Paper for Oil Pastels

If you believe that using any paper would produce the same results while drawing with oil pastels, you need to reconsider. There are papers with coarse and textured surfaces. On the other hand, others have flat surfaces. The good news is that both types of paper are compatible with oil pastels.

What kind of paper works best with oil pastels? Since artists will base their choices on the final impact they seek, this will mostly be subjective. For instance, the paper’s surface has to be smooth if you plan to combine colors on it. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be so smooth that the pastel has nothing to grab onto.

You will learn about the many types of paper for oil pastels in this post, along with some suggestions. Hopefully, it will aid in your search for the ideal one for you.

Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Pad

The textured quality of this pastel pad caught my attention right away. This function not only enables seamless and simple application, but it also has a big impact on how the colors turn out. The shades appear more vivid and true to their colors, as far as I can tell.

Surprisingly, the paper is effective! Especially when you want to improve the colors, textures, and diverse approaches, it makes combining oil pastels simpler.

In addition to its roughness, the Strathmore 400 Series pastel pad is substantial and the perfect thickness to prevent oil pastel bleedthrough. It is a remarkable weight for an oil pastel paper at 80 lb.

On this paper, you may display your vibrant artwork by using pastel pencils, pastels, and both soft and hard pastels. On this, acrylic paints also work. Additionally, because the paper is acid-free, you can maintain the integrity of your artwork. Over time, the colors won’t smear or fade.

The variety of hues on this paper for oil pastels is another appealing feature. These mild shades provide a great contrast to your oil pastels, especially in light of the fact that some painters prefer pure white or black. For expert painters, the 400 Series delivers excellent quality as well. Play around with your oil pastels while contrasting the pigments with the delicate and subtle tones of the paper.

Faber-Castell Store Black Paper Sketch Pad

On our selection of the best products, the Faber-Castell Store Black Paper Sketch Pad comes in second place and is also a great choice.

When it comes to art materials, Faber-Castell is a very trustworthy and well-known company. It has been producing high-quality items since 1761, so they have more than enough time to show themselves as a client favorite.

25 sheets of 12-by-9-inch, acid-free paper are included in this black sketchbook. The paper is also a terrific choice for being more ecologically responsible, which is always a nice bonus! It is created from 50% post-consumer recycled materials.

Oil pastels, metallic pencils, gel pens, and other drawing tools all perform well on the paper because of its substantial weight and deep black hue.

It may be utilized by people of all ages and ability levels, including beginners and experts. Additionally, if you frequently use bright colors, the contrast with the black paper will make them appear even more vivid. This high-quality, smooth, and fine-grained paper will make it simple for you to create your artwork!

Sennelier Oil Pastel Pad

A lot of artists prefer Sennelier because of its superior selection of art supplies, which includes oil pastel paper. However, what sets this company apart is how it creatively created paper pads especially for oil pastels, shortening your protracted quest for the best oil pastel paper.

If you pay great attention to the features, you’ll see that it has a generous thickness and weight of 160 pounds, which makes it perfect for your drawing medium, especially if you’ve invested in high-quality oil pastels. Oil pastels are handled expertly by the bleedproof property, displaying the brightness of colors without skipping or unattractive smudges.

I appreciate the surface’s subtle roughness as it aids with oil pastel adhesion and the creation of rich, brilliant colors.

Although it has some roughness, you can still feel how superbly smooth it is, allowing oil pastels to slide over it without any issues. Because it isn’t excessively smooth, the colors are given a delicate and clean impression without any debris or crumbles.

The vividness of oil pastels is also preserved by the paper’s quality, especially when you layer or blend them. It’s amazing how you can layer colors, mix them precisely, and reach different depths and tints without entirely hiding the colors beneath.

In addition, I value the inclusion of the glassine interleaf inserts on each page. They don’t appear to be common on paper pads, however they aid in preventing oil pastel spills onto adjacent pages. Additionally, the inserts avoid leaving any unsightly residues and stains.

The pages flipping is much simpler with the spiral binding, on the other hand. It also lays flat on a table if I want it to. The pages are perforated, so it’s easy to tear them out. While the price of this paper pad looks to be quite a wonderful gift for oil pastel artists, it can be disappointing.

BB Bachmore Oil Pastels Drawing Pad

This oil pastel pad is still enjoyable to use even if it doesn’t have the same feel as professional-grade paper. Although it might be a little too smooth for my tastes, it has its applications. It works well for items that need a lot of mixing but not a lot of layers.

On that topic, it should be noted that this paper is still capable of supporting many oil pastel layers. It is substantial enough to support many layers of oil pastels without curling or losing quality. By practicing on this pad of drawing paper, you may improve your heavy-handed drawing style.

Speaking of practice, the size of this pad is ideal for experimenting with oil pastels on paper. When inspiration strikes, just toss it in your backpack and start drawing. Despite the fact that this is not my style, many painters like to work on tiny canvases. If that’s your style, you’ll adore this apartment.

