The 6 Best artist Pastel papers (2023 reviews)

Compared with other paper in this category, the clairefontaine artist pastel paper has a design with broader appeal. Pastelmat is really unique and excellent for both colored pencils and pastels. It takes many layers of color without becoming muddy. It has a slightly gritty, very slight, surface but does not eat pencils like the sanded boards do. It can be trimmed down so it's not a total waste. It is suitable for all dry techniques, lead, sanguine, charcoal and more.

It is waterproof so if you want to use brush and pencil powder blender for your colored pencil paintings you can and it works great. It is also true that it grabs the pastel in such a way that it doesn’t blend well, but it is great in holding multiple pastel layers. It allows for rich color development in both pastels and colored pencils.

Why We Like This:

Takes a lot of punishment and holds up without tearing
Come in different colors and also it is more readily (quickly) available
Good investment for long term

Best for both soft pastells: Canson Good quality Paper

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Next on the list, we've got yet another paper that manages to win our hearts. It's the canson good quality paper and it's widely considered as paper that has the most suitable features. This is a heavy paper and is better for pastel, pencil and charcoal. It allows the nature colours and vibrance of pastels to shine through. It absorbs color instead of highlighting it. It is great for colorful pastel projects. The Versatile, dual-surfaced 98lb (160gsm) paper contains four sheets each of six colors. It has different textures on each side.

This paper is good quality and texture and would be good for certain techniques but it doesn't allow a lot of layers and has a texture to the paper that tends to shine through. The colors are especially bright.

Why We Like This:

Ideal for pastel & other dry media
Light-fast paper that is colored at the pulp level
Great quality and size of paper
Excellent for pastels or for sketching

Best for alcohol wash underpainting: Uart sanded Pastel Paper artist Pastel Paper

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If you are currently in the market looking for a reliable paper for your daily usage, you cannot go wrong with the uart sanded pastel paper artist pastel paper. It holds many layers of pastel. It can accept under painting using a wide variety of media’s such as water, oil, mineral spirits, turpenoid and alcohol. It can get wet which is perfect for alcohol wash underpainting.

The product is very forgiving for anyone who is just starting out with pastels. It is highly sanded compared to the. It can all be used on it without harming the paper.

Why We Like This:

Love the paper for pencil, charcoal and pastels
Good sanded surface for pastel painting
Great sanded paper for pastel paintings

Best for flowers: Canson artist Pastel Paper

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Canson line of paper come in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. This pad is very nice, you will love the texture on it. It is a light-fast paper that is colored at the pulp level. It is made with 12 x 16 inch 98 pound/160 gram paper. The pastel paper is beautiful and it has a really nice tooth to it.

These gelatin-sized papers are 50 percent cotton, and resistant to fading. The pad is really cool by the tones, the size and the texture is awesone, but the sheets of the block are not made entirely well, the content overflowed from the flap of the cover. It gives you the choice for a different finish in the draw.

Why We Like This:

Really high quality for excellent effects
Great paper, earth tones are great for drawing landsapes, flowers, etc
New and hot release

Best for creating distinctive artwork with soft pastels: COLOUR BLOCK artist Pastel Paper

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Black pastel paper allows creative artists to maximize the bright colors and boost artistic creativity. It is perfect for creating distinctive artwork with soft pastels. The cold pressed paper has a slightly bumpy and textured surface with pronounced tooth. It doesn’t have a lot of teeth and isn’t very thick.

The 12 x 16 inch paperback pad contains 24 sheets of 230 gsm acid free paper. Tiny bumps and grooves shave the pigment from the pastel sticks and help the colors fix to the paper well. It’ll buckle a little first, then return to being flat once gesso dries.

Why We Like This:

Delivers what they promise
Good brand reputation

Best for multimedia painting: Swr artist Pastel Paper

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The swr artist pastel paper might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year, thanks to multiple price cuts and added new features over the past few months. The high-precision sanding surface can hold a lot of pastel layers, and it is made resistant to acrylic, alcohol and oil. Based on a great substrate, it works well on wet or dry underpainting. It's water resistant and allows you to add quite a few layers of pastel.

It is great medium for pastels, and 500 grit holds many layers of pastels. Uses a high-weight substrate board that prevents warping in wet conditions and is resistant to acrylic, alcohol and oil.

Why We Like This: