YUPO Paper For Watercolor: A Modern Surface for Bold Results

If watercolor feels too predictable, Yupo paper changes the way you paint. Unlike traditional watercolor paper, Yupo is made from smooth, waterproof plastic. This means the paint doesn’t soak in - it floats on the surface. You can push, lift, or wipe colors off completely, giving you more control and freedom to paint. The result? You will get bright and bold effects you can’t get on regular paper.

What is YUPO Paper?

YUPO watercolor paper is an alternative to the traditional pulp-based watercolor paper that features a completely non-porous and smooth surface. It comes in bright white or translucent sheets of various sizes. This special paper is completely tree-free, 100% recyclable, waterproof, and made out of polypropylene in YUPO's manufacturing facility in Virginia. This paper was initially developed for the ink print industry, but artists thought it would be fun to use it, and they were right!

Unique Properties

• Non-porous surface - Creates high surface tension for unique paint effects
• Waterproof - Allows paint wiping and seamless blending
• Durable - Won't tear, shrink, or stain
• Versatile processing - Accepts die cutting, perforations, embossing, and metallizing
• Long-lasting - Practically unlimited shelf life due to synthetic composition

Key Features and Benefits of YUPO Alcohol Ink Paper

Since YUPO boasts a super smooth surface, and since it is waterproof, it allows the wiping of the paint, seamless blending, and use of tissues, sponges or wet brushes to create interesting results that can't be attained through traditional mediums. Whatever you do to it, YUPO paper won't tear, won't shrink, and won't stain. Moreover, it accepts die cutting, perforations, embossing, and metallizing processes. Finally, and as this paper is fully synthetic, its shelf life is practically unlimited, so it can be used to create packaging and labeling commercial elements, or simply keep your creations intact forever.

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Working Tips and Techniques

Preparation and Setup

• Wash the paper before starting work on it, as fingertips that are invisible at first will become apparent later on
• Lett he YUPO alcohol ink paper acclimate to the room temperature conditions for approximately 24 hours
• Use a limited palette of colors instead of many different hues

Painting Techniques

• Surface tension effects - The completely non-porous and smooth surface generates very high surface tension, so you can take your color for an endless "trip" around the paper, creating mesmerizing effects
• Drying acceleration - You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying of watercolors, but do so at the low setting as this may cause the paper to buckle
• Color experimentation - A cheaper brand of colors may work better on YUPO than a more expensive one. Experiment and see for yourself

Handling and Storage

• Masking and laminating is possible if done with great care
• Keep non-framed pieces away from moist environments
• Perform framing following the same procedure as with pastels

Pros and Cons of YUPO watercolor paper

What Artists Love

YUPO paper offers an unmatched level of control over the painting process. Artists can seamlessly erase whole parts, "magically" replace portions, and experiment with whatever their imagination allows them to contrive.

• Versatile media compatibility - Suitable for a wide range of media, including watercolors, alcohol inks, crayons, sprays, pens, acrylics, and oils
• Precision performance - Holds ink with razor-sharp precision
• Creative freedom - Unlimited experimentation capacity • Mistake-friendly - Allows complete wiping of mistakes 
• Superior blending - Amazing color blending abilities • Durability - It never buckles, tears, shrinks, or chips

Common Challenges

However, some find the feat of drawing on a plastic sheet that offers zero absorbency impossible to carry out. As YUPO alcohol ink paper is completely smooth, it needs some practice to get used to it and figure out the best working techniques.

• Slow drying time - Paints take a while to dry on it
• Learning curve - Challenging to work with at first
• Staining issues - Some pigments will stain

Ready to take your painting experience to the next level? Buy a set of YUPO watercolor paper today!

Final Considerations

The YUPO paper is a very special paper for special applications, or simply for extensive experimentation. The effects that can be achieved using this paper are simply unique as no pulp-paper can come even remotely close to the properties of this plastic sheet. That said, every artist should give this product a try just to see all the things that can't be done with normal paper.

However, that doesn't mean that YUPO watercolor paper is good, or even usable by everyone. Depending on your point of view and style of creation work, this paper can be either liberating or frustrating.