Best Paper For Pencil Sketching

Canson drawing paper is acid free but not archival.

Best paper for pencil sketching. Most drawing paper has a coarse texture and that will work against. Similar to the colored pencils we review there is no such thing as a best colored pencil paper. Depending on who you ask you may get a dozen different answers. What to look for in drawing paper.

Smoother paper will allow your pencil work to be really precise and as a result heighten the details of your drawings. Best drawing paper for pencils graphite unless you re specifically going for a rough look in your artwork you re going to want to use paper that has less tooth when shading in pencil. For sketching with colored pencils a paper with 130 gsm will work fine. So if you didn t want to bother with packing up a lot of supplies for a sketching expedition a pad of this paper a medium soft pencil an eraser and a sharpener would be all that you d need.

Office printer paper is cheap and smooth and doesn t bleed if you like to sketch in pen. But if you want to apply multiple layers of colors then a paper with 160 gsm or more is recommended. It should also have a fine texture that allows you to create the illusion of smooth surfaces such as glass metal or skin. Technically 130 gsm paper will also be suitable for creating fine arts based on how much color layers you apply.

Canson biggie sketch or strathmore 200 series are good economical choices. Canson makes this paper in a smooth surface which i don t like and review below. Bulk newsprint pads are functional if not robust and useful for large preparatory sketches.