THAT'S why I've sometimes had trouble with my tape lifting after 'stretching' my watercolour paper. This is the first time I have learnt that my tape was probably too wet. I so appreciate your careful and thorough explanations, both in this video and all of the other ones that I've seen so far. Thank you, this was really helpful.

I adore you. You are so practical and understand that it's just people you're teaching. Not the small elite class of the world. You're real. Not to mention quite handsome. Oh, did i mention that. ❤😅 thank you..

It would be great to see a video of you removing the painting from the board after it’s done!

I am so glad that you said that any weight paper including 100% cotton and blocks all buckle! I thought it was just my problem. From now on I will stretch all my paper. 😊

I look at your finished paintings and I know you know what you are talking about-thank you so much for sharing your years of experience.

Thank you for this comprehensive tutorial. I agree with what others have said regarding your strength as a teacher. You have a calm and patient manner that has a strong impact. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

That was such a helpful tutorial! I had no idea how to stretch watercolor paper! But now I know thanks to Oliver! Thank you, so very helpful ❤

Thanks Oliver, I remember doing something similar back in Art college in the late '70s! I'm about to move up from painting quarter sheets to half imperial sheets, so this was exactly what I needed to see. Really well explained and very helpful

Thank you so much for this demonstration! I am so thankful for how patient and thorough you are in showing how you stretch the paper and explain not only the process but the reasons for what you do. 🙂

Could you please make another video to show your method for removing your painting from the board? What clean up do you do of the board itself to have it ready for taping down your next painting?

Great information. You are a terrific teacher, communicator and brilliant artist. Thank you for being so generous with your talent.

I am sooooo glad I found you on KZfaq. You have helped me so much with my painting. This was my biggest problem because I like working wet into wet and no one has explained stretching paper so well. Thanks for doing this. I have now watched all of your videos and they have all helped me. Thanks again!!!!!

Thank you so much Oliver for your time.Considering how much time it takes to make a video edit etc. it is really appritiated for every second you share with us.Also the painting you showed there is soooooo gorgeous that i can't explain 10/10.

Hi I have been considering giving watercolours a go for some time and find your explainations easy to understand. Now I realise I need a board!! So much to learn and practice, which means lots more video watching .I appreciate your work and videos.

Oliver, that painting you showed as an example of why you stretch paper was really nice. I liked so much about it.

Excellent instruction! Keep them coming 😁👍

Hugely informative, describing things clearly. Thank you - top notch!!

Thank you Oliver! A very clear demo on paper stretching! So very helpful!

Oliver, thank you! You are a wonderful teacher. I so look forward to seeing every notification.

Like so many others I've often trouble with the tape lifting after stretching the paper. There are several steps I've never seen before and I'll give it a try for sure. Thanks for sharing your process. I love your work.

I just found your channel and I absolutely love your work and your teaching. Thank you!!!

I literally stopped at 2:46 in because you said "don't do it 'cause I do it" haha. The blocks have been working great for me for now! Thank-you for that honest statement :)

I had a problem with lifting tape, like many people in the reactions below it seems. I'll try drying the edges, the plastic tool, more tape on the board, and maybe another board (mine is melamine). Thank you so much Oliver !

Many thanks for this very useful video. I've watched many videos of other people stretching paper and myself have had mixed results. After leaving the paper to dry over night i find the gummed tape has not attached properly to the paper. One thing I have taken from your video is that you use heavy duty gum tape and that you dry the edge of the paper before you apply the tape. Please keep these wonderful videos going.

Thank you so much for demonstrating this process!

Great instructional video, thank you for making it. I usually use Arches 140# (300 gsm) CP, and soak mine for 20 minutes. I find I get better results for my style of painting over soaking it for only 5 minutes. Thank you very much for clearly stating that what you do is your preference and that it works for you and that there are other ways out there for other people. I really appreciate that as so many artists have been gatekeeping art lately, saying that there is only one true way to do something.

Thank you so much! Now I know that you are the real deal! I can’t tell you how many “teachers “ say that you don’t need to stretch paper on a block! I don’t know what they are using but for me even the blocks buckle! Thank you for making me feel like this job of stretching is actually worth it! Great on you! Love your videos!!

Terimakasih atas penjelasan yang rinci dan menarik. Salam dari Bandung

Thank you. I have 3 boards so I always have paper ready to paint on. I had had an issue with the brown tape not sticking properly, so your technique is helpful. I am a new (and left handed) painter and find your videos useful.

You are an excellent communicator, sir.

