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Paper

Because gouache paint is water based, you’ll need a heavier weight of paper, with or without texture depending on your preference. I prefer a smoother (hot-press) paper, as the paint glides better and gives a less rough finish. Cold-press paper has more of a texture – or 'tooth' – and is more often used with traditional watercolour paint.

Blocks

Back in my college days, I used to stretch my paper onto a board using water and gummed tape to prepare it to take the paint and prevent it from buckling. Then I discovered watercolour paper blocks, which are pre-gummed around all the edges. Nowadays, I use pre-gummed paper blocks for client work, because I often need to work quickly, or for paintings where I need to use a lot of layers. With paper blocks, you paint on the top layer, then, once the painting is dry, you prise it away from the rest of the block by inserting a knife or other slim tool into the back of the paper. I use a bone folder. You simply pull the tool around the edge of the block, peeling the painting away from the layers underneath to reveal a fresh new page. Using these blocks saves stretching time. It also avoids having to store lots of larger board, which can be tricky if you don’t have much space, and I can have a few blocks on the go at once. They usually have around 20 sheets per block and come in different sizes.

Stretching

Stretching paper is still a fantastic method, although it’s lengthier. The process involves soaking the sheet of paper with a large sponge or submerging the paper in a sink or large container full of clean water, making the paper expand. Once it’s wet, you lay it onto a wooden board and attach it using a gummed paper tape, then leave it to dry. As the paper dries out, it contracts again and becomes taut on the board so it won’t buckle while painting. Once you’ve finished your painting, you simply trim the tape off using a metal-edged ruler and craft knife.

Watercolour sketchbooks and regular sketchbooks are very useful to have on hand for testing out colours, doodles, sketches and ideas on the go or in your workspace – small-scale work like this won’t buckle your paper. Go for a heavier weight paper, at least 300gsm, for painting if you can.