Are you looking for the best and top-quality paper for drawing? Expressing our thoughts and feelings has been made easy nowadays due to sketchbooks. The drawing papers enable one to write their feelings in an artwork way. Despite how professional one is, getting the best paper for ink drawing or writing their feelings is not easy.
This is due to a large number of drawing papers in the market. However, this can’t stop us from expressing our thoughts and feelings through drawing. Even if you are looking for a drawing paper for your professional artwork or searching for a paper where you can express your feelings to your loved one, it is essential to get the perfect paper that will allow you to express your creativity.
Our Favorite Best Paper for Ink Drawing
Types of Drawing Papers
If you have been in an art shop, I am sure you know the various types of drawing papers used for various projects. The various artwork papers available are categorized either to the task they are used for. The major drawing types include
Watercolors Paper
These drawing papers are of 3 different types, rough press paper, cold press, and hot press paper. The significant difference between these types is their smoothness. The cold press is rough, although its roughness is somehow lesser compared to rough press papers. The hot press papers have a more smooth texture than the two.
Mixed Media Paper
This is a drawing paper that uses more than 1 type of media. It is suitable with watercolor, pencils, pen, collage, pastel, printmaking, and acrylic. This paper has smoothness and weight like that of watercolor, and it supports both wet and dry mediums.
Pastel Paper
This is another drawing paper type requiring textured surfaces to work. The paper has a good roughness that determines the number of layers of pastel that can be added to your artwork.
Colored Pencil Paper
These are good papers when used with paper with texture and tooth. The roughness also of the paper determines the number of layers that can be added to your work.
Marker Paper
This is a smooth paper that is smooth, and it works with ink markers. The paper is coating in a way that prevents ink bleeding and wastage.
Newsprint Paper
This is cheap and thin, like papers that are using for newspapers.
Top 10 Best Paper for Ink Drawing Reviews- 2022
1. Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Pad
Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Pad is the best paper for ink drawing that is ideal for all artistic work. If you have been looking for a smooth pad that suits your finished artwork or traditional drawing, this is the best choice for you. It is designed to work with an airbrush, ink, mechanical pen, and marker.
Features
Design- This high-quality Bristol board is designing in a way that it has two surfaces. The smooth surface is well-rating for mechanical drawing, airbrush, ink, and pen use. The vellum surface is rated well for using colored pencil, graphite pencil, mixed media, oil pastel, sketching stick, etc.
Thickness- It has a thickness of 100lb. Or 270 gsm with a size of 9 x 12 inches. There are 20 sheets in every pad. This thickness makes the paper for most artistic work as it is acid-free on a smooth surface. It can also be used in any fine detail work.
Top-quality- The paper makes from top-quality materials free from feather and bleed. This makes it the perfect option for advanced artists. There is also a heavy chipboard that flips over the pad cover.
Pros
- The paper is acid-free on its smooth surfaces
- Perfect for any fine work
- The smooth Bristol is ideal for mechanical drawing, marker, airbrush, etc
- Feather and bleed resistant
- Perfect weight
- Work excellently with markers
Cons
- It doesn’t absorb much of the ink
2. Melissa & Doug Drawing Paper Pad
Melissa & Doug’s Drawing Paper Pad is another well-sized drawing pad that provides a clean sheet that best paper for ink drawing. It is one of the few premium white bond papers that allow you to use crayons, pencils, poster paints, chalk, and watercolor artworks.
Features
Large surface- The paper features three large drawing pad sets, with each of them with 50 sheets. The sheets are of premium heavyweight bond, making the paper ideal for a canvas that is perfect for upcoming artists who are ready to express their creative work.
Unique design- This pad is designing so that it is easy to remove pages by kids for their drawing. The beautiful imagination and creativity sparking installed in this pad enable the kids to experience a standard gold feeling for kids. The design guarantees the kids 100 percent happiness.
Wider usability- Melissa & Doug’s Drawing Paper Pad works with multiple media. The sketch pad is heavy-duty paper made that makes it ideal to use markers, crayons, and pencils. Its large nature allows you to monitor the creativity of your kids as it can allow the usage of multiple mediums.
