jeudi 18 mai 2017

Canson Heritage, the Arches Killer ? …

Canson is the leader in France for producing artist quality papers. Until shortly the brand offered a large choice of watercolour papers. Composed with the brands Le Moulin du Roy (not the same as le Moulin du Coq), Fontenay, Acuarela Guarro, Vidalon, Montval and XL Aquarelle, the only paper type that wasn’t in the offer was a real superior quality paper and to beat it’s rival Arches, Canson launched l’Aquarelle Héritage, to open new horizons for top quality in watercolour.

L’Aquarelle Canson® Héritage is the quintessence of almost 500 years of know-how associated with all the latest technological advances in papermaking:

Strong and absorbent; 100% cotton
Mould-made for a sensual texture and strength
An innovative sizing ensures uniform washes without accumulation of pigments. Colors are bright and vivid. Allows for ultra sharp brush strokes without smudges
Easy to correct whether wet or dry
An optimised working time: The paper remains at peak saturation longer giving the artist ample time to work larger areas

Weight or thickness

300 et 640 gsm / 140 and 300 Lb

Colours and textures

3 available textures: cold pressed (NOT), hot pressed, rough grain

Formats

Sheet: 56 x 76 cm

Roll: (Only in 300 gsm) : 1,52 x 4,57 m

One side glued pad: 23 x 31 cm, 26 x 36 cm.

Four side glued pad: 23 x 31 cm, 26 x 36 cm, 31 x 41 cm, 36 x 51 cm.

Only in cold pressed: 18 x 26 cm & 46 x 61 cm

Standard & Longevity guarantee

Complies with ISO Standard 9706, acid-free and without optical brightness additives.

So i was really curious to see how the Heritage paper behaves, special against the Arches paper. So i tested the 300g and 640g. It’s also very interesting to compaire this paper with the Moulin du Roy ( The King’s Mill) as both papers are cylinder mould and 100% coton.

So the next test within a few days to be published will be the Canson Moulin du Roy and then i will follow with Lanaquarelle (an other very appreciated paper in France). Fabriano, Hahnemuhle … will follow later.

Please subscribe to my blog by putting you email in the box and you’ll receive a post when an new article will be posted.

Have a nice lecture and comparison and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or remarks.

So let see how it turns out…

Canson Héritage Hot Pressed 300g /140 Lb - 640g/300Lb

General observation :

The paper has a natural White color, with a light warm undertone, but is a little bit more white than Arches . Surface is smooth, but a bit rougher than the competitors. Paper curls and bubbles a little , It curls in a cylindric form and slightly bubbles. I notice that the surface is rougher than other hot pressed paper, may be the sizing is different ? Stretching is recommended when one does heavy wet in wet washes. The 640g doesn’t need any stretching as it stay plane.

Wet in Wet: The paint disperses equally on the whetted paper. You can’t see the small line, it dissolves nearly entirely . You can see that the dispersion of the paint is more pronounced in the 640g paper than for the 300g.
Wet on Dry : I noticed that the paper absorbs well the water. We can hardly see brushmarks and the wash is very nice.I used a N°8 Escoda Kolinsky charged brush, and the paint hold in the brush was able to paint all the area (Arches absorbs more and that’s why i couldn’t finish painting all the square, because the brush ran out of paint).
Dry on Dry : There is a quite a difference between the dry and the pre-wetted area. The lines are different and the borders are more crisp. The treated paper has also a much rougher touch than the non watered area. On the non threaded area the wash is even and the edges are crisp. On the pre-wetted area we can see that the wash is more uneven and that the edges are irregular.
Tape and Masking Fluid : The masking fluid and the tape have damaged the paper. The over painting shows a difference in absorption and result as we could have noticed in the pre-wetted area with the brush strokes.
Lifting : Notice a quite good lift of the Cerulean Blue specially on the 640g paper. The Phtalo blue area show lesser lifting. Although masking harms the paper, lifting doesn’t. So one can insist a lot before paper is damaged.
Mixing : As seen in the wet in wet section we can see here nice dispersion of the fluid so that colours travels a lot and push each other with moderate mixing.

