Watercolor painting is a beautiful and expressive medium, but it can be a bit unpredictable, especially when it comes to achieving clean and crisp borders.
That's where knowing what the best tape for watercolor paper comes in handy.
So, what is the best tape for watercolor paper?
Short answer: You can't go wrong with Scotch Blue Painter's Masking Tape. It's the best tape for watercolor paper because it's affordable has a low tack adhesive which will not damage the surface of the watercolor paper.
In this article, we'll dive into the importance of using tape for watercolor painting, the purpose of creating clean and crisp borders, and the factors to consider when choosing the perfect tape for your watercolor paper.
Best tape for watercolor paper
1. Scotch Blue Painter's Masking Tape
Scotch Blue Painter's Masking Tape is highly recommended for watercolor painting due to its combination of strong adhesion and gentle removal.
This tape is specifically designed to adhere well to various surfaces, including watercolor paper, without leaving any residue or marks behind. Its adhesive is strong enough to create clean, crisp borders in your artwork, ensuring that the paint doesn't bleed through the edges.
Additionally, Scotch Blue Painter's Masking Tape is formulated for easy removal. When it's time to take off the tape, it peels away smoothly without damaging the paper or the painted surface underneath. This feature is especially important in watercolor painting, where the paper can be delicate and susceptible to tearing.
2. TSSART White Art Watercolor Tape
TSSART White Art Watercolor Tape is a premium tape specifically crafted for use with watercolor paper, making it an ideal choice for artists working with this delicate medium.
This tape has been developed with the unique needs of watercolor artists in mind, ensuring that it performs optimally on watercolor paper.
One of the standout features of TSSART White Art Watercolor Tape is its excellent adhesion. It sticks securely to the watercolor paper, creating sharp and precise borders for your artwork. This strong adhesion helps prevent paint from seeping under the tape, which can cause blurred lines or unwanted mixing of colors.
Despite its strong adhesion, TSSART White Art Watercolor Tape is designed for easy removal. This means that, once your painting is complete and fully dry, you can gently peel the tape away without leaving any residue on the paper or damaging the artwork itself.
The tape's balance of secure adhesion and gentle removal ensures that your watercolor paper remains intact and your painting's borders stay clean and crisp.
3. Neeho Watercolor Framing Artist Tape
Neeho Watercolor Framing Artist Tape is a versatile and highly effective option when searching for the best tape for watercolor paper.
It is specifically designed to meet the needs of watercolor artists who are looking to frame their artwork with clean, precise edges.
The strong adhesion of Neeho Watercolor Framing Artist Tape is another reason why it ranks among the best tape for watercolor paper. It sticks securely to the paper, maintaining crisp borders and preventing paint from bleeding through the edges. This characteristic is essential for achieving slick-looking results in your watercolor paintings.
Despite its strong adhesion, Neeho Watercolor Framing Artist Tape is designed for easy removal. Once your artwork is complete and fully dry, you can gently peel the tape away without worrying about leaving residue on the paper or causing any damage to the painting itself.
This balance between secure adhesion and gentle removal makes it a reliable choice for watercolor artists.
4. Pro Art Artist Tape
Pro Art Artist Tape is a reliable choice for watercolor artists as it is specifically designed for use with watercolor paper.
This tape offers excellent adhesion, which ensures that the paper stays in place while you paint, but can be easily removed without damaging the paper or leaving any residue behind.
One of the most important aspects of Pro Art Artist Tape is that it is acid-free. This means that it will not cause any discoloration or damage to the paper over time.
Acid-free tape is essential for preserving the quality of your artwork, especially if you plan to sell or display it.
5. ProTapes Flatback Artist Tape
If you're looking for the best tape for watercolor paper, you may want to consider ProTapes Flatback Artist Tape.
This tape is specifically designed to provide clean, crisp edges in watercolor painting, making it a favorite among artists who want to achieve precise-looking results.
One of the key benefits of ProTapes Flatback Artist Tape is that it is acid-free. This means that it will not cause any discoloration or damage to your artwork over time. Additionally, this tape offers strong adhesion, ensuring that your paper stays in place while you paint.
And when you're ready to remove the tape, you can do so without worrying about leaving any residue or damaging your artwork.
The Benefits of Scotch Blue Painters's Masking Tape
Overall, the best tape for watercolor paper is the Scotch Blue Painter's Masking Tape.
This tape is specifically designed to be gentle on delicate surfaces and easy to remove without leaving any residue behind, making it ideal for protecting your watercolor paper from damage.
It also comes in a variety of widths.
This is great if you want to use the tape to make straight lines in your artwork or if you're working small in your sketchbook.
Importance of using tape for watercolor painting
Using tape for watercolor painting offers numerous benefits.
It helps you create precise borders and edges, ensuring your artwork looks polished and professional.
Also, it protects the areas of your paper that you want to keep paint-free, providing an effective barrier against accidental smudges and spills. This way, you can focus on your painting without worrying about keeping the edges neat and clean.
The purpose of creating clean and crisp borders
Creating clean and crisp borders in your watercolor paintings adds an element of sophistication and gives your artwork a finished look.
These well-defined borders can provide contrast, draw attention to specific areas of your painting, or even create a “window” effect that frames your artwork beautifully.
Plus, clean borders give you the freedom to explore various techniques and styles within the confines of the taped area, allowing you to experiment and play with your art while maintaining a polished appearance.
Factors to consider when choosing tape for watercolor paper
When selecting the best tape for your watercolor paper, it's essential to consider a few factors.
The tape should be acid-free to prevent any damage to your artwork over time, and it should have the right balance between adhesion and removability, ensuring it sticks well to your paper without tearing or leaving residue when removed.
Additionally, consider the tape's width, as this will affect the size of the border you create.
How to apply tape to watercolor paper
When using either type of tape on watercolor paper, it is important to be careful when applying and removing the tape so as not to damage the surface of the paper.
Here is how to apply tape to watercolor paper:
- To apply the tape, start by cutting a strip that is slightly wider than the area you want to cover.
- Then, slowly peel back the backing from the strip of tape and apply it to the edge of the watercolor paper, making sure that it is straight.
- Once the strip of tape is in place, use your fingers to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles.
- If you need to remove the tape, start by gently peeling back one end of the strip.
- Once you have a corner lifted, slowly remove the rest of the strip at a 45-degree angle. If any adhesive residue is left behind, you can remove it with a damp cloth.
Applying and removing tape from watercolor paper can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be!
By using artist's taped or drafting tape and being careful when applying and removing it, you can successfully stretch your watercolor paper or create clean borders around your artwork without damaging the surface of the paper.
How do you keep the tape from tearing the watercolor paper?
There are a few different strategies that can help keep the tape from tearing on watercolor paper.
Some artists recommend applying masking fluid to the edges of the paper before applying the tape, which helps protect it from damage.
You can also try smoothing out any wrinkles or creases in the tape before securing it to your watercolor paper.
Additionally, you may want to use a gel medium or some other type of adhesive in place of tape, as this can be less likely to tear or damage the paper.
Ultimately, the best way to keep your watercolor paper from tearing when using tape is to be gentle and take your time when applying and removing it.
