Best Paper for Charcoal Drawing: 9 Papers Compared by Tooth, Weight and Cotton

The best paper for charcoal drawing is an acid-free paper with a medium tooth, a weight of about 95 to 160 gsm (64 to 98 lb) and a high cotton content, such as Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal, Canson Mi-Teintes or Fabriano Tiziano. A paper with tooth holds several layers of loose charcoal, so the darks build up instead of sliding off the sheet. A smooth or glossy paper does the opposite: charcoal skates over the surface and leaves a grey, dusty mark.

Charcoal paper choice comes down to 4 attributes of the sheet and 1 question about the drawing. The sections after the comparison table describe each paper, explain tooth, weight, cotton and acid-free paper, and match a paper to portraits, sketching, charcoal pencils, large drawings and wet media.

The 9 best papers for charcoal drawing are compared in the table below by the charcoal work each paper suits, its surface, weight, fibre and number of colours.

Fine Art Tutorials gave the price of 1 sheet of Canson Mi-Teintes as about $2.29 and 1 sheet of Strathmore charcoal paper of 19 × 25 in as about $1.84, so the charcoal papers in this list cost about the same per sheet. The 9 papers differ more in surface than in price, which is why the type of drawing decides the choice.

What are the 9 best papers for charcoal drawing?

The 9 best papers for charcoal drawing are listed below, ordered by how often guides to charcoal paper name them. Each paper in the table above is described in the same order: what the paper is, its surface, weight, fibre, colours, the charcoal work it suits and its 1 limit.

1. Canson Mi-Teintes

Canson Mi-Teintes is a coloured drawing paper made by the French company Canson, with 2 different sides. Canson describes the 2 sides this way: the honeycomb side suits pastel and the fine-grain side suits pencil and charcoal. Mi-Teintes weighs 160 gsm (98 lb). Canson states a high cotton content, an acid-free buffered pulp and pulp-dyed colours that are lightfast. Mi-Teintes comes in 50 colours, which makes it the widest choice of toned charcoal paper in this list. Mi-Teintes suits portraits and figure drawings on a mid-tone, with white charcoal for the lights. The limit is erasing: Nitram’s paper guide describes Mi-Teintes as thinner paper that does not withstand a lot of erasures.

2. Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal Paper

Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal Paper is a laid charcoal paper made by Strathmore, the premium grade of its 2 charcoal paper series. Strathmore describes the laid finish as giving precise shading control for 2 media, charcoal and pastel. The 500 Series weighs 64 lb (95 gsm) and is 100% cotton. The colours are bright white, white, desert sand, olive, blue gray, smoke gray and black, in pads of 24 sheets from 9 × 12 in to 18 × 24 in (229 × 305 mm to 457 × 610 mm). The 500 Series suits classical charcoal studies and value drawings where the laid texture is part of the look. The limit is weight: at 95 gsm, the sheet buckles under water and wears through under heavy erasing.

3. Legion Stonehenge

Legion Stonehenge is a 100% cotton paper made by Legion Paper, created in 1974 for printmakers and now used widely for drawing. Nitram’s paper guide describes the Stonehenge surface as smooth with a fine, even grain that still holds 2 or more layers of charcoal. Stonehenge weighs 250 gsm in most colours, and the large white sheet weighs 320 gsm. Legion states an acid-free, neutral-pH pulp buffered with calcium carbonate. Legion lists 10 sheet colours, among them white, cream, pearl grey, steel grey and black. Stonehenge suits detailed, realistic charcoal drawings and charcoal pencil work that need many erasures. The limit is tooth: the smooth surface holds fewer heavy layers of soft charcoal than a laid or sanded paper.

4. Strathmore 300 Series Charcoal Paper

Strathmore 300 Series Charcoal Paper is the student-grade laid charcoal paper made by Strathmore. The 300 Series has the same traditional laid finish as the 500 Series. The 300 Series weighs 64 lb (95 gsm). Strathmore does not state the fibre content on the product page. The only colour is natural white, in pads of 32 sheets at 9 × 12 in and 11 × 17 in (229 × 305 mm and 279 × 432 mm) and 24 sheets at 18 × 24 in (457 × 610 mm). The 300 Series suits practice drawings, class work and gesture studies, where many sheets are used. The limit is permanence: Strathmore does not state that the 300 Series is acid-free, so finished drawings belong on a 500 Series or another archival sheet.

