Types of Drawing Paper
This sounds like a problem with an easy solution. What kind of drawing paper should you draw on? Anything clean, right? Sure, but if you’re serious about drawing and art, you should want to use the correct paper in the right quality.
There are many different kinds of paper that can be used for drawing. Of course, you won’t sketch on watercolor paper or canvas, but the type of drawing paper will depend on what you want to achieve in your drawing.
Bristol Paper
Bristol is a heavyweight paper. Bristol paper is made by layering paper to make it thicker. It can be used for different types of drawing or even acrylic painting because it is heavy and will hold the paint well. You can use this type of paper for more finished and extensive drawing pieces.
I recommend Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Sheets 22 in. x 30 in. 3 ply sheets each vellum. It is great quality that is very affordable.
Manila Paper
Manila paper is a beige colored paper that has visible fibers throughout. It is thin and lightweight. It can be used for quick sketching and coming up with ideas. It is not high quality, so it shouldn’t be used for extensive drawing.
It’s a great idea to have some manila paper always on hand. It is relatively cheap. Try Pacon Manila Groundwood Drawing Paper 12 in. x 18 in. pack of 50.
Charcoal Paper
Charcoal paper is, as you’ve probably guessed, used for charcoal drawing. Charcoal doesn’t work well on smooth paper, which is what you usually see. You will want paper that is rougher and has tooth. This catches and holds the charcoal better. This is how charcoal paper is made, so that you get the best hold of your charcoal.
I recommend using a good quality charcoal paper such as Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal Paper Pads 12 in. x 18 in. white pad of 24. You want good quality, but you don’t need to spend a lot to get that good quality.
Drawing Paper
While all these are for drawing, you can purchase basic drawing paper, without all the bells and whistles. You want to look for something that will hold up well to whatever medium you are using. For example, if you are using pen and ink, you want something that won’t bleed. A great drawing paper is Bienfang Raritan Heavyweight Drawing Paper 9 in. x 12 in. pad of 30.
Sketchbooks
If you love to draw and want to improve, you have to do it all the time. Having a sketchbook has many benefits for practice. You can keep all your sketches in one place, and you can bring them wherever you want.
There are many different variations of sketchbooks. You can get very inexpensive spiral bound books, or beautiful hardcover books. I prefer to use spiral bound books because they are easy to fold back and sketch on a flat surface. Even the expensive hardcover books are available as spiral bound.
Here is a variety of high quality sketchbooks at varying prices that you should consider:
Copic Marker Sketchbook 9 in. x 12 in. 50 page sketchbook
DK Sketchbook for the Artist Sketchbook for the Artist
Canson Sketch Portfolio black sketchbook
You can find a wide variety of drawing paper and sketchbooks at MisterArt.com Discount Art & Craft Supplies–Up to 75% off! They have great prices and virtually any kind of paper you could want or need.
