Yupo paper is a synthetic water-resistant paper. That means that when used with watercolor, your paint will dry only by evaporation and there will be no absorption by your paper (as would be with regular watercolor paper). This is why yupo paper will allow very nice textures to form while the paint is drying. Here is a close up of some of the effects you can obtain on yupo paper:
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Yupo is a compelling and unique alternative to traditional art papers. It’s a synthetic paper, machine-made in the USA of 100% polypropylene. It is waterproof, stain resistant, and extremely strong and durable. PH neutral.
A few techniques you can use with yupo paper
With yupo paper, the most influential element is water.
diluted watercolor paint in watercolor will dry making nice textures and a darker outline, you can see them on that detail of a painting. If you don’t like those outline you can remove them afterwards, when the paint has dried:
Darker outlines on yupo where the paint dried
If the paint runs too fast on your paper you can slow it down by adding some soap ( I usually keep a soap in a dish next to my paper when I am painting on yupo. You could also experiment with acrylic gel medium, and acrylics. Acrylics will have t he advantage of making layering way easier.
You can layer colors on yupo , but it’s tricky, you have to be very careful of not letting your brush go two times on the same place, it would disturb the paint. I wold recommend letting the paint dry completely before trying (like overnight).
One of the main advantage of Yupo paper is that it will let you easily remove any paint. This is liberating if you are used to watercolor!If the paint is still wet, any tissue paper, dry brush or Q-tip will work. If the paint is dry just re-wet the areas you want to remove. Here I removed some of the paint to make the polka dots on the dress with a Q-tip.
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
Same palette of traditional colors the great masters used a century ago. Liquid-poured means semi-moist pans respond instantly to a wet brush. 24 pans in plastic case. Also individual pans. – Master Set
Removing paint on yupo paper with a Q-tip
For the dark areas on your painting you can use the following technique. Use watercolor paint almost direct from the tube, it will be easy to manage, then use a clean new tissue paper and put it on the still wet area you just painted, it will add some transparency to your dark. I used this technique on ” I do ballet 2″:
Painting dark colors with yupo
Spraying alcohol on wet paint will work great on yupo paper
You can try acrylics and mixed media on yupo. I made the following painting with acrylics diluted in gel medium, pastels, collage and watercolors.
Somewhere 8, Watercolor and mixed media on yupo paper.
Originally from France, I have been living in North Vancouver, Canada for the past 20 years.
My work has been collected and exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally. I am also part of the Art Rentals and sales program of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Many of my paintings have been published in Art books and magazines (Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, Acrylic Magazine, International Artist Magazine). I wrote 2 art instruction books with North Light/F+W Books.
I have been writing for the last 5 years for my blog: paintingdemos.com, that has a mailing list of about 10 000 subscribers and about 20 000 visitors per month.
I am an active member in the community, as a co-founder of the North Shore Art crawl, a co-founder of a weekly life drawing group, a board member of the North Vancouver Arts Council, and have been invited as a juror for public art, art grants and juried exhibitions. You can read more about my collaborations here.
I am new to painting on Yupo, and I am enjoying the challenge with a non absorbent surface. So far I have completed 6 works and will frame a couple that I am happy with.
I also have tried washing watercolors off of Yupo and a little staining was left behind. I ended up using the other side of the paper. Have you tried the tranluscent yupo? I would like to try that next.
Yes, me too! I am sure it will give artists lots of exciting possibilities!
I asked for it at my local art supplies store, but they didn’t have it, I will have to order it online.
Let me know how you like it 🙂
jimva8
Question:
If you paint on yupo with a water based paint, can you later wash it off for another painting?
Hello jimva8,
It will depend on the paint and the colors you are using. For example if you are using staining watercolors they will leave some color on the paper. I noticed also that India ink stains the yupo paper. What you might likely obtain is a light phantom image of your previous painting, but that could be an interesting starting point for a new painting 🙂
mike karsnak
Interesting medium.Just starting yupo. Can you reccomend some books.Thanks,Mike
Hello Mike,
I don’t know about any book yet on the market specifically about painting on yupo paper, but I am sure some will be published soon. If you find one, please let me know.
I personally bought a DVD from George James and found it very helpful when I was starting.
Here is a link to his website : http://www.georgejameswatercolor.com/GeorgeJames.html
You will find also lots of demos on the web, youtube has quite a few free videos of demos.
