“Macy’s Joy”
Graphite on Strathmore 500 Series Plate
10” x 8”
Copyright 2010 Valerie Jones
Welcome to The Drawing Board where we discuss everything that pertains to drawing.
Today, we are going to talk about paper. Your drawing surface is just as important as the subject you are drawing.
I always have my graphite students draw on Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth paper. This allows a smooth texture to be created for the drawing. This is a student grade paper, so it isn’t the best quality paper out on the market.
When I do a drawing for commission, I put it on Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board Plate 4-ply. It lets you create the smoothest texture, plus gives you breathing room for erasing mistakes and re-applying graphite without smudging. The 300 Series will sometimes create smudges or darker areas around what has been erased.
I encourage you to try different papers. Sometimes your subject will need to have texture and some drawing papers have enough tooth to allow wonderful textures to be created.
If you have a favorite paper you use for drawing, I would love to hear what it is and how it works for you. I enjoy experimenting with different papers!
3 comments:
You know, Valerie, in the last couple of years I've become addicted to drawing with pastels or charcoals on velour paper or sanded paper. It's true that mistakes must be covered up; they never really go away, but I have come to love the richness of texture of these two papers.
The grinning girl is extremely charming and a wonderful drawing!
Lynn: I'm glad you found a paper that you enjoy working with! Thanks for sharing.
I wish you could have been there when I delivered the drawing to the girl's mother. I think the tears almost fell from her eyes. The girl was very awestruck to see her picture had been drawn.
Getting that kind of reaction makes life worthwhile, doesn't it? And, that family will carry that same feeling until that little girl is old and wrinkled. And her grandchildren will look at your drawing and be in wonder that Grandma ever looked like that!
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