Why paper sizing matters more than pigment brand

Pigment brands receive a lot of attention. Names, formulas, reputation. Paper sizing far less so. Yet sizing often determines how watercolor behaves more than the paint itself.

Sizing controls how water interacts with paper. Internal sizing affects absorption throughout the sheet. Surface sizing affects how long water remains mobile on top. Together, they define the window in which pigment can move.

Granulation depends on that window.

If water sinks too quickly, pigment particles settle early and close together. Separation shortens. Texture compresses. If water stays open longer, particles have time to travel, separate, and respond to gravity and surface variation.

Two sheets of the same paper can behave differently if sizing varies even slightly. Humidity, storage conditions, and age all affect sizing performance. This is why identical paints can behave very differently from one session to the next, even on what appears to be the same surface.

Pigment does not act alone. It responds to the conditions it is given.

Understanding sizing shifts attention away from blaming the paint. It invites observation of how long the surface stays receptive, how quickly it closes, and how that timing interacts with pigment behavior.

Paper is not passive. It is an active participant.