As we scoured the globe to find a high quality watercolour paper to add to our growing collection of art supplies, one company emerged as a leader in quality, sustainability, and relative affordability: St. Cuthberts Mill from Somerset, UK.
In business since the 1700s, St. Cuthberts Mill manufactures a number of premium artist papers on one of Europe's last remaining cylinder mold machines. These machines, in use for over 100 years, produce the highest quality artist's papers when operated by skilled papermakers who work hand-in-hand with the machines themselves.
St Cuthberts Mill also takes advantage of the limestone-filtered waters of the River Axe. Beginning just a mile uphill at the Wookey Hole Caves, the River Axe delivers remarkably clean waters to the Mill, which are then used in the paper manufacturing process. Because the waters are not only legally protected, but highly valued by the surrounding community, St. Cuthberts Mill has its own water treatment plant to return the used water to its original, clean state so that it can rejoin the river. This effort to eliminate water pollution from the paper manufacturing process is just one of the many ways St. Cuthberts Mill demonstrates its commitment to environmental sustainability.
St. Cuthberts Mill offers a range of premium watercolour papers, available in hot press, cold press (also called NOT in the UK), and rough textures. To start off, KROMA is now carrying select papers from the Saunders Waterford and Bockingford lines, though we intend to expand our offerings in the future. Read on to learn more about the different lines and surface treatments we carry.
Made from 100% cotton sustainably reclaimed from the fashion industry, Saunders Waterford is a beautiful fine art material on par with the best watercolour papers in the world. Each carefully-manufactured sheet is buffered with calcium carbonate to help defend against atmospheric acids. The paper's surface is sized in gelatine, giving it strength and resilience to scrubbing and other rough treatments. The materials and treatments used to make Saunders Waterford paper make it the ideal paper to extend your paint's open time, improving your ability to blend colours and increasing their vibrancy. If you're looking for a premium, high quality watercolour paper for a better price than the big names, look no further.
While made using the same rigorous manufacturing standards as Saunders Waterford, the Bockingford line is made from an affordable cellulose rather than expensive cotton. A perfect marriage of performance and affordability, Bockingford is appropriate for everyday and professional use alike. It can also make an attractive alternative to Saunders Waterford because it is made without using any animal products. The nature of Bockingford's surface is such that it actually outperforms the Saunders Waterford line for colour lifting, so it may be preferred by artists who make liberal use of those techniques.
Hot Press
The smoothest finish of watercolour paper, hot press is most useful for detail and line work. It is often chosen for botanical illustration, portraiture, pen and wash techniques and urban sketching.
Cold Press (NOT)
The most versatile watercolour paper surface, cold press offers a mid-point between the smoothness of hot press and the texture of rough papers. Because of this, it is by far the most popular watercolour surface and most useful for a variety of techniques, including landscapes, portraits, florals, urban sketching and general watercolour painting. Choose cold press paper if you are unsure of where to start with watercolour paper surfaces.
Rough
The most textured watercolour paper surface, rough paper enhances the natural granulation of watercolour paints. A favourite of landscape artists in particular, rough paper can introduce an expressive quality to your work that is difficult to achieve with smoother papers.
We are thrilled an honoured to offer an expanding collection of high quality papers from St. Cuthberts Mill both in store and online at KROMA. We hope that you are as impressed with their quality as we are.
Happy painting!
