Where can I buy really large paper?

[drd]

I'm doing a project over the summer for a grade in my art class. No subject, can be anything I want. Well, I'm going to do a life size figure rendering with graphite and watercolours, so I need to know where/how I can get a really stiff watercolour paper this large.

Can I get some direction please?

[Seedling]

Call your local art stores and ask them what they carry.

I imagine large paper can be ordered online, but it'll cost a lot to ship.

[dbclemons]

You can find it in large rolls at some locations. NY Central carries it that way.
http://nycentralartsupply.com/africa/rollseurope.html

Large print shops have paper in rolls they might sell you, although it likely wouldn't be watercolor or high quality. I used to get rolls at photography supply places that are used as backdrops, again not highest quality.

[Sharon Knettell]

www.nycentralart.com is my favorite paper store. They will send you 5 free samples of the paper that you are interested in.

However, none of the roll papers there are stiff enough to stand on their own. You will have to have a good framer mount them on Gatorboard or Fomecore. These you can order from NY Central Art as well. Some of the roll papers are too heavy to drymount this way. Get some lighter weight paper samples to show your framer. It would be better and maybe cheaper to buy a piece from your framer because you may incur oversized shipping charges.

Another way around this barn is to get a piece of 8 ply Rising Museum board. A good framer will have it as well as NY Central. It is a high quality stiff mat board. Ask him for a sample to try out your media.

Do not try to glue a large paper to a substrate yourself. It is very hard for a professional. I know this from experience.

Some Japanese papers come in large sizes, are good watercolor papers and are light weight enough to be drymounted.

Try the Torinoko white or natural, 250 gsm, 36"x72" about $11, it will take watercolor and pencil. The Okawara, 60 gsm, 38"x74", $14, will take just watercolor.

Even though the Torinoko will take pencil, unusual for a Japanese paper, it will not suffer the abuse of a good American or European paper. They however are heaven for watercolor and brush media, for which they were designed.

You could also try a Fabriano Accademia, for about $25 a roll, but as I said try it first. It will not take watercolor unless it is mounted. I don't know if it is sized for watercolor. The lighterweight rolls generally are not, that it why it may be better to use a large lightweight mounted Japanese paper.

Do not go to a chop shop or chain framer. Go to a good one.

Also before you start this adventure, I suggest you read Juliette Aristides "Classical Drawing Atelier" about $20 from www.amazon.com

I hope this helps. Goods Luck!

[drd]

Wow, thanks for the crapload of info guys.

I'll definitely take a look into that Japanese paper, Sharon. I'm still not sure if the majority of shading will be done with Watercolour, or graphite rendering. I expect that would greatly affect my decision.

EDIT: I went to NYCentral's online catalog, and I found the different types of Torinoko which I think will be what I use. There was plain Torinoko, Torinoko Brushtrokes, and Gampi Torinoko. None of them say specifically what they are made/used for...and also, I can't find anything over 150 gsm. Is a high gsm essential for heavy watercolour application?


Here's the link to where I'm looking, at any rate:
http://www.nycentralartsupply.com/asia/japan.html

If you press ctrl+f, and find 'torinoko', that will show you what I'm looking at. *ponderponder*

[Sharon Knettell]

Not if is dry mounted.

If you want to use it as a scroll in the Asian manner you can do so. A high gsm is only important in American and European papers. The Torinoko comes in 250 gsm, as far as I can see on the Ny Central website. You can drymount that. Even if it is a lower gsm, it will work drymounted or painted an Asian scroll fashion. The Torinoko will take pencil. Check www.nycentralart.com and click on Japanese papers.. There are 4 or more pages.

The American and European papers have to be gelatine sized for watercolor, and the gsm are too high to be drymounted. You would have a large, heavy, curvy piece of paper to work on, not stiff.

There is so much to learn about paper.

[drd]

Yeah, before I saw your post, I had no idea how large this topic is...

Thanks for all your help.

Edit: Gosh I feel like such an irritating person... Well I looked under products on the left, and it just had a link to their address. Under the catalog section, there were .pdf files, I looked under the Table of Contents one and I didn't see anything mentioning papers.

[Sharon Knettell]

Hi,

Try page 3 of the www.nycentralart.com Japanese section, the Hiromi collection. TheTorinoko I told you about is there.

Do't forget the book!

You have just begun a lifetime of learning.

Good Luck!

[chaosrocks]

once can also get rolls of Etching paper which is very stiff
Murillo comes to mind, I use it as a base for Oil paintings all the time...gessoed
it id available in rolls from Dolphin paper in Indianapolis, Atlantic papers
chaos