Choosing the Right Paper for Your Project

I am addicted to paper.  

There, I admitted it. I have a supply that could rival some retail stores. Do you feel that way too? I have paper that's thick, thin, rough, smooth, white and toned. With so many options to choose from, finding the right paper sometimes requires trial and error. It's an important first step in any project though, because the paper you choose may ultimately mean the success or failure of your art work. Here are a few things to consider before starting a project.

What will you use to create your work?

There are papers tailored to every medium, even paint. This isn't to say you can't experiment on different papers. However, using a paper that is inappropriate for your medium will likely lead to poor results.

If you plan to use a water-based medium like watercolor or water-soluble pencils, make sure your paper is designed for wet media. Watercolor paper or mixed media paper are well- suited for those mediums. Though you should still be conscious of how much water you're adding. If you over saturate any paper, you may get bulging. You may need to take breaks and let your paper dry before you continue working. If your watercolor paper warps, and it is good quality, you can press it flat again.

Markers and pen and ink have their own special papers. When using markers, especially alcohol based markers like Copic, using an appropriate paper is vital. If the paper is designed for markers, you will likely get bleeding and feathering, poor blending, or colors that are not vibrant.

Dry media like charcoal, graphite, and pastel allow you to experiment freely on different papers.

Based on your medium and subject, you'll need to decide on the characteristics of your paper.

• Thin or Thick

Thinner papers are perfect for sketching, tracing, and quick drawings. Thicker papers will handle more, so they would be a good choice for final drawings. They tend to hold up better to erasing and re-working.

• Rough or Smooth

If you're working with is pastels or charcoal, a rougher surface can be beneficial because it will hold more of the medium. A smoother paper is more suitable for drawings with smooth areas such as skin in portraits, or metal in vehicles. Smooth papers are also better for technical drawing where lines need to be precise.Tip: If the paper is too rough on the fromt, flip it over, the backs usually have slightly less texture.

•  White or Toned

Choosing white or toned paper will depend greatly on your subject. Toned papers come in many shades including gray, tan, blues, and black. For example, a toned tan paper would be very appropriate for a portrait. Black works well with pastels, or white charcoal. Keep in mind colored papers may not available in every thickness or texture, so if those aspects are important to your work, stick with white.

Below are some of my celebrity artworks. The are created using different mediums and papers so you can compare the results. These papers came from different companies.

 

Halle Berry

Drawn with pastel pencils, colored pencils, and charcoal on textured and toned paper.

The paper was thin, so I was cautious about erasing. Although the texture held the medium well, I felt it was too visible and detracted from the final artwork. If you enlarge the picture, you'll see the texture plainly.

 

Sean Connery

Drawn with graphite and charcoal on 2-ply, white bristol paper. This paper performed beautifully. The surface had just enough texture to hold the graphite, but was smooth enough to render nice skin tones. It was also thick enough to allow me to indent for textures in his eyebrows and hair.

 

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock

Drawn with pastel pencils, charcoal an graphite on a thin toned paper. Although I'm pleased with the final result, this paper was a bit hard to work on. It was almost too thin, which meant really working to get the mediums to stick and layering multiple times to achieve the desired tones. It would have been easier if it had slightly more tooth. to grab the pastel.

 

Consider the quality of the paper

Not all papers are created equal. Some are designed for sketching and studies that are considered disposable, others are for fine art work. Artist quality papers from reliable brands will give you the best performance. 

Artist papers also have varying degrees of quality. For example, Strathmore brand has 300, 400 and 500 series papers. The higher series numbers have superior light-fastness and durability.

Find out more about Strathmore Series numbers and what they mean.

Does it matter what brand?

There are so many brands of paper, including Arches, Canson, and Strathmore. Each line offers slightly different papers and sizes. Even if you have a favorite paper company, at times you may have to try other brands to find what you need. I had to try Arches watercolor paper because they offer large single sheets, and Strathmore did not have the size I needed. I also didn't need a whole book, since it was only one project.I was a bit nervous changing brands, but was pleasantly surprised at how well the Arches paper worked. As you experiment, you will likely find papers from all the brands that you like.

I personally prefer Strathmore papers. I have put their papers through abuse, and been pleased with how they performed. Once, I spilled a sizeable spot of ink on a watercolor project on Strathmore 400 Series watercolor paper. I saturated the paper, scraped with a razor blade, and erased that spot until it was light enough to cover, and the paper withstood it all. I've had similar success with the Strathmore 300 series Bristol paper. This is my preferred drawing paper because it's white, thick, and has a smooth surface. It will withstand indenting and scraping for textures, and holds up well to erasing. 

These are my favorite Strathmore papers:

 

 

Here's the bottom line:

Buy a quality artist paper that's suitable for your medium and you'll get the best results. Happy creating!