5. Fabriano Tiziano

Fabriano Tiziano is a coloured drawing paper made by the Italian mill Fabriano. Fabriano describes Tiziano as having a cold-press surface with good sizing. Tiziano weighs 160 gsm. Fabriano states that Tiziano contains cotton, is acid-free and meets the ISO 9706 long-life standard. Fabriano describes the Tiziano colours as highly lightfast, and lists pastel, pencil, graphite and charcoal as the media. Tiziano suits toned portraits and still lifes, with the same mid-tone method as Mi-Teintes on a softer, less patterned surface. The limit is availability: Tiziano is sold mainly in sheets of 50 × 65 cm and 70 × 100 cm (about 19.7 × 25.6 in and 27.6 × 39.4 in), with fewer pads than Canson or Strathmore.

6. Hahnemühle Ingres

Hahnemühle Ingres is an Ingres-type drawing paper made by the German mill Hahnemühle. Hahnemühle describes the 100 gsm sheet as having “fine ridges and a slightly rough surface”, the same ribbed family as laid charcoal paper. Ingres weighs 100 gsm, and a natural white sheet comes in 150 gsm. Hahnemühle states that the paper is acid-free and does not state the fibre content. Ingres comes in 12 sheet colours, from bright white to mouse grey, dark blue and black. Hahnemühle Ingres suits classical drawings in charcoal and red chalk on a tinted ground. The limit is weight: at 100 gsm, the sheet takes light erasing only.

7. Clairefontaine Pastelmat

Clairefontaine Pastelmat is a sanded card made by the French company Clairefontaine for pastel and other dry media. Fine Art Tutorials’ review of charcoal papers describes the Pastelmat surface as sanded and the card as thick. Pastelmat weighs 360 gsm, according to the same review. Fine Art Tutorials lists Pastelmat as acid-free and water resistant, and the review does not give a fibre content. Pastelmat comes in 10 colours. Pastelmat suits dense, dark charcoal drawings with many layers, such as night scenes and black-ground portraits. The limit is wear: Fine Art Tutorials notes that sanded papers hold charcoal well but wear the charcoal down faster.

8. Daler-Rowney Murano

Daler-Rowney Murano is a coloured pastel and drawing paper made by Daler-Rowney, with a dimpled texture. Fine Art Tutorials’ review of charcoal papers describes the Murano texture as dimpled. Murano weighs 165 gsm and contains 45% cotton, according to the same review. Fine Art Tutorials lists Murano as acid-free. Murano comes in 35 colours. Murano suits toned charcoal and pastel drawings for artists who want Mi-Teintes colours with a less regular texture. The limit is the texture: the dimples show in the first light layers until blending fills them.

9. Arches Aquarelle Cold Press

Arches Aquarelle is a mould-made watercolour paper made at the Arches mill in France. Arches makes Aquarelle in 3 surfaces, and the cold-press surface has the medium grain that takes charcoal. Arches Aquarelle comes in 185, 300, 356, 640 and 850 gsm; the common 300 gsm sheet equals 140 lb. Arches Aquarelle is 100% cotton, acid-free with an alkaline reserve, and sized with gelatin to the core. The colours are natural white and bright white. Arches Aquarelle suits charcoal combined with ink or watercolour washes. The limit is cost: a cotton watercolour sheet costs several times as much as a charcoal paper sheet, so Arches is for finished mixed-media work, not for practice.

What makes a paper good for charcoal drawing?

A paper is good for charcoal drawing when 4 attributes are right: tooth, weight, cotton content and an acid-free pulp. Artists Network’s guide to charcoal paper gives the same 4 criteria, and adds lightfastness for finished drawings that will hang in the light.

What is charcoal paper?

Charcoal paper is a drawing paper with a textured surface, called tooth, that holds charcoal particles on the sheet. Musashino Art University’s art glossary defines charcoal paper as paper used with drawing materials “that do not fix to surfaces well, particularly charcoal”.

