The Canson paper-manufacturing machine running at the Canson Paper Mill, located in Annonay, France.
Tony Paul reviews watercolour papers from French manufacturer, Canson.
A brief history of Canson
Canson was founded in1557 by James Montgolfier with a paper mill in the Beaujolais area of France.
The brand continues working to improve and innovate its products.
Visit en.canson.com to find out more about Canson, its history and its paper.
Canson’s flagship watercolour paper, Moulin du Roy is available in Rough, NOT and HP
Testing Canson papers
I have known Canson papers since my early years of painting and have used their products ever since.
I particularly like using the pastel paper, Mi-Teintes, and the watercolour papers, some of which I have the pleasure of reviewing below.
All the following products are available in art shops and from mail-order companies.
1. Moulin du Roy
This 100 per cent cotton mould-made, internally and externally sized watercolour paper is the flagship of Canson’s watercolour paper range.
Made to the most exacting Artists’ quality standards in 300gsm and 640gsm, it is available in Rough, NOT and hot-pressed surfaces in:
- Imperial (56x76cm) sheets
- Blocks of 20 sheets (23x30cm) and (30x45cm)
- Glued pads of 12 sheets (24x32cm) and (30x40cm)
The Rough and cold-pressed papers have a slighter texture on the reverse side, as they are sized similarly.
Both sides are equally useful, making for a more versatile paper than other brands that have similar textures front and back.
Where to buy
Canson Moulin du Roy can be purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.
2. Montval
Montval is the Student grade wood-free watercolour paper, available as cold-pressed and ‘snowy grained’ surfaces in:
- Imperial (56x76cm) sheets
- Spiral-bound pads of 12 sheets (A4) and (32x41cm)
- Glued pad of 12 sheets 24x32cm)
As with the Moulin du Roy paper, there is a slightly different texture on either side.
In this case the face side is a sharply defined random NOT texture. The reverse side is softer but equally a NOT texture. Both would be equally suited to creating characterful watercolours.
Video from Canson Youtube channel
Where to buy
Canson Montval can be purchased from Great Art by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.
3. XL Aquarelle
These papers are made in chunky workman-like pads, which are ideal as workbooks.
The 300gsm acid-free paper, XL Aquarelle, is available in:
- 30-sheet spiral-bound pads in A4 and A3
The NOT texture is fine and random, ideal for its primary use for watercolour or pen-and-wash work.
4. XL Mix Media
XL Mix Media is similar in most respects to XL Aquarelle, but has a laid texture, similar to Ingres paper, which offers a wider range of media use.
The reverse sides of both these pads have a hot-pressed texture.
Where to buy
Canson XL can be purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.
5. Imagine Mix Media
Finally, Imagine Mix Media is a 200gsm (120lb) acid-free, hot-pressed surfaced, creamy white paper, designed for general art use.
Available in:
- Pads of 50 sheets in A5, A4, A3 and A2
Where to buy
Canson Imagine can be purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies by clicking here and from art shops and other online retailers.
Putting Moulin du Roy to the test
1. Hot-pressed
Cazals from the Fields, watercolour on Canson Moulin du Roy 300gsm hot-pressed watercolour paper, (17x20cm)
Top features:
- Moulin du Roy’s smooth paper is great for painting fine detail.
- The washes flow well over the paper, and sit well and brightly on it.
- When applied in wet-in-wet washes, definition is easily achieved without creating watermarks.
- The paper is stable when painting, with little distortion.
2. Painting wet-in-wet on Rough paper
Julie in Lace, watercolour on Canson Moulin du Roy 300gsm Rough watercolour paper, (40x30cm)
Top features:
- Regular texture
- Resistant to wetting and scrubbing
- Easy lift off
The Moulin du Roy 300gsm Rough paper has a very pronounced regular texture.
In the sketch of my daughter, Julie, in her 1920s’ lace wedding dress, above, I wanted to give an impression of detail without overworking it.
The depth of the texture of the Rough paper allowed dry brush to be used to suggest the lace, particularly on the sleeve.
I used a lot of wet-in-wet, applying different coloured washes and refined these by lifting off with a stiffer haired synthetic brush.
The results:
- I was pleased to note that throughout, the paper remained stable, its surface unaffected by the wetting and scrubbing.
- Lift off was easy and most colours came off fairly completely.
- Despite the depth of the texture, covering with a wash was easy without it breaking up.
This paper allowed me to do what I wanted to do without difficulty. I really enjoyed working on it.
3. Washes on cold-pressed
Coal Tit, Dawn, watercolour and gouache on Canson Moulin du Roy cold-pressed watercolour paper, (18x13cm)
Top features:
- Fine texture
- Unobtrusive sizing
- Colours fuse well
I spotted the scene that became Coal Tit, Dawn from my window one cold, winter’s morning and had to make a painting of it.
I decided on using Canson Moulin du Roy 300gsm cold-pressed watercolour paper. I like its fine texture, enough to give washes interest, but not strong enough to prevent working up fine detail.
Purple and a mixed orange were applied wet in wet for the effect of the dawn light in the background. They fused beautifully on the paper.
I allowed the washes to dry then painted the twigs and branches in various colours and tones to imply a sense of density.
The coal tit was the last to be painted, as I wanted it to pull forward.
Being contre-jour I had to be careful that the white of his feathers was less potent than the light on his back.
The unobtrusive texture and the sizing of the paper made painting a pleasure.
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