Review: Daler Rowney Simply Drawing Pad (120gsm)

I probably should have reviewed the Daler Rowney Simply Drawing Pad with the Simply Sketch Pad that I reviewed recently.

The only significant difference is the paper weight. Simply Drawing is 120gsm vs Simply Sketch which is 95gsm.

So the paper is thicker here which give you more leeway to use heavy medium. However it should be noted that this paper is still mostly suited for dry media, so stuff like gouache or watercolours are definitely out. Even ink washes will warp the paper slightly.

Daler Rowney's Simply series of paper are for the budget conscious artists.

Simply Drawing pad is only available in A4 size, 50 sheets per pad, acid-free.

The paper is suitable for pen and ink drawing, pencils and coloured pencils and light pastel work.

Below are some of my sketches.

Pen and ink works well.

The lines are from a Mont Blanc fountain pen and the ink wash applied with a brush.

The paper is able to withstand light ink washes over small areas.

The paper is lightly texture and is good enough for pencil and coloured pencil work.

This was drawn with the Pilot Parallel Pens.

The paper is still thin enough so you'll still see an impression of drawings from the opposite page.

Conclusion

For light sketching, casual drawing, I would recommend the Simply Sketch pad over this. Unless you do need the heavier paper weight, the Simply Sketch pad performance is roughly similar.

Simply Drawing has 50 sheets vs Simply Sketch's 72 sheets. I would say get the cheaper one.

By the way, there's also a recycled version of Simply Drawing, called Eco Drawing. They should be priced the same.

Availability

As Daler Rowney is a UK manufacturer, the paper is more easily found in UK. You can buy them from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk and JacksonsArt (UK).

It's more economical to just buy it at your art store if they have it.