Review - Hahnemühle Harmony Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper - Spiral Bound #Hahnemühle_USA #HarmonyWatercolor #Watercolor @Hahnemühle_USA #WorldWatercolorGroup
For 430 years, Hahnemühle has produced paper in same place - a centuries old landscape full of natural habitats. They've developed, not only a wide range of unique papers for artists worldwide, but also a commitment to sustainability and responsibility to the environment. You can find out more about the Hahnemühle Green Rooster here.
They have released new watercolor papers, one of which is the Harmony, available in cold pressed, hot pressed and rough surfaces. This is the first of three review/giveaways, one for each surface.
Today, I'm reviewing the cold-pressed paper, in an 8.3 x 11.7 inch/21 x 29,7 cm size and spiral-bound format. The giveaway is closed.
SPECS
Paper Content: Alpha Cellulose
Surface: Cold-Pressed, Surface Sized
Color: Natural White
Weight: 300 gsm/140 lb.
Characteristics: acid free, age resistant, eraser resistant, suitable for masking fluid and tape
Available in spiral bound, glued blocks, sheets and rolls
Available in several sizes
LOOK & FEEL
Hahnemühle Harmony Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper is an alpha cellulose paper with a natural white color. The texture is relatively smooth for cold-pressed.
There is a difference in the surface on the front and back of the paper. I found there was more texture and colors granulated more easily on the back. They also seemed a bit less intense, which might be expected with more texture.
I used the same colors on both the front and the back, testing both naturally granulating colors on one half, and staining, highly reactive colors that don't granulate at all.
Both types flowed well, wet into wet and wet over dry. Drying time was a little longer than average, no doubt because of the surface-sizing.
The color is less intense on the back, but the texture is greater giving you the chance for different results from your paint. There was more granulation on the back, but not by a lot.
The highly reactive paints tend to spike outward when they hit water, but the color smooths out as it dries.
The spiral-binding has square holes of a good size for the double-looped wire. Pages turn easily, without looseness that might cause the paper to fray.
PERFORMANCE
I like to do a destruction test on new paper to see how far I can get before the paper tears or pills or stops taking color. Usually that would happen on the same painting that I use for my flow test. But I was eager to try painting a chess set from a reference I found. I wanted to see if I could capture the rich, polished wood texture in the chess set.
I erased heavily while drawing the chess set. I used masking fluid. I lifted color several times in the same area, repainting and re-lifting. I used a paper towel to smooth wet areas and scrubbed with it where the paint had dried. I managed to smear a few areas and mess up my shapes, and eventually the paper pilled, but I never got it to stop taking color. The colors remained intense. Considering how over-worked this piece is, I don't think it looks that over-worked.
I wanted to do at least one painting on the back of the paper. The color is less intense, as my flow test suggested, but I think the muted tone has sun-washed quality of light.
I used Brusho crystals for this painting, masking off whites with masking fluid and tape. This one tested both the paper's ability to withstand masking fluid and tape, as well as showing me how the dye-based crystals would react on this surface.
Even in the large white areas of the penguin's bellies, I had no problem removing the masking fluid, and the tape peeled back with no problem.
The color dispersed evenly without any noticeable texture. I ran out of time, but I want to test the back to see if I get a different result, because it's cool to have a choice with the same paper.
I found that no matter what I was painting, whether with dyes, handcrafted watercolor paints, professional paint and with subjects as different as day...
... and night, I was happy with the results.
OVERALL
Hahnemühle Harmony Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper is an alpha cellulose paper with a natural white color. It's fairly smooth for a cold-pressed surface. It is surface-sized so the paint flows easily, the color is intense, and the paper holds up to extreme abuse. The texture of the front and back is different, with more granulation and less intense color on the back.
Color lifts easily. I love this feature, but it won't please some.
Where to buy or find Reviews of Hahnemühle Products
They have released new watercolor papers, one of which is the Harmony, available in cold pressed, hot pressed and rough surfaces. This is the first of three review/giveaways, one for each surface.
Today, I'm reviewing the cold-pressed paper, in an 8.3 x 11.7 inch/21 x 29,7 cm size and spiral-bound format. The giveaway is closed.
SPECS
Paper Content: Alpha Cellulose
Surface: Cold-Pressed, Surface Sized
Color: Natural White
Weight: 300 gsm/140 lb.
Characteristics: acid free, age resistant, eraser resistant, suitable for masking fluid and tape
Available in spiral bound, glued blocks, sheets and rolls
Available in several sizes
LOOK & FEEL
Hahnemühle Harmony Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper is an alpha cellulose paper with a natural white color. The texture is relatively smooth for cold-pressed.
