Figuring out what kind of paper works well with acrylic paints can be a challenge.
Will the paint cause the paper to buckle or pill? Will it be heavy enough to retain moisture without bleeding through?
The key to choosing the right paper for use with acrylics is understanding what elements to look for.
No matter what they might say, size is always important when picking out a paper.
There’s nothing more disappointing than having a grandiose artwork idea and then realizing that you accidentally ordered paper the size of a postcard.
Weight is another important element. In general, the heavier the paper, the better able it will be to support paintings that use a lot of water or multiple layers of acrylic paint.
You also will want to pay attention to texture. Choosing a paper with a smoother texture will create a much different result than choosing one with a rougher, more canvas-like texture.
- Key Takeaways
- Main Recommendations
- Canson XL Series
- Strathmore 400 Series
- Arteza Premium Canvas Pad
- Bellofly Painting Pro Series
- Bellofly Painting Pro Series A5
- Canson Montval Series
- U.S. Art Supply Extra Heavyweight
- Strathmore 300 Series
- Studio 71 Canvas Paper
- Canson Foundation Series Canva-Paper
- Deviazi Premium Mixed Media Paper
- Conclusion
Key Takeaways
The Canson XL Series is a great choice for any kind of art that requires paper with the thickness of high-quality cardstock.
Due to its heavyweight nature, the Strathmore 400 Series is an excellent choice for paintings that require multiple layers of paint or high moisture content.
The Bellofly Painting Pro Series is a low-cost paper that doesn’t sacrifice quality, making it a great choice for kids.
| Canson XL Series | Great for greeting cards |
| Strathmore 400 Series | Can easily handle multiple layers of paint |
| Arteza Premium Canvas Pad | Good travel sketch pad choice |
| Bellofly Painting Pro Series | Best for kids |
| Bellofly Painting Pro Series A5 | Good for beginners |
| Canson Montval Series | Good with higher viscosity paints |
| U.S. Art Supply Extra Heavyweight | Great portfolio pad |
| Strathmore 300 Series | Good paper for experimentation |
| Studio 71 Canvas Paper | Excellent choice for students |
| Canson Foundation Series Canva-Paper | Great for creating large art |
| Deviazi Premium Mixed Media Paper | Good choice for an art journal |
Main Recommendations
The Best Paper for Beginners: Bellofly Painting Pro Series A5
The Best Paper for Kids: Bellofly Painting Pro Series
The Best Paper for Advanced Users: Strathmore 400 Series
The Best Paper for Left-Handed Users: Deviazi Premium Mixed Media Paper
Canson XL Series
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The Canson XL Series is a textured paper reminiscent of canvas that is designed for use with both acrylic and oil paints.
This pad has a fold-over cover and contains acid free, bleed-proof paper that does not require any priming or preparation prior to applying paint.
- Size: 9” x 12”, 5.5” x 8.5”, or 11” x 14”
- Weight: 136 lb.
- Texture: Canvas-like texture
- Number of sheets: 24
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This paper has a cardstock-like thickness, making it a great choice for making greeting cards.
Strathmore 400 Series
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The Strathmore 400 Series Acrylic Pad is a heavy-weight paper with a linen finish that is perfect for learning how to use a wide range of acrylic techniques.
The pad comes with a thick chipboard backing and a flip-over cover, making it easy to create paintings on the go.
- Size: 18” x 24”
- Weight: 246 lb.
- Texture: Thick and sturdy with a toothy texture
- Number of sheets: 10
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This paper can handle multiple layers of paint.
Arteza Premium Canvas Pad
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The Arteza Canvas Pad features 100% cotton paper that has been pre-primed with gesso, making it ideal for use with both acrylic and oil paints as well as mixed media.
The pad is glue bound, making it simple to remove pages from the pad.
- Size: 9” x 12”
- Weight: 12.3 oz.
- Texture: Canvas-like fabric texture
- Number of sheets: 10
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This pad is good to use for experimentation or as a travel sketch pad.
Bellofly Painting Pro Series
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The Bellofly Paint Paper Pads are versatile pads with heavyweight paper that can be effectively used with acrylic, oil, watercolor, and gouache paints as well as any other water-based media.
These pads feature acid-free paper and are glue bound, making it easy to tear pages from the pad.
