These long spells away from easel or canvas drive me nuts and make me feel like a taker rather than a producer. But they do give me a chance at some product evaluation that I’ll share.

For my money, I’ll take best quality over cheapest price every time. That started last century when I unexpectedly came into some money and wisely used it for better quality art supplies at a now extinct Portland store, Art Media. They’ve since been bought by Blick, and I miss them. If nothing else, their heavy stretcher bars were superior. Blick’s are composite and it doesn’t say “here to last” like unbroken bars of solid (rather than glued) wood. I used to come home with a big pile of them anchored to the trunk rack of my little convertable smelling like a lumber yard. (yes, I know. The photo shows a little pile. It’s legal)

I also experimented with some of their large offering of papers and have settled on now proven favorites. For most drawings that require up to a 26″ by 40″ footprint, I’ll use Lenox. It has just enough tooth for pencil and it’s heavy enough that it niether deforms nor puckers. It’s smooth enough to take satisfyingly precise detail.

Very similar, but a little heavier, is stonehenge. Wanting a larger size (never satisfied with ‘small’ when it comes to studio drawings), I ordered a roll, 50″ wide and 30 feet long. Alas, my easel is not big enough. So for large serious, I mean really serious, drawings I think prepared melanine panel may be the best material. It’s very heavy  and shipping would be spendy though. My experience with the roll paper was less satisfying than with the cut sheet because it doesn’t seem to lie flat on the easel surface like the cut sheets do. Stonehenge is great to draw on.

For a different experience, I sometimes use Murillo. There are a few sheets on hand at all times. Murillo is a heavy paper with a coarse tooth that’s patterned on one side slightly like canvas. Both sides are useable and each has it’s own likeable character. Murillo is quite a nice paper with the painterly application of pastels and for agressive sketchwork. It is not as likely to accept the delicate precision of stonehenge or lenox.

These days I’m learining the character of papers for print and there are differences.

The best, allowing the colored print to present well, has been Epsons exhibition fiber paper S045039, and it’s priced accordingly at around $5 for each 17″ X 22″ sheet. The colors are rich, the detail is perfect, and the 13mm sheets don’t pucker.  It’s an archival paper that promises to keep solid for longer than you’ll be on the planet.

For grey scale or sketchwork and for work prints I’m happy with Epson Ultra premium presentation paper matte, S041908 although I think calling it ultra premium is a stretch. Fine art shows best on the Exhibition fiber paper. Posters work acceptably well on this paper.

I’d have to say the same for Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Luster  S041407. I bought a box of 13″ X 19″ and it’s good paper, but the Exhibition Fiber paper spoils me, it’s so much better. If I’d never seen the difference, I’d be more excited about this paper, which holds detail and color well. But wait, I may have to revisit this evaluation after I’ve replaced another tank of ink. When the ink runs low, it doesn’t matter what paper you’re printing on, it’s not going to look right. Turns out one of the blacks cartridges is spent and I didn’t see that in advance. These are spendy little 80ml cartridges.

For smaller photos I’ve been very happy with the photo paper that Costco sells in 8″ X 10″ as Professional Glossy Inkjet.