Home › Forums › Explore Media › Watercolor › The Learning Zone › Tips For Painting On YUPO
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September 18, 2007 at 7:54 pm #986690
I WENT TO A YUPO DEMONSTRATION THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME TIPS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT USING THIS PAPER FROM YUPO DEMO TEACHER JOAN FRASER FROM B.C.
Yupo, is a synthetic paper made not for watercolour painting but for the printing industry. Somewhere along the line artists decided it would be fun to paint on this surface, and they were right!
Yupo is waterproof, strong, and has a ph rating which means it can be around for a long time.You can paint on it with watercolour, colored pencils, water soluble crayon, inks or acrylics.
Depending upon your point of view, it can be either a frustrating or a liberating experience painting on yupo paper. You can put the colours down, wipe them off with tissue, sponge or wet brush, creating interesting images and textures. Or, let the colours run together on their own. If you make a mess, just wash off the whole thing.
Watercolour paints take a long time to dry and you can’t use a hair dryer unless on low setting as the paper buckles if it gets too hot. When this occurs you can’t restore it to it’s original flatness.
Supposedly all colour can be removed from the paper; but when I washed colour off under a tap withou scrubbing, some staining colour remained. This provided unexpected and exciting results. I could leave this abstract work as it is or go back and work some more . Here are more tips:
Since the paper is receptive to the oil on one’s fingertips I handle my paper with cotton gloves while preparing to paint on it.
Information from the yupo company states that it can be laminated.
You can work dark to light on yupo similar to the way you work with oils or acrylics. Add your darks first and then remove colour ro regain your lights.
Masking is possible with care. It can be hard to find the mask once the painting is finished and if your rub too hard to remove it, you may remove colour you didn’t want to.
Felt pen, watersoluble crayons and pencils are all fun to explore.
Yupo can be used as a plate for monotypes. Paint on the yupo, let it dry and then place damp paper such as Masa on top and rub hard! You can also make prints directly on Yupo.
Yupo paper is made in layers. Masking tape may remove the top layer if it is used to tape the paper to a support. A better way is to tape the paper just under the corners.
You canuse plastic wrap the same way you do on regular watercolor paper. However, it takes a long time to dry underneath especially if the paint is thick and wet. Let the paint dry slightly before pressing on the plastic.
Yupo come in several weights; from 144 lb down to a 54 lb. I’ve painted on several weights and although I didn’t find much difference inhow the surfaces reacted, for some reason I preferred the heavier weight.
Colours can muddy quickly. I suggest using a limited palette.
No one type of paint is better than an other for painting on yupo: Experiment with different brands.
When framing it’s important to use at least one mat. Treat a yupo painting as you would a pastel, especially if you don’t fix it with spray.
Caution buyers that pieces should be handled carefully if not framed and shouldn’t be allowed to come in contact with moisture.
Yupo allows total freedom to be creative. You can’t paint on it like normal watercolour paper. Let yourself go and explore. Leave a piece to dry and come back to it. You will find it has done amazing things, especially if you left it slightly tilted on a support.
It’s not necessary but yupo can be sprayed with a fixative to protect it from handling. Use a varnish that has a matte finish and one that won’t yellow with time. Lay your painting flat in a well ventilated area. Spray it lightly so as not to disturb the paint underneath.
Some artists and dealers are concerned that yupo paper will not stand the test of time. If you concerned about this too, why not use yupo for experimental purposes only, have fun, let it teach you new things to use on regular watercolour paper. It is my humble opinion that all new watercolourists should paint on YUPO first before going to other surfaces.
September 18, 2007 at 11:50 pm #1090243Cloe these are great tips..
I have painted on yupo with my friend, and I did get 2 finger marks on it..Poop.. I shall read these tips and I will ask Doug to add a link to your thread to the Learning Demo’s with the other Yupo Threads..:)
Cheers JJ
JJ
Let go of past mistakes and hurts. Forgive and empower yourself. Live the life you were meant to live. And, be at peace with yourself.
MY BLOG
My Youtube videosSeptember 19, 2007 at 5:53 am #1090240Thanks for the info, Chloe. Lots of good tips there about using this lovely support for our paintings. :thumbsup:
Sylvia
September 19, 2007 at 6:05 am #1090256Thanks Chloe. I have been thinking about exploring with yupo and you gave us some great information!
September 19, 2007 at 10:18 am #1090255Great contribution Chloe. Yeah!
Jen
Jennifer Landau
Proud to be published in Art Quilting Studio magazine and educating about wool at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair.September 19, 2007 at 7:13 pm #1090257Thank you.. I would just like to mention there’s an error in spelling on the last line reading…’ It is my humble opinion that all new watercolourists should paint on you first before going to other surfaces.’
The underlines word should read yupo ,and on this line..
‘to protect i from handling.’ The underlines word should read it.
I think most of you figured it out; but just wanted to bring it to your attention.
My apology.[both errors have been corrected. Sylvia ;)]
September 19, 2007 at 8:07 pm #1090244Choe, thanks for sharing what you’ve learned at your workshop! Very interesting and informative! :thumbsup:
Patty
October 12, 2007 at 6:28 pm #1090261How well does acrylic stick to this stuff? I understand that watercolor washes off–but has anyone tried scraping the dried acrylic with their fingernail, to see how well it adheres?
October 12, 2007 at 7:42 pm #1090259this is really helpful! thank you!
I had noticed the fingerprint thing, but had not decided how to avoid it!
I discovered there are now 126 colors in the caran d’ache neocolor line, and from playing around with my old set, I do think that is going to be a great way to make use of my yupo….
Harvest Moon 🐐
October 13, 2007 at 9:42 am #1090245I am sometimes referred to as one of the YUPO QUEENS. I totally, totally LOVE IT!! I have sold a number of them. It really lets me be me and I enjoy the free flowing aspects of the watercolor on this surface. I don’t care about finger marks. Cool. It’s “my” mark.
Donna PierceClark
http://www.donnapierceclark.com
October 13, 2007 at 9:44 am #1090246Additionally, I occasionally teach watercolor on yupo in Troy Ohio at the Hayner Cultural Center. I may offer it this winter if any Ohioians are out there and in the area of Troy.
Donna PierceClark
http://www.donnapierceclark.com
March 28, 2008 at 9:59 pm #1090262I too use cotton gloves when handling this paper to avoid leaving fingerprint marks.
Below is a tip for removing those pesky fingerprint marks that could otherwise ruin a beautiful work of art.
I do a quick wash of clear water over the paper to locate any fingerprint marks before I begin painting. I then use a cotton swab that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol to gently lift the fingerprint mark off the paper. I then wet that location to ensure it was removed properly.
Lise
March 29, 2008 at 11:47 pm #1090258I really like Yupo, it’s what I paint on when I’m having an “artistic block”….and it was my very 1st painting that sold in the very 1st show I entered…I was floored!!!:D
Matt
"Painting in watercolor is making the best of an emergency." J. S. Sargent
http://mattmoberly.smugmug.com My World. My Vision.
May 28, 2008 at 8:24 pm #1090263I have recently begun to use Yupo and love it! Good tip about the gloves!
I’ve done some ACEO’s and used watercolor pencils(wet) with some good results!
Does anyone know how to do the bubble effect(blowing paint through a straw) on Yupo? What paint works best for this? It produces some beautiful results!May 30, 2008 at 8:28 pm #1090260Chi Town Cheryl: How do you “seal” your Yupo ACEOs? Just a single spray of fixative or…?
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