Legion Stonehenge paper review

The popular choice of PAPER FOR coloured pencil artists
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If, like us, you like to work on tonal paper, we discuss the Stonehenge paper, which after much research, seems to be a big favourite, especially for those artists in the USA. Stonehenge is made in the USA, and easy to access (not so much in the UK), so it is no surprise that it is favoured by American artists. Stonehenge also makes other papers for other mediums like watercolours (Aqua) and printmaking, but this article covers the paper suitable for pencil artists.

​Our old article about the Stonehenge paper was rather basic, and as the design has changed since this, we decided to update our dusty old article too! Hopefully, we provide you with lots of useful information about this paper, but why not let us know what you like or even dislike about this paper. We'll include your comments on this paper.

Stonehenge is a 100% cotton paper. High-quality cotton fibre paper is known to last hundreds of years without appreciable fading, discoloration, or deterioration. Cotton paper continues to be more durable, and consequently important documents are often printed on cotton paper. Stonehenge paper comes in medium to lightweight variants including 135gsm and 250gsm. Each sheet is made in the US and is acid and chlorine free as well as being pH neutral. The Stonehenge fine art paper sheets have a smooth, flawless, slightly mottled surface to resemble vellum. They are acid-free, buffered with calcium carbonate to help protect the artwork from damage. This paper has become one of the finest papers for pastel, pencil, charcoal, acrylics and watercolour.
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The Stonehenge paper is available in 10 colours

​These are the performance features as stated by the company on their website:
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• Made in USA
• 100% Cotton
• Archival
• Neutral pH
• Acid Free
• Chlorine Free
• 2 deckles (sheets)
• Lightweight (135gsm) no deckles
• 250gsm standard
• 320gsm (White only)
• Very versatile
• Buffered with calcium carbonate
• Speciality Paper
• ​No OBA's (Optical brightening agents)

CHARACTERISTICS

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• High quality, affordable paper that never compromises fibre composition, archival properties and its suitability for multiple mediums.
• Stonehenge has the ability to take multiple layers of wax-based and oil-based coloured pencil without any buildup, allowing the colours to penetrate and absorb into the surface of the sheet.
• Stonehenge is also an excellent silkscreen paper with its ability to take as many as 50-75 colours, printed one colour at a time, and maintain perfect colour registration as a result of its incredible dimensional stability.
• Specifications: 100% Cotton, Made in USA, Acid Free, Neutral pH, 32 sheets per pad, 250 gsm / 90lb
• Applications: Charcoal Coloured Pencil, Graphite Pencil, Pastel, Pen and Ink Printmaking.

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Stonehenge paper magnified

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GSM: ​135/250/300

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ARCHIVAL: YES

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ACID FREE:  YES

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NEUTRAL pH:  YES

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LIGHTFAST: YES

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 Costs: RRP From: £5.50 (full sheet)

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ADVANTAGES

​* Good range of colours including black (10 colours)
​* Available in 135, 250 & 300gsm
* Acid free & Archival
* Easily accessible in the USA
* Relatively cheap
* Available in pads, sheets and 'on the roll'

DISADVANTAGES
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* Very soft
* Only allows around 3-4 layers (graphite) or 5-6 layers (coloured pencils)
* Indenting not as effective when working with graphite pencils
* Using an electric rubber can damage the cotton fibres
* Few art suppliers in the UK

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PERSONAL REVIEW

Cotton paper continues to be more durable, and high-quality cotton fibre paper is known to last hundreds of years without appreciable fading, discoloration, or deterioration, making it the ideal choice for the professional artist.