The backing board for this pad is substantial and thick. Regardless of the surface you are drawing on, it helps maintain the entire drawing pad straight. Even when you are only holding it in your hands, it will be straight.

If only it had had a lot more teeth, it would have been much better. Currently, this paper is not the best for oil pastels, especially if your sketching method calls for building up multiple layers.

Canson XL Series Oil and Acrylic Paper Pad

The Canson XL Series Oil and Acrylic paper pad is another of our top picks for oil pastel paper. It has a bleed-proof property with a textured finish that will preserve the rich hues of your oil pastels. Even when you combine liquids with it, the oil pastels stand up admirably, which is impressive. It won’t bend easily.

Additionally, this oil pastel paper pad is acid-free to prevent smudging and premature wear of the pastels. The thickness and weight of 136 lb or 290 gsm, however, really stand out since they demonstrate an optimum quality that will keep oil pastels and even acrylics stable and fastened on the surface. It resembles a canvas in some ways but is made of paper.

It is available in a 9″ by 12″ dimension, which is, I believe, the ideal size. But if you want to make cards and give them to your friends and family, I enjoy how the paper is simple to cut into smaller sizes.

Every piece of paper is simple white in color. Although it appears to be a simple and traditional surface to work on, the oil pastels’ vibrant colours are still visible. Additionally, it comes with 24 pages to do additional oil pastel artwork! Additionally, this pastel pad is glue-bound to retain all of your exquisite artwork in place, allowing you to just flip the cover to swap between the pages.

U.S. Art Supply Premium Pastel Paper Pad

The United States is another fantastic product selection that is quite well-liked by clients seeking for the best paper for oil pastels. Premium Pastel Paper Pad from Art Supply.

The item is sold in packs of two pads, each pad containing 16 sheets that measure 12″ by 9″ and weigh 80lbs. Four sheets of each of four different natural color tones are included in each pad, making them the perfect canvas for your artwork.

The paper’s neutral pH and lack of acid make it ideal for capturing color pigments and intensifying them for a polished, bright finish.

Graphite pencil, charcoal, hard or soft pastels, among other media, work well on this paper. This paper’s hues make it the perfect choice for a background for artwork, and its thickness makes it great for layering oil pastels.

Overall, it is widely preferred by more experienced customers because of the excellent and attractive colors, and it is especially advised for beginners who are trying to improve their painting style.

Arteza Black Sketch Pad

You’ll likely find this Arteza sketch pad to be a delightful treat if you’re looking for a special surface that will showcase the vividness and excellent quality of the oil pastels.

It has 30 heavyweight black sheets that may instantly contrast your artwork, especially if you’re displaying it with brilliant colors and softer oil pastel tones.

The paper’s black undertone, in contrast to its customary white surface, displays a spectrum of hues with an artistic impact and a classy touch. It even has a vintage touch that adds imaginative color bursts to your artwork.

Its versatility with many art media is also fantastic. While the weight and thickness of this paper pad is ideal for oil pastels, it can also be elegantly used for ink pens, charcoal, colored pencils, chalk, and gel pens to add finishing touches to your artwork.

I use white pastels or metallic paint pens to emphasize delicate lines, similar to how I do with oil pastel on paper surfaces. Surprisingly, even when I add layers or use heavier strokes, the sheet doesn’t warp or rip easily.

It’s nice to observe how well it endures while maintaining the color’s smooth and intense pigmentation. Aside from that, straightforward coloring and sketching are made possible by each page’s flawless smoothness. Additionally, it has a tiny bite that improves the adhesion of oil pastels.

Additionally, this paper pad is spiral-bound, so shredding the sheets is never an issue, especially when I want to share or show my artwork. Additionally, the way the pad is bound puts it flat so you can easily work on each page. The only little drawback is that the overpowering stench doesn’t go away quickly.

Strathmore 300 Series Charcoal Pad

Although the tooth on this drawing pad is high enough for oil pastels, charcoal drawings work best on it. If extensive layering is more your thing, this paper might not suit you because it lacks adequate bite for that.

Speaking of the paper’s texture, it is a mix of smooth and somewhat gritty. In my view, this drawing pad is not very excellent, especially for charcoal pencils. But I suppose if you simply need something to practice with, this pad will do.

Strathmore pastel paper looks fantastic with various media even though it is designed to be used with charcoal pencils. This pad has been used by me for oil pastels and other materials. Surprisingly, color pencils and other dry art supplies perform great with this.

This product’s strong backing board is another appealing feature. Beginner painters might not understand its significance, but the supporting board will maintain the paper’s straightness wherever it is placed. This pad is simple to use even if you are not sketching on a table because of the thick and rigid backing board.

The thin adhesive binding the pages together is the only issue I have with this sketching pad. Because of how fragile the binding is, the sheets might separate even during delivery. Additionally, Strathmore’s packing might be more secure. Numerous customers have claimed that the Strathmore drawing pads they ordered arrived significantly damaged.

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