Canson Héritage Hot Pressed 300 g close-up

Canson Héritage Hot Pressed 300 g close-up

Canson Héritage Hot Pressed 640 g close-up

Canson Héritage Hot Pressed 640 g close-up

Canson Héritage Cold Pressed - NOT 300g /140 Lb - 640g/300Lb

Canson Héritage Cold Pressed 300g close-up

Canson Héritage Cold Pressed 300g close-up

Wet in Wet: The paint disperses equally on the whetted paper. You can’t see the small line, it dissolves nearly entirely . You can see that the dispersion of the paint is more pronounced in the 640g paper than for the 300g paint, although it disperses well and smoothly. You can’t see the small line that has dissolves entirely.
Wet on Dry : We can hardly see brushmarks and the wash is very nice.I used a N°8 Escoda Kolinsky charged brush, and the paint hold in the brush was able to paint all the area (Arches absorbs more and that’s why i couldn’t finish painting all the square… the brush ran out of paint)..
Dry on Dry : There is a quite a difference between the dry and the pre-wetted area. The lines are different and the borders are more crisp. The treated paper has also a much rougher touch than the non watered area. On the non threaded area the wash is even and the edges are crisp. On the pre-wetted area we can see that the wash is more uneven and that the edges are irregular.
Tape and Masking Fluid : Opposite to the damage sensitive behaviour of the hot pressed paper, the masking fluid and the tape haven’t damaged the paper. The over painting shows a difference in absorption and result as we could have noticed in the pre-wetted area with the brush strokes..
Lifting : Notice a quite good lift of the Cerulean Blue specially on the 640g paper. The Phtalo blue area shows lesser lifting. Although masking can harms the paper, lifting doesn’t. So one can insist a lot before paper is damaged.
Mixing : As seen in the wet in wet section we can see here nice dispersion of the fluid so that colours travels a lot and push each other with moderate mixing.

Layering : Layering on this paper performs very well. There is nearly no mixing going on between the two layers.(Only on the 300g the blue and yellow did some mixing)
Scratching : This paper doesn’t support quite well scratching ! Using flat side and sharp point of the x-acto knife damages the paper easily and tear of quite a bit of the top layer.

Granulation : The granulation and spread is very nice creating very nice cloudy textures.
Erasing : The kneaded eraser doesn’t lift all the graphite as does the standard and electric eraser. The over painted erased parts are equal in density and hue as the un-erased surface.

Painting on wet paper : The paint disperse very nicely in the wetted area.
Painting on dry paper : The edges and strokes are very crisp and mixing is nic

Conclusion :

This paper can be used for any painting style… but specially if you’re painting wet in wet. Watercolour can express itself entirely in a wet area on this paper as flow, disperse and on paper mixing are the speciality of this Heritage Cold Pressed paper. But take a special attention before using masking fluid and masking tape, as the paper cam be damaged easily ! Some reserve for scratching …

I don’t advice to use very wet 300g paper without stretching as it will not stay flat.

PRICE 300g/140Lb

Sheet 56 x 76 cm - 22 x 30 in …. 5.50 £ - 7,20 $

Glued Blockxs 31 x 41 cm - 12 x 16 in …. 47.00 £ - 57.00 $

PRICE 640g/300Lb

Sheet 56 x 76 cm - 22 x 30 in …. 10.90 £ - - $ (not found)

Canson Héritage Cold Pressed 640g close-up

Canson Héritage Cold Pressed 640g close-up

Canson Héritage Rough 300g /140 Lb - 640g/300Lb

General observation : The paper has a natural White color, with a light warm undertone, but is a little bit more white than Arches . Surface is not to pronounced textured, but a texture is more spread than on Arches. Paper curls and bubbles a little , It curls in a cylindric form and slightly bubbles. Stretching is recommended when one does heavy wet in wet washes. The 640g doesn’t need any stretching as it stay flat.

Wet in Wet: The paint disperses equally on the whetted paper. You can’t hardly see the small line, it dissolves nearly entirely . You can see that the dispersion of the paint is more pronounced in the 640g paper than for the 300g paint, although it disperses well and smoothly. You can’t see the small line that has dissolves entirely.
Wet on Dry : We can hardly see brush marks and the wash is very nice and even. I used a N°8 Escoda Kolinsky charged brush, and the paint hold in the brush was able to paint all the area (Arches absorbs more and that’s why i couldn’t finish painting all the square… the brush ran out of paint)..
Dry on Dry : There is a quite a difference between the dry and the pre-wetted area. The lines are different and the borders are more crisp. The treated paper has also a rougher touch than the non watered area. On the non threaded area the wash is even and the edges are crisp, it behaves as a rough paper should. It produces very nice texture in dry brush strokes. On the pre-wetted area we can see that the wash is more uneven but that dispersion is better. The edges are irregular.
Tape and Masking Fluid : Opposite to the damage sensitive behaviour of the hot pressed paper, the masking fluid and the tape have only slightly damaged the paper. Due to texture, paint does crawl under certain parts of the masking tape.The over painting shows a difference in absorption and result as we could have noticed in the pre-wetted area with the brush strokes..
Lifting : Notice a quite good lift of the Cerulean Blue specially on the 640g paper. The Phtalo blue area shows lesser lifting. Although masking can harms the paper, lifting doesn’t. So one can insist a lot before paper is damaged.
Mixing : As seen in the wet in wet section we can see here nice dispersion of the fluid so that colours travels a lot and push each other with moderate mixing.

