Recently Hahnemühle sent me an amazing number of fine art papers for reviews and giveaways.
Today's subject is their Cézanne Hot Pressed Watercolor Block. I only have the one block, so there won't be a giveaway for this paper, but I do currently have a giveaway for a tin of Hahnemühle YouTangle.Art tiles going and this Sunday, I'll be starting a giveaway for a block of William Turner Watercolor Paper.
All of these reviews and giveaways are due to Hahnemühle's generosity. Please consider visiting their Facebook page or website to learn more about their wonderful line of products.
Specs
Performance
Before I get into the performance of this paper, I want to explain some of the differences between cold pressed and hot pressed watercolor paper, for those that are unfamiliar with either or both. If you don't need the explanation, skip past the *** section.
***
The most obvious difference is that cold pressed paper has a rougher texture - nooks and crannies that allow pigment to separate more - to get the pebbly granulation and allow more complex layers. If you use a pen or marker on cold pressed, you get rough, pebbly lines and may damage said pen or marker. On hot-pressed you'll get smooth lines and probably won't damage your pen or marker. There is no standard, so some cold pressed paper may be almost as smooth as hot pressed and vice versa. But generally speaking, your paint will be brighter and your blending smoother on hot-pressed paper. But many watercolor techniques don't work as well on hot-pressed.
Because there is less texture, hot pressed paper tends to be more quickly damaged than cold pressed.
If you do a lot of line'n'wash (drawing colored with watercolor) or highly detailed work, you might prefer hot pressed. If you like a very loose style or use lots of special techniques, you might prefer cold pressed. Cold pressed tends to be more popular, but that may be because many people are unaware of hot pressed. ***
I decided to start my tests with value studies, using flexible nylon-tipped brush pens to block out the values, and then doing a quick painting of the same study. The lines were nice and crisp. I did get the usual marker-type streaking where I overlapped the ink - more a pen thing than paper thing. I used it to imply wood and darken values.
I had taped off the paper into four sections, and then painted over the tape to see how well it would lift once dry. It lifted beautifully without a hint of damage.
I was also testing to see if the paper would buckle when wet and for paint flow. I really soaked the paper, for the building study, and it did buckle, but not enough so that the paint pooled. I actually expected more - the hot pressed versus cold-pressed thing again. The color flowed beautifully. I thought there might be streaking, but it was a pen thing.
On the bottom of the painted version, where shadow meets tree, I did destroy the paper by lifting color, and repainting. It did well for hot-pressed. I'd put it at high medium.
Next I tested for granulation. There was more granulation than I expected from hot pressed. The colors were nice and bright, which I did expect.
Since I had already established the damage limts in my value study, I decided to leave this alone, and keep it for a drawing background, later.
Though I had already tested to see if tape would cause damage, I hadn't tested masking fluid. Truthfully, I was expecting damage. I used both my cheap and expensive masking fluid, quite liberally, and both peeled off so easily, that I looked to make sure I hadn't used the wrong paper.
The masking fluid test made me think of clouds. I decided for my final painting, I'd use this as a background, and painted a poppy.
Overall
The Hahnemühle Cézanne Watercolour Hot Pressed Block has mould-made 100% cotton paper with surface-sizing. It allows more granulation than I've seen with most hot pressed papers, and the color flows very well. Pen and marker work beautifully on this making it very suitable for line'n'wash work.
Disclaimer: I earned this Cézanne Hot Pressed Hahnemühle Watercolor block at Doodlewash using DO points. The rest of the items were graciously offered by Hahnemühle. All opinions expressed are my own and I received no other consideration.
You can buy Hahnemühle products at the following stores (some of the stores may have Cézanne paper even if it is not listed):
Cheap Joe's (online only)
Hyatt’s Graphic Supply
910 Main St.
Buffalo, NY 14022
800-234-9288
DAVINCI ARTIST SUPPLY
STORE 20
132 WEST 21ST STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10011
212-871-0220
WET PAINT INC
1684 GRAND AVENUE
ST. PAUL, MN 55105
651-698-6431
Rochester Art Supply Inc.