Pros
- Perfect for multiple mediums
- Large size hence providing enough room to express your creativity
- High and good paper quality
- It is cheap
Cons
- The paper is thinner than it appears
3. Strathmore 400-3 STR-400-3 24 Sheet No.80 Drawing Pad
Strathmore 400-3 STR-400 for a long period has been a top-quality pad that is perfect for long-lasting artwork. The pad has a consistent quality that can’t compare to others. The drawing paper features a smooth surface that allows you to use pencils, sketching sticks, and charcoal.
Features
Perfect Design- This cream-colored drawing paper is designing to use in the finished artwork. It features smooth or medium surfaces that are large enough and durable. It is making so that it can withstand repeated erasing and artwork reworking to have the best outcomes. Its surface is fine and non-reflective.
High-quality material- This paper is making of tough and durable material that can withstand multiple erasing. There are 24 sheets in each set which weigh 80 pounds or 130 gsm paper. Each of the pieces of paper measures 8 x 10 inches. This makes it suitable for technical and line drawing artwork.
All-purpose- Unlike other artwork papers, Strathmore 400-3 STR-400-3 24 Sheet No.80 Drawing Pad is an all-around paper that you can use soft pastels, sketching sticks, charcoal, marker, ink, oil pastel, and pencils. All these features make it perfect for collaborative or finished work.
Pros
- Pretty good for quick study drawing
- Sturdy and long-lasting
- Convenient for office use
- Versatile for both dry and wet media
- Thick enough to prevent ink bleeding
Cons
- Only 24 pages are available; hence it is using for a short period.
4. Canson XL Series Black Drawing Paper for Pencil
If you haven’t tried Canson XL Series, Black Drawing Paper, this is the right time to try this top-notch drawing paper for your artist. It is one of the few drawing pieces of paper that allows you to use both ink paints and pencils simultaneously. The paper is making from thick and heavy sheets of paper, perfect for any artistic work.
Features
High quality- The drawing paper contains the popular color line beater dyed paper. It is resistant to dye fade. This guarantees this paper the longevity that is perfect for artwork. It has 9 x 12 inches of paper that are 40 sheets and bounded by a side wire, making it 92 pounds. The papers are acid-free.
Wide media use- This Canson XL Series Black Drawing Paper for Pencil is well known for creating unique artwork using colored pencils, pastels, opaque pens, acrylic markers, pastels, and inks. The color line is known for using colored pencils and collages and crafts.
Easy to tear- One of the best things that I like about this pad is that it features micro-perforated dots on each page. It is spiral-boundng with a wire at the end; this makes it easy to tear and flip out pages without folding them. The paper can also use for both dry and wet mediums.
Pros
- Smooth and thick sheets that don’t allow bleeding of marker ink
- Has 40 acid-free sheets
- Easy to tear or flip out paper because it is perforating on each page
- All the sheets are spiral-bound by a wire for easy laying and flipping
- Ideal for both wet and dry medium
- Sheets are large and high quality
Cons
- The bound wire isn’t that strong
5. Canson XL Series Bristol Pad
Canson XL Series Bristol Pad is best paper for ink drawing with a bright white surface that provides excellent contrast for high erasability. The thickness of its service is good in that it can use for scanning. It also works with multiple mediums like colored pencils, pens, ink, pencil, and marker.
Features
A high-quality- The paper features a smooth surface finish that works perfectly with ink and is good for scanning. Its lines are solid and don’t feature because the paper is thicker. It is heavyweight and bright white and provides excellent contrast with black and good erasability.
Perfect size- The pack measures 9 x 12 inches, and every package contains 25 sheets of 260 grams or 100 pounds. All these papers have a smooth finish and are acid-free drawing papers. The papers also fold over the pound pad.
Wide usage- The smooth surface of this drawing paper makes it a perfect paper that works well with ink and pen, colored pencil, and marker. The surface is hard and durable enough to use various mediums. You can also erase or have a perfect finish for scanning.
Pros
- Smooth surface with the perfect finish for scanning
- It has a perfect length and thickness
- It is acid-free drawing paper
- Sturdy and durable
- Good for juiciest markers
- Absorbs bleeding ink faster and better
Cons
- The paper quality is a bit lower than pads of the same level.
6. Strathmore 462-209, 400 Series Toned Tan Mixed Media Pad
The Strathmore Toned Tan Mixed Media Pad is a top drawing paper manufactured in the USA using environmentally friendly material. If you are looking for an art paper that will give you joy in your creative work, then Strathmore Toned Tan mixed media pad is the brand to go for. It is designed to accommodate various mediums like a marker, pen, colored pencils.
