IS THIS THE BEST STRATHMORE PAPER? Comparing Strathmore Bristol Vellum Papers

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

I’d love to know your favorite papers(as funny as that sounds writing it out)😂 and if you’ve tried the papers I’m talking about in this video!

[@artwissam7992]

that cat😻

[@BeckyTregear]

Your hair looks SO PRETTY styled like that! Great review; while we get some Strathmore products here, they are not always easy to find, and I've never seen this 500 series of vellum. I will be on the lookout for it. Oooh and I finally found the Mars pencils in 10b, 11b and 12b! 😂

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

aw thank you! I watched a vintage hair tutorial video and figured why not😂 Yes I hear Strathmore isn't always easy to find! This being a 100% cotton paper, the feel is somewhat similar to hot pressed wc paper anyways. I like the little additional vellum surface texture. I'm so happy you got those pencils and especially the 12B! Let me know what you think when you play around with them!

[@Adam-adyo]

Thanks for sharing this very informative comparison video! It's really helpful. 😊 👍

[@maryriley6163]

Thank you for this informative comparison. You are a really accomplished artist! I love your use of color.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate it and glad that I could help:)

[@WeblightDreams]

I love Strathmore paper, its my favorite so I love that you compared both series.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

I do too! I am still confused about the 400 series I'll admit! haha

[@peeyush1613]

Awesome video! Waiting for the finished drawing🤩, I can understand working from home can be crazy sometimes😂 you and your hairs both looks pretty, so I think there is no need to concern about that :)

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

It is definitely the most complicated drawing I have done in a long time but its refreshing because I get to work with so many details! Thank you, it was fun styling my hair differently for once! :)

[@AmyLouiseArt]

Great video Alexis! I think my favourite paper is arches watercolor paper because I love the feel of it! 💜

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Thanks Amy! I use that paper very often as well. It works very nicely for colored pencils and charcoal!

[@MirandaWatsonArt]

I noticed in the beginning that your hair was all done up in a cute way. It cracked me up when you mentioned it and the reason why. Love it! I have tried the 300 Series Bristol paper several times, but not enough to say anything particularly intelligent about it, lol. I'll let you colored pencil experts do that. Fun video, as usual, and informative. Thanks! 😀

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Thank you Miranda!💙 It was really fun to do my hair that way even though it took a lot of effort hahah. I definitely think the 300 series is more popular and I had fun comparing it to the 500 series which a lot of people haven't tried yet!

[@NaomiCoutureArt]

I love the Strathmore bristol 300 smooth for copic marker illustrations it's smooth enough they blend really nice but not absorbent enough that soak in and waste ink. I have not tried the Strathmore 500 bristol but I do love their 500 series hotpressed watercolor paper for colored pencils :)

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

I agree with you on that! Bristol smooth is perfect for markers and fineliners. I’m curious about the Bristol plate surface 500 series but since I already have the new pad of Bristol smooth 400 series, I definitely won’t need to be buying more paper anytime soon😂 funny enough the surface of this vellum paper feels very similar to hot pressed watercolor!

[@NaomiCoutureArt]

@@AlexisCassandraArt Oh that's interesting to know it feels like hotpressed watercolor paper. I might have to look into the price in Canada and see if it might be more affordable :)

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

@@NaomiCoutureArt yes its similar with slightly more texture id say. Maybe similar to the kind of texture fabriano artistico hot pressed paper has! ahh why do there have to be so many papers lol

[@KariBeth]

YOUR HAIR LOOKS SO PRETTY 🤩!! Love how you styled the curls 🤎!! 100% cotton paper 🙌🏻 YESSS really good sign!! Interesting how they each have a slight different texture 😮. I think the texture on the guy picture makes him look 3D- very cool!! 300 and 400 are identical- interesting! Oh my it would annoy me how the 400 pages are in a book form 😣. Yessss a video about different qualities would be interesting!! Paper is a huge key factor on how the art will turn out 💗!! Thanks again for the info! 💖

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Thanks Kari!💜 I’ve got to try more hairstyles while I have the opportunity to haha. The texture is so different from 300 to 500 series that it confuses me😂 there’s got to be some differences with the 400 series paper, but i haven’t discovered it yet 😂 paper is more important than people think for sure!

