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The Easy Way to Flatten a Warped Watercolor Painting

My little helper.
You can soak it, stretch it, staple it, tape it or clamp it. You may even use watercolor paper blocks or heavyweight watercolor paper. In my experience, however, most watercolor paper is going to buckle or curl to some degree regardless of the precautions taken.
I no longer bother with time-consuming preventative measures. Instead, I've created a simple “flattening station” in my basement which makes flattening my watercolors convenient, fast and easy. (If you are bothered by warping or buckling mid-painting, you can also use this technique to flatten a half-finished painting before continuing. Just be sure your painting is perfectly dry before proceeding.)
To create your own station, all you need is a clean flat surface, a couple sheets of plexiglass/acrylic, some butcher paper (or similar), a squirt bottle filled with water, and some heavy books or catalogs. (Be sure your table and plexi are larger than your painting. My station is large enough to handle a half sheet of watercolor paper or several smaller pieces.)
Lay your plexi on the table followed by a clean sheet of butcher paper. Next, place your painting face down on the butcher paper. Lightly spritz the back of your painting with water...very lightly, just a few squirts! Place a second sheet of butcher paper over your dampened painting and top with another sheet of plexi (cardboard is ok too). Pile the books on top and leave overnight. The result is a perfectly flat painting with no ironing required!

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