- Size: 11” x 14”
- Weight: 246 lb.
- Texture: Cold press paper that has both a smooth side and a more textured side
- Number of sheets: 15
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This paper is great for children due to its cost, size, and ability to take on moisture.
Bellofly Painting Pro Series A5
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The paper used in the Bellofly Painting Paper Pads is acid free and recycled, ensuring that your artwork will not bleed, fade, dim, or smudge over time.
It is a heavyweight paper that is suitable for use with acrylic, oil, and watercolor paints.
- Size: 5.8” x 8.3”
- Weight: 246 lb.
- Texture: Rough texture
- Number of sheets: 25
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: Due to its size and versatility, this paper makes a great travel sketch pad for beginners.
Canson Montval Series
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The Canson Montval Acrylic Pad is designed to stay flat and resist buckling. It does not need any gesso or primer prior to applying acrylic paints.
- Size: 12” x 16”, 9” x 12”, 16” x 20”
- Weight: 185 lb.
- Texture: Heavyweight and textured
- Number of sheets: 10
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This is a good paper for use with higher viscosity acrylics that don’t require a lot of water.
U.S. Art Supply Extra Heavyweight
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U.S. Art Supply’s Acrylic Painting Paper Pads come in a pack of two for value and convenience. This paper is spiral bound, heavyweight acid free, and resistant to bleed through.
The natural white color is ideal, and the paper is not prone to warping, even with heavy or multiple paint layers.
- Size: 9” x 12”
- Weight: 246 lb.
- Texture: Smooth
- Number of sheets: 12
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: The spiral-bound nature of this pad makes it a good choice for keeping your portfolio all in one place.
Strathmore 300 Series
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The Strathmore 300 Series Canvas Pad is a glue-bound, student-grade pad that is designed for use with acrylic and oil paints.
Caseins, alkyds, oil pastels, and egg tempera can also be used on this paper.
- Size: 9” x 12”, 6” x 6”, 12” x 16”, 16” x 20”
- Weight: 115 lb.
- Texture: Canvas-like texture
- Number of sheets: 10
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This is a good choice for beginner or student artists to use for practice and experimentation.
Studio 71 Canvas Paper
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The Studio 71 Darice Tablet is made for use with acrylic and oil paints. It is designed for practicing artistic techniques.
- Size: 9” x 12”
- Weight: n/a
- Texture: Canvas-like texture
- Number of sheets: 15
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This is a good paper for learning new artistic techniques.
Canson Foundation Series Canva-Paper
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The Canson Foundation Series Canva-Paper Pad is primed for use with both acrylic and oil paints.
The paper is pre-treated with a high-performance barrier that is designed for even absorption of oil, bonding agents, and water.
- Size: 16” x 20”, 9” x 12”, 12” x 16”, 18” x 24”
- Weight: 136 lb.
- Texture: Similar to linen cloth
- Number of sheets: 10
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: Due to the range of available sizes, this is a great choice if you are looking to create art on a large surface.
Deviazi Premium Mixed Media Paper
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The Deviazi Mixed Media Sketchbook can be used with a variety of dry media as well as different water-based media, including acrylic and watercolor paints and ink.
This pad is spiral bound at the top, making it easily accessible for both right and left-handed artists.
It is micro-perforated, which makes removal of the pages easy and helps you to avoid ripping your artwork.
- Size: 9” x 12”
- Weight: 98 lbs.
- Texture: Thick and smooth
- Number of sheets: 100
- Overall quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Best for: This pad is good for creating an art journal, practicing, or having fun with your paints.
Don’t forget the importance of quality brushes to go with artist-grade paper! Discover the different types of brushes that could take your work to the next level and learn how to properly clean brushes here.
Conclusion
Understanding what kind of art you want to create and at what level of experience will go a long way in deciding what type of acrylic paper will best serve you.
Picking a paper with the right size, weight, and texture will help you to create the best possible paintings. As a quick review:
If you just want paper for practicing or experimenting with techniques, the Deviazi Premium Pad is a great choice. Lots of quality paper at a very reasonable price.
If you’re going for professional results, go with either the Canson XL Series or the Strathmore 400 Series.
You’ll have fewer sheets per pad, but you’ll appreciate the quality of the paper and your artwork will really shine.