[@vrindapai]

Thank you so much for this comparison of these two papers. You have explained so nicely. I would like to know the thickness of strathmore bristol 500 series paper as compared to 300 series paper. Would also like to know whether the texture on 500 series paper is visible after shading it using charcoal pencils or is the texture not visible after many layers on it.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

I believe that it a similar thickness, but I don't think the 500 feels overly thick to me. I don't have them on me, or else I would feel them and see. the 500 texture is visible after shading, but it has an even grainy texture. I feel like the 300 paper has a more uneven texture that I do not prefer. With hard burnishing/blending, the texture should not be visible anymore

[@claritzairosario68]

Thank you so much for this comparison of this two paper! I have a Strathmore 300 series vellum surfaces... And I like it, but, it seems that the 500 series It's much better, because it's made with 100% cotton! And for me, it's a good news!🥰❤️

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Yes, the 500 series is a better quality! You will see if you try it there is a big difference! Let me know what you think

[@paigeme886]

Thank you so incredibly much for this review and comparison!! I know exactly what you mean about the texture of the strathmore 300 vellum! It’s so frustrating!!!! I watched your other paper review after this one and you asked if we would like more paper review/ comparisons... yes please! You really did such a fantastic job comparing these 2!! If it’s not too hard, a comparison of the strathmore papers would be incredible! I’m so sorry but I have a bunch of questions that I’m just dying to find out 🙈. Does the strathmore 400 Bristol smooth allow for more layers than the strathmore 300 smooth? And is the strathmore 400 vellum have a nicer/ finer/ smaller tooth than the strathmore 300 vellum? And how does the strathmore mixed media 300 compare to the 400 mixed media paper ( is the 300 smoother... that’s what I heard 🤷‍♀️?)? I’m so sorry for all the questions!! I just loved how you compared these papers so much!! It’s exactly what I have been looking for! 😂 paper is so frustrating!! I wanted a paper that allowed a few layers but isn’t overly grainy ( for portraits and that sort of thing). Again thank you so much for the paper comparison and reviews ! Oh and that guy you draw, was that on the Bristol vellum or the mixed media vellum paper ? And how does the mixed media texture compare to the vellum and smooth? Thank you so much again! And I really am SO sorry for all the questions!! I would be incredibly grateful if you could help at all ( even just 1 or 2 answers!). Loyal subscriber now!!

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

First off, thanks so much for watching and subscribing :) And second I am glad you have all these questions because I honestly find paper to be underrated but it makes a huge difference with artwork! I still have a lot of questions too! I will definitely be making more paper comparison/review videos now that I know the topic is something other people also care about. Strathmore has almost waaay to many papers and they end up confusing everyone😂 I would like to try strathmore 500 series plate series to see how it compares to the 300 smooth, but since I already have 400 smooth I need to play around with it so I could make a video comparing it to 300. I haven't tried mixed media 300 but I know I like mixed media 400, and I think I used 300 vellum for the portrait of the guy. The background didn't turn out as nice as I wanted for that portrait because of the weird texture, even with solvent ugh! So I prefer mixed media 400 compared to vellum 300. In my opinion the texture of mixed media is better, the vellum 300 is so weird😂 Oh strathmore, why do you do this!

[@paigeme886]

@@AlexisCassandraArt thank you so much for your reply!! 😂 paper is so frustrating!!! It is critical yet finding one you love and can afford seems to be impossible!! Strathmore does have so many! There really are so many choices altogether- I haven’t tried arches 300gsm watercolour paper but would like to ... so expensive here in Australia unfortunately !! Have you tried their lighter weight 185gsm hot pressed paper by any chance? That may be an option I think🤔 I don’t use solvent and I wouldn’t be so scared about wasting it ( I tried it a while ago but can’t remember what I thought tbh)!! 😂 then again... it is so important to get a good paper . I have tried saunders Waterford and artistico ages ago ( paper obsession🤨) . Have you tried the Colored pencil paper by strathmore? I have tried the 400 drawing paper but not the Colored pencil paper. Any way , thank you so much for your reply and being so lovely! I can’t wait to see more paper reviews ( yours are the best I’ve seen!! Love the detail you go into!). Would love to know what your current favourite paper is ( is that ok?) I just watched your newest video too- I hope you have a wonderful holiday on the ranch and those art supplies seem perfect!

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

@@paigeme886 Found your reply haha! It is definitely a struggle and kind of a long process to find your favorite papers. I have not tried the lighter weight Arches hot pressed watercolor (I love the 300gsm though) but since Arches is such a good brand I am sure it would work well! I find that in general my favorite papers to use are usually 100% cotton, no matter what the brand. I like Fabriano Artistico as well but don't think I have much of it left! Yes, I have tried the Colored Pencil paper by strathmore a few years ago but I actually didn't find that it had properties that would make it better for colored pencils weirdly enough. It had tooth to it, but for me there wasn't really a reason to use it over mixed media paper which I believe is thicker(I love a thicker paper). I am happy you've enjoyed my paper reviews and I will make more soon, thank you for your kind comments and input :) My favorite for watercolor is arches cold pressed, for pencil work it has still been Strathmore Mixed Media 400 Series because you can add a million layers and the paper is thick and not likely to warp or rip. However this may change as I also really like my new bristol vellum 500 paper- just haven't used it with enough pencils to claim it as my favorite yet!

