Pads, Paper, Board & Notebooks 

Whether you’re practising your acrylic or oil painting techniques or creating a work of art, these pads are the perfect alternative to painting on canvas. Their paper is designed specifically for use with acrylic and oil paints so you can be sure the linen textured surface is ideal for your next project.

If you use markers regularly, you will most likely be aware of the perils that come with using them. Subject to bleeding through paper, alcohol based markers tend to spoil artwork by bleeding across your piece. Our selection of bleedproof marker pads eliminate that issue. The paper used in our pads is specially treated to provide optimum performance. Marker bleed is therefore prevented, ensuring clean crisp lines. Make your mark with the Winsor & Newton Bleedproof Marker Pad, which is available in a wide range of different sizes. Shop online today.

No matter your preferred medium, any artist can benefit from using high-quality cartridge paper. Whether you love the feeling of getting your hands dirty with charcoal and pastel, or prefer detailed pen or pencil sketching, layering watercolour washes or creating whimsical illustrations, we stock the perfect cartridge paper for your project. Available in packs or as pads and in a variety of thicknesses and textures, we stock cartridge paper from trusted brands like Fabriano and Daler-Rowney. Available in A3, A4 and A5 sizes.

Our range of coloured paper and card comes in a variety of dazzling shades to suit whatever project you’re creating. Perfect for scrapbooking, crafting and card making, cutting and collages, and mounting artwork or photos. Get crafty and creative by making use of one of our coloured paper and card packs, available in A3 and A4 sizes.

Try out our range of detail paper pads, ideal for a whole range of artist applications. Add glorious colour to and create your imaginative designs on the Daler-Rownet Mixed Media Paper Pad, which is also ideal for creating mixed media artworks. Detailed paper pads are also great on the go, and provide artists with the perfect base to get started on. At Cowling and Wilcox, we supply detailed paper pads from leading brands such as Daler-Rowney. Shop online today.

Make 2021 your year. Get organised with our fantastic selection of diaries, designed to make your life that little bit easier. Inside you'll find weekly, monthly and yearly overviews, plus space for goals, important dates and to-dos. Brands include Leuchtturm and Moleskine.

Foamboard is extremely useful and suitable for mounting and displaying a variety of artwork, like sketches, paintings and photography, as well as reinforcing artwork to be included in a portfolio. Foamboard is also widely used in crafts for a variety of purposes, as it can easily be cut to any size or shape. Our superior quality and sturdy foam board comes in a perfect 5mm thickness. Available sizes include A1, A2, A3 and A4. Shop online today.

Our range of gummed pads from quality art brand, Daler-Rowney, provide the perfect, high quality surface for your art. All of the products in our range are acid free and provide the perfect surface for creating art freely. All of our Daler-Rowney gummed pads are cold pressed, fine grained, 300GSM and made using 100% virgin woodpulp.

The smooth, lightweight and thin texture of layout paper is ideal for creating illustrations of any type, including pen, marker, ink and pencil. Layout paper is also perfect for calligraphy, sketching initial ideas and rough drafts, and can also be used for tracing. Our layout pads are created from crisp paper of the highest quality by Daler-Rowney and are available in A2, A3 and A4 sizes.

Moleskine products have been synonymous with quality since they were established over 20 years ago. Made with high quality leather and paper, Moleskine products are versatile and last for years and years. Our range of Moleskine products includes a selection of notebooks, pads, smart notebooks and journals perfect for a variety of tasks. Whether you're looking for the perfect home for your next bullet journal, a portable sketch pad, a place to create graphic illustraitons or a traditional diary, there is a Moleskine notebook for you. Shop our range today.

Mount Boards are perfect for anyone wanting to mount their artwork. Whether used for a portfolio or presentation, we supply mount boards for any type of application. Available in various colours, our mountboards will suit any style and make your hard work look clean and professional. Shop online today.

Every artist knows that having a good quality notebook is a staple item of your art inventory. Regardless of your choice of medium, whether you're drawing or sketching, a notebook will prove handy in any situation. We supply a wide range of plain paper and lined notebooks to suit all of your art requirements. Available in an entire range of sizes, our selection of notebooks are suitable for any need. At Cowling and Wilcox, we supply notebooks from leading brands, such as Moleskine and Pantone. Available in a variety of styles, browse the range and shop online today

Pastel paper pads are ideal for anyone looking to experiment with mediums. Test out your creative skills with soft pastels on our range of pastel paper pads. When using pastels, it is essential that you have a textured surface. This means that the colour can grip to the surface whilst displaying the strong pigment. Offering the artist a choice of finish and effects, why not try out the Winsor & Newton Tints Pastel Paper Pad? This pad features a grained surface on one side and a smoother surface on the other, perfect for anyone starting out with pastels. Shop online today.