Hope this helps
Sandrine
Thanks, I am trying to read all about Yupo. The first painting I did on Yupo was awful, but now I am starting to like it. It has forced me to be more free with my artwork.
I set a couple in between tissue paper layers about a week after I did them and some of the paint was absorbed into the tissue paper. I will use a dryer and fixative and see how that works. Thanks for the info, I love your work, especially the portraits.
I had a similar experience. You might try a low temperature in a drymount press. I seemed to flatten the bubbled yupo, however, the success or failure may be due to how bubbled the yupo was.
I have also tried using drymount adhesive with yupo with mixed results. If the backing is too thin the whole thing bows.
Hello Holly,
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Watercolor might stay a little bit sticky, especially if the paint is not diluted so much. I usually frame my finished paintings or keep them in a portfolio under plastic so no dust is going to adhere to the paint, I never had a painting so sticky that it would adhere to the plastic, did you?
I also avoid touching the painted surface because any moisture might disrupt the paint, and also because of the oil on the skin.
It could be the type of paint you are using Artist Mark Mehaffey says to not use Graham watercolor paint or any paint that has a honey base on Yupo. It remains sticky.
How can I transfer images from pictures/ newsprint/ postcards etc. to ceramic tile? I want to make a tabletop.
[…] Painting with watercolors on Yupo paper: A few techniques « Sandrine Pelissier's Blog […]
thanks for displaying and writing about some of the possibilities with Yupo paper. i’ve been hearing about it lately altho i’ve yet to experiment with it. it sounds like sizing taken to the extreme – no absorption, may be almost like painting on glass. it looks like there is almost no tooth – quite smooth, is that always the case or are there a variety of textures available in Yupo? is it an archival paper? …just curious… may be i better try some out. fun.
Yes, Rick you are right, the feeling is the same as painting on glass.
By the way I say Yupo paper because it looks like paper but it is actually a flexible plastic sheet. It’s very resistant too, almost impossible to tear, I tried…
There is no tooth at all, and they are not manufacturing this paper with a choice of textures.
The only way I found to add texture on this paper is to paint with acrylics and gel medium or add a paper collage with gel medium and then I get some texture , and am able to use pastel highlights for example.
It’s archival in the sense that it is acid free, but if used with watercolors it’s better to frame or at least protect the painting from water.
aloha & thank you Sandrine – i’ll have to look into it. the more i find out about it the more questions – intrigured – i become. i’m thinking it’s probably reasonably durable – with plastics now it can be made so that it’ll last a considerable while – as in gardening tools – or break down in a few weeks – as in shopping bags – i’ll check on that. thanks.
resisting tears is okay, i expect it’ll cut tho and may be punch? may be light to heavy sanding for a tooth as well as impasto – the thicker bodied acrylic paints… and it sounds like it might be great for collaging and other light attachments… ha. yeah, my mind is springboarding with ideas and possibilities… i have occasionally painted on plastics of one type or another and that slick surface has a…. slickery feel to it that’s fun and some great effects possibilities… cool. thanks for the info and reply… looks like i may have to experiment! way fun. – aloha – Wrick
Kayley Meredith
Think of a very thin plastic folder. It’s the same type of plastic, but very thin. Or think plastic photo paper. It’s about the same weight as photo paper and has about the same satin texture.
Thank you Linda, I saw on your blog you have some very nice watercolor florals on Artist Trading Cards.
I don’t know much yet about how the trading works but it seems like a very fun way to make art.
Comments (27)
June king
I am new to painting on Yupo, and I am enjoying the challenge with a non absorbent surface. So far I have completed 6 works and will frame a couple that I am happy with.
Sandrine Pelissier
That si very good June especially if you are new to Yupo paper.
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Holly Herick Design
I also have tried washing watercolors off of Yupo and a little staining was left behind. I ended up using the other side of the paper. Have you tried the tranluscent yupo? I would like to try that next.
Sandrine Pelissier
Yes, me too! I am sure it will give artists lots of exciting possibilities!
I asked for it at my local art supplies store, but they didn’t have it, I will have to order it online.
Let me know how you like it 🙂
jimva8
Question:
If you paint on yupo with a water based paint, can you later wash it off for another painting?
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello jimva8,
It will depend on the paint and the colors you are using. For example if you are using staining watercolors they will leave some color on the paper. I noticed also that India ink stains the yupo paper. What you might likely obtain is a light phantom image of your previous painting, but that could be an interesting starting point for a new painting 🙂
mike karsnak
Interesting medium.Just starting yupo. Can you reccomend some books.Thanks,Mike
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Mike,
I don’t know about any book yet on the market specifically about painting on yupo paper, but I am sure some will be published soon. If you find one, please let me know.