[@JNAmazingWorld]

Amazing presentation. I love it

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

thank you very much💜

[@louizelimepips3517]

I love the Strathmore mixed media vellum.

[@truthfilter]

your art is amazing! 1 thing i've always struggled with is how to accurately sketch i've watched so many different methods that i tend to give up and freehand it, i was recently watching about the Loomis method but i get the feeling that the people that use such methods are already good at sketching and just use these methods as a kind of short cut ? i know it's off topic but still art related 😁 ps your croc sketch is superb!!

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

thank you:) yes, I think you can use different methods in combination with freehanding, it really depends on the art and what makes it easiest. I find I have the most trouble when there's 1000 tiny details in a reference photo lol

[@TexasHornsFootball]

I tried the Bristol Smooth for graphite and it’s just too streaky. Doesn’t blend well using a brush or tissue. Tried some color pencil techniques and those turned out a lot better. Gonna try Vellum next. But overall I like the 100 pound stock.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

paper can be so annoying. I wish art supply stores would sell packs of samples, little teeny squares but you get to try like 30 different types haha

[@Zephyr510]

As a newer artist i never knew paper was so important 😂

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

In my opinion it definitely is! I had a much harder time trying to layer colored pencil when all I was using was a sketchbook,and some mediums like watercolor or pastel really aren’t much good on a regular drawing paper!

[@fotoalive]

HI! I was just going to suggest you to do tutorials on paper and found this video , As I mention again i am completely new at Art and watching videos to learn all the best matérial on the market to buy.Learned the most important tool is the paper but it can be confusing cause good for something and not others.....so videos like that are very useful and I would suggest that you show some finished ART work on the papers explained ,cause lots of tutorials talk about the papers but d'ont show actuel finish Art work done with it. 🌼

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Paper is super important for sure! I will definitely make a more in-depth paper video- I actually have another one you can find where I compare a LOT more paper but it is probably in need of updating soon:) I think I showed some finished work in that one!💙

[@HuskyHollywood]

Thank you for very important information. I was really confused about which paper to go for but now.... not anymore. If it's possible, could you please make a video on how to draw a face properly with proper proportion/ measurements and everything? Thanks again.... Ohhh and your hair looks great.😍👍

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

thanks, I am glad this helped:) again its all based on preference so it doesn't hurt to try out a few different papers and see what you like, but I definitely recommend strathmore's 500 series vellum over the 300 series for pencil work. I would certainly like to make a beginner-friendly video all about basic face proportions soon. I do also have a video up about different sketching/outlining methods for drawing, if you are interested in that in the mean time!

[@HuskyHollywood]

@@AlexisCassandraArt sure, I'll be waiting. Thank you, you're awesome.

[@christopherseba5937]

Great Job on explaining the difference between vellum and smooth, I don't want to waste my cp on the wrong paper. Is cp good with canson mixed media 🤔 again great job on the video 👍💯

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Don't you wish we could just order test sheets for all the paper before buying them! haha. I have to try canson mixed media, I have the blue one and its rather rough

[@christopherseba5937]

@@AlexisCassandraArt that's the one I normally use and still have and yes it's rather rough. I haven't drawn anything in years and when I do start to draw it ends up being me oversizing the reference 🙃 🤔 It would be to have test sheets

[@terrydockery3690]

Can’t wait to see the finish drawing

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

thanks Terry, its going to be a long one for sure

[@IGFineArt]

Wonderful tutorial my friend, l really like it...even if l stoped to use paper for painting...🙂👨🏻‍🎨🖼🎨

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

thank you! oh yes painting is another deal!

[@raniadiycraft2735]

Fantastic artwork

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

thank you:)

[@ripun8250]

Thank you for making the video dear.👏🙏💙 Very nice presentation 👏👏 You are very sweet.🌻🍀

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Thank you for watching, I am glad you enjoyed!☺

[@vin4216]

Looking for a review on Plate Surface.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Still gotta try that one!

[@vin4216]

@@AlexisCassandraArt I'll wait for that video. You look beautiful btw. You have a beautiful eyes.