Features
High-quality- This quality paper is making from recycled art paper, a heavyweight material. The quality is best and ideal to use in advanced artistic work. The heavyweight tan toned is also good for both dark and light media. It makes your artwork appear professional and attractive.
Perfect thickness- Each of these papers has a perfect thickness, and it measures 9 x 12 inches with 15 sheets in every pad. They also weigh 184 lb. / 300 gsm, and the good thing is that the paper is recycling in the USA.
Wide usability- This paper has combined watercolor and drawing sheet paper features that are perfect for both dry and wet media. It can accommodate light and dark media from markers, white gel pens, colored pencils, and chalk. All its sheets are acid-free with cool and warm tones.
Pros
- They are 100% recycled
- Perfect for both dark and light media
- It comes with heavy chipboard and flips over pad cover
- Smooth finish
- Excellent for graphite drawing
- Acid-free paper
Cons
- The smooth area is prone to sliding when using colored pencils.
7. Translucent Vellum Paper, Bachmore 8.5×11 inches Tracing Pad
Do you want a perfect drawing pad for sketches, drawing, and other creations? If yes, then do not worry. Translucent Vellum paper provides you with plenty of opportunities in sketches and drawing. This 8.5 x 11 inches paper is versatile and can be used in any fine and commercial artwork.
Features
Premium quality- Translucent Vellum paper has a premium paper tracing quality that is ideal for sketches, drawings, and other creations. It comes with a single pack of 75 sheets measuring 8.5 x 11 inches. They are lightweight paper of 60 lb./90gsm, which makes the paper thicker and can’t pierce or tone easily.
Convenient to use- Every sheet in the pad is bonded with adhesive; hence easy to tear them for use. The paper is also versatile in that you can use it to layer, sketch, correct various fine, overly, and commercial artworks. It is excellent for sketching with various mediums like ink, pencil, and marker.
Acid-free- Translucent Vellum paper cares about the environment because it cares about environment safety. The papers are acid-free and therefore can be recycled again. The papers also guarantee you a 30-day warranty in that if you aren’t satisfied, you can contact them for a refund.
Pros
- Premium quality paper
- Convenient and easy to use
- Eco-friendly and acid-free paper
- Versatile
- Excellent with a variety of mediums like inks and markers
- Thick sheets
Cons
- The surfaces aren’t that good
8. Strathmore 455-3, 400 Series Sketch Pad
Are you looking for a general-purpose sketch pad? Strathmore 400 series sketch is one of the few general-purpose sketch papers available in the market today. The paper helps you practice various drawing techniques and preliminary drawing on dry media. It comes with top-quality features like an acid-free surface, sturdy construction, and bounded well for easy tear.
Features
High quality- Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad is made in the USA with a top-quality material that works well on various media. Every pad contains 100 sheets of 3.5×5 inches that weigh 60lb. The heavyweight perforated sketch paper makes them ideal in a wide variety of dry media.
Sturdy construction- The Strathmore art paper features strong made features like dual spiral bindings, heavyweight chipboard backing, and heavy gauge that help to make it durable. This strong construction makes the paper a perfect option for advanced artistic work.
Acid-free surface- This paper has a fine-tooth, acid-free surf, preventing the paper from turning yellow with time and affecting its quality. The sheet surface is harder, making it able to work with a variety of textures with a wider range of textures and media.
Pros
- Top-quality materials that are made in the USA
- Superior sheet formation that is perfect for any media
- Sturdy construction
- Acid-free paper
- Strong spiral bound
- Environmental friendly
Cons
- The paper is a bit thin and hence tears easily
9. Bianco Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad
Have you been looking for a sketchbook that is perfect for various media? Here is the solution for you. Bianco Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad is one of those drawing papers that lets you express your creativity through pencils, watercolor, ink, etc. it is an amazing paper pad that is good for both dry and wet media.
Features
Good quality- Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad is a better quality cotton and paper material that guarantees you a professional result. It measures 8.27 x 11.69 inches with a weight of 18 lb. / 70gsm. This quality makes it perfect for use in any drawing in any media.
Thickness- This paper has 50 sheets in every pad, and each sheet is thinner to absorb less ink for the marker, making it to be used for a long time. The surface is ultra-smooth, and it is acid-free paper with a neutral ph. This makes the paper environmentally friendly.
