Review: Daler Rowney Simply Sketch Pad (95gsm)

Daler Rowney's Simply series of paper are basically their budget line of papers, priced at the entry level for artists.

This particular sketch pad that I bought has 72 sheets of 95gsm paper.

The paper is white and smoother compared to the other sketching paper Arteco which is off-white and has a fine grain texture. Arteco is more value for money because they are available in thicker jumbo pads. However, since Arteco is off-white, the colour will be slightly off when scanning.

Below are some sketches with the paper.

These two above are drawn with a fude nib fountain pen. The fude nib has a larger contact surface on the paper, and I feel that the paper isn't particularly absorbent in this case.

These were drawn with a normal fountain pen. Looks and feels alright on the paper.

This car was drawn with the Uniball Eye and inked with Daler Rowney Kandahar. Ink washes will warp the paper.

Pencils work well, and by extension coloured pencils as well.

These three coloured ink sketches are also drawn with a fude nib.

The paper is actually quite thin even at 95gsm. So drawings on one side will leave a visible impression on the other which will affect scanning.

Conclusion

The Simply sketch pad is suitable for simple sketches with pencils and pen. Even slight ink washes will warp the paper.

I prefer the Arteco over Simply because it feels better to draw on a fine grain texture. Simply is smoother and I prefer paper with a bit more tooth.

The paper is also used for Daler Rowney's sketchbooks, hardbound and spiral. They are all marketed under Simply. However the sketchbook use 100gsm paper instead. Performance should be the same.

If you need slightly thicker paper, check out the 120gsm Simply Drawing.

Availability

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

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