My almost 11 yo daughter was flipping through the latest Dick Blick catalog, eyeing the tempera paints and charcoal pencils and gum erasers. When she got to the paper section she asked me question I had no answer for: what is Bristol paper? I have bought it many times for my text blocks when I wanted a toothy medium weight paper that was good for several different media, but wasn’t really sure what made it distinctive. Wikipedia had the answer:
Bristol board (also referred to as Bristol paper) is a heavyweight paper used for technical drawing, illustration, and other two-dimensional art forms. Its basic size is 22.5″ × 28.5″ (572 × 724 mm) and its bulk thickness is .006 inches (0.15 mm) or higher[1]. Bristol board is rated by the number of plies it contains.
The original bristol board was made in Bristol, England and was a pasted board made of paper containing rags.
Bristol board provides two working surfaces, front and back. This quality separates it from illustration board, which has only a front working surface. The surface texture can vary for different applications, including a smooth plate finish and a medium vellum. Artists working with friction-based media, such as crayon, chalks, or charcoal would use a rougher texture. Smooth finishes are generally more suited to other types of media, such as inks.
