#10 Best Drawing Papers for Graphite Pencils 2023

Get your drawing paper and start creating your artwork using graphite pencils. See our recommendation below and find the best drawing papers for graphite pencils.

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Drawing paper is a better quality of paper than sketching paper. However, you can use this type of paper for sketching and finishing work. The medium of this paper is commonly charcoal, markers, pastels, and graphite pencils. And a graphite pencil is generally used to create a preliminary sketch for paintings or other media artwork.

You might like our article below if you're searching for the best drawing papers for graphite pencils. We've compiled a list of the best drawing papers for graphite pencils here. Check it out and find the best one for you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Cant find the answer you’re looking for? Reach out to our Q&A community.

Do I need the best drawing papers for graphite pencils?

We say yes, you need this drawing paper to sketch your painting. So if you’re planning to paint some beautiful things, you should buy this equipment to ease your work.

What factor should I consider before choosing the best drawing paper for graphite pencil?

  1. Texture: The texture of the paper will determine how well the paper can handle the medium you use. In general, the rough texture is excellent for charcoal and pastels. And smooth to medium texture is great for markers and graphite pencils.
  2. Weight: The heavier the paper is commonly better for drawing since it can hold more erasure and pressure from the graphite pencils. The best drawing papers for graphite pencils weigh over 80 lbs. (120 gsm).
  3. Material: The material used affects the quality of the drawing paper. The best material for graphite pencil drawing paper is generally made of cotton, referred to as rag paper.

How much should I spend on the best drawing paper for graphite pencil?

Based on our recommendation, the best graphite pencil drawing paper costs between $5 to $20. We hope you can find the best one that fits your needs.

What is the best drawing paper for graphite pencil?

Based on our recommendation below, the best graphite pencil drawing paper is Arches Watercolor Pad 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper. This drawing paper is made of cotton fiber and has a smooth surface. With this Paper, you will be able to sketch beautifully. The details of the sketch made in this Paper are also awesome. We suggest this drawing paper for you, but you might go for the other nine products with more affordable.

*Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct. Read more
Name Rank Check Prices
100510926 XL Mix Media Drawing Paper Canson
Canson
100510926 XL Mix Media Drawing Paper
#1 Amazon Walmart.com eBay
400 Series Pastel Pad Drawing Paper Strathmore
Strathmore
400 Series Pastel Pad Drawing Paper
#2 Amazon Dickblick.com eBay
100 Sheet Drawing Paper Strathmore
Strathmore
100 Sheet Drawing Paper
#3 Amazon Walmart.com eBay
300 Series Bristol Smooth Drawing Paper Strathmore
Strathmore
300 Series Bristol Smooth Drawing Paper
#4 Amazon Strathmoreartist.com eBay
477-9 400 Series Drawing Paper Strathmore
Strathmore
477-9 400 Series Drawing Paper
#5 Amazon Strathmoreartist.com eBay
XL Series Bristol Vellum Drawing Paper Canson
Canson
XL Series Bristol Vellum Drawing Paper
#6 Amazon Us.canson.com eBay
Paper 300 Series Sequential Drawing Paper Strathmore
Strathmore
Paper 300 Series Sequential Drawing Paper
#7 Amazon Strathmoreartist.com eBay
Watercolor Pad 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper Arches
Arches
Watercolor Pad 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper
#8 Amazon Walmart.com eBay
Stonehenge Pad, 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper Legion
Legion
Stonehenge Pad, 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper
#9 Amazon Dickblick.com eBay
Artist Series Cream Drawing Paper Canson
Canson
Artist Series Cream Drawing Paper
#10 Amazon Draftingsuppliesdew.com eBay

10 List of Best Drawing Papers for Graphite Pencils

  • Canson 100510926 XL Mix Media Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #1

