Here's everything you need to know about paper
Full disclosure: Okay, let's be real: I love the stuff I share, and sometimes I get a little kickback if you buy it. But don't worry, it won't cost you extra and it helps fund my coloring obsession! Win-win!
FACTS
I don't know what I don't know. I love to share with you what I've learned, mistakes I made along the way, and hopefully inspire you along your journey. But, to find the best paper, I needed to track down someone with real experience. The woman I go to for ALL things coloring is Sarah Renae Clark. She takes the time to do all of the experimenting so we don't have to. Plus, her accent is quite pleasant to listen to. So, rather than bumbling through, watch her video. I've linked to all of her recommendations below.
Colored Pencil Paper
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Neenah Exact Vellum Bristol
This paper is what you will see me using for the majority of my videos. It's been fantastic for colored pencils. It's very affordable, easy for even my cheap printer, and has made a world of difference in my coloring.
Texture: medium tooth
Weight: 67 lb. (8.5″ x 11″ x 250 sheets) 147 g/m
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Springhill White Vellum Printer Paper with Textured Finish
This paper is another affordable printer paper that Sarah said produced results comparable to the pricier brands and will work well with your colored pencils.
Texture: medium tooth
Weight: 67 lb. (8.5″ x 11″ x 250 sheets) 147 g/m
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Strathmore 400 Series Colored Pencil Paper
This paper is great for colored pencils with a variety of techniques. Easy layering. It also works well with graphite and charcoal.
Texture: medium tooth
Weight: 100 lb. (24″ x 36″ x 500 sheets) 163 g/m2
Bristol Paper
Bristol is paper that is made up of 2 more more sheets of paper that are glued together so it’s stronger. It comes in either a smooth or vellum surface. The vellum surface has a bit more tooth and so is a better option if you’re just starting out with colored pencils. However many artists like the smooth surface for hyper realistic drawings. Both types of Bristol seems to work quite well with markers and other mediums as well, so they are a great option if you’re wanting to layer markers and pencils together. The Bristol papers should definitely become a part of your collection if you’re using colored pencils.
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Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Surface
Smooth Bristol is very popular for mechanical drawing, marker, airbrush work and drawing with pen or ink. However, more colored pencil artists are leaning towards this medium for hyper-realistic drawings because of the incredibly smooth finish. The surface doesn’t allow for much layering, so it does take a different approach and some practice. I’ve used this paper a few times and really like it, although not all brands of pencils are as vibrant or easy to use on this type of paper (even high quality pencils like Caran d’Ache Luminance), so I wouldn’t generally recommend it for a beginner.
Texture: smooth surface
Weight: 100 lb. (20″ x 26″ x 500 sheets) 270 g/m2
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Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Vellum Surface
Vellum surfaces (not to be confused with vellum paper) are the perfect choice for colored pencil. They have a slight toothy texture to allow for layering of pencils, and they feel nice to work with, without being SO rough that they use up a lot of pencils (or markers) and have a lot of white grain like rougher papers. The Strathmore 300 series Bristol vellum is suitable for use with graphite pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, sketching stick, pen & ink, marker, soft pastel, mixed media, oil pastel, and more.
Texture: vellum surface
Weight: 100 lb. (20″ x 26″ x 500 sheets) 270 g/m2
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Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Vellum Surface
The 400 Series papers from Strathmore are a step-up in quality from the 300 series. You can buy both the vellum and smooth surfaces in the 400 series, but Sarah used the vellum surface for her comparison. Just like the 300 series, the 400 series vellum Bristol is excellent for pencil, charcoal, pastels and more – It also works for airbrush and light washes. It is not recommended for traditional watercolor techniques.
Texture: 2-ply Vellum surface (medium)
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Neenah Cardstock Bristol Vellum
Neenah Cardstock is another cheaper Bristol vellum and has become a personal favorite! It is designed for printing and works with both inkjet and laser printers. The reams are affordable and it works great with both pencils and markers – I found it performed just as well as the better brands for both mediums. The main difference is the thickness- but this is why it works so well in a printer compared to the heavier-weight expensive papers. I will be using this again in my future videos and would recommend it for beginners or all skill-levels for printing coloring pages.
Texture: vellum surface
Weight: 67 lb, 147 GSM
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Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Vellum Surface
The 500 Series papers by Strathmore are marketed as professional-level paper – not really intended for amateur or hobby art. It is made from 100% cotton, is quite expensive and is one of the best papers in the industry. It comes in a variety of textures and weights. The vellum surface Sarah is using has a toothy finish and is perfect for pencil, charcoal, pastel and oil pastel as well as pen, airbrush, and light washes. It isn’t recommended for traditional watercolor techniques.
Texture: Medium/Vellum (Also available as Ultra-Smooth/Plate or Slightly Textured/Semi-Smooth)
Weight: 2, 3 and 4-ply
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Canson XL Series Bristol Smooth
This is a heavyweight smooth surface Bristol similar to the Strathmore smooth Bristol. It works really well with pen & ink, marker, pencil, and colored pencil. The smoother surface has a bit of a learning curve for colored pencils because there is no tooth, making layering more difficult than on the Bristol vellum alternatives. It is a popular choice for hyper-realistic drawing or mixed media drawing.
Texture: Smooth surface
Weight: 100 lbs, 260 gsm
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Springhill Digital Bristol Vellum
Springhill Digital is a cheaper Bristol Vellum paper that are created specifically for printing, so it is great for coloring pages. It still has the Bristol vellum surface texture of the higher quality papers, and is acid-free. It didn’t perform well with the markers (due to bleeding) but the pencils were great.
Texture: vellum surface
Weight: 67 lb
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor paper also goes through different processes to produce a huge range of different types of papers. There’s a process in paper manufacturing called “sizing” that makes the paper stronger and changes how it absorbs liquid. Without sizing, your paper would act more like a paper towel – absorbing everything with no control.
