Which Paper Best For Graphite Pencil Drawing?

By Author: Scooboo
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It can be challenging to decide which drawing paper is best suited as your medium given the wide variety now offered on the market. Drawing sheets vary considerably. The finished quality of your drawing can be greatly affected by variations in tooth, material, finish, weight, and color. Moreover, if you are creating a piece for a commission or sale the archival quality of the paper should also be taken into account.

Let’s talk in depth about the various points that needs to be checked while choosing the right paper for Graphite Pencil Drawing:

● Tooth of the paper: The term "tooth" describes how smooth or rough the paper is. The paper's texture will affect how well it absorbs the material you use. The best texture for markers is smooth. Charcoal or pastels work well for textures that are rough. The ideal texture for a coloured or a graphite pencil is medium.

● Weight of the paper: When we discuss the weight of the paper, we mean the thickness of the paper. Copier paper for printers typically weighs 20 pounds (0 .75 gsm). The ideal graphite drawing paper should weigh more than 80 lbs which is 120 ...
... gsm. The thicker weight is preferable for drawing since it can withstand more erasure and the steady pressure of the pencil better. Thinner paper is more likely to tear, ruining the work.

● Paper Material: Wood pulp is used to create paper of lower quality. Since they are typically acidic, they will eventually fade. One illustration of this kind of paper is newspapers. Rag paper is the term for cotton-based paper of the highest calibre. It typically has a distinctive torn edge and is handmade. These are typically fairly expensive. The majority of drawing papers fall in the middle, using a blend of cotton and wood fibres.

● Archival vs Acid Free: Cotton fibre papers are naturally archival because cotton fibres are naturally devoid of acid. These papers won't deteriorate or fade over time. Whereas, acid is removed chemically from papers derived from wood fibre or a blend of wood and cotton fibres.

● Cold Pressed vs Hot Pressed: Paper that has been cold pressed has some roughness and feels rougher to the touch. The most detail is provided by hot-pressed paper, which is smoother. Watercolour paper is generally referred to as hot-pressed paper that has a lot of sizing on it. This sizing makes the paper slick and makes it difficult for the graphite to grip.

So, for detailed & realist graphite pencil drawings you need a durable paper that can withstand frequent erasing and working. In order to give the appearance of smooth surfaces like glass, metal, or skin, it should also have a fine texture. For example, a drawing paper like the Strathmore Series 400 is a fantastic place to start for graphite drawings with a moderate level of realism. It will produce good outcomes for you without costing a fortune. But because it's off-white, it won't provide the crisp highlights you need for truly vivid realism. Stonehenge paper is worth the extra cost for tonal drawings, especially those with a lot of dark tones. Since the surface of this one is softer, it doesn't require a lot of tweaking, but you will need to erase carefully. It will be a pleasure to draw on the delicate, velvety teeth surface as it guarantees to hold the medium quite well.
Now, moving on – let us see some of the finest drawing paper for Graphite Pencil Drawing.

● Arches Watercolour, hot-press: Arches paper has a smooth surface, is durable, and can withstand numerous erasures. It may be used to produce smooth gradations and hold blacks wonderfully. On this piece of paper, we can use a pencil ranging from 9H to 9B. It comes in individual sheets, as well as blocks and pads of various sizes. Paper from Arches is of archival quality and is made entirely of cotton.

● Fabriano Artistico Hotpress Watercolour Paper, Extra White: Although Artistico has a smooth surface, it can also produce deep blacks. When softly hatched with soft leads, it develops a faintly diagonal texture. To "fill-in" and soften that effect, you can diagonally hatch into this texture with a harder lead. Even very dark hatching appears to lift off the surface when using a kneaded eraser on graphite, which appears to erase nicely from the surface.

● Legion Stonehenge Drawing Paper: The surface of Stonehenge is smooth and rather soft. Although the surface is smoother than the one of the Arches Hotpress, it is much more sensitive and easily gouges. To achieve very dark blacks on this paper, you must use soft leads and apply multiple layers of hatching, but it is achievable. It comes in various sized paper pads and individual sheets. This archival-quality paper is composed of 100% cotton and is quite inexpensive.

● Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Paper – Assorted Colours: This paper has a highly noticeable texture because it is designed for pastels. However, with the proper technique, it is possible to create extremely deep blacks and fine, silky detail on it, making it worthwhile to use! This paper works incredibly well for drawings of people, scenery, and other subjects where the texture can add interest. It also comes in a number of delicate pastel hues that complement graphite. Although this paper is acid-free, it is not archival.

● Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper: It has an off-white color and a rough surface. This roughness makes for ideal rapid sketching paper. Additionally, this paper erases effectively, making it simple to remove highlights. Many artists use these 400 series drawing paper for finished work even though it is not archival and is acid-free. Similar to the 400 series pastel paper previously discussed, keeping it away from acidic paper or cardboard and out of direct sunlight will ensure a long lifespan.
● Canson Classic Cream Drawing Paper: When compared to the Strathmore 400 Drawing Paper that I previously evaluated, the texture is a touch less harsh. However, this paper is somewhat flimsy and can be dented if you apply too much pressure with a pointy pencil. A Mid-range soft pencil can produce darker values on moderately textured papers like this one because the grain so effectively collects the lead. A pad of this paper, a medium-soft pencil, an eraser, and a sharpener would be all you would need for a sketching adventure if you didn't want to bother carrying a lot of equipment.

Choosing the best paper is essential as we have proved it, but a graphite pencil set which can be equally utilized as a casual drawing pencil set, a shading pencil set or as a sketch pencil set is equally important. It is the combination of a good quality graphite pencil set and a paper that will work magic for any artist for portraying their quality work.
Scooboo has a vibrant collection of graphite pencils, both as a general writing pencil set or as a drawing pencil set. The Graphite pencil price or graphite pencil set price ranges from an affordable rate to a slightly premium rate, but that doesn’t articulate the range in quality. The quality of all the pencil products is top notch and waiting to give you a humble experience making it worth your money.

The graphite pencils come in the price range of Rs.50 to Rs.3000 – which is the highest pencil price, but only when it comes as a drawing pencil set or sketching pencil set or as a shading pencil set consisting of graphite pencils.

So, before starting your creative journey, get yourself packed and ready with your favourite graphite pencils or graphite pencil set from scooboo.in
Be the Creative You. Happy Drawing!!