Thank you for your report!
We have received your report and it is currently under investigation by a forum moderator.
Best paper for charcoal sketching
Welcome to the forum.
Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.
Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.
Hang on Studio Wall
This is a Studio member-only feature!
Join our Studio membership and save your favourite Painters Online content, from gallery artwork to step-by-step guides, to your own online mood boards. Create your go-to place for inspiration and learning. Plus, members can also enjoy a range of exciting features including monthly art videos and a digital magazine library.
If you are already a Studio member, simply login to your account.
Not a Studio member? Why not try our free 30-day trial - no commitment, no credit card required
Message
Posted
Having started my art journey about 18 months ago I have been using watercolours exclusively, but am now about to embark on a drawing and pastel journey. I have bought some canson mi teintes paper for the pastels. What type of paper should I be using for the charcoal? Brand, weight, surface? Any advice would be appreciated.
Posted
I suggest these:
White cartridge paper, 150 gms/sqm thickness, sizes A3 or A2.
Kraft paper (brown wrapping paper). It's a nice mid tone, it's got a shiny side and a dull side. I've got an A3 pad from the web site Great Art
https://www.greatart.co.uk/clairefontaine-kraft-spiral-sketchbook.html
Posted
There really is no definitive answer to this one (sorry but I don't have a name for you), it's more a case of trial and error to see what suits you best.
A great deal of my charcoal work is drawn on large format newsprint, quick life class studies done in situ mainly but any weight of cartridge paper will be fine if you want something a bit thicker. You can buy this loose in A1 sheets at say Hobbycraft or any art store, or as I do buy in bulk from Jackson's, 100 sheets at a time which works out considerably cheaper. Tinted paper always adds that something extra to a charcoal sketch as well, there is plenty out there but not in too large sizes so this could restrict you maybe, I use tinted mountboard at times, but not the Ingres as I don't care for the surface lines that run across, mountboard offers you a huge range of colours.
David Hockney had some brilliant charcoal drawings on display at his exhibition 'A Bigger Picture' at the RA back in 2006, big stuff of course and perhaps worth a Google to see how a great artist approaches the medium, I was certainly impressed when I saw them in real life, well, who wouldn't be?.
To sum up then, just give it a go and get drawing, charcoal is very forgiving and is at home on most surfaces. Why not post your efforts on the gallery here?
Posted
I spotted this post last night without a reply then we all posted at the same time. Yes Keora, I'd forgotten how good brown paper can be, Sylvia like myself loves the cheap but adequate newsprint and it really does work well with charcoal. I worked for the Daily Mail group so had an inexhaustible supply to hand, there were always a few dozen yards left over on each drum which the chaps in production would save for me. Plenty left over for the Grandchildren as well.
Charcoal can produce some great varying lines which I love to see in any drawing and is usually kept fairly loose and expressive (not always mind you), I never want to produce 'tight' drawings so for me it is a great medium. Fiona posted a couple of good charcoal drawings recently which were very successful, industrial landscapes as I recall.
Edited
by alanbickley
Posted
When I was an art-student (many, many years ago), we used to draw on the backside of old fashioned wallpaper. It had a very pleasant surface but only for dry drawing. We could cut it to the sizes we liked, even for very, very large life studies (if that is the correct way to say it, my English is not that rich in words). Happy drawing :)
http://www.painters-online.co.uk/artist/MiaKetels
Posted
All these are good ideas - I've used watercolour paper with ink, water and charcoal; cartridge paper; and also velour pastel paper, also good with conté crayon. These are on the pricier side than some of the other suggestions of course. A paper I used to use, but I've not seen it anywhere for a while now, was duplicator paper - made for the old ink duplicators, it was quite absorbent but not too much so - it worked a treat with oil pastel and charcoal; how archival it was I don't know, but I used to buy it for my office and, um, borrow a few sheets..... Anyone still use ink duplicators?