Layering : Layering on this paper performs very well. There is nearly no mixing going on between the two layers.(Only on the 300g the blue and yellow did some mixing)
Scratching : This paper doesn’t support quite well scratching ! Using flat side and sharp point of the x-acto knife damages the paper easily and tear of quite a bit of the top layer.

Granulation : The granulation and spread is very nice creating very nice cloudy textures.
Erasing : A rough surface is much more difficult to erase … The kneaded eraser doesn’t lift all the graphite as does the standard and electric eraser. The over painted erased parts are equal in density and hue as the unerased surface.

Painting on wet paper : The paint disperse very nicely in the wetted area.

Painting on dry paper : The edges and strokes are very crisp and mixing is nice

Canson Héritage Rough 300g close-up

Canson Héritage Rough 640g close-up

Conclusion :

This paper can be used for any painting style requiring use of texture… but recommended specially if you’re painting landscapes or modern wet in wet art. Watercolour can express itself entirely in a wet area on this paper as flow, disperse and on paper mixing are the speciality of this Heritage paper. The rough surface add a lot of texture to your artwork, but if you need detail and paint in a realistic style, this paper doesn’t suit you. Take a special attention before using masking fluid and masking tape, as the paper cam be damaged easily ! Some reserve for scratching …

I don’t advice to use very wet 300g paper without stretching as it will not stay flat.

PRICE 300g/140Lb

Sheet 56 x 76 cm - 22 x 30 in …. 5.50 £ - 7,20 $

Glued Blockxs 31 x 41 cm - 12 x 16 in …. 47.00 £ - 57.00 $

PRICE 640g/300Lb

Sheet 56 x 76 cm - 22 x 30 in …. 10.90 £ - - $ (not found)

PROS and CONS

PROS

Absorbs fluid very well and stay wet a long time enabling painting wet in wet longer
Dries also equally so that it limits back runs
Creates very nice texture and granulation with granulation paint
Mixing on paper is a pleasure
Layering is very nice although some mixing can take place is paint is too wet or too charged.
100% coton (% rag not indicated) cylinder mould and archival quality
The leadership of the brand

CONS

The Price of this paper. More pricy than Arches. A real “Luxe” for wealthy artists an amateurs ...
Not yet widely distributed. I didn’t find a retailer for the 640g/300Lb paper in the US
The surface is quite fragile and masking can produce disasters as does scratching. But lifting performs well even with harder brushes.

I first tested Arches papers as a base for comparison. I’m looking forward to compaire Heritage with his “brother” Le Moulin du Roy, the former top paper from Canson. I did use this paper often in the past and it pleased me a lot.

Very soon afterwards i’ll post my test of Lanaquarelle papers (very appreciated brand in France) and later Fabriano, Hahnemuhle (big competitor for Canson), Bockingford, Winsor & Newton, Langford, Waterford and some artisans handmade papers too.

Special thanks to Denis Beaux Arts for the free samples that i received from them. This french web store sends worldwide you can visit their site using this link.

You can find full information on the Canson web site

You can buy Canson Heritage Papers using these links :

Arches the basic to compare watercolour papers …

Arches watercolour doesn’t need any presentation as it’s sold worldwide and used by amateur and professional watercolour painters. So the question rises … should i also use this paper or is there an alternative that suits my artwork ?

Some weeks ago, i started my research how to test and evaluate watercolour paper. I posted my questions in web workgroups and finale could make a standard test sheet. So my readers and myself can make a quite fine opinion on how a paper will react, which paper to chose for an artwork, and make pro and cons for every brand and surface tested.

I don’t have any relation with or interest in any fine art material manufacturer. I receive some samples but most of the tested products were paid by me, so that i can give an independent opinion and review.

When Canson launched its “Heritage” 100% Coton watercolour paper, the idea to make a big test was born. A new top quality watercolour paper, that claims to are better than Arches, is a real event in the watercolour world. But i needed a base for comparaison for all the tested papers and so i decided to do the first article and review on this Arches paper.

The Heritage paper test will be published within a couple of days. So you can start to compaire.

Please subscribe to my blog by putting you email in the box and you’ll receive a reminder when an new article will be posted.

Have a nice lecture and comparison and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or remarks.

