Best Paper For Graphite Portraits

Thinner paper will tear easier and ruin your work.

Best paper for graphite portraits.

Strathmore 400 series drawing or strathmore s 400 series bristol vellum surface paper is perfect for charcoal. It will give you good results without breaking the bank. A good overall choice in my opinion is strathmore bristol smooth 400. It will have the texture you want.

In video 2 of sarah becktel s graphite series see her tips for selecting the right paper for graphite. Textured paper surface should be thought of as being a 3 dimensional surface with peaks and valleys not unlike a mountain chain. Canson mi teintes drawing paper this paper has a very pronounced laid texture. Smooth paper is great for graphite but it doesn t hold charcoal or pastel as well as drawing paper with a rougher texture.

Again my recommendation is the same here. It does not hold graphite well at all. The heavier weight is better for drawing since it can take more erasure and can handle the constant pressure from the pencil better. The best paper for graphite drawings should have a weight of 80lbs or more significant.

It s called charcoal or pastel paper. A pressed paper will be even smoother than smooth the pressed or smooth bristol papers are the best for pencil drawings in which you need to blend the graphite to a very smooth look for drawing human skin etc. Usually printing paper is too soft for pencil drawing and arches cover is no exception. I used strathmore 300 series bristol board pads 9 x 12 smooth for this ink drawing.

To achieve an even shade it is necessary to surround the peaks paper texture with graphite from all angles. I used strathmore 300 series bristol board pads 9 x 12 velum for this graphite drawing. Bienfang raritan heavyweight drawing paper i cannot get this paper to accept dark blacks they just seem to fall off. Printer copying paper generally has a weight of 20lbs 75 gsm.

This not only produces an even shade but it is easier to achieve and has greater depth of tone. Canson mi teintes canson ingres strathmore 500 series and fabriano tiziano are popular choices. For graphite drawings with a moderate degree of realism a drawing paper like strathmore series 400 is a good place to begin. Either get two pads one in each size or just get the larger size and work on half the page for graphite drawings if you want to get conservative.

Ink drawing day to day sketching.