If your child has started to express an interest in arts and crafts, it is important to encourage them to explore this interest and give them the tools and materials they need to do so. To begin with, a sketchpad and some crayons will do. However, if they show that they like drawing and colouring in, you may want to think about exploring different paper options so that they can hone their craft. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the different types of paper that you can use when it comes to children’s art.
- Cardstock – The first type of paper that we will take a look at is cardstock, which you can get from any good paper supplier. Cardstock is a type of paper that crosses the line between paper and cardboard. It is thin, smooth, and stiff, providing an excellent surface for oil paints. In fact, it can pretty much be used for any drawing or colouring medium. Premium quality cardstock paper is perfect for creating greeting cards. Aside from this, cardstock also accommodates cut-out animals and shapes as well. If you do not have sufficient cardboard spare for your children’s crafts, cardstock will be sufficient. It is stiff enough to keep upright, so long as you use a durable adhesive to secure it.
- Art paper – Next, we have art paper, which has a rough surface, making it ideal for painting with watercolour. As art paper is coloured already, it is more commonly used for folded paper crafts, such as origami. In any case, allowing your children to play with art paper will give them a better understanding of different colours.
- Copy paper – Of course, you could give your child the most basic type of paper, which is known as copy paper. Children are able to sketch or draw on copy paper, yet painting on it will not give them the best experience. As the material is thin, watercolour will not work on this type of paper, as it will simply soak through and warp the paper. You can get copy paper in different weights. The standard weight is 20 pounds, which is ideal for sketching, doodling, and drawing.
- Construction paper – Last but not least, we have construction paper, which can very much look like cardstock paper, as it is also stiff and thicker when compared with art paper and copy paper. However, the surface is not suitable for painting because it is not thick enough. Instead, it can be great for folded crafts and doodling or drawing with a marker pen, crayon, or a coloured pen.
Final words
So there you have it: an insight into some of the different types of paper that can be used for children’s art. If your child has shown that they have a creative side and enjoy artwork, you will certainly want to encourage them to explore this further, and giving them the materials they need is the best way to do this.