Artist, Fiona Phipps puts the Hahnemühle Watercolour Bookmark Pad to the test in this in-depth product review.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when asked to review this product, my initial thoughts were that it would have limited uses. Well, I can confidently say, they are Fun….with a capital F!
What is the Hahnemühle Bookmark Pad?
The Hahnemühle Bookmark pad contains 15 pre-cut, 5.5 x 20cm, heavyweight, 100% cotton, 300gsm, white, expression watercolour paper.
They are surface sized to give the perfect platform for many types of media. The pad is also compact and can be used in landscape or portrait format. The quality of the paper is what you would expect from a top of the range artist-quality brand such as Hahnemühle.
Top product features:
- Well packaged in double, sturdy cardboard on arrival.
- The bookmark pad itself has an added wrap of polythene to keep the pages together and intact.
- The glue across the top of the pad ensures each leaf is easily detached.
- The paper is excellent weight for the bookmark product at 300gms.
- The cold-pressed structure and super absorbency is ideal for watercolour layering particularly.
Price: Just £7.11 per pad of 15 bookmarks*
Where to buy: Art Supplies with Painters Online
Painting with the watercolour bookmarks
Firstly, I wanted to test which media the bookmark paper would work well with. This resulted in producing my first bookmark - a swatch using various media!
Using masking tape, I sectioned the bookmark to give me several partitioned areas to lay down the following:
- Single watercolour wash
- Fine liners in a random pattern
- Undiluted gouache
- Oil pastels (which were first applied to card and then stroked onto the bookmark)
- Merging two colours of Liquitex acrylic inks
- A small example of mono print.
Hahnemühle suggest that using masking tape is hassle-free but it does pull a little if you fix it too firmly on the paper. I cured this particular problem by removing some of the tackiness from the tape.
Painting with watercolour on the bookmarks
For my first attempt, I intended to play around with watercolour washes to see how the paper behaved. Especially as I'm not familiar with the Hahnemühle brand of papers. I liked the surface and structure of the paper and the way the washes behaved, absorbed and dried.
I experimented with different techniques, the first using clingfilm on mixed, wet watercolour washes.
I mixed watercolour washes with Indian ink, on previously wet paper, these two mixed creating a dendritic effect. Once dry, I used neat Indian ink to draw in the trees.
The paint dried evenly leaving crisp, white highlighted areas among other areas of darker colour and textures. These dried washes accepted further wet washes as I negatively painted into the image to create the resulting image.
Experiment further with Fiona's review of Liquitex Acrylic inks.
Experimenting with fine liners
If you are a fan of more intricate images, it's possible to create fine line work on the bookmarks.
The paper has a fine surface grain, meaning fine liner pens glide smoothly across the surface, leaving clear sharp results.
Ideas for how to use the bookmark pads
There are many subjects you can use for inspiration to create a bookmark that is personal, unique and practical. They also make a special gift, with a personal touch for family and friends.
The bookmark pads can be enjoyed by all artists, regardless of age, ability and aptitude. They would be great for parents and grandparents to keep kids busy on rainy half-term holidays. They are also a fun project for art groups at the start or end of term, and much more.
Top ideas for creating your bookmarks
- Use watercolour, acrylic, gouache and inks to paint an image
- Draw with coloured pencils, crayons, fine liners, ink
- Use block prints, Lino prints, mono print, stencils, collage
- The choice of subjects is infinite from landscapes, abstract, cartoons and more
- Perfect presents and projects for Christmas, Halloween, Easter and birthdays
- You can even raid your old jewellery or button box to add that personal embellishment to make your bookmark even more unique
Should you buy the Hahnemühle Watercolour Bookmark Pads?
My initial thoughts about this product were that they would only appeal to a limited audience. They are a small format, which I thought would be the first problem I would encounter. After painting the first two bookmarks, I found that the small size was one of the most enjoyable features.
The most interesting feature of this product is how appealing they are and the audience could be wide ranging. They would be suitable for for artists of all levels or even if you enjoy crafting. I guarantee that you would enjoy the simplicity and rewards of creating a bookmark.
It has been a pleasure and joy to review this product. For a modest outlay, you can buy yourself or others, a small and original package of fun!
Order your Hahnemühle Watercolour Bookmark Pads on our online shop. Studio Members save up to 15% off everything at checkout!
*Prices correct at the time of publishing.
About Fiona Phipps
Fiona has been painting for fifteen years, exploring watercolour, oils and mixed media. She studied oils with professional artist and tutor Davy Brown, and mixed media at several workshops with Hazel Campbell. You can view more of Fiona's work in the gallery.