Paper luxury!
Paul Riley tests the new watercolour papers from Hahnemühle’s The Collection range. The results were so impressive that he has no hesitation in recommending them to artists
Paul Riley tests the new watercolour papers from Hahnemühle’s The Collection range. The results were so impressive that he has no hesitation in recommending them to artists
Icame across Hahnemühle papers some years ago in Prague. I was looking for a quality cotton rag Hot Pressed (HP) and Cold Pressed (CP or Not) paper for some life painting in watercolour. Hahnemühle was on sale at the main art shop, I liked what I saw and decided to purchase. I wasn’t disappointed to say the least. Fast forward to now, when The Artist asked me if I would like to do an appraisal. Needless to say I was delighted as I am only too happy to recommend materials and tools I have used successfully. Hahnemühle sent a package of assorted papers for me to play with and what a mouth-watering selection they were!
Hahnemühle has been producing fine quality papers at the foot of the Solling Mountains in Lower Saxony, Germany, for more than 435 years. As a company they pride themselves on their eco credentials, ensuring that offcuts are reused whenever possible and any waste is disposed of responsibly. All their papers are also vegan-friendly with no animal substrates used within their paper sizing or manufacture.
They appear to have two strings to their bow: the first is the fine art papers for which they are renowned; the other is the archival quality FineArt inkjet paper. The second facility is especially useful for those of you who print examples of your work for commercial purposes. Hahnemühle have a certified studio programme. All studios have been professionally certified to print on Hahnemühle papers and will manage your work from your original artwork to the final fine art print.
The Collection
Back to The Collection range of watercolour papers, of which there is a bewildering array. I counted up the choices. These came to a staggering 29 specific watercolour formats in their various weights and sizes, including blocks, pads, sheets and rolls. Within The Collection range there are also four sketch papers and 19 pastel papers with up to 12 colours in the range. Much to my delight I also received their manga