Paper or Plastic?

Do you know Yupo? I've just discovered this modern, space-age miracle.

"Oh, is that the Japanese paper that's really plastic?" someone asked me at the Art Students League in Manhattan last weekend.

Yes, Yupo is 100% polypropelene and although it takes a bit of getting used to, it does seem marvelous. I got a pad of 10 sheets of smooth finish, 74 lb., 11 by 14 inch sheets from Utrecht Art Supply for about $20.

The great thing about Yupo is that you can reuse the sheets over and over until you have a masterpiece on each sheet. If you're not happy with the results, just dampen a cloth and wipe it away. You've got a brand-new sheet ready to start over. Since it's not really paper but plastic, the surface does not degrade when you wipe off the painting.

My wife commented that the sheets seem awfully bright white (unlike the impression given here by my photo). True enough. The label says "suitable for all watercolor techniques." But unlike paper, Yupo doesn't buckle and curl when wet.