Traditional charcoal paper has a laid surface of fine parallel ridges. The same glossary describes “regular striped indentations” that let charcoal fix to the sheet, and names MBM, made by the French company Canson, as the most widely used charcoal paper; the top MBM grade is 75% cotton. Charcoal paper is 1 group of papers among several that take charcoal well, and the 4 attributes in the next sections decide which paper works.

How much tooth does charcoal paper need?

Charcoal paper needs a fine to medium tooth: enough texture to hold 3 or more layers of charcoal, but not so much that the grain shows through every blend. Nitram Charcoal’s paper guide splits charcoal surfaces into 3 groups: smooth paper creates more dust and needs workable fixative between layers, fine-toothed paper holds charcoal well with less dust, and rough-toothed paper holds charcoal but is harder to blend. Glossy paper is the 1 surface every source rules out, because charcoal does not adhere to a shiny coating.

Which gsm paper is best for charcoal drawing?

The best gsm paper for charcoal drawing is 95 to 160 gsm (64 to 98 lb) for sketches and studies, and 250 gsm or more for finished drawings that take heavy erasing or a wash. Artists Network’s guide puts suitable dry-media paper at 60 to 90 lb, and adds that heavier paper stands up better to vigorous mark-making and erasing.

Grams per square metre (gsm) is the unit to compare, because a pound weight depends on the size of the basis sheet. Strathmore, for example, states its 64 lb charcoal paper against a 25 × 38 in (635 × 965 mm) basis sheet, and the same 64 lb equals 95 gsm. A 95 gsm sheet curls under a damp chamois or a wash, while a 250 gsm sheet stays flat.

Does cotton content matter in charcoal paper?

Cotton content matters in charcoal paper, because cotton fibres make a sheet stronger and keep the surface intact through erasing and reworking. Artists Network calls cotton-fibre paper the go-to choice for charcoal and other dry media. Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal and Legion Stonehenge are 100% cotton, while Canson Mi-Teintes has a high cotton content without a published percentage.

Paper with less cotton wears faster under an eraser. Nitram’s guide states that the thinner Canson Mi-Teintes “does not withstand a lot of erasures”, while the heavier 100% cotton Stonehenge withstands multiple erasures.

Does charcoal paper need to be acid-free?

Charcoal paper needs to be acid-free for any drawing you want to keep, because acid in the pulp yellows and weakens the sheet over the years. Artists Network recommends acid-free paper with a neutral pH of 7 for finished work, and notes that practice sketches do not need archival paper. Fabriano lists Tiziano under the ISO 9706 “long life” standard, and Legion states that Stonehenge is buffered with calcium carbonate.

Which paper is best for each type of charcoal drawing?

The best paper for each type of charcoal drawing depends on how much erasing, layering and detail the drawing needs. The 5 common types of charcoal drawing are portraits, sketching, charcoal pencil drawings, large drawings and drawings with wet media.

Which paper is best for charcoal portraits?

The best paper for charcoal portraits is Canson Mi-Teintes on its fine-grain side or Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal. A mid-tone Mi-Teintes sheet such as a warm grey gives the half-tones of the skin for free, so the portrait needs only the darks in charcoal and the lights in white charcoal. A white 500 Series sheet suits a full-value portrait built from light to dark. Stonehenge is the third choice when a portrait needs many corrections, because 100% cotton at 250 gsm takes repeated erasing.

Which paper is best for charcoal sketching and practice?

The best paper for charcoal sketching and practice is Strathmore 300 Series Charcoal Paper or newsprint. The 300 Series gives the laid surface of a finished charcoal paper at 95 gsm in pads of 24 to 32 sheets. Newsprint is cheaper still: a Canson XL newsprint pad holds 100 sheets of 18 × 24 in (457 × 610 mm) at 30 lb. Artists Network notes that newsprint is affordable but thin and tears easily, so newsprint suits timed gesture drawings, not finished work. Musashino Art University’s glossary advises a cushion of 4 or 5 sheets under the drawing sheet to soften the strokes.

Which paper is best for charcoal pencils?