So off we go…

3 surfaces Hot Pressed - Cold Pressed - Rough Arches Watercolour Paper

Arches Hot Pressed 300g / 140 Lb

General observation : The paper has a natural White color, with light warm undertone . Surface is very smooth. Paper curls and bubbles quite a lot, It curls in a cylindric form but bubbles also, the paper needs to be stretched if one uses water.

Wet in Wet: The paint disperses well but very limited compared to other papers. You see quite well the small line, it dissolves only lightly. it’s quite rare that a hot pressed paper does absorb a lot of water, but this Arches does …
Wet on Dry : We can see clearly marks left by the brush, as the paper absorbs a lot.I used a N°8 Escoda Kolinsky charged brush, but you can see that all paint was absorbed before the end of the painting area.
Dry on Dry : There is a quite different behaviour of the dry and pre wetted area. The lines are different and the borders are more crisp. The treated paper has also a much rougher touch than the non watered area.
Tape and Masking Fluid : The Schmincke masking fluid has damaged a little the paper. Edges of Sennelier masking fluid and the boards of the masking tape are very neat without any sign of damage.
Lifting : Cerulean Blue lifting performs quite good but left some stain. The Phtalo blue area show very little lifting. I think as the paper does absorbs a lot of fluid, the stain goes quite deep in the paper and that’s why the staining is hard to lift.
Mixing : As seen in the wet in wet section we can see here also the limited dispersion of the fluid so that colours doesn’t travel a lot and push each other without mixing.

Close Up Arches Hot Pressed Paper

• Layering : Layering on this paper performs very well. There is very little mixing going on between the two layers. Although the second layer of yellow tends to mix a little with the red and blue edges.
Scratching : Scratching with the flat side of the knife performs very well and reveals the light structure of the paper. Using the point of the x-acto knife forms fine traces but when one scratches a little harder, the paper is really damaged.

Granulation : As mentionnes before, the dispersion is even but limited.The granulation is very nice creating like coton cloudy textures
Erasing : The kneaded eraser doesn’t lift all the graphite as does the standard and electric eraser. The erased parts show a more intense colour than the not erased surface. Same constatation i did on the pre threatened area in the line painting (3)

Painting on wet paper : The paint doesn’t travel and disperse as it normally does on a whetted surface.
Painting on dry paper : The edges and strokes are very crisp and mixing is very limited

Conclusion : A very nice paper for very detailed work. Ink drawing does perform very well on this surface and erasing graphite lines aren’t a big problem, although that repainted erased surfaces does concentrate the pigment. There’s a lot of buckling going on so you have the choice to buy 4 sized glued blocks or the stretch you paper to avoid this.

PRICE

Sheet 56 x 76 cm - 22 x 30 in …. 5.40 £ - 5,45 $

Glued Blockxs 31 x 41 cm - 12 x 16 in …. 44.00 £ - 39.63 $

Arches Grain Cold Pressed - NOT 300g / 140 Lb

General observation : The paper has a natural White color, with light warm undertone . Surface has a slight marking texture . Paper curls and bubbles quite a lot, It curls in a cylindric form but bubbles also, the paper needs to be stretched if one uses water. That’s why many artists goes for 4 side glued blocks that doesn’t buckle and dries flat.

Wet in Wet: The paint disperses well and smoothly. You can’t see the small line that has dissolves entirely. The Arches cold pressed paper does absorb a lot of water, this has his pro and cons, one can work longer before the water dries, but it marks and produces harder edges …
Wet on Dry : We can see clearly marks left by the brush, as the paper absorbs a lot.I used a N°8 Escoda Kolinsky charged brush, but you can see that all paint was absorbed before the end of the painting area.
Dry on Dry : There is a quite different behaviour of the dry and pre wetted area, but less than on hot pressed paper. The lines are different and the borders are more crisp on the non threaded surface. The treated paper has also a better paint flow than the non watered area.
Tape and Masking Fluid : The Schmincke and Sennelier masking fluid and the boards of the masking tape are very neat without any sign of damage.
Lifting : Cerulean Blue lifting performs very good but left a light stain. The Phtalo blue area show very little lifting. I think as the paper does absorbs a lot of fluid, the stain goes quite deep in the paper and that’s why the staining is hard to lift.
Mixing : As seen in the wet in wet section we can see here also the limited dispersion of the fluid so that colours doesn’t travel a lot and push each other without mixing.

Close Up Arches Cold Pressed Paper

Layering : Layering on this paper performs very well. There is very little mixing going on between the two layers. Although the second layer of yellow tends to mix a little with the red and blue edges.
Scratching : Scratching with the flat side of the knife performs very well and reveals the light structure of the paper. Using the point of the x-acto knife forms fine traces but when one scratches a hard, the paper is slightly damaged.