    Canson 100510926 XL Mix Media Drawing Paper

    Best Mixed Media Drawing Paper

    1  readers vote
    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Canson 100510926 XL Mix Media Drawing Paper is a mixed media pad. This drawing paper is acid-free and features a little textured surface, providing good performance for graphite, charcoal, and watercolors. Moreover, the 60 sheets of this drawing paper are micro-perforated for easy tearing. Due to its spiral bound, you can share your beautiful art drawing with the world.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Mixed media pad
    Acid-free
    Features a little textured surface
    Micro-perforated sheets

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Not ideal for watercolor

    What other experts liked

    The paper quality is excellent and it's a really great sketchbook for the price.
    The Review Index

    What other experts didn't like

    It simply does not hold up to watercolors.
    Linda D
  • Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Pad Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #2

    Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Pad Drawing Paper

    Best Versatile Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Even this Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Pad Drawing Paper is stated for pastel. But, with the proper technique, you can use a graphite pencil on this drawing paper. This paper works efficiently for portraits, landscapes, and other textured drawings. Moreover, this graphite drawing paper is available in three sizes, all of which come with 24 sheets.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Suitable for portrait, landscape, and other textured drawings
    Available in three sizes
    Acid-free

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Inadequate binding

    What other experts liked

    I would choose the Pastel Paper because it at least has interesting colors.
    Art Pandemic

    What other experts didn't like

    The binding is not strong and did not hold up in shipping.
    Bonnita J
  • Strathmore 100 Sheet Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #3

    Strathmore 100 Sheet Drawing Paper

    Best Lightweight Drawing Paper

    1  readers vote
    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Strathmore 25-508 Drawing Paper is a lightweight paper that comes in 100 sheets. Due to its lightweight, you can carry it anywhere you want without worrying weighs down your bag. Moreover, this drawing paper has a slightly smooth texture, which is perfect for graphite pencils. It also features a spiral-bound edge that secures your art together when you’re on the go.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Lightweight
    Comes in 100 sheets
    Features a slightly smooth texture
    Spiral-bound

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Thin paper

    What other experts liked

    Good weight to the paper, pencil marks are not seen through the pages.
    Bravo Papa

    What other experts didn't like

    It's just a bit to fragile for me.
    Taran B
  • Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #4

    Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Drawing Paper

    Best Tape Bound Drawing Paper

    1  readers vote
    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth Drawing Paper comes with acid-free paper. Also, the texture of this drawing paper is smooth, making it ideal for graphite pencils. This graphite drawing paper also features tape bound, keeping your paper together. Moreover, this 300-series paper has 20 sheets on each pad, which is enough to save your artwork.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Acid-free paper
    Smooth surface
    Tape bound

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Not ideal for watercolor

    What other experts liked

    This paper is phenomenal. It handles my markers really well and allows a lot of blending.
    Mathnomancer

    What other experts didn't like

    A little hard to use for water coloring.
    Clay R
  • Strathmore 477-9 400 Series Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #5

    Strathmore 477-9 400 Series Drawing Paper

    Best Durable Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Like other graphite pencil drawing paper, this Strathmore 477-9 400 Series has clean white and toothy surface papers. Moreover, the paper of this sketch is also made of a durable material that can withstand repeated erasures and reworking. A micro-perforated wire bound is used to keep the sheets together. In addition, this drawing paper comes in 30 sheets to meet your drawing skills.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Clean white and toothy surface
    Made of durable material
    A micro-perforated wire bound

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    A little expensive

    What other experts liked

    Heavyweight construction paper prevents bleed-through.
    Art and Drawing

    What other experts didn't like

    This drawing paper is nice but pricey.
  • Canson XL Series Bristol Vellum Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #6

    Canson XL Series Bristol Vellum Drawing Paper

    Best Heavyweight Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Canson XL Series Bristol Vellum Drawing Paper is a heavyweight paper with excellent erasability. It also features a vellum surface finish, which is great for saturation and shading. Moreover, this drawing paper also works well with pencil, pen, ink, marker, and colored pencil. So if you’re seeking heavyweight drawing paper, these 25 sheets of paper are for you.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Heavyweight paper
    Excellent erasability
    Features a vellum surface finish

