A New Discovery at the Paint Table: Magnani 1404 Watercolor Paper

The search for an alternative to Arches continues...

One of the things I've learned over the years is that artists never stop experimenting.

We're always searching for the next brush, the next pigment, the next surface—something that helps us say what we're trying to say just a little better.

For me, that search recently led to Magnani 1404 watercolor paper.

I've long admired Arches watercolor paper, but at more than $9.00 per full sheet (22 × 30 inches), it becomes an expensive companion when experimentation is part of the creative process. When Jerry's Artarama recently offered a Buy 3, Get 2 Free sale, bringing the cost of Magnani 1404 down to about $6.60 per sheet, I decided it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.

I'm so glad I did.

The painting above is my very first experience with Magnani 1404, and it was a delightful surprise.

I began by thoroughly soaking both the front and back of the paper, allowing the moisture to settle until the glossy surface disappeared. That's my favorite way to work wet-into-wet because it gives the paint room to move while still allowing me to guide it.

The real surprise came afterward.

As the landscape developed, I wanted to soften and lighten portions of the distant trees and create the mist drifting across the field. I began lifting color.

Then I lifted some more.

Then I scrubbed.

Then I lifted again.

The paper never complained.

The surface remained beautifully intact, allowing me to rework passages far more aggressively than I expected. Instead of feeling nervous about damaging the paper, I found myself freely exploring the painting.

That sense of freedom is a wonderful gift.

For this painting I used MaimeriBlu watercolor, another Italian-made favorite that paired beautifully with the paper.

Then I learned something that made me smile.

The Magnani family has been making fine papers in Italy for more than 600 years.

Six hundred years.

I suppose after that much practice, they know a thing or two about paper.

Now I know a little more, too.

Bravo, Magnani.

Materials

• Paper: Magnani 1404, 300 gsm (140 lb) watercolor paper
• Technique: Wet-on-wet (paper soaked front and back)
• Paint: MaimeriBlu watercolors
• Subject: Atmospheric landscape study

Studio Notes

Will Magnani completely replace Arches in my studio?

Time will tell.

But after this first painting, I can honestly say I'm looking forward to the next sheet.

And that's about the highest compliment I can give a new watercolor paper.