What an absolutely beautiful painting, I must say! And thank you for the instruction.

Extremely helpful guidance Olly thankyou. Absolutely adored your gallery painting of the river arun. We really are so fortunate to have such rich landscape around us. Take care.

Again, Many thanks!! After viewing many tutorials on this subject, yours has inspired me to take the time and do it properly:) 👏 Kudos Ollie!

Thank you so much. You are a great instructor. It now does not seem as intimadating as before.

Sorry but this is my 2nd comment on this video. I'm imploring you to add more content if possible. Been bindgeing what you have available and really appreciate your precise and comprehensive instruction. You are greatly appreciated ~ Gail, Alabama, USA

I really like your painting, memorize me how beautiful of Sussex n UK

Thank you very much Oliver, very useful. I love your paintings.

Best video that I've seen so far, for this subject! Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for this useful explanation. You are amazing teacher.🙂

Wooow!!! Beautiful!!

I would love to see you do a series of videos if necessary on the full process you go through for a full painting including glazes, etc. don’t believe I’ve seen that.

I am fond of your videos!!! Very clear, cool, and i love your style ! I am not a beginner any more... so i am starting to be able to experiment your top tips ! Like painting trees for example. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I am french, and living in Togo. I want to try to paint tropical trees more accurately. I just saw your videos about trees in winter/automn then in summer !!! 😊 Would you please think about a video showing tropical foliage, and meditterranean as well...???? Best wishes.

Thank you very much for helping those of us who can be quite challenged by paper stretching.......you really helped me! May you and yours stay healthy and happy! Sending big hug!

The best instruction videos.! Thank you so much Oliver you have helped refine my approach to painting in this medium.

Thanks for the tips! I started off a couple of years ago working exclusively on blocks per the advice of a lot of several misinformed and misinforming KZfaqrs... Only my paper almost always buckled on the block. I've even had my Arches blocks fall apart all together. More recently, when I realized I do have to stretch the 140 lb paper and not bother with blocks, I switched to 300 lb paper instead... so I'm working with this heavier paper for the moment until I'm better at stretching. I did a couple of trial stretches on 140 lb paper and it really didn't work for me. That said, thank you for all the info in this video.

Allways Learning something interesting from you. Thank you very much.

I enjoyed it very much and learned something. even that I paint for 35 years! But to be honest I don't stretch a lot. But tomorrow I going too!

Thanks!

great artwork. thank you for explaining the stretching paper technique.

If you have the patience for it I found that one can remove the tape afterwards by repeatedly wetting it with a brush until the water gets through to the glue. I found a soft brush cut at an angle with rather long hairs at a hardware store also helps not getting water onto the edge of the painting. When cutting the painting out I tend to leave a gap between the cut and the tape as Oliver said, since some of the glue tend to bleed through and glue the bottom of the paper to the board, so a 5 mm gap should be fine, I you don't over wet the tape like he shows.

Great technique tip... seems simple enough though I've always been a bit intimidated to do this...

Great demo, thanks for the tips. I like the white border masking tape gives me for a quick sketch but yeah even a block buckles when I get it wet enough and a nice flat surface is much nicer to work on.

This is really helpful, thank you. I stretch my paper, and my concern has been whether it’s ok to leave that edge of gummed paper on a finished painting if you’re going to frame it. I’ll stop worrying about it 😊. Also the ruler trick looks useful. I might try that too!

A great tutorial for stretching watercolor. Mine always seems sub par. Glad I ran into your channel.

Your Castle/Boat painting is absolutely wonderful!

Going to give it a try. Thank you. Loved your finished painting you showed.

You are wonderful teacher

Thank you for another very useful video!

Thank you for this demonstration. It was very helpful!

Thank you for sharing. You have great tutorials.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge which is very helpful as I paint half sheets and boy do they get wet and I really don't want any more troughs!

I'm so happy that I had found your channel ❤ ... so many helpful tips, thank you, Oliver. I have one question please: is it important on what kind of surface I stretch the paper? Can I use plexiglass too or is wood better, and if yes, why?

It also helps with seems to be sizing on the paper.

I am new to watercolor and loved this straightforward explanation. I wonder if I can soak my paper and then lay it between sheets of blotting paper I use in printmaking to absorb some of the excess water. Clean, unused blotting paper of course. I'll have to experiment with that and see if I an find a happy spot that isn't too dry or too wet to work properly in eliminating buckling.

I love your painting of the castle from Arun estuary - so gorgeously tranquil! Thank you for showing us how to stretch watercolour paper, if we should need to - good to know! Thank you so much for your time and generous spirit 👍😀

Thank you! I now know how important stretching is. I have used blocks, and been disappointed.

