How well does Canson's water color paper work with acrylics

I had run out of my usual paper for acrylic/oil paints and stopped in my local Walmart to get another pad. Naturally, they had run out but had the water color paper. Since on the inside cover, Canson give this paper 2 stars and an excellent rating for acrylics and it was a little heavier weight paper, I thought I'd give it a try.

When I got to my studio I was eager to see how well it performed. I was disappointed! I
don't know where they came up with 2 stars out of 3 as I would only give it 2 out of 5 mediocre. The edges began curling and the center buckled and got worse the more I painted on it. After a while things leveled off after the paint dried up along with the paper.

I figured out how to eliminate some of the issues I had using it and am about 80% successful in doing so. I still get some curling edges initially with some buckling in the center but once the paper dries I have an easier time painting on it.

I prep both sides of the paper with either gesso or a thin coat of acrylic paint. I use water to thin either down even more than it is it and let both sides dry. To hurry things along, I use a blow drier. The paper is okay in a pinch, a bit larger than their acrylic/oil:11"x15" and a bit heavier #140.

I'm not one to waste anything nor my money so I continue using the water color paper until I run out. Later I found my normal paper at the same store and decided to hold on to it until I run out of the water color paper.

So....what was the outcome of my paintings after sealing them? Here, judge for your self.

acrylic painting on 11"x15" water color paper

acrylic painting on 11"x15" water color paper

Yup, all I use is AppleBarrel acrylic paints and gesso.

Canson® XL® Oil & Acrylic paper review

Canson^® XL^® Acrylic features a bleed proof, canvas like textured paper that is ready to use with oil or acrylic without the need of priming or preparation and it's my favorite paper to use. There is only a minimum of curling on the edges and is easily straightened out The weight is 136Lbs for both the 9x12" and the 11x14". One side has more texture than the other. Either side can be painted on. There are 24 sheets in both pads. I paid just under $10 for 9x12" and $12 for the 11x14" at my local Walmart.

I can easily recommend either sizes of this paper as there is no prep involved and I can use either oil or acrylic paints or both as in wet on wet technique. The paper will stay sturdy throughout my painting and don't have to worry about warping

Here are some paintings I did on the Canson XL Oil & Acrylic paper. They are all painted with Apple Barrel acrylic paints by Plaid.

male and female cardinals

male cardinal

chipmunk

squirrel looking out of a hole in a wall

my backyard squirrel sitting on a fence

sunlight between rocks

tall ship inundated by a huge wave

tall ship getting hit by a huge wave

Apple Barrel Paint Review

I do a lot of painting and most of it is done with acrylics. Unless I'm doing a commissioned painting, I will only use either Apple Barrel or Folk Art acrylic paints by Plaid.

I've had a lot of good luck using them, I like them and best of all they won't cost me an arm and a leg. As a matter of fact I pay 50¢ for Apple Barrel matte colors and 97¢ for the gloss paints at my local Walmart. I use the 2oz bottles although some come in 8oz bottles for a bit more than I would pay for 4-2oz bottles. There is a satin finish paint in the 2oz bottles which cost me about $1.29 a bottle. Prices vary from location to location so what you might pay for a 2oz bottle might vary.

Paints are rated on a light-fastness scale that runs from 1 to 5.

1=Excellent
2=Very good
3=Good
4=Fair
5=Poor
All of the Apple Barrel Acrylic Colors and Apple Barrel Gloss paints are rated Excellent or Very Good (1 or 2). These paints are made from some of the purest pigment available, which results in its superior quality.

I currently have at least 75 bottles and half of them are unopened. Since I paint daily, I go through a lot of paints and don't want to take the time out to run out and buy more if I run out during a painting. Whenever I'm in a Walmart, I'll just go ahead and buy a few bottles that I use more often. The problem with Walmart is that the paints seem to be out of stock often, that's why I stock up in advance. I know buying them on the internet will cost me  a lot more.

I've used them on just about every kind of painting from landscapes to portraits. The Apple Barrel paints are thinner than the traditional acrylic paints but work just as well for what I do. I've even used them on crafts and as long as I seal the paint with an acrylic sealer or varnish, they will last me a life time and then some.

I did have a problem about a year ago with the paint. They would smell like rotted flesh in the bottle and after I applied the paint. I contacted Plaid and received 50 new bottles for replacement. Fortunately I had a receipt for them all. Their answer for the smell was that someone had exposed the paints to extreme temps but I doubt that was the case. Never the less I have not had that problem since.

Here are a few paintings I did using just the Apple Barrel Matte acrylic paints.

squirrel in my backyard

Luna our dog

a bright fall day

a walk thru the forest preserve

melting ice on the lake

mountain side brook

sunrise at fall