150 W. Main St.
Rochester, NY 14614
585-546-6509
FLAX ART & DESIGN
3600 S EL CAMINO REAL
SAN MATEO, CA 94403
650-350-1990
They have produced their paper at the same place for more than 430 years.
Papers characterized by the Hahnemühle ‘Rooster’ are produced with focus on quality instead of quantity.
You can read more about Hahnemühle's history here.
Fun & Easy Landscapes step-outs, step-wiselys or step-by-steps are posted every Friday.
For a full list and links to Fun & Easy Landscape Step-outs, Step-by-steps, Step-wiselys and guide rules go here.
Want to share your Fun & Landscapes or find prompts and challenges? Join the Fun & Easy Landscape Facebook Group here!
Today's subject is their Cézanne Hot Pressed Watercolor Block. I only have the one block, so there won't be a giveaway for this paper, but I do currently have a giveaway for a tin of Hahnemühle YouTangle.Art tiles going and this Sunday, I'll be starting a giveaway for a block of William Turner Watercolor Paper.
All of these reviews and giveaways are due to Hahnemühle's generosity. Please consider visiting their Facebook page or website to learn more about their wonderful line of products.
Specs
Block:
Hahnemühle Watercolour Blocks are both glued and gauzed on all four sides with one unbound corner (see photo). With this hot pressed block the sheets are very easy to remove. I can peel one off by carefully pulling all the way around. With the Cézanne Cold Press, the William Turner and Leonardo blocks I had to use something thin, preferably a plastic knife, palette knife or gift card to cut the sheets free. I think this is because the paper is stiffer, like a flexible card stock.
The block comes with a front cover that is very like a glossy magazine stock, and it has a heavy cardboard back. There are 10 sheets of paper.
- No. of Sheets-10
- Size-24 x 32 cm/9.4 x 12.6 in
- Bound-Glue & Gauzed
- Color-Natural White
- Weight-300 gsm/140 lb.
- Type-Hot Pressed
- Content-100% Rag
- Mould-made
- acid free
- lightfast
- age resistant
- surface-sized
Works well for watercolour ,lavis, gouache, tempera and acrylic.
Look & FeelHahnemühle Watercolour Blocks are both glued and gauzed on all four sides with one unbound corner (see photo). With this hot pressed block the sheets are very easy to remove. I can peel one off by carefully pulling all the way around. With the Cézanne Cold Press, the William Turner and Leonardo blocks I had to use something thin, preferably a plastic knife, palette knife or gift card to cut the sheets free. I think this is because the paper is stiffer, like a flexible card stock.
The block comes with a front cover that is very like a glossy magazine stock, and it has a heavy cardboard back. There are 10 sheets of paper.
The paper is 100% cotton, acid free, lightfast, and age resistant, hot pressed 140 lb, made on a cylinder mould and designed for excellent colour flow. Surface sizing makes it easy to lift color and keeps colors brighter.
Because the paper is hot pressed it is smooth to the touch, almost like a vellum or high-quality cardstock, but if you look at this scan of a painted section, you can see the texture that the eye (and the fingers) don't pick up.
Because the paper is hot pressed it is smooth to the touch, almost like a vellum or high-quality cardstock, but if you look at this scan of a painted section, you can see the texture that the eye (and the fingers) don't pick up.
Performance
Before I get into the performance of this paper, I want to explain some of the differences between cold pressed and hot pressed watercolor paper, for those that are unfamiliar with either or both. If you don't need the explanation, skip past the *** section.
