Smooth Newsprint

[k4pka]

Im absolutely dying to experiment with this stuff (can you guess what im inspired by??) But i cannot find it anywhere in england.

Does anyone know where i can purchase some from in england? Or any online suppliers that are either england based or will ship to england without extortionate prices? Im located in nottingham if that makes any difference?

Thanks in advance :)

[seetsy]

I guess you can try dickblick.com im sure they ship to England. I think its their all purpose newsprint that is or is similiar to the smooth newsprint everyone keeps talking about. I think they're international shipping rate goes by weight so if your just getting newsprint it shouldn't be too much but don't take my word for it. I know i ordered stuff to australia the other day and it cost me US$30 just for shipping, though i did order a fair amount of things.

[SpazMcFlash]

Here's a link to the newsprint we've been getting lately at Dick Blick. I have no idea how shipping costs will be for international.
Although $13 for a 500 sheet ream plus your shipping will still be cheaper than getting a 50 sheet newsprint pad for $8 or so.

http://www.dickblick.com/zz103/11/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=819

[Revenants]

I'm not sure about england, but here at canada(a more desolated country than england), I found smooth newsprint 50 sheet pads for 97cents each pad. I just draw on these and throw it into the garbage, I don't see what's so special about them. Look at some art stores, or maybe paper stores. If you have to spend $8 dollars for a pad....I think you should buy something better instead.

On a side note, I don't know what your doing with theses... but I found my marker paper quite similar to it if your using graphite/conte but if its wet media... newsprint is still newsprint...it bleeds.....

[SpazMcFlash]

good lord Rev... what's the size of the pads? It's definitely a rip to pay $8 for a 50 sheet 18*24 pad.

Now that I'm at Watts I'm for once realizing the potential of smooth newsprint, even though it's flimsy and deteriorates after ab. 10 years. I've always disliked using newsprint, but it works wonders with charcoal and conte pencils for some odd reason.

I have some marker paper laying around here. I'll have to give that a shot. Thanks for the idea.

[sula_nebouxi]

I've used smooth newsprint and will never go back to rough...ever...

It seems fairly hard to find online...I actually never knew dickblick had something similar to smooth...I thought it was rough.

And yes $8 is a ripoff, I usually get mine at Pearl for around $4 for a 50 sheet 18x24 pad.

[seetsy]

whats the actual difference specifically between smooth and rough? Does one just allow you to achieve a smoother gradation of tone than the other? Or is it like drawing on completely different paper?

[sula_nebouxi]

It's completely different from each other. You have to try it to really see the difference. That and Conte 1710 pencils are a match made in heaven...It just...feels right. Oh and if this doesn't make sense, it's the sleep deprevation.

[EccoXile]

thank god. I've been trying to find some cheap smooth newspaper. I bought a 50 sheet pad awhile back, and the stuff is simply amazing. charcoal lays down cleanly, and you don't get too much paper texture in there. Letting you render and play with the charcoal instead of trying to work with the paper texture.
Now let me do a happy dance for dick blick being amazing. (though I wonder if the quality is as good as strathmore or the impossible to find seth cole...anyone know?)

[Hybridstar]

Hey guys, Placed an order with dick blick for 2000 sheets of newsprint and some strathmore pads. Im in the uk and freight came to a staggering 120 pounds! Any place that imports or sells newsprint in the uk and also i'd love to know where to get my hands on strathmore 300 and 500 pads and sheets. Any ideas?

[benway]

Just use Xerox A3, or A2 if you can possibly find it . Thicker than newsprint. Costs something like Australian $5-10 for 1000 sheets [so maybe 5 pounds].
Newsprint is more expensive and a bit crappier and the paper will decay because it is usually not acid free if that matters to you, but you should be able to pick it up at any art store.
I know there have been a lot of nice drawings done on newsprint around here, but I don't think that makes it a necessity.....especially not if you're paying big money for it's crapness.
Sort-of The point of newsprint is that it is supposed to be dirt cheap because it's rubbishy. If you have to pay a lot of money for it, it defeats the purpose of it, ie. something you can just use without thinking about cost.
If you can't find it cheaply, go Xerox or some other cheap smooth copy paper.