PLATE-FINISH Papers choice

[LindasPencils]

Kind of like a sports car….you don’t want power steering

or an auto! Manual (clutch) for me evey time. lol.

[Mike Sibley]

Kara, in regard to the Conqueror vs Olin papers video, asked:

1. I'm assuming you used generally the same pressure on both samples, but the marks you've made on Olin look darker to me. Perhaps this is just my monitor, but I'm curious if that's what you see/experience as well. Are the marks indeed darker on Olin (ie, due to the way Olin accepted the graphite)? Or do they just "appear to be" darker because the Olin paper is brighter? Or, is there no difference in the darkness of the marks?"

First, I tried to treat both papers identically. So, the pressure must have been at least very similar in weight. The Olin was a great surprise! It produced strong blacks almost effortlessly, despite it feeling really slippery.

I can't explain it. The paper feels as though its slippery surface would be too smooth to collect and/hold much graphite, but the reverse turned out to be true.

2. Do you find that the slight texture of Conqueror helps you lay down more layers compared to the Olin? Are you able to lay down fewer layers on the Olin due to the slippery surface?

I did find I could layer more on the Conqueror, but the difference was marginal. Again, the Olin surprised me with the way it performed. The only problem - in my opinion - is its markedly blue whiteness. It looks cold and doesn't appeal to me. On the pro side of course, it's cheaper than Conqueror. Although, after adding shipping, the difference is not so great.