Excellence in Watercolor Paper, Why Arches Paper Is Worth It

To meet the supply demands of artists, more efficient fabrication than hand-made procedures would be required. Arches turned to the cylinder mould method of manufacturing. Their expert papermakers determined the cylinder mould machine to be the best process for making a stable paper. It mimics hand-made characteristics but produces a consistent and heavy-duty paper that holds up to copious amounts of water application, giving artists more control.
 
It works like this: The mould, covered by a wire mesh screen, churns slowly in a vat of 100% pure Egyptian cotton pulp fibers, lifts evenly distributed pulp, and with the help of wool felts, removes excess water and subtly marks the paper's finish with Arches' proprietary grain for a strong tooth, or grip, to their surface. The binding agent, a natural gelatin sizing, permeates the liquid and fibers in the vat to add strength and preserve the luster of the paper across all watercolor techniques.

 
What is Arches paper made from?

Let's take a closer look at their paper creation process.

To meet the supply demands of artists, more efficient fabrication than hand-made procedures would be required. Arches turned to the cylinder mould method of manufacturing. Their expert papermakers determined the cylinder mould machine to be the best process for making a stable paper (not likely to warp when wetted). It mimics hand-made characteristics but produces a consistent and heavy-duty paper that holds up to copious amounts of water application, giving artists more control.

It works like this: The mould, covered by a wire mesh screen, churns slowly in a vat of 100% pure Egyptian cotton pulp fibers, lifts evenly distributed pulp, and with the help of wool felts, removes excess water and subtly marks the paper's finish with Arches' proprietary grain for a strong tooth, or grip, to their surface. The binding agent, a natural gelatin sizing, permeates the liquid and fibers in the vat to add strength and preserve the luster of the paper across all watercolor techniques.

 
Is Arches paper the best watercolor paper?
 

Arches produces more surfaces, sizes, weights, and styles than any other manufacturer we're aware of. It might add to the popularity of the paper that with some 300+ different varieties for artists to choose from, Arches' offerings attempt to find something that suits the taste of any discerning watercolor artist.

The downside to Arches (as we see it).

While, there's not many, there are a few to take note of. Arches uses an animal gelatin as it's sizing. (Sizing is very important in keeping your colors vibrant, on top of the paper, and your paper from staining if using scrubbing or lifting techniques. Because of this the paper can have a unique smell when wet - from an ammonia-like to a wet dog-like smell. The animal sizing might be a turn off to vegans or folks with religious requirement. We're not sure if it's the application process or the animal sizing that creates inconsistencies with Arches sizing, but it seems Arches has more issue with "bad batches" than other paper manufacturers. However, they're quick to right the wrong and replace any instance of inconsistency should it arise.

Maybe it's because Arches has been around so long. Or, it could be because of the variety. Or, perhaps it's because the process of the paper makes it heavy enough to let the artist work and rework the artwork. Or, feasibly, it's because Arches is the best all-around paper for its consistency and quality. But one thing is for sure: far and away, Arches is the most recommended watercolor paper for anyone attempting to master this thing called watercolor.