Drawing Paper Guide

If you wonder which paper is best for drawing (or sketching), this is my review for recommended paper types and brands.

I mostly draw realism, even when I sketch. Here is my guide for realistic drawing.

Note:

I use the same brands of paper for both pencil and pen drawing.

Tip:

I like to use grainy paper to achieve transitions in brightness values when using a pen.

To learn about the pens I use, visit my guide for recommended drawing pens.

Paper for drawing has several characteristics.

Size:

Drawing is time-consuming. I usually use A5, A4, and A3 sizes, depending on the project I work on.

Thickness:

I prefer thick paper that does not bend easily. 180 gram and above.

Quality paper is not cheap. For practice, you can use thinner paper. 110 gram and above.

Roughness:

The roughness level of a paper indicates how well it grabs graphite particles.

For quick sketches, I prefer rough paper; for realism, I prefer smooth paper.

Color:

In most cases, I draw on white paper. Sometimes, I do like toned paper or black paper.

Canson is a French company for the production of quality paper. It was founded in 1557.

Canson 1557 is one of my favorite paper sheets for drawing realism, or any style!

It is smooth with a nice texture, which is great for both sketching and drawing.

It always delivers, and therefore is my choice for realistic drawing. Recommended!

I drew the example above in perspective. It is a very important drawing fundamental. You can learn about it in my perspective drawing guide.

I use Canson Graduate mostly for sketching.

It has more texture than Canson 1557, so I do not use it for realistic drawing.

That said, it is a good paper for beginners and still quite smooth.

Canson C à grain is a quality grainy paper for sketching.

It is good for drawing rough textures.

For more on texture, visit my texture drawing guide.

Tip:

The back of Canson C a grain is smoother than the top, and therefore better for realism.

Good to know:

Some paper brands have two different sides. Usually the back is smoother.

Here is an example I drew on its back.

It does work with pens and colored pencils.

If you like floral art, visit my flower-drawing guide.

Canson XL Bristol is VERY smooth and extra white.

I love it for smooth textures.

It requires a gentle touch; therefore, it is not recommended for beginners!

Canson XL Recycle is quite grainy and therefore great for rough sketches.

I use it for practice and for testing textures. It is good for beginners.

Canson XL Croquis is too thin. It is good for practice, though it is a bit yellowish.

Canson Mixed Media Artist has very thick paper sheets.

It is grainy enough for texture, but not too grainy. I like it for sketching and for markers.

Fabriano is a leading paper manufacturing company. In addition, the company is unique in that it uses renewable energy.

The company is named after the town of Fabriano, located in Italy. Fabriano is one of the first places in Europe to produce quality commercial paper, from the 13th century to the present day.

The Fabriano Ecological paper is quite smooth, with some texture to it.

It has some gentle marks on it from recycling, but they are barely noticeable.

It does what I ask it to do. I love it!

To learn how I plan my compositions, you are welcome to visit my composition drawing guide.

The Fabriano 1264 Drawing is a bit grainy and therefore suitable for sketching and texture drawing.

It grabs graphite particles very well. I like it for quick drawings.

If you like drawing trees, you might want to check out my guide on how to draw realistic trees.

As mentioned above, I use the same paper brands and types for drawing with pencils, pens, and markers.

This is a quality Bristol paper.

Meaning, it is very smooth and very white.

It is good for working with all mediums and for photo-realistic drawing.

Being so smooth, it requires a gentle touch and is therefore not recommended for beginners.

Clairefontaine is a French company that began production in 1858.

The Clairefontaine Dessin à Grain is a grained paper for drawing.

Meaning it has a strong texture, which is used for grabbing graphite particles.

It is too grainy for me. Good for quick sketching.

While the top of the paper is grainy, the other side is smoother and better for my style of drawing.

Clairefontaine Mix Media is smooth and great for drawing with pens and markers.

Its other side is a bit rougher.

Important:

Mixed-media paper (all brands) is a good solution if you draw with several mediums, especially if you combine them.

That said, mixed-media paper is not good enough if you draw realism with graphite pencils.

For realistic graphite drawings, use drawing paper.

Clairefontaine Recycle is a mixed-media paper.

It has some faint marks (common for recycled paper), which are barely noticeable.

Nice and affordable for graphite drawing, pens, and markers.

Tip:

When drawing figures, the middle of the human body is below the pelvis.

Tip:

When using markers or watercolors, most paper types may bend.

You can put the bent paper under a heavy book and let gravity do its thing (with time, the paper gets flat again).

Alternatively, you can use masking tape around the paper, but then you cannot move it while drawing, and it leaves an uncolored edge.

Clairefontaine Naturel is a mixed-media paper with a cream tone.

You can use a white pencil for highlights when using toned paper.

Strathmore is an American company, founded in 1892.

The Strathmore Mixed Media paper is great for both wet and dry media.

This paper (400 series) is thick, smooth, and works well with markers.

That is a good paper for practice, mostly for drawing and sketching.

It is a thin paper, so it can bend easily.

In this example, I used markers and colored pencils.

Strathmore Toned Tan is my favorite toned paper.

Like the "Strathmore Toned Tan", the "Strathmore Toned Gray" is thin yet quality paper.

Here you can find my marker brands review.

Note:

When drawing with markers on a toned paper, there are no highlights because the paper is not white.

To add highlights, you can use a white pencil.

In addition, colored pencils are great for details when drawing with markers.

Hahnemühle is a German paper manufacturing company. It is known for the high quality of paper used for drawing and sketching.

The Hahnemühle Nostalgie is highly recommended and another one of my favorites.

It is very smooth and good for realism. It is a bit yellowish.

Arches is an established French company (1492) specializing in the production of high quality paper.

Arches paper is made of 100% cotton.

This paper is of a high quality, but also very delicate. Extensive use of an eraser can damage it.

I mostly like drawing with pens on this paper because it is easy to draw less defined marks (with lighter values).

In addition, I like this paper for drawing maps.

You can see more in my map drawing guide.

A sketchbook is great for beginning artists.

It allows for practice without the feeling that everything has to be perfect.

In addition to sketchbooks and notebooks, I use my spiral pads as sketchbooks.

I use quality paper sheets for realistic drawing.

For sketchy drawings, testing new things, or practice, I use sketchbooks or spiral pads.

Sometimes, mixed-media paper is great for drawing with several mediums in the same sketchbook.

In the example below, I used a watercolor sketchbook by Clairefontaine.

After you get a paper pad, or a sketchbook, you might want to check my list of recommended drawing materials, which includes pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and more.

If you are a beginner, I suggest reading my depth drawing guide.