The best paper for charcoal pencils is Legion Stonehenge or the fine-grain side of Canson Mi-Teintes. A charcoal pencil has a harder, thinner core than a stick, so a fine, even grain shows the pencil’s line without the ridges of laid paper breaking it up. The fine grain also lets a sharpened charcoal pencil reach small details such as eyelashes and hair. The guide to the best charcoal pencils compares 12 pencils that pair with these 2 papers.

Which paper is best for large charcoal drawings?

The best paper for large charcoal drawings is Legion Stonehenge in the 320 gsm white sheet or Strathmore charcoal paper by the roll. Heavy cotton paper stays flat across a full sheet, while a 95 gsm sheet ripples when the arm moves across it with pressure. Artists Network recommends a higher ply, which means a thicker sheet, for large gestural work.

Which paper is best for charcoal with wet media?

The best paper for charcoal with wet media is Arches Aquarelle Cold Press at 300 gsm (140 lb) or more. A cotton watercolour sheet takes an ink or watercolour wash under or over the charcoal without buckling. Nitram’s paper guide also recommends heavyweight Lanaquarelle watercolour paper for mixed media with charcoal, and notes that Stonehenge can be used wet without buckling or tearing.

What other papers can you use for charcoal drawing?

You can use 4 other kinds of paper for charcoal drawing: cold-press watercolour paper, Bristol vellum, a sketchbook of 150 gsm or more, and toned or black paper. Each of the 4 works under 1 condition, given below.

Is watercolor paper good for charcoal?

Yes, watercolor paper is good for charcoal when the surface is cold press or rough, and hot-press watercolor paper is too smooth for most charcoal. Artists Network lists hot-pressed paper among the smooth surfaces that do not suit charcoal. A comparison of 10 papers is in the guide to the best watercolor paper.

Is Bristol paper good for charcoal?

Bristol paper is good for charcoal only in the vellum surface, and smooth Bristol is not good for charcoal. Opinion differs on vellum Bristol: Fine Art Tutorials includes Strathmore Bristol Vellum at 270 gsm in its list of charcoal papers, while Artists Network describes Bristol board as too smooth for charcoal. Vellum Bristol works for charcoal pencil drawings with fine detail and few layers.

What is the best sketchbook for charcoal?

The best sketchbook for charcoal is a sketchbook with pages of 150 gsm or more and a medium grain. Fine Art Tutorials recommends the Stillman & Birn Gamma sketchbook, with 150 gsm ivory pages of medium grain, and the Beta sketchbook, with 270 gsm cold-press pages. Charcoal dust transfers to the facing page in a sketchbook, so a sheet of tracing paper between finished pages keeps the drawings clean.

Can you draw with charcoal on black, grey or toned paper?

Yes, you can draw with charcoal on black, grey or toned paper, and a toned sheet adds a middle value that white paper does not have. Wikipedia’s entry on charcoal in art states that toned paper allows different possibilities, such as white pastel for the highlights. Grey and tan sheets of Canson Mi-Teintes, Fabriano Tiziano and Strathmore 500 Series suit black and white charcoal together. A black sheet such as black Stonehenge suits white charcoal alone, with the paper as the darkest value.

Is pastel paper the same as charcoal paper?

Pastel paper is not the same as charcoal paper, but most pastel papers take charcoal well. Canson Mi-Teintes, Hahnemühle Ingres and Clairefontaine Pastelmat are sold as pastel papers and appear in this list of charcoal papers, because pastel and charcoal both need tooth. The difference is in the surface: sanded pastel papers hold more layers than charcoal paper, and the guide to the best paper for pastel drawing compares those surfaces.

How do you protect a charcoal drawing on paper?

You protect a charcoal drawing on paper with a fixative spray, applied in 2 or 3 light coats once the drawing is finished. Wikipedia’s entry on charcoal in art states that fixatives hold the charcoal in position and prevent rubbing off of charcoal dust, and Musashino Art University’s glossary also advises a fixative after the drawing is finished. The sprays that seal a finished sheet are compared in the guide to final fixative for charcoal. Paper, pencils, erasers and fixatives are all covered across the site’s charcoal supplies guides.