Best Paper For Graphite Portraits

In video 2 of sarah becktel s graphite series see her tips for selecting the right paper for graphite.

Best paper for graphite portraits.

Smooth paper is great for graphite but it doesn t hold charcoal or pastel as well as drawing paper with a rougher texture. It s called charcoal or pastel paper. The pencil drawing paper recommended in this video can be purchased from a link on my website here. Thinner paper will tear easier and ruin your work.

A pressed paper will be even smoother than smooth the pressed or smooth bristol papers are the best for pencil drawings in which you need to blend the graphite to a very smooth look for drawing human skin etc. Strathmore 400 series drawing or strathmore s 400 series bristol vellum surface paper is perfect for charcoal. To achieve an even shade it is necessary to surround the peaks paper texture with graphite from all angles. Again my recommendation is the same here.

A good overall choice in my opinion is strathmore bristol smooth 400. Most drawing paper has a coarse texture and that will work against you. The heavier weight is better for drawing since it can take more erasure and can handle the constant pressure from the pencil better. The best paper for graphite drawings should have a weight of 80lbs or more significant.

Ink drawing day to day sketching. Textured paper surface should be thought of as being a 3 dimensional surface with peaks and valleys not unlike a mountain chain. Bienfang raritan heavyweight drawing paper i cannot get this paper to accept dark blacks they just seem to fall off. It will give you good results without breaking the bank.

Usually printing paper is too soft for pencil drawing and arches cover is no exception. For graphite drawings with a moderate degree of realism a drawing paper like strathmore series 400 is a good place to begin. I used strathmore 300 series bristol board pads 9 x 12 velum for this graphite drawing. It does not hold graphite well at all.

I used strathmore 300 series bristol board pads 9 x 12 smooth for this ink drawing. Canson mi teintes drawing paper this paper has a very pronounced laid texture. Canson mi teintes canson ingres strathmore 500 series and fabriano tiziano are popular choices. It will have the texture you want.

Either get two pads one in each size or just get the larger size and work on half the page for graphite drawings if you want to get conservative.