Finding the right paper type for you - Artgecko papers explained.

Choosing the Right Paper for Your Art Style

All artists know that the foundation of a brilliant masterpiece is good-quality materials. While the saying goes “a bad workman blames his tools”, the reality is that poor art supplies can genuinely hinder your practice. From coloured pencils that snap every 15 minutes to markers that bleed across the page instead of blending, we feel your pain.

With so many options available, finding the right supplies for your work can be a lengthy and frustrating process. That’s why we’ve pulled together this handy guide, breaking down each of our paper types to help you find the right grade and texture for your art style. It should also make choosing the best sketchbook for your needs a whole lot easier.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Paper for All-Rounder Artists

Do you enjoy experimenting with different techniques? Perhaps one day you’re working on pencil sketches, the next you’re using fineliners, and the day after that you’re creating bold, colourful pieces with oil pastels. If you like to switch things up and work across a range of media, you’re what we’d call an All-Rounder Artist.

For this style of working, we recommend 150gsm All Media Cartridge Paper. This paper has a medium surface, meaning it means it is cold-pressed with a smooth feel and a slight, noticeable texture. This makes it suitable for a wide variety of techniques and media types.

You’ll find this paper across several of our ranges, including Classy, Flashy, Krafty, Swanky and PRO Gecko, available in a variety of formats and sizes.

Prefer wetter media?

If you’re an All-Rounder but tend to lean towards wetter media such as watercolour, acrylic or gouache, we recommend opting for a heavier paper weight. Our 200gsm All Media Cartridge Paper is ideal for this, and it’s also a great choice if you enjoy collage work on a white surface, as it handles gluing particularly well.

This paper is available in our Classy Extra Twin Wire Sketchbook, in A4 and A3 portrait formats.

Paper for the Eco Warriors

Always on the lookout for more sustainable art supply options? You’re in the right place. All Artgecko papers are sustainably sourced, but if you’re keen to go one step further, recycled paper is the way to go.

Our 100% recycled All Media Cartridge Paper is 150gsm, making it suitable for a wide range of media, just like our standard All Media paper. As an added bonus, it features tiny flecks of recycled material throughout the pages. These are subtle against the white surface but add a touch of character and texture to your artwork.

You’ll find this paper in the Eco Gecko Twin Wire Sketchbook range, available in A4 and A4 portrait formats.

Paper for Street Artists and Paint Marker Freestylers

If your work is bold, colourful and full of confident line work, paint markers are likely your go-to tool. However, pairing paint markers with the wrong paper can quickly turn into a disaster! Bleed-through, puckering and general mess are all too common.

That’s where our 250gsm Hybrid Paper comes in. Specially formulated for paint markers such as POSCA and similar brands, this paper combines the qualities of Bristol Board and Marker Paper.

It has a super-smooth, bright white surface that allows your pens to glide effortlessly across the page, producing deep, bold colours with no resistance. Crucially, it resists puckering and bleed-through, even with heavy layering. In fact, we tested it so thoroughly that we lost count of the layers… but it was definitely well into the 50s!

You can find this paper in our Freestyle and PRO Gecko ranges in sizes A5, A4 and A3 in portrait format.

Paper for Painting Artists

Choosing the right paper for painting can feel daunting. You need to consider the type of paint you’re using, its thickness and viscosity, how much water you’ll be adding, and how many layers you plan to apply.

For most painting techniques, we always recommend our 300gsm Watercolour Paper. This is a thick, durable paper with a medium surface that feels smooth with a slight texture. It’s suitable for a wide range of wet media, including watercolour, acrylic, gouache and inks.

The paper is prepared for wet strength, but if you’re planning to use a lot of water, we still recommend stretching your paper before use. You’ll find this paper in our Splashy and PRO Gecko ranges, as well as in standalone paper packs, in a variety of formats.

Prefer a more textured surface?

If you enjoy painting on a more textured paper, our 240gsm Acrylic Paper is designed specifically for acrylic painting and also works beautifully with gouache. It features textured lines that hold paint exceptionally well and are ideal for heavy layering.

This paper is available in the PRO Gecko range in A4 and A3 portrait format.

Paper for Tonal Artists and Scrapbook Memory Keepers

Whether you love working on toned paper to add depth to your sketches, or you’re creating scrapbook pages and memory albums, this section is all about tonal paper types.

Our tonal papers are all 200gsm and available in the shades Jet Black, Desert Sand, Ash Grey and Storm Grey. They have a medium surface but feel wonderfully smooth under pencil, making them ideal for a wide variety of media, including some wet media such as gouache.

Toned papers are particularly effective for building depth and contrast in your artwork. Our Desert Sand paper, for example, is especially popular for portraits and creating natural skin tones. These papers can be found in the Shady, Stashy and PRO Gecko ranges in a variety of formats and sizes.

Looking specifically for scrapbooking paper?

While our tonal papers are a great choice for scrapbooking, we also offer Kraft Paper within our range. This paper is 170gsm with a medium surface and a slightly scratchy texture, making it perfect for collage, photo albums and memory keeping. It’s also a lovely surface to sketch on.

You’ll find Kraft Paper in the Krafty and Stashy Gecko ranges in A4 and 300mm square.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, a thorough run-down of all our paper types. We hope this guide has helped make navigating the vast and sometimes overwhelming world of art materials a little easier.

If you’re still unsure which paper is right for you, or need a personalised recommendation, feel free to DM us on our socials. We’re always happy to help you find the perfect paper for your creative needs