Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Pad

I've been using Strathmore papers for more than 25 years. The 400 Series 150 gram paper is cold pressed and is sizing-free. This is perfect for pencil and technical inks. Strathmore indicates you can apply light washes, but they mean "really really really LIGHT" washes. The paper will deform with watercolor or too much ink.

Being sizing-free means it has great tooth for picking up graphite and technical or india ink.

The glue binding the pages to the pad used to be a rubber cement type adhesive that allowed you to pull the sheets off cleanly -meaning you don't have to trim them for a crisp edge. I believe this is still true of the 150 g Drawing Paper, but beware that Strathmore Marker Pad paper doesn't have such a great binding: you must x-acto the sheets off the binding or it will tear.

The reason for the 4 star review instead of a 5 star review is due to the fact that these pads are rarely vacuum-sealed in shrink wrap. I almost always find them exposed to ambient air. This can mean the paper has absorbed moisture from the air which can affect ink (not graphite) performance on the paper. (Remember these sheets don't have sizing to seal them.) Also, marker -like Copic or Tombow tends to warp the paper (as well as bleed through; but that isn't the performance window of Series 400.)

For the price, they're great sheet pads that handle graphite, erasing (pink pearl seems to work best), and technical ink.

To the reviewer who was disappointed at getting only a single "pad" all I can say is shop around, read the description, and you'll discover this is a good price compared to retail for Series 400.

If you need something more sturdy for heavier washes or dense ink try their Bristol Board which is available hot-pressed or cold.

The paper is not bright white, instead it is a very light cream color which is much easier on the eyes. It has a nice texture and the paper's thickness is perfect for drawing. I have tried many brands, and this one is my favorite.

Buy Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Pad Now

You can find more sheets of paper for less money in similar paper products, but not of this quality. Those inexpensive pads are adequate for younger children; we all know how they often enjoy scribbling one line per page and then tossing the unfinished "work" ... or pasting it to the fridge AS IS! Daddy's little budding artists ... lol ...

But this Strathmore product is definitely for the more advanced artist who wants a sketch that s/he can frame, if desired. This paper is of a higher quality in an aesthetic cream color, appropriate for highlighting details of the artist's best illustrations.

Since each pad contains twenty-four 80lb. acid-free sheets per spiral-bound pad, that's approximately six sheets per dollar. What a bargain!

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008

Read Best Reviews of Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Pad Here

when I bought this paper for my mom I thought it'd be cheap scratch pad to start here back into drawing, when it came it was great quality paper for multi-use artwork

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This drawing pad is the best. Perfect for sketching. I would recommend this to anyone and shipping was timely.