In the Studio: Paper
[In the Studio, May 14, 2011 /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
Now that the color exercise was complete, it was time to make a final decision about which paper to use. At first I was looking at Japanese papers because we were going to be printing by hand, rubbing the ink on to the paper with the back of a wooden spoon, baren-like, but then after much discussion, we decided to get a press. And that opened up a whole new world of paper options.
[In the Studio: Paper /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
I knew I wanted the paper to be white, not off-white or slightly creamy, but as white as I could get. I also didn't want a sheet that was too heavy or thick, and only a minimal amount of tooth, which is the word used to described the surface texture of the paper - rougher or smoother. Why white and without too much tooth? I want the artwork as clean and crisp as I can get it.
After several trips to a number of art supply stores, and discovering that a manufacturer's definition of white is much more cream colored than I could have imagined, I had four papers I was happy with. Now came another test, which one offered the best result I was hoping for. Check back next week and we may have the answer.
Always so interesting! I always need to bring the papers/cardboards to the door to be able to see the kind of white it is or to bring a sample of the "white" I want with me. Tricky, tricky but you have the perfect approach and you are not an amateur... :-)
What a sweet thing to say. Thanks!!