[@cyndih4720]

You look so much like my grandma (when she was your age) and my cousin, her granddaughter! Eerily like them. Makes me wonder if you're a relative 🤭

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

That is so funny! I wonder if your grandma also looks like my grandma😂

[@cyndih4720]

@@AlexisCassandraArt 😄

[@David-I0]

Hi Alexis, How is the burnishing with the 500 series vellum can you remove all the white tooth of the paper with good burnishing and blending without the help of solvent? Also can you draw good straight lines with the uneven surface? Thanks

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Hi! With vellum paper, it takes a lot of work to completely get rid of the texture. If you’re looking to do that I recommend trying hot pressed watercolor paper for your colored pencil work. I will do some more tests on the 500 series vellum on my channel though to see what results I can get.. also yes you can draw straight lines!

[@David-I0]

@@AlexisCassandraArt thanks for that reccomendation I was actually considering Fabriano artistico watercolour paper. Sounds like thats the best way to go for me 😊

[@vrindapai]

​@@AlexisCassandraArt Thank you so much for this comparison on these two papers. You have explained everything so well. I would like to know about the thickness of Strathmore Bristol 500 series vellum paper as compared to 300 series paper and also would like to know whether the texture on 500 series paper is visible after shading it using charcoal pencils or is the texture not visible after many layers on it.

[@vaderetro264]

4:55 Pens do not get stuck in the vellum paper. One can safely ink on it even with a fine nib.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

You’re right, I made a mistake saying that. What I’ve experienced is the finer nibs dont run as smoothly on vellum as smooth, and sometimes I get ink splatters or an uneven line (same w a textured paper like cold pressed watercolor)

[@Launchpad05]

I have Strathmore Bristole Board Smoth paper, (9x12 Yellow) and when I use HB pencil lead on it, the lead smears whenever I start inking on it. I don't have this problem when I use Strathmore Comic Board Paper (11x17) Should I use a different kind of paper that doesn't smear HB lead? And if so, which brand of Strathmore paper do you recommend? (Or, which other brand do you recommend in size 9x12?)

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Hmm that is really odd. I will have to test that out on my strathmore 300 series and 400 series smooth paper to see if there is a difference. I know that strathmore offers 500 series in plate surface which would work well for inking but I haven't tried it so I wouldn't know if it has the same problem with inking. How do you like the comic board paper? There is one other smooth paper I tried, its the Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth paper and its 9x12. I have been using it as a marker paper as its extremely smooth like cardstock so not completely sure about inking. However I will test out HB led + inking on the papers I have and see!

[@Launchpad05]

@@AlexisCassandraArt I have Stathmoore 200 Series Sequential Art Blue Lined Paper, and the HB pencil lines don't smear like they do on the other paper I mentioned.

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

It must be something weird about the 300 series smooth. So strange..

[@keitranvirgil1368]

I'm working with the pitt markers... I'm trying to find a paper that drink the marker up.... Omg..

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Markers are difficult! Have you looked into the 500 series Bristol Plate Surface?

[@AsBi1]

can you tell me how smooth is bristol paper compared to common notebook papers? i want paper for pencil writing but notebooks seem very smooth i want paper with some grain but not as much as sketching papers have, i thought may be bristols are the one but many reviews says its smooth , can you help me understand. i mean if you write with pencil on ordinary notebook and bristol paper, which one would you think makes darker lines?

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Hi! So bristol smooth paper is really smooth, think cardstock. its also very thick so it can take writing in ink. if you want more grain, I am not sure Bristol Vellum would be good for you either because it might be too much grain. I wonder if a hot pressed watercolor paper would be more suitable?

[@shybunnyj]

Should i get plate or vellum?

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Hi! So it depends on what kind of artwork you're creating. If you're trying to create drawings of things like animals/people and you want to do a lot of shading, I think vellum works better because it has more tooth. HOWEVER, I've only tried 300 series bristol smooth and not 500 series bristol plate yet, so I'm not sure how different they are, but my 300 series bristol smooth is best for work involving maybe fineliners or drawings with lots of H pencils used(like design, buildings, architecture type stuff).

[@shybunnyj]

@@AlexisCassandraArt i already have the vellum surface of 300 and 400 so I'm thinking of purchasing the 500 but i didn't know how the texture looks like 😭

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

@@shybunnyj the 500 series vellum texture is my favorite because it’s more even and subtle! I have yet to try out the 500 series plate texture but now I’m curious whether it would be well suited for pencils🤔

[@shybunnyj]

@@AlexisCassandraArt thank you so much! I love your art btw i will follow your IG ❤️

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

@@shybunnyj you're the best!

[@Rounit29i]

waoo😍 great

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

Thank you!

[@Macreator]

Good! I subscribed, i draw too, i hope that my drawings can inspire

[@abouelmo7878]

Anne Frank?

[@AlexisCassandraArt]

LOL