Im looking to branch out from my usual dull cartridge and tracing paper. Just wondering if anyone could suggest some of their preferences for paper to use for hand drawing.
Have heard a lot of people mention handmade chinese rice paper but from the couple of examples I have seen in shops it doesn't look as if it would be suitable for drafting on.
hotpress watercolor paper is extremely nice for drafting... though I think it only comes in smaller sizes and it's kind of expensive (like $3 a sheet expensive).
arches hot pressed...only get cold pressed if you plan on adding washes after you've drafted (cold press has a rough texture hot pressed is smooth-unicorn slaughter is an idiot). You can get rolls of it if youre flossing a lot of cash and at some places you can get larger sheets (27 X 42 arches ). It is upwards of 10 bucks for a larger sheet and 4-7 for a smaller sheet depending on weight. Stonehenge is like an off-brand arches...slightly rougher and cheaper than the hotpress..I used to be able to find it in 37.5 X 52!
Id also reccomend Rives BFK which is lighter weight but comes in a nice slighly greyish tone.
A lot of people think that by buying more expensive paper they'll have better drawings...Ha!. Think about the final product and buy accordingly; if youre going to add color get a grey or brownish tone paper, if youre going to ink lines get really smooth paper, if youre going to be rough with the paper and sand paper over the lines as your design changes than get a heavier weight, if your going to montage over it than start with a lighter weight...etc.
What exactly do they teach in schools these days....?
Do you mean drafting or drawing? I make the distinction as one creating a pretty drawing and the other conveying contractual, design and construction information.
mylar / pigment liners with an ink eraser is easily the best for line drafting ihmo
If you are planning to render a little bit, i would go with the cheap brown butcher's paper, because it accepts color pencil nicely and you can use a white color pencil to easily start showing reflections, etc.
if you're in madrid, check out casa pontes de bellas artes, they have 2 stores, 1 just dedicated to paper, and if you ask nicely they'll bind any paper into a custom sketchbook for cheap. I get my watercolor books from there. they're bigger than the moleskine but still small enough to look like a regular novel.
azcue - I know exactly where that is. There is a jewelry store up the street and littered with shoes from china along the way, kinda. I'll be sure to look for it the next time I'm in the area...
I thought you were referring to the circulo de bellas artes, which is here located :
Calle de Alcalá, 42, 28014 Madrid, Spain - 91 360 54 00
If you haven't been, you should go, have a coffee in the cafe and visit the bookstore at street level, 10 meters or so from the corner - if you read spanish......
too bad you can't get it in the u.s. but you can in the uk. the best shade of white and the nicest tooth i have ever experienced. i think the #9 is the best one.
Mmmm drafting film! Cheers everyone don't know why it was missing from my life until now. Its great I can even look at it without putting a crease in it!
permatrace drafting film is beautiful stuff to draw on - its so durable that you can erase and redraw over and over, and the sheet will still look good.
Paper Suggestions for hand drafting
Hi
Im looking to branch out from my usual dull cartridge and tracing paper. Just wondering if anyone could suggest some of their preferences for paper to use for hand drawing.
Have heard a lot of people mention handmade chinese rice paper but from the couple of examples I have seen in shops it doesn't look as if it would be suitable for drafting on.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
hotpress watercolor paper is extremely nice for drafting... though I think it only comes in smaller sizes and it's kind of expensive (like $3 a sheet expensive).
translucent vellum or mylar... and you can draw on both sides to give it some depth/more lineweights.
arches cold-pressed art paper, comes in 22" by 36" sizes and bigger. about 5.00 a sheet.
brown craft paper...kick it old school and cheap.
arches hot pressed...only get cold pressed if you plan on adding washes after you've drafted (cold press has a rough texture hot pressed is smooth-unicorn slaughter is an idiot). You can get rolls of it if youre flossing a lot of cash and at some places you can get larger sheets (27 X 42 arches ). It is upwards of 10 bucks for a larger sheet and 4-7 for a smaller sheet depending on weight. Stonehenge is like an off-brand arches...slightly rougher and cheaper than the hotpress..I used to be able to find it in 37.5 X 52!
Id also reccomend Rives BFK which is lighter weight but comes in a nice slighly greyish tone.
A lot of people think that by buying more expensive paper they'll have better drawings...Ha!. Think about the final product and buy accordingly; if youre going to add color get a grey or brownish tone paper, if youre going to ink lines get really smooth paper, if youre going to be rough with the paper and sand paper over the lines as your design changes than get a heavier weight, if your going to montage over it than start with a lighter weight...etc.
Instant sexy is adding white to a toned paper, by whatever means available -- on top of or under your pen or pencil. . .
No, I meant cold pressed. I like rough paper.
Watercolor paper looks gorgeous...ah, the good ol' days!
What exactly do they teach in schools these days....?
Do you mean drafting or drawing? I make the distinction as one creating a pretty drawing and the other conveying contractual, design and construction information.
Better paper doesnt make better drawings?! Shit I'm screwed then!
Thanks for all your suggestions. I can never find vellum in any shops or online in uk not sure if anyone knows of any good websites?
design_mutt I think the last thing I learned in school was lino cutting...might just use it one day!
mylar / pigment liners with an ink eraser is easily the best for line drafting ihmo
If you are planning to render a little bit, i would go with the cheap brown butcher's paper, because it accepts color pencil nicely and you can use a white color pencil to easily start showing reflections, etc.
vellum with black or blue leads
mylar with ink
if you're in madrid, check out casa pontes de bellas artes, they have 2 stores, 1 just dedicated to paper, and if you ask nicely they'll bind any paper into a custom sketchbook for cheap. I get my watercolor books from there. they're bigger than the moleskine but still small enough to look like a regular novel.
azcue - where is casa pontes de bellas artes? Is it the one where there is a bookstore at street level?
they have a website, but i think the address is/was plaza del carmen no.9
azcue - I know exactly where that is. There is a jewelry store up the street and littered with shoes from china along the way, kinda. I'll be sure to look for it the next time I'm in the area...
I thought you were referring to the circulo de bellas artes, which is here located :
Calle de Alcalá, 42, 28014 Madrid, Spain - 91 360 54 00
If you haven't been, you should go, have a coffee in the cafe and visit the bookstore at street level, 10 meters or so from the corner - if you read spanish......
fabriano's technico line is AH-MAZING.
too bad you can't get it in the u.s. but you can in the uk. the best shade of white and the nicest tooth i have ever experienced. i think the #9 is the best one.
Mmmm drafting film! Cheers everyone don't know why it was missing from my life until now. Its great I can even look at it without putting a crease in it!
Ugh paper is becoming my dirty habit!
permatrace drafting film is beautiful stuff to draw on - its so durable that you can erase and redraw over and over, and the sheet will still look good.
What is that stuff, and what leads do you use ? I am seemingly a lifelong
user of HB .5mm leads -- but a boy can change !
arches paper is what I used when doing hand drawn construction drawings
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