Wide usability- Bianyo Bleedproof Marker Paper Pad has an ultra-smooth surface, making it ideal to be used with technical pen and ink, technical pen, permanent markers, and water-based markers. The sheets are tape bound, making them easy to be removed for use.
Pros
- Perfect with both dry and wet media use
- Strong and smooth surface sheet
- Acid-free sheets that is environmentally friendly
- Perfect for both ink mediums and markers
- Has the perfect size that fits in bags
Cons
- It bleeds with alcohol markers
- The paper is thinner and can’t be used in some artistic work
10. Bachmore Drawing Pad
This Drawing Pad makes our last top-quality drawing paper in the market today. Bachmore pad can be a good drawing practice book where you will keep your draft if you do not like removing them. It is a perfect pad for beginners and professionals who like to keep their work later.
Features
Unique design- Bachmore is a top-quality and premium artwork drawing paper. It features a top spiral bound, and therefore its right hand and left-hand friendly. The paper looks smooth and beautiful for drawing. Removal of the pages is totally easy, and therefore it can do by either kids or adults.
Superior features- Bachmore drawing pad is made from practical features like acid-free papers that are thick, slick-smooth, strong, and durable. This makes the paper ideal for dry media like acrylic paint, charcoal, watercolors, ink, and pencils.
Hardbound- The drawing pad has 100 sheets of 9 x 12 inches each and weighs 98lb/160gsm. These sheets are 100 % handmade hardcovers. The bottom is hard enough to enable it to protect your artwork paper. All the papers are bound with a spiral at the top of the sketch pad.
Guaranteed- This drawing pad comes with a good warranty in that if you aren’t satisfied with the product, you can contact them for replacement or return. This has made Bachmore come up with top-quality drawing papers that guarantee you success in drawing.
Pros
- Perfect size for any artwork
- The paper is perfect for any dry medium
- Strong and durable paper
- Perfect design that holds papers well
- Acid-free papers
Cons
- The watercolor bleeds easily
- The paper wraps easily
Best Paper for Ink Drawing Buying Guide
You need to look for a few essential things when buying the best drawing paper. Top-rated sketchbooks have most of these factors. They are
Size
As an artist, you need to have a good space that will cover your artwork. Therefore, it is vital to check on the size of the drawing paper you are about to buy. Always consider a sketchbook with a convenient space that you intend to use. Understand the size your artwork needs and buy the one with that size.
Weight
The weight of your drawing paper is equally vital. If your work requires more pages, you need to go for items with many sheets and heavy items. But if you need a handy quick sketch, it is good to go for lightweight sketchbooks instead of buying a heavyweight sketchbook with excess sheets that you might not need.
Design
The market is full of drawing papers, and therefore it becomes difficult to know which is best. You can decide which to buy based on the design you like and the material used to make each. With the design, look at the scheme color visual weight as ads to design.
Specifications
The specifications of each drawing paper matter a lot. They define the capabilities of the product. With multiple numbers in the market, it is good to choose drawing papers that have the specifications that meet your sketching requirements.
Bindings
Having a reliable and robust binding drawing pad is essential. As you go shopping, choose the one that has a durable frame for binding. This goes hand in hand with the type of coveting that it has. Sketchbooks with hardcovers, leather-bound, and paperback have a strong binding and it is good to choose them.
Orientation
Drawing our artwork in a direction that pleases you is paramount that you need to look at when buying your sketchbook. It is good to go for an orientation that is comfortable with your drawing. Orientation can be either landscape, adjustment, or portrait. Choose the sketchbook with the orientation that you prefer or like.
Paper Type
Drawing paper uses watercolor, black paper, and cartridge-toned papers as their primary paper type. When choosing your drawing book, determine which sketchbook is the type of paper you prefer to use. Also, understand if the papers can be used with the various media like a pen, pencils, markers, etc.
How to Make a Drawing Paper
Making your drawing paper is possible if you have the required items. If you are a beginner, you need to understand that paper making simply involves dipping the screen stretched across a frame that is referred to as mold and deckle through a vat of pulp. Papermaking can be done either by use of eastern or western techniques.
Steps Involved Are:
- Make a simple mold using the stretcher bars, old picture, or canvas. Remove the existing canvas if present and apply a staple across the mold and deckle screen edges.