​For those artists who prefer to work on tonal papers, this is an ideal choice. There are very few coloured papers that are archival, that boasts a bright white option for graphite work (Polar White) & tints for coloured pencil work, which includes a strong black option too. After numerous searches, it lead us back to the Stonehenge paper. The following information is offered purely as a personal opinion,  using both graphite pencils and coloured pencils, so is based solely on personal needs in our own work. This paper is extremely popular with artists, particularly in the USA, who use different techniques and a different brand of pencil and they may prefer the softness and texture of the paper, whilst not applying the same level of application as we do.​

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Coloured Pencil on Stonehenge paper

Softness

Stonehenge paper is 100% cotton, which means it a softer surface than. Cotton papers are most suited to artists who want to create art for longevity. It is archival and acid free, which protects it from degradation and yellowing. It also has no optical brightening agents, which can cause the paper to fade in some cases. If used with pencils (as we did in our samples below), heavy applications are likely to indent the paper, which may minimise the amount of layers that can be applied. We began drawing a dog portrait on the Stonehenge Natural, and found that after around 4-5 layers, it was difficult to add anymore. The pencil simply slipped around, making no impact at all, and we gave up.

Textured

This paper has a notable texture, and like any paper, you have to adapt to it. If you are used to a specific type or brand of paper, and are moving over from a smooth surface, than a textured surface may be hindrance. In this case, the cotton fibres impedes the blending process in our opinion, and it does not allow for very smooth layers, such as blurry background. As already mentioned, there were only so many layers of pencil that could be applied before saturation, and the pencil then began to slip over the top of the colours already applied.

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Graphite pencils on Stonehenge paper

On a sheet of Stonehenge White, we drew a simple circle and began to layer using 4 differing grades of graphite pencil. The first thing we noticed, was just how soft the paper was and how easy it was to press the pencil into the cotton paper.  An initial base tone of 2B was applied, followed by the 4B, 6B and then finally the 9B, applying more pressure to one side of the circle for contrast. We personally felt the results were not particularly impressive. When the 6B layer was applied and blended, we note that the paper begun to break down a little on the surface. This saw the pencil gathering in clumps and getting caught in the fibres of the paper. We discuss the final outcome further down.
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Stonehenge paper fibres up close

Winsor & Newton smooth surface cartridge paper

Each layer is blended before adding another, and, although we have applied a good balance of values, the grades seemed to blend into one. At this stage it was difficult to define a form, for the darkest contrasts were only vaguely deeper than the brightest. Trying to build up further layers were a challenge, and the paper became saturated to the point that adding more layers, which sat on the surface of the paper, added very little to the end result.

​Sadly, for graphite pencils, we felt that the cotton paper was too soft for the graphite pencils, and photo realism art would be too challenging.

​We have added some customer reviews below, as our opinion is not shared by everyone.

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Our review of this paper is just one of many, and after reading lots of other reviews, we found an overall majority of high praise for this paper. It really depends on your technique, the type of pencils you use and what you look for in a drawing paper.
We have provided a small sample of reviews taken from the Amazon website, allowing you to get a feel of both good and bad reviews, proving how difficult this paper is to define.
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CUSTOMER REVIEWS

" This paper is excellent for coloured pencil work. They layer beautifully and I love the subtle colour range of the paper itself. It has a delicate grain, which I have found is perfect so far for realistic portrait drawing and colouring and lends itself to fine detail. Love it "

" I thought the hot pressed paper I was using was fine.... until I used this! I can get lots more layers into my pictures without the paper breaking up or stretching, it has made a huge difference to my work. "

" As a portrait artist, this is absolutely my favorite paper to work with. I use both Prismacolor and Caran d'Ache Pablo pencils in my work and blend them with Gamsol odorless mineral spirits. Stonehenge paper has a beautifully soft tooth that makes it an ideal working surface. The back of the paper offers a slightly smoother surface, if preferred. The paper holds up well to multiple layers of pencil and does not warp when brushed with the mineral spirits. "

​" I love Stonehenge paper. I only wish it was a little less expensive. It is the perfect paper for colored pencils...especially with an odorless mineral spirits technique. It holds up to the blending. "
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" Beautiful paper, I've used this for colour pencil, graphite and acrylics, it's hard wearing, versatile, soft and thick, absolutely beautiful results using it in all mediums "
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thumbs down

