Artist's Sketch Books and what paper surfaces they provide | Gadsby's Leicester (2024)

FAQs

What type of paper do sketchbooks use? ›

Paper: The type of paper a sketchbook contains should be paired with the medium used and the artist's sketching technique. Lightweight bond paper, a familiar smooth, crisp stock, is great for general sketching with pencil, pen, colored pencil and marker.

Fine art papers are usually made in the range of 120gsm to 850gsm. Oriental papers tend to be lighter weight. Drawing papers are more commonly 130gsm weight but the heavier weight Snowdon Cartridge 300gsm is immensely popular. Thicker paper can cope with more erasing and mark making.

Cartridge Paper – Best for Dry Media

The paper most commonly associated with drawing is cartridge paper. It is so-called because it was used in the making of paper cartridges in the sixteenth century, holding the ammunition of gunpowder and bullets together for loading into hand-held firearms.

noun. high-quality coated paper with either a matte or glossy finish, used especially in the printing of picture books, brochures, calendars, and other illustrated materials: The Matisse exhibit pamphlets are printed on a glossy art paper.

Drawing paper is a heavier, and better-quality paper than sketching paper. It is commonly used for sketching and finished work. The ideal mediums used with drawing paper are graphite, charcoal, dry monochromes, soft pastel, oil pastel, markers and pen and ink.

The difference between sketching paper and drawing paper is that sketching paper is often lightweight and intended for sketching and experimenting. Drawing paper is of higher quality and is usually heavier than sketching paper. It is used to create works that need to be preserved for a long time.

50-60 lb (approx 75-90 gsm): sketching or practice paper – thick enough to work on with pencils, charcoal, or pastels, but usually too thin for ink or most markers, which may bleed through. 70-80 lb_ (approx 100-130 gsm)_: drawing paper suitable for finished artwork in most media.

Art Book Paper: Coated Stock

White coated stock is the most popular and traditional choice for an art book—we carry it in gloss or matte at 80- and 100-lb. The smooth surface of a coated stock is a plus for reproducing art with a lot of detail. A coated stock is a less porous substrate than an uncoated paper.

Artists grade watercolour paper is archival which means it will not discolour or fall apart over time and is made of 100% cotton rag.

Coated paper (often called art paper) traditionally has a clay coating over the suffice to make it much smoother than uncoated paper. The clay fills up all the pits that appear naturally in paper. This has a dramatic effect on the ways that ink reacts of coated and uncoated papers.

What is the best paper thickness for sketchbook? ›

50-60 lb (approx 75-90 gsm): sketching or practice paper – thick enough to work on with pencils, charcoal, or pastels, but usually too thin for ink or most markers, which may bleed through. 70-80 lb_ (approx 100-130 gsm)_: drawing paper suitable for finished artwork in most media.

Sketching paper is also sometimes referred to as practice paper and is significantly lighter, and hence, cheaper. The general assumption is that what you're sketching isn't meant to be the final work so you might as well sketch on a toilet roll.

Traditionally, coated papers have been the most commonly used when printing magazines. Coated papers have got a matte or glossy, shiny surface which also reduce the ink absorbancy. Various materials can be used for coating, but one of the most well-known is kaolinite, also called china clay.

Create 3-4 piles of paper with six sheets of paper in each pile. Fold each pile of paper lengthwise, in half, so that you make a little booklet with multiple pages. One little booklet is a “signature” of your sketchbook. The signatures make up the pages of your sketchbook, and make binding your sketchbook a lot easier.