Recent woodland drawing on special French paper

Here's one I've completed recently created on Canson “C” à grain 224gsm drawing paper.

This is a superb paper for drawing on and has a very special satin machine finish to it. C a Grain has lots of creative possibilities and I just love it because it is so versatile.

Plenty of drawing are being done on it these days by moi exploring different drawing techniques with brush, line and wash, mixed media, Nitram Charcoal, graphite and so on - often in the same layered expressive work.

Since having the honour of becoming a UK Canson Ambassador a little over a year ago I have been extensively and continually exploring the properties and qualities of Canson's amazing Fine Art papers and i'm delighted to give you a quick report on this one.

C a Grain is one of their best drawing papers for artists today.The paper is smooth but not glass like so you have some texture and a smooth finish on the surface at the same time. Quite unique really!

At first the paper may appear to be a little light (being 224gsm) but in fact the weight of the paper belies its strength  - which is exceptional. Of course if you load it with very heavy washes of higher water ratio to pigment repeatedly it will cockle but if this is your approach it can always be stretched easily before hand without adverse effect to the surface quality.

Manufactured using only alpha cellulose, it contains absolutely no lignin which might result in yellowing of the paper over time. This naturally white paper, with no optical brightness additives, acid-free and permanent.

It is stock and surface-sized, enabling it to withstand repeated erasing or scraping without flaking. Good news for me as I do ALOT of layering with my drawings to build up surface qualities either quickly or repeated sessions on different drawings over time.

This particular drawing was created for my students on a recent art holiday as a demonstration piece with us all working directly in the beautiful and tranquil woodlands at Rydal Hall near Ambleside in the Lake District

An all-round paper it is suitable for all dry techniques and certain wet techniques such as ink and gouache which is good news for artists who, like me, often work in a mixed media process to create their work.

For further information about this exceptional paper and other superb fine art papers visit http://en.canson.com/

Canson “C” à grain can be purchased from www.greatart.co.uk

Featured drawing

Light and shade through Rydal Woods, Rydal Hall, Cumbria

Mixed black and white drawing media on Canson “C” à grain 224gsm 

18.5 X 18.5 inches (47 x 47 cm)