UART® Premium Sanded Pastel Paper vs. Sennelier La Carte Pastel vs. Velour Paper

by on in Advice, Opinion

Pastel Paper ReviewsPASTEL PAPER REVIEWS

Hahnemuhle Velour Paper

After reading one of my favorite pastel tutorial books, I first heard of velour paper, “Painting Animals That Touch The Heart,” by Leslie Harrison. Since it was the paper she used to create her beautiful art, naturally, I wanted to try it. After several trips to the local craft stores, I found out that it was a tough paper to find. Eventually, I did find an art supply store that carried it, but it was on the other side of town, and they were out of it. I realized the only way I would be able to try it was to order it. When the paper came in, I enjoyed its unique fuzzy texture. Since I had tried other brands before, I decided I did like it over its’ other competition, until I found out how finicky the paper was. Pastel art is delicate already, so I found out the hard way by blowing the dust off. It will also remove whatever drawing was on the paper before. It’s heartbreaking when the art that I had painted, only moments before, is now lying on the ground and sitting there along with all the other dust particles I wanted to remove. I tried to reapply the vibrant color, and the paper would not accept any more pastel.

  • Very Delicate!
  • Hard to find (at least here it was) unless ordered online.
  • Creating beautiful artwork on it is possible. Just look at Leslie Harrison’s paintings, and I’m pretty sure you’d agree.
  • Do NOT wet it, or the fibers come off, and you are left with an irreparable hole, depending on how big the wet spot is.
  • Velour paper is made in a variety of colors, at least ten of them.

Sennelier La Carte Pastel  Sanded Paper

Sennelier Pastel Sanded Paper is my preference for paper. The rough texture works very well, and I love it. I can blow off the dust, bang the bottom to remove excess pastel, and I have even found that I can vacuum it off without damaging it, as long the vacuum’s hose never touches the art.  I have found the 9″ X 12″ sheets in assorted colors in art supply stores, but I would have to order online if I wanted anything larger than that size.

  • Do NOT wet it, or the sand comes off, and you are left with an irreparable hole, depending on how big the wet spot is.
  • I have to order the paper online if I want sheets bigger than 9 inches X 12 inches.
  • Sennelier Pastel Card has at least 14 different colors.
  • My favorite choice for pastel paintings. I like the texture, and it suits my art style.

UART® 500 Grit Premium Sanded Pastel Paper 

I won a small sample pack of UART® Sanded Pastel Paper, and after trying the 500 grit, I think it had a nice texture. I would use it if I had some handy, but I still wish the surface was a little rougher. I like to have a lot of tooth on the paper. The texture was so fine that when I went to dust it off in the same manner that I dusted off the Sennelier paper, the dust seemed to stick all over the surface and dulled some of the colors. I still have more samples to try, so I will have to update my review after trying all of the other papers. As of now, I would pick Sennelier as my first choice for pastel paper. Once again, do not wet the paper. It will ruin it.

  • Do NOT wet it, or the sand comes off, and you are left with an irreparable hole, depending on how big the wet spot is.
  • It is fantastic that UART® can be ordered in a large paper roll if you are planning on making large art or creating 10 yards worth of paintings.
  • The texture was like that of fine-grit sandpaper. If that is what you want, then this is the paper for you.