Paper question
Submitted by Faith on September 14, 2008 - 10:29
Really quick question (yes, question week, or something. I am the media elite!): For all those cartoonists out there who draw with brush and ink or a brushpen (not one of those brush markers, because I think the ink is different), what kind of paper do you use?
Reason behind the question: the Bristol paper went on sale at Loomis, and while I used to love working on Bristol, I noticed something recently when I switched paper. I switched to a Robert Bateman sketchbook for the final 50 pages of Ellsmere, simply because it was cheaper than buying a pack of 14 by 17 Bristol (50 pages 100lb RB sketchbook = $28. 20 pages Bristol paper = $17.50). I missed the heavy, smooth feel of the Bristol, but liked the RS sketchbook paper fine ... and then I started in on erasing my pencils and noticed a big difference between the two kinds of paper. Ink rubs off pretty easily on Bristol (smooth, not vellum), so easily that I normally have to touch up a page after I'm done erasing my messy messy pencils. I thought this was a quirk of the ink I used (Pentel brushpen), but when I started erasing the pencil lines on the RS sketchbook paper, the ink didn't rub off nearly as much. The only down side to the RB paper is that I did feel the ink bled ever so slightly. Enough to be noticeable? I'm not sure...
Anyway, I was hoping to get some opinions whether or not I should go back to the Bristol, since it's on sale ($9.50/20 pages of 14 by 17) and I do really like the feel of it, or if there's something else you'd recommend. I really hate that the ink rubs off when I erase, and that's kind of a big issue since it's damaging the original artwork, but there are reasons I like the Bristol. Oh, and I used the smooth Bristol. Is the vellum better with handling the ink? Opinions would be very appreciated! (Plus I'm always curious about what tools artists use.)
