Best Paper For Realistic Charcoal Drawing

Strathmore sells a 500 series pad made precisely for charcoal drawing.

Best paper for realistic charcoal drawing.

All papers will have a different texture also referred to as tooth the tooth allows the media to adhere to the surface. Charcoal drawing by henry pitz. Kirsty partridge is a self taught artist who specializes in creating photo realistic drawings with charcoal and colored pencil as well as more expressive paintings with watercolor. What to look for in the best paper for charcoal drawing.

However knowing the different types of paper can be helpful in making the right choice. To select the best paper for charcoal drawing you have to keep in mind the characteristics of the medium as well as what you desire out of the drawing as a whole. Charcoal and crayon will work better with more tooth. At 64 pounds i really wish this charcoal paper was thicker.

The paperweight is 100 pound and is an acid free paper made in the usa. Nitram charcoal is available in soft. Walking through an art store can be daunting because of the vast selection so how do you know which paper is best for your project. I used strathmore 300 series bristol board pads 9 x 12 smooth for this ink drawing.

However the lessons are still poignant for modern artists breaking into charcoal for the first time. The paper should be heavier because this prevents the smudging bleeding and leaks that might happen with many other types of papers out there. The charcoal particles will need that extra tooth to stick to. Selecting a paper for your charcoal drawing is often a matter of personal preference.

Charcoal drawing by henry pitz is a much older book dating back decades. In 160 pages you ll learn about the medium of charcoal and how it compares to drawing. When you have a heavier paper this is something that does not happen too often. Because charcoal is not a precision implement like let s say a sharpened graphite pencil or ink pen the best suited surface for it is one with a lot of texture akin to pastel boards that will pull a lot of charcoal to its.

You can find strathmore paper in most local art and craft stores like but i like to purchase my drawing paper and supplies online at blick art materials. What is the difference between bristol vellum and bristol smooth. Again the strathmore brand is my go to source of paper even with charcoal drawing. For graphite drawings with a moderate degree of realism a drawing paper like strathmore series 400 is a good place to begin.

It will give you good results without breaking the bank. As part of our 2019 online workshops kirsty created a series of charcoal drawing lessons that demonstrate basic techniques along with drawing realistic florals animals and portraits.