In another part of manufacturing, the paper is rolled through metal rollers that are either hot or cold, resulting in a smooth or textured surface. The hot-pressed watercolor papers almost resemble the Bristol papers, and can be really nice to use with colored pencils. Although they are often more expensive, so maybe better suited to professional art rather than coloring pages.
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Fabriano Studio Watercolor Cold Press
Fabriano actually make a huge range of watercolor pads, both hot and cold press, these are just was she was able to test. The Fabriano Water Color Studio paper is made with 25% cotton and is acid-free. It is sized internally and externally, and is very high quality. Ideal for water color, tempera, gouache, acrylic, ink and drawing. The texture of cold-press papers is quite rough, so it is best for wet mediums and I wouldn’t recommend it if you are only using pencils.
Texture: rough tooth
Weight: 200 GSM, 90 lb
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Fabriano Studio Watercolor Hot Press 200 GSM
This watercolor paper is different to the previous watercolor paper because it is hot-pressed, so the surface texture is completely smooth. This makes it perfect for colored pencils and resembles the smooth Bristol more than a typical watercolor paper. It is ideal for water colour, tempera, gouache, acrylic, ink and drawing. This paper is 25% cotton, but I’ve since realized that Fabriano also make a 100% cotton range of hot press watercolor papers – which sound amazing!
Texture: smooth surface
Weight: 200 GSM, 90 lb
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Fabriano Studio Watercolor Hot Press 300 GSM
This is the same as the 200GSM watercolor hot press paper, except that it is a higher GSM, making it a thicker weight. The surface is still the same (smooth texture) and it has the same properties otherwise. You would choose a higher GSM if you expected to use more moisture or needed your final piece to be more durable. Definitely not recommended for trying to fit in your printer! It is ideal for water color, tempera, gouache, acrylic, ink and drawing. Also note that higher GSM usually comes at a higher price.
Texture: smooth surface
Weight: 300 GSM, 140 lb
Specialty Paper (and other categories)
There are a few more papers I want to show you:
Each of these are better suited to art and drawing than coloring – but they are definitely fun to explore and get creative, so they are worth checking out if you’re wanting to expand your skills.
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Strathmore Toned Gray Sketch Paper 400 series
Strathmore Toned papers come in a few different colors: Tan, Gray and Blue. Using these papers gives you the mid-range tones for your art before you begin, so you can focus on the shading and highlights. They present a unique challenge and can be fun to use and create a very interesting end result. I did find that this paper was thinner to use, so it doesn’t allow as many layers as the other papers… but it also shouldn’t need as many layers with the right technique.
Texture: medium tooth
Weight: 118 GSM
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Fabriano Black Pad
Fabriano Black Black is an uncoated ultra-black cardboard made of ECF cellulose pulp. The color is a very deep black and it works with colored pencils, pastels, gel pens or acrylic markers. I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m excited to give it a go soon!
Texture: smooth surface
Weight: 300 gsm
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Legion Stonehenge 100% Cotton Paper
The Stonehenge Papers are another high-quality paper that has gained worldwide recognition in the art world. It can take multiple layers of colored pencil without any buildup, and works with a variety of techniques and applications. It is 100% cotton and comes in a range of colors, although it is definitely another professional level-paper that may be out of the budget for beginners.
Texture: medium tooth
Weight: 250 GSM
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Canson Mi-Teintes
The Mi-Teintes paper range is unique because it has a different texture on each side. One side is a rough, ‘honeycomb grain’ surface, and the other side is much smoother (closer to a vellum or fine tooth finish). This is a pastel paper, but it also works with charcoal, drawing chalks, monochromes, and colored pencil (most colored pencil artists use the smoother side of the paper). It comes in 50 different colors and is one of the most high-quality papers available in the world. It comes at a high price too, but is definitely worth trying if you are looking to take your art to a professional level.
Texture: one side is rough, other side is a fine tooth
Weight: 160 GSM
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Fabriano Mixed Media Pad
This is just one example of mixed media paper – many brands make a similar product (I haven’t compared brands). Mixed media paper is produced to have qualities like watercolor paper, but with a vellum drawing surface. It is intended to be used with a wide variety of mediums and techniques, including colored pencils, markers, watercolor, acrylic paints, gouache, graphite pencils, pens, inks, pastels, and more.
Texture: rough tooth
Weight: 160 GSM
Marker Paper
I wanted to include a few quick recommendations specific to markers, especially alcohol markers because they tend to bleed through the page or feather on certain papers.
If you’re using both pencils and markers together, choose a paper best suited to the main medium you plan to use, and try some different papers to see what gives you the best results.
But if markers are your main medium, I recommend choosing a paper that is specifically designed for markers. Most marker paper is called “Bleed proof” or similar. These papers have a smooth surface with little or no tooth, so they aren’t suitable for many layers of pencils but are perfect for blending markers without using up too much marker ink compared to other papers.
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X-Press It Blending Card
This is Sarah's favorite paper for her Copic markers or Ohuhu markers – it works in most printers and handles the markers beautifully. They rarely bleed through and the ink absorbs slowly enough to allow you to blend your colors, which is an important feature of a marker paper that you’ll miss out on with most normal papers.
Texture: smooth
Weight: 250 GSM
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Ohuhu Marker Pad
This paper is nice and smooth and works really well with the alcohol markers, with no bleeding or feathering. The pages are perforated so they are easy to tear out, and the portability of the spiral binding is nice, even though this doesn’t make it useful for printing. Ohuhu also suggest it works well with pencils, charcoals and even pastels, although I haven’t tried these for myself yet.
Texture: smooth
Weight: 200 GSM, 120 lb
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