- Make a pulp using recycled paper or a blender. Use a small amount in this case to have a consistent result. When making, fill the blender with ¾ water and a handful of recycled paper.
- Let the blender run for a few minutes, take out the fresh pulp, and put it into the vat if you want the right drawing paper. The vat needs to be more significant than the mold and deckle.
- Agitate the pulp into the vat using your hand to create a uniform solution.
- Wet the mold and deckle well with water and place it on top of the screen of the mold. Make sure that the edges and corners are aligned correctly.
- Place the mold and deckle at an angle of 45 at the bottom of the vat. Ensure the content doesn’t shake and tilt it carefully.
- The next step is to take the wet sheet out of the mould for couching. The couching material should be larger than the sheet, and it should be placed on a tray carefully.
- Once you have finished with the couching, you need to apply some press to remove some water from the paper. You can use a damp sponge to carry out this process.
- Lastly, allow the drawing paper to dry out on the coaching material. Once the paper is fully dry, you can now use it to draw your work.
How to Remove Ink from a Paper
There are times when you need to remove inks from your papers, maybe because you made an error while writing or you have changed your idea on what to include. To have successful removal, there are five simple ways that you can use to have it removed successfully.
Use Nail Polish or Acetone Remover
Acetone or nail polish removers are effective hacks that can erase gel pen inks or ballpoint pen inks. Place a tissue under the written page and apply any of the removers. Rub it gently using cotton and later press it using a clothing iron. These removers have a chemical content that gets rid of the inks.
Use of the Friction Sandpaper
The concept in this method is to rub sandpaper with a fine grit to remove the inks. Rub it gently on the area with the ink to avoid abrasive erasures.
Use of Ink Pen Eraser
If you are using pens creatively crafted with washable ink, you can use an ink eraser rubber to remove the ink from the paper. You need to gently rub the ink area with the eraser to remove the ink. Do not over rub or rub a wet area; it will be abrasive.
Apply the Rubbing Alcohol
Alcohol can also be used to remove ink from written documents or journals. It contains a solid chemical compound that can dissolve and remove ink from the paper. You need to soak a piece of cotton in alcohol and gently dab it on the ink area to remove it.
Conceal With a Wite-out Pen
This is one of the popular pen correction methods used to conceal mistakes made. With this method, you conceal it on the ink area and let it dry for a minute before rewriting the area.
FAQ
What GSM Is Best for Ink Drawing?
To be honest, the best GSM for ink drawing depends on what is to be drawn on it. An ink drawing requires a piece of paper that is thick enough for charcoal, pencils, or pastels. A pair with 100-130 GSM is suitable for drawing any artwork.
What Paper Do You Use for Ink and Watercolor?
The ink drawings are best with smooth Bristol due to its weaker texture and less tooth that can’t be used in others, while watercolor papers are perfect with different textures like cold press, hot and rough press.
What Paper Do Professional Artists Use?
Most professional artists like to use a blend of papers depending on the nature of their work at hand. However, many professionals use canvas papers when practicing their techniques in most cases. They also use mediums like colored pencils, acrylic, graphite, etc.
Is A4 Paper Good for Drawing??
A4 can be used in sketching, but its quality is not adequate compared to cartridge papers. In sketching, any kind of paper can be used, but if you need to have something that you can preserve for an extended period or sell, you need to use a different paper type.
How Do I Choose Drawing Paper?
Choosing the best drawing papers requires one to consider three major parameters, i.e., thickness, color, and texture of the paper. Textured papers do well with charcoal and pastel drawing and not colored pencil work.
Final Words
If you feel like you need to have the best paper for ink drawing, ensure that you have the best base that you will look at when choosing the many papers available. Be it that you want an ink illustration or practice or place it on your wall, a sketchbook is ideal for those needs.
I am glad you have read the review, and you can now choose your best drawing paper. I will choose Strathmore 400-3 STR-400-3 24 Sheet No.80 Drawing Pad because it is durable and large, and strong enough for any drawing. Paper quality and the variety of media you can use on it, plus it is acid-free, impressed me.
Lastly, there are some factors you are supposed to look at whenever you are about to buy your drawing paper. This factor forms the strongest base that you need to check on always to have the perfect paper that fulfills your needs.