***
The most obvious difference is that cold pressed paper has a rougher texture - nooks and crannies that allow pigment to separate more - to get the pebbly granulation and allow more complex layers. If you use a pen or marker on cold pressed, you get rough, pebbly lines and may damage said pen or marker. On hot-pressed you'll get smooth lines and probably won't damage your pen or marker. There is no standard, so some cold pressed paper may be almost as smooth as hot pressed and vice versa. But generally speaking, your paint will be brighter and your blending smoother on hot-pressed paper. But many watercolor techniques don't work as well on hot-pressed.
Because there is less texture, hot pressed paper tends to be more quickly damaged than cold pressed.
If you do a lot of line'n'wash (drawing colored with watercolor) or highly detailed work, you might prefer hot pressed. If you like a very loose style or use lots of special techniques, you might prefer cold pressed. Cold pressed tends to be more popular, but that may be because many people are unaware of hot pressed. ***
I decided to start my tests with value studies, using flexible nylon-tipped brush pens to block out the values, and then doing a quick painting of the same study. The lines were nice and crisp. I did get the usual marker-type streaking where I overlapped the ink - more a pen thing than paper thing. I used it to imply wood and darken values.
I had taped off the paper into four sections, and then painted over the tape to see how well it would lift once dry. It lifted beautifully without a hint of damage.
I was also testing to see if the paper would buckle when wet and for paint flow. I really soaked the paper, for the building study, and it did buckle, but not enough so that the paint pooled. I actually expected more - the hot pressed versus cold-pressed thing again. The color flowed beautifully. I thought there might be streaking, but it was a pen thing.
On the bottom of the painted version, where shadow meets tree, I did destroy the paper by lifting color, and repainting. It did well for hot-pressed. I'd put it at high medium.
Next I tested for granulation. There was more granulation than I expected from hot pressed. The colors were nice and bright, which I did expect.
Since I had already established the damage limts in my value study, I decided to leave this alone, and keep it for a drawing background, later.
The masking fluid test made me think of clouds. I decided for my final painting, I'd use this as a background, and painted a poppy.
Overall
The Hahnemühle Cézanne Watercolour Hot Pressed Block has mould-made 100% cotton paper with surface-sizing. It allows more granulation than I've seen with most hot pressed papers, and the color flows very well. Pen and marker work beautifully on this making it very suitable for line'n'wash work.
Disclaimer: I earned this Cézanne Hot Pressed Hahnemühle Watercolor block at Doodlewash using DO points. The rest of the items were graciously offered by Hahnemühle. All opinions expressed are my own and I received no other consideration.
You can buy Hahnemühle products at the following stores (some of the stores may have Cézanne paper even if it is not listed):
Cheap Joe's (online only)
Hyatt’s Graphic Supply
910 Main St.
Buffalo, NY 14022
800-234-9288
DAVINCI ARTIST SUPPLY
STORE 20
132 WEST 21ST STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10011
212-871-0220
WET PAINT INC
1684 GRAND AVENUE
ST. PAUL, MN 55105
651-698-6431
Rochester Art Supply Inc.
150 W. Main St.
Rochester, NY 14614
585-546-6509
FLAX ART & DESIGN
3600 S EL CAMINO REAL
SAN MATEO, CA 94403
650-350-1990
About Hahnemühle
Hahnemühle is the oldest German papermaker, manufacturing papers for traditional and digital artists as well as industrial papers. Their distinguishing feature is the ability to combine tradition with modern technologies. They developed the first acid free and archivable machine made paper and the first Fine Art Inkjet papers.They have produced their paper at the same place for more than 430 years.
Papers characterized by the Hahnemühle ‘Rooster’ are produced with focus on quality instead of quantity.
You can read more about Hahnemühle's history here.
******
Links to Tangles, Tutorials and Giveaways are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.Fun & Easy Landscapes step-outs, step-wiselys or step-by-steps are posted every Friday.
For a full list and links to Fun & Easy Landscape Step-outs, Step-by-steps, Step-wiselys and guide rules go here.
Want to share your Fun & Landscapes or find prompts and challenges? Join the Fun & Easy Landscape Facebook Group here!
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