There is a difference in the surface on the front and back of the paper. I found there was more texture and colors granulated more easily on the back. They also seemed a bit less intense, which might be expected with more texture.
I used the same colors on both the front and the back, testing both naturally granulating colors on one half, and staining, highly reactive colors that don't granulate at all.
Both types flowed well, wet into wet and wet over dry. Drying time was a little longer than average, no doubt because of the surface-sizing.
The color is less intense on the back, but the texture is greater giving you the chance for different results from your paint. There was more granulation on the back, but not by a lot.
The highly reactive paints tend to spike outward when they hit water, but the color smooths out as it dries.
The spiral-binding has square holes of a good size for the double-looped wire. Pages turn easily, without looseness that might cause the paper to fray.
The Harmony line is one of Hahnemühle Akadamie papers, which means student-grade but I found it performed as well as many professional watercolor papers that I've used.
I like to do a destruction test on new paper to see how far I can get before the paper tears or pills or stops taking color. Usually that would happen on the same painting that I use for my flow test. But I was eager to try painting a chess set from a reference I found. I wanted to see if I could capture the rich, polished wood texture in the chess set.
I erased heavily while drawing the chess set. I used masking fluid. I lifted color several times in the same area, repainting and re-lifting. I used a paper towel to smooth wet areas and scrubbed with it where the paint had dried. I managed to smear a few areas and mess up my shapes, and eventually the paper pilled, but I never got it to stop taking color. The colors remained intense. Considering how over-worked this piece is, I don't think it looks that over-worked.
I wanted to do at least one painting on the back of the paper. The color is less intense, as my flow test suggested, but I think the muted tone has sun-washed quality of light.
I used Brusho crystals for this painting, masking off whites with masking fluid and tape. This one tested both the paper's ability to withstand masking fluid and tape, as well as showing me how the dye-based crystals would react on this surface.
Even in the large white areas of the penguin's bellies, I had no problem removing the masking fluid, and the tape peeled back with no problem.
The color dispersed evenly without any noticeable texture. I ran out of time, but I want to test the back to see if I get a different result, because it's cool to have a choice with the same paper.
I found that no matter what I was painting, whether with dyes, handcrafted watercolor paints, professional paint and with subjects as different as day...
... and night, I was happy with the results.
OVERALL
Hahnemühle Harmony Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper is an alpha cellulose paper with a natural white color. It's fairly smooth for a cold-pressed surface. It is surface-sized so the paint flows easily, the color is intense, and the paper holds up to extreme abuse. The texture of the front and back is different, with more granulation and less intense color on the back.
Color lifts easily. I love this feature, but it won't please some.
Where to buy or find Reviews of Hahnemühle Products
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Who Can Enter? Anyone with a U.S. mailing address (sorry about that).
What Is the Prize? One winner will receive an 8.3 x 11.7 inch Spiral Bound pad of Hahnemühle Harmony Watercolor Paper with 12 sheets like the one shown below.
How to Enter? Type, or cut and paste these words: 'I want to win Hahnemühle Harmony CP' into the subject line of an email, and send it to me at LifeImitatesDoodles [at] gmail [dot] com.
When does the giveaway end? The giveaway ends Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT.
I'll notify the winner on Sunday by responding to the email sent as an entry. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
Who is Giving Away the Prize? Hahnemühle! I'm just paying the postage to send the prize. Seriously, they have been so generous. Please consider visiting them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or on their website to say thank you.
Who Can Enter? Anyone with a U.S. mailing address (sorry about that).
What Is the Prize? One winner will receive an 8.3 x 11.7 inch Spiral Bound pad of Hahnemühle Harmony Watercolor Paper with 12 sheets like the one shown below.
How to Enter? Type, or cut and paste these words: 'I want to win Hahnemühle Harmony CP' into the subject line of an email, and send it to me at LifeImitatesDoodles [at] gmail [dot] com.
When does the giveaway end? The giveaway ends Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT.
I'll notify the winner on Sunday by responding to the email sent as an entry. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.
Who is Giving Away the Prize? Hahnemühle! I'm just paying the postage to send the prize. Seriously, they have been so generous. Please consider visiting them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or on their website to say thank you.
Disclaimer
Hahnemühle sent me two pads Harmony Spiral bound Cold-Pressed watercolor paper, one for review and one for giveaway. I have received no other consideration, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Hahnemühle sent me two pads Harmony Spiral bound Cold-Pressed watercolor paper, one for review and one for giveaway. I have received no other consideration, and all opinions expressed are my own.
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