If you are an artist that gets through lots of paper, our selection of paper rolls may be of use to you. Available in an extensive range of sizes and paper styles, our rolls are ideal for any artist. Including the Speedball Canary and Fabriano Accademia rolls, our selection of paper rolls are of the highest quality and are available online today at a discounted rate. At Cowling and Wilcox, we supply paper rolls from leading brands such as Seawhite and Fabriano. Shop online today.

One of the most important items for any artist, regardless of their level of experience, is a trusty and high-quality sketchbook. Whether it’s for detailed sketches, watercolours, drawing on location or drafting rough ideas for a larger project, a sketchbook is any artist’s best friend and the starting point of any successful work of art. We stock a variety of quality sketchbooks and sketchbook paper from leading brands like Winsor & Newton, Moleskine and Daler-Rowney. Browse our range of hardback, spiral bound and softcover sketchbooks, available in a variety of styles and sizes, including A4 and A5, filled with the highest quality sketchbook paper available. Shop online today.

Best Types of Sketchbook

The best types of sketchbooks are often referred to as Moleskine sketchbooks, as they absorb inks and markers well without bleeding. They are designed for professional use for this purpose and can be used by anyone with a passion for art. Moleskine is a popular brand that is stocked by many suppliers.

Spiral pads offer flexibility and a removable paper option for artists who specialise in a variety of different mediums. Whether you love to create with pencils, charcoal, pastels, pens, markers or inks, we stock a variety of spiral pads that offer the perfect surface for your creations. From cartridge paper to sketchbooks, browse our spiral pads and notebooks to start your next project at a competitive price. Our spiral pads are available in a range of sizes, including A2, A3, A5 and more.

Our lightweight and transparent tracing paper and pads are perfect for creating precise copies of complex sketches, as well as designs for engineers and architects. Our Daler-Rowney Tracing Paper Pad comes in either A3 or A4 sizes, is acid free and strong enough to withstand repeated erasing. For larger projects, consider these sheets of A1 Tracing Paper from Gateway.

Tracing paper typically has low opacity and is semi-transparent, which means that light passes through it easily. Tracing paper is very simple to use and is often used with a light box to allow for exact sketches. When tracing with a light box, the original image or sketch is placed atop the lightbox, and then the tracing paper on top of this. The light below the image makes it much easier to see and trace using the paper. However in many cases you can place tracing paper directly over an original image and trace this way. Tracing paper can be used for any number of creative tasks, from professional sketches to crafts and artistic learning activities. 

Graphite pencils are the best tools to use when working with tracing paper. You can shop our range of pencils for using with tracing paper and choose from great brands like Pentel, Faber-Castell and Staedtler. 

If you are planning on working with watercolours, then you will need some quality watercolour paper to do your artwork justice. Traditional high quality watercolour paper is made from cotton fibres and sheets differ very little thanks to modern mould machines. Good watercolour paper is durable and absorbent thanks to the cotton fibres.  Most paper is white or cream in colour as it allows light to reflect off its surface, which gives the transparent watercolour paint a luminescent look. But this isn’t to say that all watercolour paper is the same.

What do different types of watercolour paper mean?

It’s important to choose the right paper, as it can affect the way your project turns out. Factors such as weight and watercolour paper texture can make a huge difference to your artwork, so it’s definitely worth doing your research. When it comes to types of watercolour paper textures, there are three main categories to concern yourself with:

• Hot Pressed (HP): Hot pressed watercolour paper offers a very smooth surface, meaning that if you work with very fine detail, it will not be interrupted by rough textures.

• Cold Pressed (CP): This type of watercolour paper is often known as “NOT”, to mean “not hot pressed”. Cold pressed watercolour paper has a surface which is slightly textured and it’s versatility means it’s a popular type.

• Rough: Rough paper is a more textured type of watercolour paper, perfect for creating landscapes where texture adds to the composition. 

In addition, different watercolour paper pads can have varying weights. Heavier paper is thicker, meaning it can take more water and more working as you create your watercolour masterpiece. Watercolour paper is typically marked by how much 500 sheets weighs. Typical weight margins are 90gsm, 140gsm, and 300gsm. While 90gsm is more inexpensive, it will not be able to handle rough work. 140gsm watercolour paper pads are the most common, balancing durability with price, while 300gsm paper is the toughest you will likely need for watercolour paper.

How to stop Watercolour paper from warping?

Watercolour paper is very absorbent, meaning the fibres expand as you paint on them with your watercolours. As only some areas of the page expand, the page begins to “cockle” or bend, particularly if you are using lighter GSM watercolour paper. If this is happening to your watercolour paintings, don’t worry, as this is a completely normal behaviour in watercolour paper. To ensure that your painting dries flat rather than in this buckled position, try the following tips.

• Stretch your watercolour paper

• Buy pre-stretched watercolour paper blocks

• Flatten your finished watercolour artwork

Whether you are a professional or amateur, we have a range of watercolour paper and pads that are perfect for all purposes. We stock pads and sheets of watercolour paper from top brands such as Daler-Rowney, Winsor & Newton, Bockingford and more in a variety of types and sizes to suit your next project.