Canson Drawing Sketch Paper, 12 Sheets, White, Quarter Sheet

Canson is a French mill whose drawing paper is a studio standard, and its "dessin" sheet is a general-purpose drawing surface with a light grain that takes pencil, charcoal, ink and pastel. Buying by sheet count in a set is how artists stock a size they use often without committing to a full ream.

The light tooth is the useful quality: enough grain to grip graphite and hold charcoal or pastel, smooth enough that pen and fine detail do not catch. It is a dry-media paper rather than a wet one — a heavy wash will cockle it — so keep watercolour and ink washes for a heavier watercolour sheet and use this for drawing.

The quarter-sheet size — the standard student drawing format, large enough for a full study or a finished drawing, twelve sheets to a pack. This is the size most drawing classes are set at, so it is the one to keep stocked.

• 12 sheets, white drawing paper
• Quarter sheet
• Light grain — takes pencil, charcoal, ink and pastel
• A dry-media paper — a heavy wash will cockle it