Best Paper For Graphite

Thinner paper will tear easier and ruin your work.

Best paper for graphite.

For graphite drawings with a moderate degree of realism a drawing paper like strathmore series 400 is a good place to begin. Usually printing paper is too soft for pencil drawing and arches cover is no exception. Again my recommendation is the same here. Mid ranged papers are less expensive than rag paper and might work well for your projects.

It s off white though so it won t give the snappy highlights you need for really crisp realism. Canson mi teintes drawing paper this paper has a very pronounced laid texture. The best paper for graphite drawing should be over 80 lbs. The heavier weight is better for drawing since it can take more erasure and can handle the constant pressure from the pencil better.

Mid range papers are made with a mix of wood cotton and linen fibers. Strathmore 400 series drawing or strathmore s 400 series bristol vellum surface paper is perfect for charcoal. It will give you good results without breaking the bank. The first commercially produced transfer paper saral paper was developed in the 1950s by sara sally albertis an artist who was tired of making her own.

Before i discovered transfer graphite paper i used to spend hours drawing the images in the reference photo onto the canvas i occasionally used the grid method but mostly i pored laboriously over every detail in the original image endeavoring to replicate the image exactly on the canvas while it was artistically rewarding and ego. Printer copying paper generally has a weight of 20lbs 75 gsm. Bienfang raritan heavyweight drawing paper i cannot get this paper to accept dark blacks they just seem to fall off. Let me tell you about the wonders of graphite paper.

Rag paper is more expensive but is best for graphite drawing projects. It does not hold graphite well at all. 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.