hello everyone,

i apologize if this has been covered, but i am far too lazy to go back looking thru threads

when i first started drawing, i just used regular old printer paper, nothing special..be honest never really gave paper a second thought..i mean its paper ya know..then as i progressed and using different teachers i learned there are more types of paper than one could ever imagine for things one would never imagine..so i bought stonehenge, canson, canson watercolor block, another pack of printer paper, sketchbooks designed specifally for sketching, (that paper seems no different to me than printer paper)..now i have this small variety of paper and now everytime i go for a lesson they are talking about velour paper, suede paper, and all this other type of paper i have never heard of..and of course i do not have..

so i guess i am posting this just to see what people are using for paper..
what is the best for pencil?
what is the best for charcoal?
what is the best for colored pencil?
what is the best for watercolor?

i plan on making a list of what is posted here that i do NOT have and getting several sheets/pkgs..to try them all...

i have never been so overwhelmed as when i am standing in front of all these paper types (its like the cereal aisle...so many to choose from, but not many are very good for you)

so any suggestions, are greatly appreciated.

regards and yes even a hug to all
Kay

a quick answer from a beginner. in an art shop or online the drawing, sketching, pastel, charcoal, watercolor paper or pads are labeled as such. If you go by brand you will find different kinds of Canson for instance, sketch, drawing, pastel, watercolor Canson.You need to be specific when you order or buy and look for what you need exactly.I think the pads are economical and good to try and they are labeled for different mediums so you don't get confused.Just try to see the selection they have in DickBlick.com and you know what i mean by being labeled.

You will find many opinions on these questions, all different! That's because the best paper choice really depends on your style and the effect you're trying to achieve.

For graphite, note that Bobby Burcham (nee BRB) uses that plain old printer paper, and gets fantastic results. Personally, I find it doesn't work for me: it's too smooth and wrinkles too easily. I like Strathmore drawing paper and I also enjoy Bristol board, both the smooth and vellum finishes. Smooth is great for blending; vellum has a little more tooth and gives darker darks. Whatever you use make sure it's acid free, so your drawings last.

For colored pencils, a lot of people prefer Rising Stonehenge, and I agree; I like it very much.

I haven't done enough charcoal, or any watercolor, so I'll not speak to those.

cool.. i have several stonehenge in diff colors and the canson i also have in sev colors..so some bristol board. that will go on my list ..

thanks guys..

For Charcoal I use both Strathmore and Newsprint; the Strathmore drawing paper for a finished product, and Newsprint for quick sketches. The Newsprint however, seems to have a bit more tooth, so results can be very dramatic, but Newsprint can be easily damaged or destroyed. It may need more protection. The sketch holds fairly well if left on the binder for future reference.

On the other hand, for the drawing on the Strathmore, I use fixative to keep the drawing from smudging and a glass frame with a matt to keep the drawing safe.

Regards

ah yes..the newsprint...that too i will add to my list as it sounds great for practice with the charcoal..thanks for your input

it seems i never have the paper called for and if i have the paper called for i dont have the colors called for..course i have learned some about creating my own colors but i have 240 colored pencils and STILL will not have the color being called for.. i now have graphitint 24, coloursoft 72, prismacolor 72, aquarelle 24, the complete charcoal set, the complete pencil set, 24 pastel set, and i just ordered the derwent inktense 72..(cant wait to see what those are like) but over the years i have purchased different things to try and now i have all the good drawing supplies and some paper

now to work on my skills using all these wonderful mediums..i simply cant decide what i like best..

Just a quick bit of input for those newbies who might be lurking from Australia - we don't get half the papers that they do in UK & US. Even my beloved Strathmore Bristol has disappeared from everywhere I have tried. So you are best to ask in your local art store here and try begging if you want what they don't have (hasn't worked for me yet )

For watercolour I recommend Arches (or the brand you prefer but Arches is my fave at the moment) in at least 300gsm (140lb) I usually use it unstretched for a lot of small work and Bob Wade doesn't stretch for larger work either (so when a painter of his calibre tells me that I don't feel so bad about not stretching! )

I agree with Ernest, Rising Stonehenge for colored pencil works great, Ann Kullberg uses it and recommends it. You mentioned suede and velour papers I think those are for pastels. I have used the Inktense pencils you referred to and I really liked them. I have never used watercolor pencils but from the result I got I think they are pretty similar. Newsprint is great for charcoal, and is inexpensive enough to use for practice. Watercolor is a whole other can of worms, lol, but comes in pads, sheets, blocks. Also in different finishes and weights, depending on technique you are going to use, and result you are trying to achieve. Sketching vs. Drawing seems obvious, but I been known to use either, just a matter of what's handy. Usually sketch paper is more lightweight than drawing. I like pads of various sizes, even smaller ones I can slip into my purse for impromptu drawing while waiting in doctor's offices, etc.

For graphite, I like Stonehenge best but also like Bristol Vellum. For charcoal, I like the Strathmore charcoal paper best. I've never used the velour paper personally and have heard that its great for pastels though.

Huh. You know, I've never even tried graphite on Stonehenge. I wonder what it's like? Gotta go try that now...