" Really surprised at the great reviews. I bought this pad a few months ago. My first drawing using this I found it difficult to get any depth of colour down with lots of light layers, but I had just bought some new pencils and thought it was probably inexperience with these, my second drawing was similar and the third confirms this paper needs some pressure to get good depth of colour.
My wrists ache, I won’t be repurchasing. "

" The paper had too much texture for my particular taste so it was hard to create a nice smooth black in the dark areas. "

​" Quality not as good as I thought other makers of hot press paper are of superior quality with better tooth for laying pencil. "

" Soft, heavy paper, good for colored pencils and a nice smooth surface for detailed charcoal pencil drawings if you're careful (will not stand up to erasures or much smudging). Less suitable for graphite (won't take much detail). If you're not too sloppy, it takes water-soluble pencil media very nicely without feathering or buckling. So far, the only paper I've found that works well with the ArtGraf carbon tablet. Overall a good product for specific types of art, but the colored papers need better quality control, especially for the price. "
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conflicting review

" This paper is awful for graphite drawing. Tried different pencils, but they smudge and can't erase without creating a mess. "

​" It’s the best paper to do graphite and colored pencil portraits that I know. "


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The reviews above prove how different every artist is. Just because one artist uses it exclusively and highly recommends it, does not mean it is going to suit every artist. Ideally, try this paper before you use it on an important piece of work. You can purchase a sampler, a mini pad or a small sized pad before you go on to buying the larger pads or sheets. This paper can be expensive, and just think of the other art supplies you could have bought with that money, if Stonehenge paper is not for you!

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Other related articles that may be of interest
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View all our articles covering other papers and surfaces

Working with tonal paper

Bockingford NOT tinted watercolour paper

Somerset paper - Replacement for the Legion Stonehenge

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Colour palette

Stonehenge papers are available in 10 colours and 3 weights. You can purchase sheets, pads, on the roll and journals. 

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Sizes and formats available:

Single sheets - 10 colours

2 edges are deckled, while the other two are cut.
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Weights: 135gsm, 250gsm, 320gsm
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​22" x 30" - All 10 colours - 250gsm
26" x 40" - White - 135gsm & 250gsm
30" x 44" - White & Warm White - 250gsm
30" x 44" - White - 320gsm
38" x 50" - White - 250gsm

Pads - 15 sheets per pad

The multi colour drawing pad includes 15 sheets in five neutral colours : natural, fawn, cream, pearl grey and warm white.
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Weights: 135gsm & 250gsm
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​5" x 7" - White, Warm White, Multi - 250gsm
​8" x 8" - White & Warm White - 250gsm
9" x 12" - White (135 & 250gsm), Warm White, Kraft, Multi - 250gsm
11" x 14" - White(135 & 250gsm), Warm White, Kraft & Multi,  - 250gsm
18" x 24" - White 250gsm

Rolls - White only

Weights: 250gsm & 320gsm
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50" x 10yards - All 10 colours - 250gsm
50" x 140yards - White 250gsm
50" x 140yards - White 320gsm

journal - 5 sizes

32 sheets. 100% cotton rag, acid-free and buffered with calcium carbonate

Weights:  250gsm only
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​7" x 7" - White & Cream - 250gsm
6" x 15" - White & Cream - 250gsm
9" x 12" - White & Cream - 250gsm
11" x 14" - White & Cream - 250gsm

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Stonehenge colours

Stonehenge light

Stonehenge warm white

Stonehenge white

Stonehenge Kraft

try before you invest

​Stonehenge paper is also available in mini blocks, so you can try the paper without spending a lot of money on larger sheets, only to find it is not suitable. These pads are available in all 16 of Legion's artist pads, in a small 2.5" x 3.5" size, so you can try without committing to buying large quantities.

Jackson's Art

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You can purchase a sampler from the UK based online art store, Jackson's Art. They do ship internationally too, if you are unable to find this in your own country. Postage costs will vary.​

Jackson's Art - UK based

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A second online art store sells individual sheets. Click the link below to visit the shop.

heaton cooper studio

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Looking for a similar paper?
Read our article ABOUT the St. Cuthbert MillS Somerset paper here

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​Article updated: October 2022