were ready. Glad I found this before my boards buckled!
Thank you so much for this demo. People say to stretch the paper, but, you ACTUALLY explain and show it!! I'm getting my husband to make some for me now! Lol Nice meeting you at your open house.
@@kerbear829 I’m just using a palette knife to remove them when I’ve stapled into gatorboard. If it’s wood I use either a flat screwdriver or a heavy-duty staple remover (office supply store). I leave the staple holes and all. It’s hidden by the mat and indicates that it’s the original painting 😊
Yes, Thank you! Do you ever use foam core boards? I’m a tad older(!) and stapling can definitely hurt my wrists if the board is too hard! I keep hearing people say that a watercolor block is an acceptable substitute for stretching but I disagree because I still get too much warping if I’m using much water! Perhaps for a delicate painting without much water at all the block would work but I don’t find them acceptable for a wet sky etc. even with my favorite (like you) Arches cold press. Thank you for your informative videos!💕
Foam core will simply crush when stapled and will also warp as the paper dries. Gatorboard or watercolor board may look the same as foam core but it has a much sturdier veneer front and back. This makes it much more sturdy, yet can be used with a standard office stapler.
Hi Penny. No the staple holes will remain for good. These can be trimmed off or simply hidden by the matting. Personally I don’t trim them from my originals.
Yes, either will work as long as the wood is soft enough to staple into (some are harder than others). I enjoy the gator board because it is so light and portable.
Do you still do it this way with a sponge? I thought I heard you mention recently that you soak the paper in water a few minutes. what's the best way or doesn't it really matter? Thanks!
@@shelleypriorfineart I'll have to try it. I don't know where to find gator board. I checked Michaels craft store, Lowes hardware store and Walmart......
Did you pause to allow the paper to fully soak before you stapled it down or did you simply tack it immediately after wetting? Nice video. Thanks for sharing!
@@shelleypriorfineart I don’t understand why your stapled paper still had wrinkles in it. - I’ve never seen that happen. Doesn’t that mean that the paper isn’t completed soaking in all the water? And doesn’t the paper get slightly bigger, (stretching it first) then staple it onto the board? - Seriously Confused. THANKYOU
Hi Patti - Thanks for your question. When the paper is first wet it lays quite flat on it's own . In fact it kind of sticks to the board at that point. Unlike stretching canvas, there is no pulling of the paper and it's best not to be handling it too much while wet. Stapling should be done immediately after wetting (before any wrinkles start forming). The 2nd board that you saw with the big wrinkle is a normal part of the process. The wrinkles form as the paper fibres expand but they WILL shrink again, making your paper as tight as a drum. Be prepared for this and trust that it will dry perfectly flat again. It will .... honest! :)
I think you should have waited at least ten minutes before putting down the staples. This would allow the paper to stretch fully. Then when it dried it would dry much tighter than what you achieved, and would not buckle as much when you wet it again to do your painting. Also I am not sure about plywood as the board. The holes made by the staples would compromise the waterproofness (if there is such a word) and each further use of the board would compromise it even more. I personally use very high density 4 inch thick styrofoam.
The paper has been soaking for several minutes so it is already fully saturated. The wood sealing is not as much to protect the wood but to prevent the the tannins of the wood from seeping through to the paper.
So we see your method. Then you show us a preliminary attempt that looks to be a failure? Of course you assure us that when the preliminary stretching dries it will be flat? You end your lesson with a wet sheet where we can’t see the final outcome. You show us an incomplete outcome. Now I have tried several methods for stretching. None have been successful. This demo has not given me enough confidence to bother with this method. Also that little tiny piece of paper should be in theory much easier to stretch with a successful outcome. I am doing full sheets at 24” x 36”. In the last 4 paintings I have not bothered to stretch or tape down the paper. Why? Because I get the same results either way? Would I like to work on a nice flat paper where the wash doesn’t get trapped between the hills and valleys. Yes of course..
You are the best! I just can't believe you take time to answer each and every question. Thank you so much!!
Thank you! I've watched many videos about paper stretching but none of them discussed the need for the waterproofing the paper and how to do that! I put one layer of varnish on my boards and thought they were ready.
Glad I found this before my boards buckled!
Thank you for sharing your expertise with us! This will solve so many proplems!
Thank you so much for this demo. People say to stretch the paper, but, you ACTUALLY explain and show it!! I'm getting my husband to make some for me now! Lol Nice meeting you at your open house.
Very helpful. Thanks!
What kind of staple remover do you use? Do you cut the stapled edge before framing and selling??
@@kerbear829 I’m just using a palette knife to remove them when I’ve stapled into gatorboard. If it’s wood I use either a flat screwdriver or a heavy-duty staple remover (office supply store).
