Drawing and Sketching Pads

Drawing paper is heavier weight, to allow for some erasure or reworking. Although not necessarily archival, drawing papers are intended for producing a finished piece.

Sketching paper is lighter weight, intended for quick studies or for practice work, but not for producing a final work of art.

Manufactured with a lighter weight paper, sketching papers are recommended for trial and practice, for recording ideas. But the lightweight paper is too thin, too translucent, and too brittle to be recommended for permanent works of art.

Pen and marker papers have an extremely smooth surface, the ideal finish for a medium in which sharp lines and transitions are needed. The paper is sized to resist absorption of color, to prevent lines from bleeding.

Post-consumer fiber is the greenest choice, however the recycling process shortens the fibers and thus weakens the final product. For this reason, some artists prefer a paper that is manufactured with a blend of new and recycled fiber.

Archival watercolor papers are made with a fiber source, such as 100% cotton rag, that will last for centuries without conservation. Acid-free papers, based on cellulose fiber, will evenutally yellow as their buffering is exhausted, depending on atmospheric conditions where they are stored and displayed. Although conservation is possible, their lifespan without conservation should be measured in decades, not centuries.