This page contains the answers to frequently asked questions about watercolor painting on vintage paper. If you have a question, I invite you to place it in the comments at the bottom of the page. If you are wondering about something, chances are many others are too!

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Where can I find old paper?

Ask your friends and family. Visit antique stores and library book sales. Search online - I've found resources on ebay!

What materials (paints, brushes, etc.) should I use? The list of materials used in this course is found in the first lesson.

Where Can I Find Reference Photos?

These are my three favorite sites that offer reference photos in the public domain. I recommend that you read the Terms of Use for each site before downloading photos.

• https://pixabay.com/
• https://www.pexels.com/
• https://unsplash.com/

Do I need to Prepare the Paper Before Applying Paint?

No. You do not need to prepare the paper. We will apply the watercolor paint directly to the dry paper.

I Can't Find any Old Pages!

Maybe you live in an area where there is no access to old pages, or you are looking for a specific piece of music. Here is a solution that I have used.

• Look online for "images in the public domain," "sheet music public domain," or something similar.
• Often, you will be able to find images of sheet music or book pages in the public domain.
• Save the image to your device. Then, create a print of that image on high-quality paper that will accept watercolor.

For more details, see lesson 1.

Can I use a Pen?

Yes, using a sepia or black ink pen will help to outline shapes and create darker values. Be sure that the pen is waterproof!

Links to Pens used in our lessons:

• Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pen 199S – Black
• Sakura Pigma Micron 01 Black or Micron 01 Sepia

How Do I Make the Paper Appear Weathered?

• Most vintage pages already appear old, weathered and tan/brownish in color. It is not necessary to make them appear older.
• Do you burn the edges? It is not necessary. The old pages will already appear weathered.
• Should I soak the pages in tea? The pages are fragile. I would not soak them in tea.

Can I use a hairdryer to dry the paper more quickly?

Yes, sparingly. Allow the paper to dry on it’s own, then, when it’s almost dry, you can finish with a hair dryer.

Can you use masking fluid?

• I avoid using masking fluid on this fragile paper, but encourage you to experiment. Test it first on a separate piece of paper.
• When removing the masking fluid, it might lift the text and might leave a mark that you can see when painting over the area.

How do I Frame My Painting?

• I like to place my painting underneath a mat, inside a frame. This will protect the paper and the painting.
• When not working on the painting, store it somewhere dry and safe. Away from water and pets!

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Troubleshooting

The paper is wrinkling!

• Paper might wrinkle when wet. Allow to dry. It might dry flat.
• If it does wrinkle, attach painting to archival backing board with little pieces of two-sided tape. A lesson is provided at the beginning of this course!

The color is lifting!

Allow to dry, then revisit. Be gentle.

I don’t like what I just did!

It’s easy to lift color on this old paper.

I want to go darker but can’t.

Not dark enough? Don’t want the paper to wrinkle? Touch up darkest parts with black or sepia ink at the end of the painting.

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Tips

Here are some tips - suggestions for you as you create your painting. Your input is welcome! If you would like to share a tip, technique, or solution, please share in the comments at the bottom of the page, and thank you!

Layers, Detail, Value

• Create dark, light, mid tone values, colors with as few layers as possible. The more layers, the more the paper will wrinkle, color will lift.
• You want the image to stand out from the dark notes/text on the paper. It's helpful to “enhance” or “exaggerate” the darkest parts, especially along edges of shapes.
• Your painting will probably be less detailed than on watercolor paper.

The Paper will Probably Wrinkle, and that's OK.

• To avoid wrinkling, keep the paper as dry as possible. Pick up color with clean, barely damp brush.
• The paper will probably wrinkle when damp, but it might dry flat. And there are solutions if the paper does wrinkle too much.
• Each piece of paper behaves differently. Some pages are thin and tend to wrinkle. Other pages are slightly thicker and might not wrinkle as much.
• It's helpful to see how the painting looks inside a mat. I do this often throughout the process

Colors

• Each color behaves differently and will appear different due to color of paper. Experiment first!
• The color will appear vibrant when wet. It will dry lighter in value.
• Vary your blacks as needed. I often begin with Lamp Black as a base color because it stays in place. But later, Lamp Black becomes too dull, and I switch to a mix of Ultramarine Blue/Brown.

Techniques

• Use a gentle touch when applying color. If one technique doesn’t work, try something different.
• It is possible to layer color when you use a gentle touch.
• Smaller shapes - you can apply the color wet in wet! It might wrinkle in that small area, but that's ok.
• Larger shapes - Do your best to avoid the paper becoming too wet. It will wrinkle and won't lie flat when framing. But there is a solution!

Would you like to share a tip? Place it in the comments below - thank you!