I leave the staple holes and all. It’s hidden by the mat and indicates that it’s the original painting 😊
Yes, Thank you! Do you ever use foam core boards? I’m a tad older(!) and stapling can definitely hurt my wrists if the board is too hard! I keep hearing people say that a watercolor block is an acceptable substitute for stretching but I disagree because I still get too much warping if I’m using much water! Perhaps for a delicate painting without much water at all the block would work but I don’t find them acceptable for a wet sky etc. even with my favorite (like you) Arches cold press. Thank you for your informative videos!💕
Foam core will simply crush when stapled and will also warp as the paper dries. Gatorboard or watercolor board may look the same as foam core but it has a much sturdier veneer front and back. This makes it much more sturdy, yet can be used with a standard office stapler.
I just recently started stretching my paper though I use bulldog and binder clips for my method along with tape. It makes painting alot easier lol.
Helpful! Would you stretch a practice sheet also? I like to paint on the backs of my paintings that won’t be framed .
You certainly could but if previously stretched, you could get away with simply flipping over and stapling without wetting. 😊
I would have like to see what happens when you take out the staples. Do the holes created by the staples close up again when you put paint down?
Hi Penny. No the staple holes will remain for good. These can be trimmed off or simply hidden by the matting. Personally I don’t trim them from my originals.
Thanks Shelly
What if you paint very wet once it has straightened up - Will it buckle up again (and then straighten up once more)??
Isaac Fryxelius yes it will flatten once again!
Can you use gator board vs plywood?
Yes, either will work as long as the wood is soft enough to staple into (some are harder than others). I enjoy the gator board because it is so light and portable.
Hi Shelly love your Channel I was wondering do you 1st draw out the picture 1st? or after it is stretched?
I've done it both ways and either works although usually I will draw after since wetting pencil makes it more permanent.
Do you still do it this way with a sponge? I thought I heard you mention recently that you soak the paper in water a few minutes. what's the best way or doesn't it really matter? Thanks!
Hi Carol. Yes I still do it this way but if my paper fits in my sink I will soak it that way instead. The idea is just to get the paper saturated :)
@@shelleypriorfineart I'll have to try it. I don't know where to find gator board. I checked Michaels craft store, Lowes hardware store and Walmart......
@@carolgehman6036 Try DeSerres - they call it watercolour board instead of gator board but it's the same.
Did you pause to allow the paper to fully soak before you stapled it down or did you simply tack it immediately after wetting?
Nice video. Thanks for sharing!
I soaked it until it absorbed all it could and stapled right away.
@@shelleypriorfineart
I don’t understand why your stapled paper still had wrinkles in it.
- I’ve never seen that happen.
Doesn’t that mean that the paper isn’t completed soaking in all the water?
And doesn’t the paper get slightly bigger, (stretching it first) then staple it onto the board?
- Seriously Confused.
THANKYOU
Why Did You Not smooth paper across after first row of staples? To help lay down flatter? Then staple across opposite side 2nd?
Hi Patti - Thanks for your question. When the paper is first wet it lays quite flat on it's own . In fact it kind of sticks to the board at that point. Unlike stretching canvas, there is no pulling of the paper and it's best not to be handling it too much while wet. Stapling should be done immediately after wetting (before any wrinkles start forming). The 2nd board that you saw with the big wrinkle is a normal part of the process. The wrinkles form as the paper fibres expand but they WILL shrink again, making your paper as tight as a drum. Be prepared for this and trust that it will dry perfectly flat again. It will .... honest! :)
I think you should have waited at least ten minutes before putting down the staples. This would allow the paper to stretch fully. Then when it dried it would dry much tighter than what you achieved, and would not buckle as much when you wet it again to do your painting. Also I am not sure about plywood as the board. The holes made by the staples would compromise the waterproofness (if there is such a word) and each further use of the board would compromise it even more. I personally use very high density 4 inch thick styrofoam.
The paper has been soaking for several minutes so it is already fully saturated. The wood sealing is not as much to protect the wood but to prevent the the tannins of the wood from seeping through to the paper.
So we see your method. Then you show us a preliminary attempt that looks to be a failure? Of course you assure us that when the preliminary stretching dries it will be flat? You end your lesson with a wet sheet where we can’t see the final outcome. You show us an incomplete outcome.
Now I have tried several methods for stretching. None have been successful. This demo has not given me enough confidence to bother with this method.
Also that little tiny piece of paper should be in theory much easier to stretch with a successful outcome. I am doing full sheets at 24” x 36”.
In the last 4 paintings I have not bothered to stretch or tape down the paper. Why? Because I get the same results either way? Would I like to work on a nice flat paper where the wash doesn’t get trapped between the hills and valleys. Yes of course..