I personally bought a DVD from George James and found it very helpful when I was starting.
Here is a link to his website :
http://www.georgejameswatercolor.com/GeorgeJames.html
You will find also lots of demos on the web, youtube has quite a few free videos of demos.
Hope this helps
Sandrine
Holly Herick Design
Thanks, I am trying to read all about Yupo. The first painting I did on Yupo was awful, but now I am starting to like it. It has forced me to be more free with my artwork.
Holly Herick Design
I set a couple in between tissue paper layers about a week after I did them and some of the paint was absorbed into the tissue paper. I will use a dryer and fixative and see how that works. Thanks for the info, I love your work, especially the portraits.
Sandrine Pelissier
You have to be carefull with the hair dryer, I had yupo paper buckling because of the heat of the hair dryer, and it won’t go back to flat.
Elizabeth
I had a similar experience. You might try a low temperature in a drymount press. I seemed to flatten the bubbled yupo, however, the success or failure may be due to how bubbled the yupo was.
I have also tried using drymount adhesive with yupo with mixed results. If the backing is too thin the whole thing bows.
Holly Herick Design
I am having trouble getting my paint to dry completely. It is stick tacky weeks after and I am wondering if you have any suggestions.
Sandrine Pelissier
Hello Holly,
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Watercolor might stay a little bit sticky, especially if the paint is not diluted so much. I usually frame my finished paintings or keep them in a portfolio under plastic so no dust is going to adhere to the paint, I never had a painting so sticky that it would adhere to the plastic, did you?
I also avoid touching the painted surface because any moisture might disrupt the paint, and also because of the oil on the skin.
Elizabeth
It could be the type of paint you are using Artist Mark Mehaffey says to not use Graham watercolor paint or any paint that has a honey base on Yupo. It remains sticky.
How can I transfer images from pictures/ newsprint/ postcards etc. to ceramic tile? I want to make a tabletop.
[…] Painting with watercolors on Yupo paper: A few techniques « Sandrine Pelissier's Blog […]
Rick Daddario
thanks for displaying and writing about some of the possibilities with Yupo paper. i’ve been hearing about it lately altho i’ve yet to experiment with it. it sounds like sizing taken to the extreme – no absorption, may be almost like painting on glass. it looks like there is almost no tooth – quite smooth, is that always the case or are there a variety of textures available in Yupo? is it an archival paper? …just curious… may be i better try some out. fun.
sandrinepelissier
Yes, Rick you are right, the feeling is the same as painting on glass.
By the way I say Yupo paper because it looks like paper but it is actually a flexible plastic sheet. It’s very resistant too, almost impossible to tear, I tried…
There is no tooth at all, and they are not manufacturing this paper with a choice of textures.
The only way I found to add texture on this paper is to paint with acrylics and gel medium or add a paper collage with gel medium and then I get some texture , and am able to use pastel highlights for example.
It’s archival in the sense that it is acid free, but if used with watercolors it’s better to frame or at least protect the painting from water.
Rick Daddario
aloha & thank you Sandrine – i’ll have to look into it. the more i find out about it the more questions – intrigured – i become. i’m thinking it’s probably reasonably durable – with plastics now it can be made so that it’ll last a considerable while – as in gardening tools – or break down in a few weeks – as in shopping bags – i’ll check on that. thanks.
resisting tears is okay, i expect it’ll cut tho and may be punch? may be light to heavy sanding for a tooth as well as impasto – the thicker bodied acrylic paints… and it sounds like it might be great for collaging and other light attachments… ha. yeah, my mind is springboarding with ideas and possibilities… i have occasionally painted on plastics of one type or another and that slick surface has a…. slickery feel to it that’s fun and some great effects possibilities… cool. thanks for the info and reply… looks like i may have to experiment! way fun. – aloha – Wrick
Kayley Meredith
Think of a very thin plastic folder. It’s the same type of plastic, but very thin. Or think plastic photo paper. It’s about the same weight as photo paper and has about the same satin texture.
lindahalcombfineart
Several artists that blog here paint on Yupo. Your tips are appreciated!
sandrinepelissier
Thank you Linda, I saw on your blog you have some very nice watercolor florals on Artist Trading Cards.
I don’t know much yet about how the trading works but it seems like a very fun way to make art.