How To Stretch Watercolor Paper Without Tape. I soak my paper in the bath for a few minutes and fasten it down with the gummed tape. Check the paper’s packaging to find out the sheet weight.
I always have a piece of paper ready to go so i don’t need to worry about waiting for it to dry. Lay it on your board and dry the top surface of the paper completely with a paper towel. If you have a relatively small piece of paper, say 9×12″, then you can just use cheap clear packing tape to hold the watercolor paper down to a hard surface or board.
Submerge the paper, laying it flat against the bottom of the tray.
Cover paper with a sheet of sketch paper or a towel. Fill a large sink or bath with water and submerge the paper, rolling or folding it as necessary, but avoiding creasing it. The sketch paper should be larger than the painted paper. Once the paper is dry, it will be stretched tight on the board and will not warp when watercolor is added.