"Can I use Japanese paper for watercolour?", is one of the most-asked questions we encounter. Well, "Yes, of course, but..." You know how it goes. Japanese paper loves wet media, but it simply does not behave like the western watercolour paper most people are used to. We decided it would be a good idea to let artists who regularly work with water media to gather, test the papers, and share their results. 

Over the course of the summer, The Japanese Paper Place hosted four sessions called "Washi and Water Media Wednesdays". In each session a group of up-to twelve artists gathered in our showroom with their own wet media, watercolours, gouache, ink, etc. and were provided with a set of four types of washi (a total of 16 over the four gatherings). The artists were asked to complete a form recording their findings and ranking the papers from most favourite to least favourite. It came as no surprise to us that the top two papers were both Heritage Washi! 

If you offer workshops at your shop, we encourage you to host your own Washi & Water Media event with your best- (and worst-) selling Japanese papers. Maybe a little guided exploration is all it needs to convert a reluctant customer into a washi lover.

NUMBER ONE
CON1083 Kurotani #03 - HW

About the paper: 

• fiber sunlight & mountain stream bleached, cooked in soda ash, dried on stainless steel
• made in the village of Kurotani, the oldest continuous papermaking village in Japan where they have been making paper for over 800 years
• an excellent, traditionally-made paper, good for all media from intaglio and relief to painting and drawing

What the artists had to say, what they liked about it: 

• absorbent but did not bleed a lot
• crispness
• sumi ink held a firm edge
• seems to hang on to the paint better than some others
• it was "controllable – it did what you wanted it to"

 Buy Kurotani #03 - HW

NUMBER TWO 
CON1243 Seichosen Kozo Yotsuban – HW 

About the paper: 

• sunlight & mountain stream bleached, cooked with lime, dried on traditional wooden boards
• produced in Kochi
• excellent for all media; favoured for woodcut, sumi-e, shodo (brush writing)

What the artists had to say, what they liked about it: 

• loved how the paint looked as it soaked into the paper; very satisfying
• appreciated the texture
• vivid colour
• smooth application
• pleasing weight

 Buy Seichosen Kozo Yotsuban - HW

NUMBER THREE – It’s a tie!
CON1076 Kizuki Kozo Natural (SIZED) HM

About the paper

• cooked with caustic soda, coloured with direct synthetic dye for a consistent 'natural' tone
• made with light internal sizing
• dried on stainless steel
• great for water-based media including mokuhanga & watercolor painting

What the artists had to say, what they liked about it:

• liked the "sturdiness"
• holds colour well
• intense colour; less absorbent

 Buy Kizuki Kozo Natural (Sized) HM

CON11063 Kizuki Tosa Kozo – HW

About the paper

• cooked with soda ash, unbleached, dried on stainless steel
• produced in Kochi
• fine and evenly-made paper for conservation and repair
• good for chine-collé, dyeing and collage

What the artists had to say, what they liked about it

• "intenser" colour than on a sized paper, definition increased with drying
• elegant crisp edges on the bleed
• warm tone
• loved the inherent lines made by the screen during the paper-making process
• allowed me blending [on surface] and be creative
• loved the thinness and the potential for layering

 Buy Kizuki Tosa Kozo - HW

Other General Observations (all sessions)

• very absorbent
• needs to be more-liquid to spread
• able to work both sides for amazing effects, depth, layering
• does not tolerate "scrubbing" or erasing
• necessary to explore personal approach, wet vs dry brush; paint load, etc.
• exciting results

All but two of the remaining papers tied for fourth place. That said, each washi was selected as the "favourite" of at least one artist! We’d love to hear your customer’s comments about their favourite washi for water media.