Stretching Watercolor Paper with Gummed Tape!

I have struggled for so long with how to stretch watercolor paper that I almost gave up!

Determined to figure it out, once I did there was no going back for me. Now I stretch watercolor paper of all sizes and types.

The beauty of a perfectly tight surface to paint on has no comparisons. If, for your watercolor paintings you use a lot of washes and re-wet your paper constantly, stretching it with gummed tape is the way to go. Let me show you how I do it.

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The work of illustrator Alan Lee

One of my favorite illustration artists is Alan Lee.

I discovered his work in my teens, when a (boy)friend showed me the book ‘Faeries’, which Alan Lee illustrated along with another one of my favorite artists, Brian Froud.

At first I was constantly going back to Froud’s work, intrigued by his depiction of pixies, fairies and goblins. In time, though, Alan Lee’s work grew on me.

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