Granulation : As mentionnes before, the dispersion is even but limited.The granulation is very nice creating wrinkles and lines
Erasing : The kneaded eraser doesn’t lift all the graphite as does the standard and electric eraser (but they live some traces). The erased parts, specially done with the Derwent and traditional eraser, show a more intense colour than the not erased surface. Same constatation i did on the pre threatened area in the line painting (3)
Painting on wet paper : The paint doesn’t travel and disperse more limited than it normally does on a whetted surface.
Painting on dry paper : The edges and strokes are very crisp and mixing and dispersion is limited

Conclusion :

This paper is the most used one by watercolour artists on the world. That’s why it the reference to compaire other papers.

This paper can be used for any painting style, but you need to preset it repeating the action several times if you don’t prepare your paper for stretching (needs at least 10 minutes of bathing in cold water before stretching ).

I don’t advice to use this paper non stretched as its curls and buckles, so if you don’t want the preparation i do advice to buy only 4 sides glued blocks.

PRICE

Sheet 56 x 76 cm - 22 x 30 in …. 5.40 £ - 5,45 $

Glued Blockxs 31 x 41 cm - 12 x 16 in …. 44.00 £ - 39.63 $

Arches Rough 300g / 140 Lb

General observation : The paper has a natural White color, with light warm undertone . Surface has a pronounced marking texture, but not as much as some handmade papers . Paper curls and bubbles quite a lot, It curls in a cylindric form but bubbles also, the paper needs to be stretched if one uses water. That’s why many artists goes for 4 side glued blocks that doesn’t buckle and dries flat.

Wet in Wet: The paint disperses well and smoothly, but the flow is very limited. The gradual wash is really nice to perform on this paper but you’ll have to insists as the rough texture can modify density. You can’t see the small line that hasn’t dissolve at all. The Arches rough paper does absorb a lot of water, this has his pro and cons, one can work longer before the water dries, but it marks and produces harder edges …
Wet on Dry : We can see marks left by the brush, as the paper absorbs a lot. I used a N°8 Escoda Kolinsky charged brush, but you can see that all paint was absorbed before the end of the painting area.
Dry on Dry : There is a quite different behaviour of the dry and pre wetted area, but less than on hot pressed paper. The lines are different and the borders are more crisp on the non threaded surface. The treated paper has also a much equal flow than the non watered area.
Tape and Masking Fluid : The Schmincke and Sennelier masking fluid and the boards of the masking tape are very neat without any sign of damage.
Lifting : Cerulean Blue lifting performs very good but left a light stain. The Phtalo blue area show little lifting (better than on the two other surfaces). I think as the paper does absorbs a lot of fluid, the stain goes quite deep in the paper and that’s why the staining is hard to lift.
Mixing : As seen in the wet in wet section we can see here also the limited dispersion of the fluid so that colours doesn’t travel a lot and push each other without mixing.

Detail Arches Rough Watercolour Paper

Layering : Layering on this paper performs very well. There is very little mixing going on between the two layers. Although the second layer of yellow tends to mix a little with the blue edges.
Scratching : Scratching with the flat side of the knife performs very well and reveals the structure of the paper. Using the point of the x-acto knife forms fine traces but when one scratches a hard, the paper is slightly damaged but resist quite fine. As i don’t use this technique very much, one has to test on painting on it after scratching.

Granulation : As mentionnes before, the dispersion is even but limited.The granulation is very nice creating nice textures of wrinkles and lines
Erasing : The kneaded eraser doesn’t lift all the graphite as does the standard and electric eraser (but they live some traces). The erased parts, specially done with the Derwent and traditional eraser, show a more intense colour than the not erased surface. Same constatation i did on the pre threatened area in the line painting (3)

Painting on wet paper : The paint doesn’t travel and disperse more limited than it normally does on a whetted surface.

Painting on dry paper : The edges and strokes are very crisp and mixing and dispersion is limited

Conclusion :

This paper is a more technical paper, that is very useful to create textures, but isn’t ideal for detailed art. It’s used most by landscape painters, for mixed media and texture oriented watercolour art.

I don’t advice to use this paper non stretched as its curls and buckles, so if you don’t want the preparation i do advice to buy only 4 sides glued blocks.

I tested first these Arches papers as this makes is a base for comparison with the other brands for which i did the test sheet paintings. I’ll post in the next days my observations and comparaisons with the Canson Heritage, Moulin du Roy and Lanaquarelle papers.

Special thanks to Denis Beaux Arts for the free samples that i received from them. This french webstore sends worldwide you can visit their site using this link.

You can find full information on the Arches web site

You can buy Arches Papers using these links :