The Best Paper to Use for Art
Cold press vs. hot press, cotton vs. wood pulp, heavy weight vs. light weight... understanding paper can be a challenge but we are here to help.
Low quality paper becomes fragile due to acids reacting to sunlight (paper destroys itself). When buying paper one should pay attention that it is acid-free, pH-neutral and that it carries the designation, resistant to aging. "Ordinary paper" is made from cellulose and has a high percentage of wastepaper.
Artwork should be protected from direct sunlight, dirt, dust, changes in room temperatures and humidity. This can be done by preserving the piece under glass and placed in a dry area where direct sunlight does not come in contact with it.
Once you discover the best paper, the quality, vibrancy and longevity of your work will improve and the full potential of your work will be revealed!
For more information, watch this video... The Best Paper to Use for Art
Paper Information for Faber-Castell Art Products
We recommend experimenting with different brands. Here is some information that may be helpful when choosing.
Pitt Artist Pens
The texture of the paper substrate can greatly impact ink flow. Many artists use a smooth Bristol. It is important to note that the ink line quality is totally dependent on the type of paper/substrate used. Drawing a line at a fast tempo on a rough, toothy drawing or sketch paper creates a flying white effect. It is normal if the ink does not fill all the valleys in the tooth of the paper when the tempo is fast. If you use the same pen and draw the same line with a slower tempo you should get sufficient ink flow to create a darker line that fills in the valleys or tooth of the paper. It is normal that if the same pen creates two different effects. We demonstrate this technique in workshops. We recommend that the Pitt Artist Pen be used on paper intended for pen and ink, but it can be used on a wide variety of papers successfully and even canvas.
Castell 9000 Pencils
Journal, writing, drawing and sketching paper/pads are most commonly used.
Polychromos Color Pencils
One of the color pencil artists that we have worked with prefers Stonehenge Paper.
The acid-free paper is made in the USA and has a smooth surface that is slightly mottled. With good "tooth" - the paper holds color well. In addition to color pencil work, it can be used with watercolor pencils, inks, charcoals, acrylics and pastels. It is made from 100% cotton fibers. Sheets are available in a variety of sizes in 90 lb or 120 lb weights. Paper pads and spiral pads, ideal for travel and on-site drawings - are also available in the market.
Polychromos Pastels
Unlike color pencils that adhere to just about all types of paper, they require a drawing background of a certain roughness. Pastel crayons are therefore mainly used for surface covering painting on soft, fine grained or velvety velour paper or on heavy paper with a course grained surface. We recommend pastel paper or pastel board. Regular drawing paper does not have enough tooth to hold the dry pigment. It is also possible to draw on stone or asphalt. The Polychromos Pastel Crayons are hard pastels which allow the user to explore new and different surface textures that soft pastels cannot stand up to.
Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencils
One of the watercolor pencil artists we have worked with uses hot pressed watercolor paper called Stonehenge Aqua. The 100% cotton paper is pH-neutral, acid-free, lignin-free, chlorine-free and contains no optical brightening agents. It can be used for both wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry techniques and dries flat, without curling. It has a nice heavy weight (140 lb or 300 lb) with just the right amount of sizing and is very smooth. Accepts multiple layers of color beautifully. Provides for effortless blending and lifting techniques.