I never knew we can flat our paper with this tip! thanks for your professional sharing!!! 😊 P.S I couldn't help noticing the book " the making of the British Landscape" on your bookshelf, almost falling down, lol!

WONDERFUL!!!! Question though..... after you complete your painting.... how do you get it out from under that tape???????

Muchas gracias!!! Muy útiles sugerencias para sujetar el papel!

Thanks Oliver. Very informative.

Thank you again for a very clear helpful video 👍

Thank you for your information I find it very helpful and you're awesome

Again, I really like this format of live chat with you, Oliver, while watching the prerecorded video. This format avoids the annoying voice chat that's common on live YT tutorials that delays content and is distracting. ("Hi Andy from Georgia. Glad to see you Mary," etc. with 20 viewers. I don't need the ego stroke of a shout out. 🤭) I realize this requires more time and work for you, but I think it's very appealing and a good way to learn from you. Side question, do you have a Patreon account yet? Your way of teaching is something I'd like to support.

Thank you for this excellent instruction.

Thanks for doing this. Very helpful. Much appreciated.🙂

Incredible artist

Thank you🇨🇦

Brilliant, thank you.

Thank you~~ This is very helpful

helpful!

I heard from an austrian watercolorpainter, who paints since over 40 years and often works on very thin inges paper that he doesn't strech his paper but glues his paper down with thinned wallpaper paste leaving only a small corner, where he can take off the paper afterwards. So this seems to be an good option as well. 🙂

Thank you.

Artista sensível, grande didata.

I got this wrong first time, missed your drying board edge trick. The tape lifted. Tried again and I must have missed a wet patch down one side. Luckily I had been keeping a watchful eye on my prepped board and caught it just in time as i noticed the tape growing an air pocket and rescued it by tightly binding masking tape all the way around my board like a belt. Phew! This langtons prestige paper makes me 😓 😬 nervous... i will follow your video to the letter next piece. Sorry I rambled, thanks Oliver.

Very neat! ❤

I just watched your Best Ever Watercolor Exercise and I gotta say it was one of the best tutorials! Thank you so very much for sharing all your expertise for us beginner watercolor artists! Had to subscribe! ❤🇨🇦

I used to stretch a couple of boards at a time like that so I had one handy. If I was going out for the day to paint, I would stretch a sheet on either side of a lightweight ply board and fix a sheet of drawing paper on top with masking tape to protect the painting surfaces. I tend to only work on 1/8 or 1/4 sheets though and lately I only bother to stretch the 1/4 sheets.

Nicely done video, Oliver. One thing that you (and every other watercolorist I’ve seen discussing this topic) didn’t address - how do you get the tape off the board once you’ve cut the painting out?

Thank you very much for instructions to stretch paper. But can you show also how you take it FROM the board, when the painting is ready? Do you cut it off the board, or how do you do it? By the way ... your paintings are beautiful, your colouring is phantastic - I love it and thank you for sharing!

Thank you!

Awesome, as always :)

Thank you, very helpful.

Very helpful video.

This is great. I had tried to do this with staples and it worked.... but now I need a new board.

I've always been an advocate of properly stretching paper with gum strip since I was at art college training as a graphic designer in the 70s, and before at school! I think it's a pleasurable and satisfying process in fact. Using masking tape without stretching is an unsatisfactory and lazy solution in my book. Also noticed the Rowland Hilder book on your shelf. What an absolute master.

I'm at that age now where I even have to stretch before painting... Stretching paper has worked properly once in all the years I've been painting, keen to see if this technique works.

Wonderful demonstration! Thanks a lot! I heard about someone wetting the outer side of the gummed tape with the sponge so that there is not so much water on the gum, only the the diffunding moisture. So you could maybe skip the drying of the paper with a paper towel. Thoughs? - maybe you could try it out sometime 😉

Looks easy the way you do it! Do you go round the edges with a razor to cut the painting out? And what do you do with the remaining paper on the board, leave it and paste over it with next painting or??

“drying off the edges before using the gummed tape”. Ah, ha, that is where I have been going wrong. Thanks. Plus I have had problems in the past getting decent gummed tape. Do you have a particular source? But my fundamental issues is a “hate, hate” relationship with all types of sticky tapes.

I apologize for asking but new to water color stretching. What about best way to remove the tape without ruining the paper / painting? I was waiting for that at the end & it wasn't part of the program. Thanks.