Paper

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At a glance

Choose drawing paper by technique: 135–185 g/m² is enough for pencil and charcoal, while for watercolor you should go for 250–300 g/m² with a hot press, cold press or rough surface. For pastel, pick a rougher or toned paper, and for color work, card of 220–300 g/m² will do the job.

Drawing paper – in this category you will find drawing and watercolor pads, sketchbooks, school drawing paper, toned and black paper, colored card and paper on a roll. They differ in weight, surface and size, and these are exactly what decide whether a sheet can handle graphite, water or pastel.

Drawing paper by technique

When you draw on paper, weight and surface are what count. Weight in g/m² tells you how much 1 m² of the paper weighs: lighter paper is for quick sketches, heavier paper withstands water and layers of paint. The surface is either smooth (hot press), finely textured (cold press) or coarse (rough).

Technique What to look for Examples
Pencil, charcoal, sketching 140–185 g/m², a fine surface; sized paper if you erase a lot Canson 1557, Hahnemühle Velvet, Art Creation
Watercolor, gouache 250–300 g/m², a glued block that keeps the sheet taut Canson Montval, Goldline Aquapad, Canson Graduate
Pastel, chalk, charcoal a rougher surface, or toned or black paper Ingres Pastel, Rembrandt Verona Green, Canford black
Markers, ink, tracing a smooth surface; tracing paper for transferring a design Canson tracing pad, Zap Book 80 g/m²
Mixed media, acrylic 290–300 g/m², a barrier surface or canvas texture Nassau Mixed Media, Canson XL Acrylic, Royal Talens 290 g/m²
Color work, school card 220–300 g/m², drawing paper 190 g/m² MOXY card A3, photo card 50 × 70 cm, school drawing paper

Watercolor paper: hot press, cold press, rough

The ARTMIE hot press pad is hot-pressed, completely smooth and ideal for detail; the paint tends to sit on the surface and forms crisp edges. Cold press has a fine grain: Clairefontaine Goldline Aquapad (300 g/m²) is designed for students, schools and courses, while Canson Montval withstands repeated washes, erasing and scratching out. The AURORA rough pad has a coarse grain. Blocks glued along the edges keep the sheet taut while you paint; tape a sheet torn from a spiral pad to a board with painter’s tape. According to their descriptions, ARTMIE hot press, AURORA rough and Montval are made from 100% cellulose.

Drawing paper, school drawing paper and paper rolls

For pencil and charcoal, reach for drawing paper. Canson 1557 weighs 180 g/m², has a fine grain and withstands repeated erasing and even diluted watercolor. Canson C a grain (224 g/m²) has two sides: a finer one for detail and a more textured one that holds pastel and charcoal better. For everyday sketching, Clairefontaine Zap Book is all you need: 160 sheets, 80 g/m², for dry media. School drawing paper weighs 190 g/m², has a smooth surface and comes in A4, A3 and A2. For children drawing together, there is the Canson Kids 50 × 500 cm paper roll, and for drawing on a brown background, the Canson kraft roll 68 × 300 cm. You will find more pads in our sketchbooks, and essentials for school in school supplies.

Pastel, toned and black paper

For pastel, you need a surface that grips the color. Hahnemühle Ingres Pastel weighs 100 g/m² and has fine laid lines, a slightly rough surface and 9 shades in the pad. Rembrandt toned papers (180 g/m², 15% cotton) are designed for pastel, charcoal, pencils and gouache. For drawing on black paper, there is the Daler-Rowney Canford pad (150 g/m²) for soft pastel, acrylic and colored pencils, or the SAKURA sketchbook with 80 black sheets. You can choose your pastels in the Soft Pastels category.

Colored card and paper for mats

If you are looking for paper for a mat, you need sturdy card: MOXY is 300 g/m² and photo card 220 g/m². According to the description, paintings made in the Canson XL acrylic pad can be framed or matted once dry. Carry finished drawings in a tube or bag for drawing paper.

Frequently asked questions

Which drawing paper should I start with?

For pencils and colored pencils, a 135–140 g/m² sketch pad is enough, such as the spiral-bound Nassau A4 or Art Creation. For watercolor, the Canson Graduate (250 g/m²) and Clairefontaine Goldline Aquapad (300 g/m²) pads are designed for beginners.

What paper weight can handle painting with water?

Most watercolor pads in our range are 300 g/m²; lighter ones are 185 to 250 g/m². Montval and Goldline Aquapad (300 g/m², glued) buckle only minimally when wet.

What paper should I use for markers?

A smooth surface is best for markers and ink. The Canson Graduate tracing pad (72 g/m²) keeps lines crisp and also works for tracing, while the Royal Talens pad at 290 g/m² is designed for both acrylics and markers. You will find markers in the Markers / Felt-Tip Pens category.