Review on 📒 Medium 74lb Legion Yupo Polypropylene Pad, 5 X 7 inches, 10 Sheets, White (L21-YUP197WH57) by Shantel Griffin

The amount of incredibly cool things you can do with Yupo never ceases to amaze me! I'm so glad Yupo Corporation finally decided to sell their great product to the masses - just a few years ago it was very difficult to get even a small amount of this great unofficial paper. It remains the same amazing interface but the world can experiment with it. And we have an experiment! Yupo is considered synthetic "paper" - but does not use trees. It seems to have an indefinite shelf life - at least I haven't figured out what it is yet. I was lucky enough to get a slice of this about eight(?) years ago - and just used the small pieces I separated into cups. The rest of the bow, while small, is still as good as the day it was delivered. The print on it is amazing too - the way the ink bounces off the page is just awesome! I know it's also used for product packaging, labels, etc. but I can't say much about those uses. I'm more familiar with using it as one of my all time favorite art substrates! Yupo is incredibly smooth, available in opaque (bright white) and translucent versions, and has an amazing sheen. (I love them both!) It can't be torn, it can be rubbed off, it comes in different sizes and thicknesses and it's waterproof. You can also recycle it. (Starting to understand why this definitely deserves five stars?) Makes the die cutting amazing - the shapes are so easy to cut out and unlike regular paper it doesn't tear when you pull out the smallest details. It calls for color like nothing else - using watercolor is a whole new experience. Removing an entire area of watercolor is just as easy as expanding the portion you want. Takes Acrylic as a Dream - Acrylic is more "permanent" than watercolor. By this I mean that the acrylics seem to be more stable on the Yupo, although I have found that some paints/acrylics appear flatter after drying. I don't know if it's paint or paint related - I need to experiment more with my acrylics and Jupo. What about alcohol ink? YUMM! This is one of my favorite Yupo materials - the results are impossible to replicate with any other surface (that I've found). I also love using ink - Ph Martin's Hydrus is awesome! I also like to use sharpies and then spray/spray with alcohol. Graphite is accepted and makes shading very easy. Yupo is so brilliant that he's surprisingly forgiving but also clings to pencil marks like a champ. Oh, and it doesn't frizz or pucker! Easy to cut, bend or crumple. I mean it's origami, but I don't mean it's origami paper. It is better! It's great to color the jupo and then cut it out (after drawing a pattern on it). What's the pattern you ask? A template for something that FLOWS, of course! Yes, Yupo swims! Lamps/lanterns, 3D sculptures, home decor, paper dolls/clothes, books, paper sculptures, decoupage, markers, metal objects. This list is as endless as the creativity of the people who use it. Do you remember CitraSolve? (He was very popular in mixed media circles a few years ago.) He leaves a magical mark on Jupo! My favorite technique with Yupo? I found it in Darlene McElroy's Image Transfer Workshop: Mixed Techniques for Successful Transfer. (I highly recommend this book. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/1600611605?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages01) Anyway, Ms. McElroy calls it "Jupo Skin". Basically you use watercolor, acrylic and/or oil pastel to create the background image. After complete drying, spray with a working fixative. When the fixer dries, apply another layer on top. Use a spatula to apply a thick layer of glossy gel. You know how a thick layer of white gel hides the image underneath? Yes, that's what you want. Once the thick layer is dry (completely transparent), peel off the new "skin" of Yupo. No, Yupo isn't actually used in the final image, but the "skins" you can create are just adorable! You can attach the "skin" to anything, or you can wrap or roll/fold the "skin" around something. (You can gel it.) I'd really like to try this technique with other mediums, especially alcohol ink, but the list goes on! Not sure if this is my favorite because it's my first time hearing about and working with Jupo or if it's just a really cool technique. But the results are incredibly interesting and versatile. I love love love it! So if you are looking for new creative materials, give Yupo a try. There's an infinite number of things you can do with it, and an infinite number of techniques that go with what you can do. (Use one of the Gajillion painting techniques on the Yupo, then create your own pattern to cut out the details to make a pendant. Then create another pendant using a completely different painting technique.) There are many guides out there. are waiting for you to read or view them. And the best part is, you always have the option to post your own!