Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

Too smooth, too shiny, too thin.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I have used the Strathmore 500 Vellum finish for years with great success. This paper is perfect for drawing and sketching in pencil and colored pencil. The texture is just right, plus it is 100% archival and made in the USA. I have tried all the major brands of bristol board and Stratmore is definitely the best. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I am a professional illustrator and comic book artist and have used Strathmore 500 plate for years with excellent results.

Until now!

Over the last year or so, the quality of Strathmore Bristol has fallen off a cliff. Use of this paper for work with a dip pen is impossible. The ink bleeds terribly.

But don't take my word for it. I'm attaching a small image to show how bad the bleeding is. The shorter strokes are about 1/2 an inch in length, made with a Hunt 102 crowquill and Pelikan A ink.

I've read elsewhere that Strathmore claims it's because of changes in ink chemistry, but I've tried both new and old batches of this paper with many brands of ink. The same ink bleeds on the new paper but not on older batches. The only conclusion I can draw is the paper is the problem, not the ink!

So if you need to use pen and ink, AVOID THIS PAPER!

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I ordered both the 2-ply and 4-ply with plate surface. Each is fantastic, though I'd recommend the 4-ply over the 2-ply because it's more substantial and less susceptible to buckling if it gets wet. The Bristol has a "warm" white color that I like immensely compared to the bright, colder white of other Bristol boards, and the plate surface is wonderfully smooth. For the type of pictures I make, this is about as ideal a ground as I've ever seen.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I'be been using Strathmore bristol for decades but recently the quality of their plate finish 500 series 2-ply bristol has hit rock bottom. Finely detailed pen and ink work on this paper is nearly impossible. The lines bleed terribly and the paper absorbs ink like a sponge. It is truly unusable. Complaints are all over the internet and Strathmore had better start listening to their customers or we will be finding another product. Dick Blick would be well-advised to address these concerns to the manufacturer.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

Stands up to scrubbing. Soft and thick. Easily erased.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

Ive used strathmore for years and didn't know 500 existed. it's briliant.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I draw a daily comic strip and I've used 500 Bristol in pads for years. It's always been the industry standard and more than worth the price. Lately though, it's gone through a shocking decline. When ink hits the surface it feathers and bleeds like cheap copy paper, and the whole feel of the paper is different. Its texture is flimsy and soft. I'll try some of the larger single sheets, but if they're as shoddy as the paper in the pads I'm giving up on Strathmore paper and I'm open to suggestions for something more dependable.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I needed to find a good sturdy support for some fish drawings I am doing for a catch-and -release fish portrait website. It took me a long time to decide, and this time I did not make a mistake. I have been drawing and painting since i was a child, 50 plus years, and wish i had known about this paper before. It has the perfect surface, visually, but what really amazed me is its erasability. Unequalled! The surface is just perfect for the Derwent Colorsoft pencils I used, and also for the watercolor pencils, ink and Chinese white I used.Other papers as heavy as this do not have a smooth enough surface for the detail i need to use. The price is very low for such great quality. I do not think i will ever buy another paper.

Comments about Strathmore 500 Series Bristol Board and Pads:

I use this paper to draw comic pages, and it's one of the best surfaces I've found. The quality of the paper is really nice and not a bad deal at all for the price; very comparable to other brands' plate bristol of the same caliber. Great for inking as well.