Hahnemühle Bristol

If you read this blog regularly you might know that Bristol is my favourite paper quality. And then you also probably know that I have a special relationship with the paper producer Hahnemühle. I was using their sketchbooks for years and started tagging them in the sketch photos I posted on Instagram; they invited me to test some of their products, we met at a trade fair and since then they have been sending me some of their papers, to test or asking for my feedback.

The Hahnemühle team knew of course about my fondness for Bristol, because I had asked them whether they have a sketchbook with a similar paper quality. They do: it is not Bristol paper but quite as smooth, although not so bright white. The name is "Nostalgie". Anyways: they knew about it and now that they have started producing some Bristol blocks in DIN A4 and A3 formats they were so kind to send me some.

I made quite use of them as, two weeks ago, I enjoyed a very productive unproductive Friday: doing nothing for clients and playing with ink and watercolour instead. The result looked a little bit crazy: different styles, different techniques, but all of them fun. Lot of liquid on the paper in all cases and it holds it so well. And then: both classical brushes and pen-brushes glide so smoothly on it, no tip damage. Photographing or scanning the drawing on a Bristol paper has also advantages. Because the paper has no structure and is so white, there is almost no need for corrections: no yellow patches, no texture to be erased. Sometimes I do a little level correction on Photoshop and that's it.

I leave you here with some memories of the productive/unproductive Friday. Enjoy your weekend!