The 5 Best papers for blending oil Pastel (2023 reviews)

It is important to have the well suited paper for blending oil pastel. In the following post, we will help you to select the best paper for blending oil pastels.

Our review process: Show/Hide

Our Top Picks:

Best overall: Buy: Strathmore Paper for blending oil Pastel READ REVIEW

Best for both soft pastells: Buy: Canson Paper for blending oil Pastel READ REVIEW

Best for Pastel pencil: Buy: Clairefontaine Paper for blending oil Pastel READ REVIEW

Best for alcohol wash underpainting: Buy: Uart sanded Pastel Paper for blending oil Pastel READ REVIEW

Best for creating distinctive artwork with soft pastels: Buy: COLOUR BLOCK Paper for blending oil Pastel READ REVIEW

Best overall: Strathmore Paper for blending oil Pastel

Buy on Amazon

The strathmore paper for blending oil pastel is long-lasting, rigid and fits well with your daily purpose like a dream. There are different kinds of gritted and colored papers in this set, each made for different moods of paintings you want to make. It works well for oil pastels as well as pastel solids/drew pics with both products/excellent texture and weight. It's a little thinner than the Mi-Teintes, which has gelatin on it. It uses this pad all the time to draw.

It comes in a variety of shades, from white and cream to taupe and grey. It is available in most art stores as well as chain stores.

• Good for drawing and keeping memories
• Great for a beginner looking to experiment
• Lot of satisfied buyers

Best for both soft pastells: Canson Paper for blending oil Pastel

Buy on Amazon

If you use charcoal or pastel, this textured tone variation of paper is spectacular. This is a heavy paper and is better for pastel, pencil and charcoal. The Versatile, dual-surfaced 98lb (160gsm) paper contains four sheets each of six colors. It has a coarse side and a smooth side. It does come with some gray sheets.

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 show through. It is good to use it for charcoal on the smooth side.

• Excellent drawing pad for oil pastel
• Amazing toned paper for your various art products
• Ideal for pastel & other dry media

Best for Pastel pencil: Clairefontaine Paper for blending oil Pastel

Buy on Amazon

Not everyone likes to purchase paper for their daily usage, but the clairefontaine paper for blending oil pastel would be an anomoly. Pastelmat is really unique and excellent for both colored pencils and pastels. It takes many layers of color without becoming muddy. It allows for rich color development in both pastels and colored pencils. 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 waterproof so if you want to use brush and pencils powder blender for your colored pencil paintings you can and it works great. It is suitable for all dry techniques, lead, sanguine, charcoal and more. There are some folds and wrinkles on the edges of the pad. 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.

• Come in different colors and also it is more readily (quickly) available
• Takes a lot of punishment and holds up without tearing
• Delivers what they promise

Best for alcohol wash underpainting: Uart sanded Pastel Paper for blending oil Pastel

Buy on Amazon

Compared with other paper in this category, the uart sanded pastel paper paper for blending oil pastel has a convenient design. The product is very forgiving for anyone who is just starting out with pastels. It holds many layers of pastel. It has a texture that will hold on to your pastels. It can get wet which is perfect for alcohol wash underpainting. It can all be used on it without harming the paper.

The Pastelmat is much smoother and has a firmer backing but it also holds a lot of pastel. It holds many layers of color, even more than you could hope for if you use a spray fixative on the first few layers. It has a grit surface that gives it more tooth to grab the pastel particles. It can accept under painting using a wide variety of media’s such as water, oil, mineral spirits, turpenoid and alcohol.

• Great sanded paper for pastel paintings
• Good sanded surface for pastel painting
• Meant for soft (chalk) pastels, but you can use oils on anything

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

Buy on Amazon

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. It is perfect for creating distinctive artwork with soft pastels. The fine texture on the pages affords easy, smooth blending, mixing, and layering of art without being yellow or breaking down.

The 12 x 16 inch paperback pad contains 24 sheets of 230 gsm acid free paper. It is designed in glue bound paperback, so paper can be removed easily. It’ll buckle a little first, then return to being flat once gesso dries. Being acid free, the paper is eco-friendly and is used commonly in the long term archival storage of art without being yellow or breaking down.

• Delivers what they promise
• Good investment for long term