Best Paper For Colored Pencils

Best Paper for Colored Pencils


With so many different types of paper available, how do you know which is best for your colored pencils?

Check out the top 5 recommendations, below:

The art world has a plethora of mediums and techniques for you to enjoy. This makes art one of the most riveting and rewarding hobbies for people of all age demographics.

Whether you are a young high schooler or a family man, there is an option for anyone you can think of.

The best thing to pair with your colored pencils in this context is specialist paper or colored paper for your pencils so you can express yourself to the fullest.

This review guide is tailored for your convenience so you can pick and choose the best for what you want to do in your free time.

Here’s a hand-picked selection of my top 5 best paper for colored pencils to try out for your art projects. Stick till the end to find out and save yourself a ton of money and time.


01) Sax – 206312 Sulphite Drawing Paper

90 lb, 12 x 18 Inches, Extra-White, Pack of 500 (4 Pack)

Sax - 206312 Sulphite Drawing Paper main image

Features:

  • Sulphite paper
  • 500 sheet pack of 4
  • #90 lb paper
  • Tailored for dry media

Description:

The sax collection of 500 sheets has a great surface for all dry media acclaimed by their brand with a superior toothy surface for your media to stick to.

In terms of dry media such as colored pencils, this paper will provide everything you will need to create art you can call your masterpieces.

Pros
  • Smooth paper
  • Large quantity of sheets
  • High-quality paper
Cons
  • Inconvenient for watercolor pencils

Review:

This pack is great if you want a lot of papers for your collection so you always have a good supply to go to right away without worrying about running out of paper.

Overall, a worthy buy for your wallet without any question. You won’t have to think twice if you want a thin paper to work with great surface texture.


02) Canson Watercolor Paper Bulk Pack for Wet and Dry Media

90 Pound, 12 x 18 Inch, 500 Sheets

Canson Watercolor Paper Bulk Pack for Wet and Dry Media main image

Features:

  • 12×18 inch sheets
  • Available in packs of 100 and 500 sheets
  • Acid-free
  • Compatible for both wet and dry media

Description:

Canson is a very popular brand for paper for colored pencils. The paper’s texture has a very even and smooth surface. Great for both wet and dry media.

While being larger than the Canson xl series this is a great option if you want lightweight paper for colored pencils which also happens to use cold press.

Pros
  • Washable and easy to rework
  • The bulk pack will not run out easily
  • Good for combining both dry and wet media
Cons
  • Less texture on the surface

Review:

Canson is a very popular brand for papers and is easily one of the more reliable papers if you’re ever on a budget for a good quality paper.

Overall, a great purchase for thin smooth paper with very little texture and toothing making it great for pencils. If paperweight is not a factor of concern for you, it’s easily one of the best recommendations.


03) Accent Opaque Cream-Colored 11” x 17” Cardstock Paper

100lb, 271gsm – 700 Sheets (4 Reams) – Premium Super Smooth Heavy Cardstock, Warm White Printer Paper for Ink Heavy Projects – 121918C

Accent Opaque Cream-Colored 11” x 17” Cardstock Paper main image

Features:

  • Heavyweight paper
  • Smooth finish
  • Manufactured in the states
  • Eco- friendly

Description:

The Accent Opaque Cream-colored paper for colored pencils and other media is brilliant and large. The pack contains heavy paper making it better than other papers if you are working with thicker paint or like to apply serious pressure and really press in your pencils while drawing.

The pack contains single sheets up to a total of 700. Quality materials for any artist.

Pros
  • Very affordable
  • Holds color easily
  • A huge stack of sheets
Cons
  • Has had some packaging issues during shipping

Review:

The Accent pack of 700 sheets will cover you for well over however long you need your papers for. One purchase of this pack will last you for months if not years to come, depending on your usage.

Overall, a great purchase for you if you want to be stacked up on great premium paper.


04) Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper

300 lb. Hot Press 10-Pack 22×30″ – Extra White

Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper main image

Features:

  • Hot-press papers
  • 20×30 inch
  • Extra white
  • Heavyweight paper
  • 10 Pack

Description:

The Fabriano Artistico Watercolor paper, as the name suggests is great with wet media. This entails that you are free to use watercolor pencils as well as standard colored pencils.

You don’t ever have to worry about tooth residue when it comes to hot-press papers as these sport a very smooth surface for you to draw and paint as you please.

Pros
  • High-quality papers
  • Great for wet media
  • Hot-press allows more time for reworking and moving colors around
Cons
  • Very limited pack of 10

Review:

The Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper is one for people who are more used to using watercolor pencils. The reason is you can stop worrying about your paper wearing out from the water and thus allowing you to rework your art as much as you please.

Overall, a great purchase for heavyweight paper for coloured pencils.


05) Bee Paper Rag Drawing Paper Pack

18 x 24, 100 Sheets per Pack

Bee Paper Rag Drawing Paper main image

Features:

  • Pack of 100 sheets
  • 18×24 inches
  • Acid-free paper
  • Versatile media support

Description:

The Bee Paper Rag paper pack contains 100 sheets of 18×12 inch paper making them an optimal size for your artwork.

Along with the fact that it is eco-friendly, supports a variety of media including both wet media and dry. This makes these extremely versatile and fun to use in your projects.

Pros
  • Textured paper
  • Great toothing
  • Archival paper
Cons
  • The loose sheets are hard to organize

Review:

The Bee paper brand offering rag paper or archival paper is a great option for all artists. This is truly heavyweight and you may press down your color pencils on the surface to find very little wrinkling, crumpling or damage in general.

Overall, an excellent purchase for rag paper or archival grade paper for your finished artworks to look stunning on. Definitely a cut above standard drawing paper.


General Information About The Best Paper For Colored Pencils

There is a plethora of papers for colored pencils. Some work especially great with colored pencils and some work great for any sort of media you work with. To get the best paper it is good to explore the ranges of Stonehenge paper, cotton-based paper, or wood pulp.

To get the best out of your colored pencils, you will definitely have to consider the paper you are investing in too. Colored pencils mostly prefer a vellum surface to shine and look their best on.

Apart from your conventional mixed media paper, you also might want to take a look at toned paper for your need.

Among surfaces, there are many to consider. Smooth and vellum surface, depending on how you want your colored pencils to look upon application you make your choice. Vellum will give your colored pencils a rough texture as in you will be able to see the bumps and cracks.


Conclusion / Roundup

Overall, whether you like smooth paper or paper even smoother than a vellum surface it is up to you to decide. This guide was written to help guide you to get the best out of your colored pencils.

You may like toned paper due to the neutrality of the mid-tone values and contrast of your colored pencils or you may like bristol paper. The best way to find out what the best is for you and your colored pencils is trial and error.

This guide will shorten your long list of doubts and queries when it comes to asking questions about finding the right paper for your colored pencils, so nwot that you’re on the right path, have fun and get drawing.


FAQs

What is the best paper for colored pencils?

The best paper for you if you want sturdy is bristol paper. They come in both smooth and rough surfaces but the highlight is that they are sturdy and durable.

What colored pencil paper is best for Prismacolor pencils?

If you have been in the art world as a hobbyist or a veteran artist long enough you probably own a set of Prismacolor pencils.

Prismacolor colored pencils are a flagship for any artist to have when it comes to colored pencils. And clearly, you would want the prime paper for the better quality colored pencil set that you have.

If we are talking about the best of the best then an easy suggestion would be the Strathmore 500 series Bristol paper or the Canson XL bristol paper. Easily some of the best papers on the market.

What is toned paper used for?

Toned paper is generally just normal paper but with a slight tint. They are generally used for a special drawing or sketching technique that ensures consistency in your artwork unmatched by what you would get from just straight white paper.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.


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