In today’s post, I’d like to talk a little bit about what paper to use with colored pencils for beginning and new artists.
This post is a direct response to a reader question posted in the comments on another post. I answered the question there, but thought it was important enough to answer with a dedicated post, so here goes.
What Paper to Use with Colored Pencils
The Question
The reader asked what paper she should be using because she’s a colored pencil beginner. It’s a good question. There are so many options in today’s market that it boggles the mind of this established artist (me). I can’t imagine starting with colored pencils and having to decide which paper to use!
The reason for her question is that most established artists (myself included) have already found a favorite paper through the process of trying different papers. That is the best way to find the best paper because it gives you personal experience. No two artists draw exactly the same or want exactly the same results.
But trying a bunch of different papers can be expensive and time consuming unless you’re fortunate enough to find your favorite paper with the first paper you try. And what do you do with the papers you tried, but didn’t like?
So the smart thing to do is ask someone for suggestions.
My Answer
That’s what the reader did: She asked me for suggestions. Following is an expanded version of my answer to her.
Past Experiences
When I began doing portraits with colored pencils, I used matboard. That was the easiest to get. There was a framer next to my place of employment, and he often gave me scraps or sold me small pieces. When he framed my artwork, I asked for the cut out sections of matboard I liked the color or texture of. I was still using matboard almost exclusively as late as 2002.
Stonehenge
Then I discovered Rising Stonehenge. This paper was originally created as a 100% cotton paper for printmakers as an alternative to more expensive European mouldmade papers.
Trivia: 2024 was the 50th Anniversary year for Stonehenge.
I loved Stonehenge and used it a long time. It had a soft, velvety feel but, boy! Did it take color well!
Other Papers
When the Rising Mill, where Stonehenge was originally made, closed and production moved to other mills, something about Stonehenge changed. I didn’t like the difference, and started looking around.
Strathmore Artagain was one paper I tried. It’s smooth, but easy to draw on. All of the colors except black also have visible fiber texture in them. That bit of visual texture works great for portraits if you don’t want to do a background. It’s also good for one- or two-color sketching.
Bristol Vellum is another paper I tried. It’s very smooth (at least the brand I use (Beinfang) is) so I prefer the Vellum surface. It’s a good paper for beginners because it is so smooth and because it’s usually relatively inexpensive.
What Paper to Use with Colored Pencil: My Recommendations for Beginners
Bristol
One paper I suggest for beginners is Bristol. Bristol is very smooth most of the time. There are some brands with more tooth, but they’re all fairly smooth. They accept color quite well and it’s relatively easy to draw detail.
Bristol is relatively inexpensive, and widely available in art stores and other stores, and online. It also seems to be available pretty much everywhere around the world. It’s available in sheets and pads, and in a variety of thicknesses.
One possible downside is that Bristol is so smooth it doesn’t take many layers.
Strathmore Artagain
Strathmore Artagain is another good choice for beginners. It’s not quite as smooth as Bristol, but it is smoother than most other papers I’ve tried.
It comes in a few colors (Bristol comes only in white), and most of the colors have a nice fiber texture that makes for interesting backgrounds if you like to leave the background paper color. It’s not generally available in brick-and-mortar stores that are not art stores, and it’s not available in all art stores, but you can buy it online.
It’s available in full sheets and pads and is relatively inexpensive, though it is more expensive than Bristol.
Stonehenge
Of course, Stonehenge is also a good choice. It’s more expensive, but it’s worth a try, in my opinion. It comes in beautiful earth tones, two or three shades of white, blue and black.
I have found it in an office supply store, but your best option for finding it is online. It’s available in full sheets and pads in a variety of sizes.
Strathmore Drawing Papers
Most standard Strathmore papers have a bit more tooth than any of those listed above and they’re also relatively inexpensive. Look for Series 300 or 400 papers.
They are available in pads and full sheets, and are available almost everywhere. Strathmore Series 300 paper is available in pads at my local Wal-mart!
They may not be very archival, but if you’re just getting started or you don’t care if your artwork doesn’t last 100 years, then they are great to learn on.
Final Recommendation for Beginners
So what paper to should you use with colored pencils? A lot depends on where in the world you are, and what you can buy where you are.
My best suggestion is to find a good, medium-grade, medium-cost paper like Strathmore 300 or 400, and work with that for a while. It’s a good place to start and who knows but what that might be exactly the right paper for you.
Another good idea is to visit the nearest art store and see what they have. If the store happens to have an artist on staff, explain what you’re looking for and ask what they recommend. It doesn’t really matter what medium the artist usually works with; most of us know enough about drawing to recommend paper.
Buy a small (8×10 or 9×12) pad of a couple of different brands, and you’re on your way.
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Hi Carrie!!
Hope all is well with you! I have been enjoying every CP mags I bought from you. I liked the 5 year perspective on what Artist say to keep you going!
It is a good mag to go to when you feel stuck! haha.
I was reading your article on what papers to use.
Have you ever drawn on fabriono watercolor paper?? I have done a few drawings on it and I like it. It is a smoother watercolor paper…and takes the Colored Pencils really well.
Thank you, Sheila! I’m glad you enjoy the magazine. I have to tell you that I learned a lot while putting together the five-year retrospective. Chatting with so many artists was as good as a class!
I haven’t used Fabriano watercolor paper. The only Fabriano paper I currently have is the Black Black. It’s good for ACEOs (miniature art), but I haven’t much cared for it for larger work.
However, I did two ACEOs and a larger work on Stonehenge Aqua 140lb hot press watercolor paper. I did two experiments with mixed media, one with watercolor and one with gouache. Then I put colored pencil over that. The results were mixed (a post on the subject might be a good idea).
Hot pressed watercolor papers are smoother than cold pressed watercolor papers. There is probably also some differences between the brands. Stonehenge Aqua feels a lot like regular Stonehenge to me, but it handles moisture better. It does work well with dry layering techniques.
Thank you for your comments and thoughts.
Best wishes, Carrie
Carrie….p.s…I forgot to add to my last question here..haha.
Have you used pastelmat??
I use it most all the time when I do commissioned pet portraits. You add layers..but it makes it look realistic and rich in colors.
Just curious if you like it…and what your thoughts are.
Sheila,
Pastelmat is currently my go-to paper. The best portraits I’ve ever done have been on Pastelmat. It’s a game-changer for me. I don’t recall if I’ve written about it other than a review post, but it might be a worthwhile topic.
However, the focus of this post was beginners. Unless someone has a good art budget and a ton of self-discipline, I wouldn’t recommend Pastelmat for a beginner. My thoughts are to learn the basics on a less expensive, smoother paper and then try some of the more expensive papers.
Thank you for your comment, and for the post idea. I’m always looking for those!
Best wishes, Carrie