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With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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I am but a novice in watercolour - yes, I've produced a lot of watercolour paintings, and I know a lot about pigments, BUT - I've only used it for sketches, and for filling in time between oils and acrylics.  I thought I'd get that caveat in early..... I've been using Hahnemühle rough torchon paper lately - but only have a ca. A5 pad: I think I'd use it exclusively and will get larger sheets: because I know what it will do, and can answer my own questions. However: I still have a stock of Arches paper - and it's excellent stuff, but: I have very little success with scratching out with it - I wait until the sheen has gone off, apply fingernail or scalpel/knife: and nothing: it just won't make the fine lines I'm after.  I can lighten areas, with a sideways swipe, but can't get down to the white paper. This might not be the paper at all: I was using a combination of Ultramarine and Venetian Red (which I thought was Burnt Sienna, but that's a different story): maybe the Venetian Red sinks into the paper fibres to the extent it can't be shifted; or maybe this is a characteristic of cotton rag papers....   But I don't know: Mr Google is unhelpful; can anyone offer guidance?
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Paul (Dixie) Dean

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Robert  I’ve used Archers quite a lot  and it’s not the best for scratching out but it can be done . Cotton rag in general do tend to absorb more of pigment into itself, Alizarin Crimson is a beast to scratch out for some reason and if I recall correctly I found some of the light yellows . Thinking about it , it’s a combination in regards to your problem, proves a point that even the top quality papers aren’t capable of doing everything we demanded of them horses for courses as they say. 

Jenny Harris

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I use a heavyweight 100% cotton rag (NOT) watercolour paper and find the best way to get fine white lines is either to use masking fluid or a white gel pen, preferably the latter.  I have tried scratching out once or twice (with the back of an old dip pen nib) but if the paper is still damp it can easily tear.  Scratching out on dry paper works better, even with staining colours.  Even then, you can often tell when someone has scratched out - the line can have a rather rough look.  Using  a white gel pen is much more effective and doesn’t damage the surface of the paper.

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by Jenny Harris

Alan Bickley

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If I’m not mistaken, both Arches and Hahnemühle watercolour papers are 100% cotton, as opposed to cotton rag as mentioned by Robert. Cotton rag being more robust and durable and is often reserved for the more expensive hand made papers from Two Rivers Paper Mill as one example. I believe both, but certainly Arches has a gelatin sized surface that obviously prevents the paint from sinking into the paper to some degree, so you aren’t painting on ‘blotting paper’. Both papers mentioned may also be tub sized, but not absolutely sure about that…tub sized means the paper being immersed in gelatin during manufacture. I know that my Two Rivers papers are, and I’m rarely using anything else these days, it’s so good to work on… Anyway, they are both pretty strong and resilient papers, that I am sure about! I’m not big on scratching out! I do occasionally use it for things such as a rope or rigging from a moored boat and so on, but my preference is to use white gouache with a no.0 rigger. Unless you’ve got finger nails like an owls talen, it’s best to use a sharp scalpel blade (in its handle of course), that always works for me! No idea why you can’t scratch out the surface, unless it is that particular combination of colours - but if it’s a problem, I’d recommend the gouache approach!

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by Alan Bickley

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Thank all three kindly - I'll have another go, on another painting.  I don't scratch out much, but now and then it's useful - especially in breaking up a bit of a bob of a wash! I really dislike masking fluid so intensely that I don't see myself using it; and the trouble with the white gel pen (I do have them) and gouache is that the line then stands out more than I want it to.  Picky, you see; picky.... I do have nails like talons - Turner, we are told, grew a thumbnail long, so he could use it to scratch out: I told Rupert Cordeux this, and I think it made him feel quite ill.... Two Rivers paper - yes; when I next buy paper, I'll try that, plus the Hahnemühle.  I do find Arches a bit of a challenge.  Bockingford takes to scratching out like a duck to water, so maybe a swatch of that, too: this shopping trolley is getting heavy....