Author Topic: What Paper do you use?  (Read 2175 times)

moredhel

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What Paper do you use?
« on: September 05, 2021, 01:13:50 PM »
This thread is for talking about different sorts of paper which you prefer to use and why.
Maybe I learn about some great sorts of paper I do not know yet.

moredhel

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Re: What Paper do you use?
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2021, 01:14:18 PM »
Here are my paper preferences:

For Watercolors I prefer the Baohong artist´s watercolor blocks. I have all 3 variants hot pressed. cold pressed and rough. I do like it because it withstands the mad ammounts of water I use for watercolors without dissolving or bending much. The only downside of this paper is preparatory drawings with pencils should be made on a different paper because it is nearly impossible to erase anything on this paper. (It is doable with a kneadable eraser and a 6H pencil).

For pencil drawings I use neary any paper but it is very easy on Strathmore ATC watercolor paper. Despite it's name in my opinion it is horrible to do watercolors on it. I end up with puddles with fibres swimming around in them.
« Last Edit: September 05, 2021, 01:20:43 PM by moredhel »

ohnosir

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Re: What Paper do you use?
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2021, 10:02:02 PM »
I use moleskines primarily just to have something on me, but almost everything I do on them is pencil drawings. They do feel nice for inks, too. I also sometimes go for brown-papered sketchbooks (last one I got was from Utrecht bc I lived right next to one). It's fun to be able to pencil-sketch in both lights and darks!
If I want to do markers or watercolour sketches, I use the Canson mixed media sketchbooks (both the blue and yellow ones, yellow is more like Bristol). They hold up pretty well for watercolours, I've almost never gotten any warped BUT I am definitely not heavy on the water like you are. The Stillman & Birn watercolour sketchbooks are my fave, they have a variety but I tend to go with the rougher-textured ones so they dry out quicker (I paint in layers, I am just an irredeemable printmaker). I did all of my small illustrations for my thesis in an S&B book! They'll definitely hold up to water-heavy art with little to no warping.
For prints....I'm kind of a stickler for Rives BFK. It's expensive af I know, but it's so smooth and soooft and takes water so well. I can even soak it and stretch it out on canvas bars! But rag paper of any kind will do. Stonehenge is definitely the cheaper option and it's good too, especially for screenprinting and relief (woodcut/linocut). I don't particularly like it for etching or lithography though, it's a little too slippery for those imo.
HOWEVER I do absolutely LOVE to hand-press reliefs on some thin, natural/handmade paper. Mulberry is absolutely the best for those. The last series of prints I made before I left the studio to work on my comic were hand-printed on mulberry, it gives such a great texture and really soaks up the medium. Recommend for brushed ink pieces too!

moredhel

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Re: What Paper do you use?
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2021, 04:48:46 AM »
Brown Paper is a great idea for Sketchbooks. FOr quick pencil sketches I have a cheap noname brown Paper sketchbook from china and I am happy with it.
The pain I feel by paying more for a paper is less intense the the pain I feel by usind a paper I do not like. There are Papers that are just papers and there are papers that feel like a piece of art.

I do have some mullberry paper here too but I was not much into inking in the last years.

catbirds

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Re: What Paper do you use?
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2021, 02:42:45 AM »
Haha, paper...

I've watched a lot of artist videos and paint demos, and perhaps I took a peek at my friends' sketchbooks at some point too. The conclusion I came to was that if it's just for pencil scribbles and writing, then any cheap paper sketchbook is okay. White or not, though the white can be blinding at times. Personally, I've also made do with just slapping watercolour and gouache in such sketchbooks. It's fine. It feels gross, but it's more important that I've placed my ideas down than anything. I've seen and wanted a whole variety that they sold at the art store, but at the end of the day, I've always gone with some flimsy twin-loop-wire-bound sketchpad.

The actual papers that I paint on can be a bit fancier IMO. I've used anything from Canson paper to Arches' paper. Uhhhh... maybe I'm just not a professional, but I've found that a mid-range 100% cotton paper does just as well as Arches' paper for my purposes. I've only used gouache and watercolour, though... The thought of doing oil paint or acrylic... the amount of equipment and paint I'll have to buy... the money......... :'(

Anyway, LOL, I'm a very stingy artist, evidently. I've uploaded edited phone photographs of paintings, and diluted ink beyond recognition, who knows what I'll be up to next.

(I also used to write stories and music notes on old bank bills, back when I thought I was amazing at everything :D)

moredhel

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Re: What Paper do you use?
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2021, 04:36:14 AM »
Personally, I've also made do with just slapping watercolour and gouache in such sketchbooks. It's fine. It feels gross, but it's more important that I've placed my ideas down than anything.
This is impressive. I would clearly only produce a hole in the paper.