Paper & Supports

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We add new articles to our website every three months and make it a point to update existing ones to include more information or enhance their appearance. Remember to visit us often for the latest updates. To access articles of interest, click on any of the images below. Not all articles may be available for viewing, as some are still in progress or will be created soon. If you have any requests for specific articles, don't hesitate to contact us through our contact page. 
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Art Spectrum | Colourfix

Art Spectrum® Colourfix™ papers are sheets of acid-free, 300gsm hot pressed watercolour paper with a fine, deep tooth. It is a superb surface for pastels, oils, acrylics, inks, oil pastels, gouache, watercolours and dry media such as charcoal and pencils. Available in 20 lightfast colours.
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Art Spectrum | Colourfix smooth

For anyone who is a fan of the Colourfix paper, did you know that Art Spectrum, also has a smooth version too? Find out more about the Colourfix Smooth, compare between other surfaces and see where you can buy some. 

Canson | Mi-tientes 'Touch'

A highly innovative and unique surface - this versatile, finely textured paper is perfect for pastel, charcoal, pencil, & acrylic artists and suitable for both dry and wet media techniques.

Clairfontaine | Pastelmat

This is one of the most prized surfaces, especially among pastel artists. This article provides an extensive analysis of the paper and explores the characteristics and abilities in depth. It can be used with other mediums too, not just pastels. Find out what this paper can offer you as an artist.

Legion | Stonehenge

This is a high quality, affordable paper with quality fiber composition, archival properties and its suitability for multiple mediums including pencils. Want to know more about this popular paper, read our article.
UPDATED OCTOBER 2022

Tim Fisher | Fisher 400

Developed by Tim Fisher specifically for painting with pastels. The paper has no surface pattern, which can otherwise show through, on your painting, and it will take layer after layer of pastel. Suitable for both fine, detailed work and also for more impressionistic painting. It is also very good for mixed media.

ARTICLE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
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St Cuthbert's Mill | Bockingford

Looking for a smooth watercolour paper suited to pencils and paints that is acid free and archival? Bockingford might be the one for you.
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St Cuthbert's Mill | Bockingford Tints (Not)

A tinted watercolor paper available in 5 colours, suitable for pastels, pencils and acrylics. Find out more on our blog.

St Cuthbert's Mill | Somerset

Looking for an acid-free & archival tonal paper? This paper is available in three textures and eight colours, including black. Suitable for pastels, pencils, charcoal, pen and ink and animal friendly! Click the image to find out more about this paper. 

Strathmore | Bristol 500 Plate & Vellum

For those artists that like to work on a very smooth paper, the archival Strathmore 500 plate surface may be just what you are looking for. See how it compares with both coloured & graphite pencils.

Assorted watercolour papers

Read information on different hot pressed watercolour papers before buying. Compare the size, weight and brightness of each and see which are vegan friendly too.

UArt | Dark sanded paper

Here we trial coloured pencils on the latest UArt dark sanded paper. How did it compare to other papers? See how we got on.
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Buntpapierfabrik Ludwig Bähr | Ursus

An acid free coloured paper suitable for pencil artists and craft work. This is a low cost, high colour, paper available in 56 tones including high white suitable for graphite pencil work.

12 popular black papers for artists

During our search for the 12 black surfaces in this article, we found many more, with companies producing their own ranges, in varying shades of black and different textures. The following article provides you with a selection of the most popular brands, including some lesser known.
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Help | Working with tonal papers

Can coloured paper help to advance your techniques and improve your art? In this article, we provide lots of examples and offer you plenty of hints and tips to get you started.

Tips for working with textured paper

Are you a coloured pencil user thinking of trying your pencils on an abrasive surface and need some advice on how best to approach it? Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

Canvases and Boards

Ampersand boards

Looking for a high quality canvas for your art? Ampersand have a collection of boards available for artists of all mediums from paint to scratchboard. 

Ampersand Gessobord

This superior quality gesso ground does not dull colours and the lightly sanded surface provides excellent brush control, perfect for all painting styles with oils, acrylics and mixed media.
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Ampersand Pastelbord
UPDATED May 2023

​The marble-dust tooth holds more layers than pastel paper and works well with all types of pastels, it is suitable for other mediums such as charcoal, conte crayon, coloured pencils, watercolour pencils, ink and acrylics. This article provides valuable information showcasing its remarkable adaptability and delves deep into the intricacies of this surface.
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Ampersand Aquabord
Article to follow

Aquabord is an acid-free textured clay surface that absorbs watercolours like a fine paper. When compared with watercolour paper, this multimedia panel simulates the absorbency and texture of cold pressed, but allows colour to be lifted back to white easily while also leaving the richest, most vibrant colour possible. 

Jackson's Art | Gesso panel

In this blog we review Jackson's Art Gesso panel. A pre-prepared fine tooth surface suitable for all painting styles including oils and acrylics. It features a professional acid-free gesso ground in grey or umber. We also compare it against the popular Ampersand Gessoboard.