Made on a cylinder mold (traditional process): quality close to that of paper made by craft methods. The slow turning of the cylinder enables the fibers to be deposited evenly and spread in all directions over the wire. The fibers are distributed evenly, the paper slackens uniformly when wet, giving the artist more control. This process can produce papers with a high grammage and exceptional resistance to scratching and erasing, when they are gelatin sized to the core. Only papermaking on a cylinder mold can produce paper with deckle edges.
Its 100% long cotton fiber composition gives the paper its beauty, a natural, lasting whiteness and an inimitable touch as well as strength.
Exclusive to ARCHES, gelatin sizing to the core preserves the luster and transparency of the colors whilst preventing paints from penetrating into the paper. It allows superposing of washes and gives it added strength to resist erasing and scratching without tearing or linting. It also allows paints to be removed, either wet or dry, easily revealing the whiteness of the paper. ARCHES Aquarelle can absorb a large amount of water with limited deformation.
Ideal for watercolor painting, as for all wet techniques such as ink, gouache and acrylic.