Direct Brush—On Inexpensive Paper

Here’s a direct brush sketch I made on Fabriano Mixed Media paper.

It’s an inexpensive paper. I’ve written about it before on the blog.

I wasn’t expecting much when I started this experiment. I thought the paper would give out.

It didn’t.

My patience for rendering the fluffy curls gave out. I was working with some leftover paint and expecting to be interrupted at any moment by an appointment.

Is Fabriano Mixed Media paper a great paper? No, it’s not. But for quick studies and for fiddling around with your brushes, it’s a useful paper to have around.

I have written about this paper in other posts—most notably this first post about it here.

There’s a video showing a few different types of drawings on this paper, using different media at that link.

I think if you’re looking for a paper to do quick sketches and warm ups; if you like to do quick ink sketches like the one in that post from June 2019 I linked, which is quick ink with some equally dashed on watercolor washes; and even if you want to get a little fussy like today’s painting it can be a useful paper to have around.

What I really appreciated is that my light washes of color that I put down as I started the sketch, were able to be lifted in areas, or evened out if I wished, with less effort than on some more expensive papers.

I think this would be a great paper to take along to the life drawing co-op. (Unfortunately because of the Pandemic I don’t know when I’ll be getting back to the co-op, but It keeps to keep these thoughts in your mind so you’re ready to jump into action when things open up again.)

The difficulty is that I don’t know who carries the pads any more. I purchased mine at Wet Paint (they are my local independent art supply store, but they also sell mail order). I would call them and check, and call around. I know a friend in Canada got the pads in DeSerres. (We exchanged paper sheets and it’s the same paper.)

Note: This Fabriano Mixed Media paper IS NOT the same paper that Fabriano is now selling as 1264 series. The Fabriano Mixed Media paper I used here, and which was available in pads months ago, is lighter weight and less bright white, which could be negatives, but its surface took a crisper watercolor line and paint flowed more smoothly on the paper. Fabriano 1264 Multimedia paper may be a brighter white but it doesn’t have the same workability as the paper I was testing for this post’s sketch. I don’t even know if I’m going to do more than the quick test I did on it. I just didn’t like it. Life is short.