Types Of Paper In Art

Types Of Paper In Art

The types of paper in art that are used in art are dependent on several factors that influence the texture of the paper. The fiber that is used in the paper itself is a major factor in determining the type of the paper because different types of wood pulp will result in production of different types of papers. There are many other factors that contribute to the different types of paper in art and papers are classified into several categories depending on these factors and the major classifications are as follows.

LAID PAPER

These are the papers that have a pattern of parallel lines formed as a result of the contact with wires in the mold. Papers like ingres have a broad and protruding surface texture that is clearly visible while drawing. There are laid papers with finer texture and it is important to choose the right texture for your drawing requirements and your style of drawing.

Laid papers are the best among types of paper in art suggested for sketching with charcoal, soft pencil and pastel.

TEXTURED PASTEL, CHARCOAL AND CRAFT PAPERS

Textured papers are made by pressing an irregular texture into the surface of the paper during manufacture. The hardness and the tooth of the paper vary and depend on the manufacturer. However most of them have a hard vellum surface with a moderate size. Even though they are not suitable for heavy layering, textured papers can be used with hard media and a certain amount of layering.

Textured papers are good for pastel and charcoal.

WOVE

In wove papers, manufacturers use a woven wire cloth instead of traditional parallel wires of laid paper. Most of us use the paper that is manufactured in this way. The wove paper became popular because their fine and smooth surface that is the result of a tightly woven mesh and ideally has no texture at all.

ROUGH

This rough grained paper with the bumpy surface is made by pressing the pulp without additional heat in order to get a natural variation in the surface. An irregular pattern of white spots can be noticed throughout the paper while shading with chalk or flat pencil. It is difficult to control tone in the coarse surface. Rough paper is favorite types of art papers among water colorists because of the tiny pits on the paper that allow paint to pool in heavy wash.

MEDIUM

Medium paper is a combination of cold pressed watercolor paper and a variety of medium-surfaced drawing papers. Medium papers have fine grain that makes it look quite subtle while shading with sharpened pencils.

SMOOTH HOT PRESS

As the name suggests, these types of paper in art are hot rolled, or ‘ironed’ to be specific, during production in order to create a flat and smooth surface. These papers are meant for drawing very fine details without causing a bump or texture. Quality of raw fiber and manufacturing process followed is highly influential in deciding the amount of manipulation and type of medium.