Love the Deckled Edge? Here Is the Best Way to Rip Your Watercolor Paper.

Ripped watercolor paper has a beautiful deckled edge. Here is an 8 step process to rip without tears.

Once you’ve purchased watercolor paper, you may choose to rip or cut the paper into smaller sheets. Whether it’s to make the paper easier to store or to use for smaller art projects, you’ll need to be careful. There are certain techniques you can employ to ensure you get the best results every time.

Key Takeaways

1. Watercolor paper can be ripped or cut. It is recommended to rip the watercolor paper to give the edges a consistent look. 

2. Ripping watercolor paper will give you what is called a deckled edge. 

3. There are eight simple steps you should follow when ripping your watercolor paper.

Rip vs Tear

Standard full sheet size watercolor paper is 22 by 30 inches. You’ll inevitably find yourself needing to size it down into smaller sheets, which sparks the debate: rip vs tear? Ripping the paper will give you a deckled edge, while cutting will produce a clean, straight line. Interestingly, deckled edges were the only option up until the 19th century for any paper - artists watercolor paper, books, anything. Nowadays, we see the deckled edge as preferable. It’s recommended that you only rip watercolor paper, never cutting it. That’s because when you’re ready to frame your art, you can always cover up the edges with a mat if you’d like. If you float the painting, you get a really gorgeous effect as the light hits the rough edge. It’s also important to note that artists watercolor paper comes with a deckled edge, so you’ll want to tear that to keep the edges consistent.

When you purchase smaller sheets of watercolor paper, they often already have a straight edge instead of a deckled edge from being cut down to size by the manufacturer. This is why it’s better to buy larger sheets and rip them yourself. When you rip a standard watercolor sheet in half, into quarters or eighths, it will fit conveniently in standard sized frames. The deckled edge is a sought-after attribute that many people aim to mimic on other paper, so it should be celebrated!

Eight-Step Technique for Ripping Watercolor Paper

When ripping watercolor paper, you want to start with clean fingers. There’s nothing worse than sitting down to paint and realizing you have a big, greasy fingerprint in the middle of your watercolor paper. Look for the watermark on artists watercolor paper to ensure you have the right side up. Now you can begin:

  1. Fold the sheet in half, lining up the edges evenly and focusing most of your touch on the backside of the paper. Then crease the fold so it’s flat. 
  2. Open it up and fold it back in the opposite direction, then fold along the same crease. 
  3. Open again, then open and close it a few times to really break the seam.
  4. Lay the paper flat and line a metal ruler along the crease you’ve created, parallel with the crease. The ruler should be lined up at the top of the paper.
  5. Take one hand and use your index finger to put pressure at the top of the ruler. On the same hand, add another finger or your thumb about six inches down the ruler, still applying pressure to avoid slips.
  6. With your free hand, hold the corner of the paper and begin pulling downward to rip.
  7. Pull until your rip lines up with where your lower finger is on the ruler. Then pause, readjust your fingers lower on the ruler, and rip again. Repeat until you get to the bottom.
  8. If you don’t use this method and try to rip the whole sheet in one go, you might find that you get an uneven or crooked edge.

Once you have ripped your paper into smaller pieces put a small X on the backside of each sheet, that doesn’t already have the watermark, so you know the difference between the front and back. That will insure you are using the best textured side of the paper.

Final thoughts on Ripping Watercolor Paper

There you have it! You’ve ripped your own watercolor paper down into smaller sheets. It will now be easier to store and easy to display in a frame. It might take some practice, but you’ll always be better off ripping watercolor paper instead of buying the pre-cut option.

Interested in learning more? 

Check out our YouTube video on this subject with Arts of Course instructor Jess Rice.  

You may also want to read 16 simple things to know to begin with watercolors and create successful paintings.

Download our free Top 10 Watercolor Tips by 200 passionate painters

Categories: Watercolor Paper, Watercolor tips

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