I have tried a lot of different drawing paper the past many years.
In general I go for a very smooth matte surface when searching for paper. I love working on smooth paper, whether it be with graphite pencils or charcoal. I do however find it easier to work with graphite pencils on paper with a little structure. It makes it easier to make very dark areas without the pencil strokes getting too shiny.
I have often drawn on regular matte copy-paper (for printers) in the past. It's excellent to draw on but unfortunately some of it gets yellow in a couple of years. That's why I think it's a really good idea to invest in some real drawing paper. It really is worth it in the long run.
My favourite paper - Winsor&Newton
I am a big fan of Winsor&Newton's drawing paper. For many years I have been using a smooth surface cartridge pad 70lbs/150gsm. It is perfect for charcoal drawings, because of the smooth matte surface. It really works well. However, they have changed the surface on their paper to a slightly grainier one, which is a bit sad. The good thing is,the new surface seem to work quite well for pastel drawings. It's definitely the one paper I would recommend the most.
Other paper types I have tried:
Since I have tried so many paper types through the years I thought I would tell a bit about my experiences with them and rate them (after my personal opinion).
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Sketch paper, Winsor& Newton, size 30x40cm.
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This drawing sketch pad works well for rougher pencil drawings. if you like drawings where you can see the texture of the paper, this is perfect for you. It has a very grainy matte surface. It's really good for making dark areas and you don't have to press too hard with the pencils.
The bad thing about it is you can't make the drawing look all smooth unless you blend with tissues. Even then it tends to look a bit dirty and uneven.
Drawings made on this type of paper: 1 2
2 out of 5
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This paper I have only used very few times. Though it's liked by many I don't really like it too much. To me the surface is too smooth and a bit shiny. It's hard to get the pencil and charocal to stick to the paper when building up layers. It can get quite annoying when working a long time on it. However, if you have 10 hours extra and some eextra patience you can get some great results.
It's very expensive, compared to a lot of other paper I have bought.
It has a bit of purple touch to it.
Drawings made on this type of paper: 1 2 3
1 out of 5
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Bristol Smooth paper, Winsor&Newton.
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This paper is good when working with pencil and pastels. It can go dark without shining, when using graphotute pencils.
it has a great surface for pastels, as it has a bit of a grainy surface. just enough for it to work well with the colours.
It has a bit of yellow touch but in my opinion it doesn't matter.
Drawings made on this type of paper: 1 2 3
4 out of 5
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This paper works very well with colours and graphite pencils.
However, it's bought in a supermarket and therefore hard to get.
Drawings made on this type of paper: 1 2 3
3 out of 5
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This paper I have used for my bigger drawings some years back.
It's good for graphite pencil drawings but I wouldn't recommend it for either charcoal or pastels. The surface is very grainy.
Drawings made on this type of paper: 1 2 3 4
2 out of 5 |
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