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Inadequate binding

    What other experts liked

    The paper is bright white with a yellow and black cover, and its surface has a smooth texture, making it a pleasure to draw on.
    Charlotte Observer

    What other experts didn't like

    Binding was undone.
    Deanna
  • Strathmore Paper 300 Series Sequential Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #7

    Strathmore Paper 300 Series Sequential Drawing Paper

    Best Traditional and Specialty Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Another heavyweight paper on our list is Strathmore Paper 300 Series Sequential Drawing Paper. This drawing suits traditional and specialty pencil, pen, and ink tools. Moreover, since the surface of this paper is a smooth surface, so it works well for creating comics, cartoons, and graphic illustrations. This paper is also acid-free and comes in 24 sheets.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Heavyweight
    Suitable for traditional and specialty pencil, pen, and ink
    Smooth surface
    Acid-free

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Inadequate binding

    What other experts liked

    Using Copic markers and colored pencils, this paper works great together.
    Marshall W

    What other experts didn't like

    Cover isn't bound. Just paper sheets stacked and unbound wrapped in plastic.
    Britteny
  • Arches Watercolor Pad 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #8

    Arches Watercolor Pad 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper

    Best Overall Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Arches Watercolor Pad Drawing Paper is made of natural cotton fibers and features a smooth surface. This graphite drawing paper can hold black wonderfully, and you can make smooth gradations on the paper. Moreover, the 12 sheets are clear white and also 100% acid-free. They provide enough space to keep your beautiful artworks.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Made of natural cotton fibers
    Smooth surface
    12 sheets of paper
    Acid-free

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    A little pricey

    What other experts liked

    If you're a serious pencil artist, you cannot beat the texture of this paper.
    DJ Stick

    What other experts didn't like

    A bit pricey I guess, but you get what you pay for.
    Shadow G
  • Legion Stonehenge Pad, 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #9

    Legion Stonehenge Pad, 9 X 12 inches Drawing Paper

    Best Supple Surface Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    Legion Stonehenge Drawing Paper has a supple surface that works well for many arts. This drawing paper is perfect for charcoal, colored pencil, graphite pencil, and pastel. You can draw an excellent detailed drawing on this graphite drawing paper. In addition, the paper of this Stonehenge comes in 15 sheets and measures 9×12 inches.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Supple surface
    Excellent for detailed drawing
    Available in 15 sheets

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Limited sheets

    What other experts liked

    It is excellent! Gradations are easy on it and it accepted five layers of color so far.
    Allison Z

    What other experts didn't like

    It is not pure white as as stated.
    John E
  • Canson Artist Series Cream Drawing Paper
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    with this product?
    #10

    Canson Artist Series Cream Drawing Paper

    Best Long-Lasting Drawing Paper

    1  experts agree 1  experts disagree
    WHY WE LIKE IT:

    This heavyweight drawing paper from Canson can handle graphite pencils beautifully. The paper is durable with excellent surface strength, so you don’t need to worry when erasing it multiple times. You can create well-detailed drawings by using a graphite pencil on this paper. Moreover, with its 24 sheets available, you don’t need to worry about running out of paper.

    Pros (reasons to buy)

    Durable paper
    Available in 24 sheets
    Heavyweight

    Cons (reasons to avoid)

    Softcover

    What other experts liked

    This sketchbook is perfect for the way I like to draw.
    Kelsey T

    What other experts didn't like

    The actual cover is thin crap which doesn’t hold up well.
    Kaliko

Conclusion: Best Drawing Papers for Graphite Pencils

The best drawing papers for graphite pencils allow you to create wonderful artwork. This paper can help you sketch before painting it in other media. But you might be confused with the ample choices on the market. Thus, we hope our article on the best drawing papers for graphite pencils can help you find the best one.

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