UART Sanded Paper Review

I purchased two loose sheets (14″x16″) of UART Premium Sanded Paper for review, both in 600 grit, from DeSerres. Each sheet retails for CAD$9.99, which is not expensive compared to Clairefontaine Pastelmat. I bought this paper primarily to test out whether oil pastels work better on sanded paper, but surprisingly, it worked very well for soft chalk pastels!

7 Grades of Paper

I bought the second finest grain UART offers. For your information, UART offers 7 paper grades. The higher the number, the finer the grit. I find that 600 is fairly close to the feel of Pastelmat, with Pastelmat feeling even smoother.

Here is the official information from UART regarding the 7 grades of sanded paper they offer:

• 240 – the largest tooth available in a sanded pastel paper
• 280 – ideal for those with a heavier hand or who want texture to show
• 320 – perfect for artists who desire extra layering
• 400 – a favorite of many professional pastel artists and ideal for those trying UART for the first time
• 500 – a moderate tooth for any medium
• 600 – perfect for those with a focus on detailed work
• 800 – finest tooth, popular for super fine pastel or colored pencil application

Soft Oil Pastels on UART Sanded Pastel Paper

I quickly painted a bunny with my Paul Rubens Oil Pastels, which went on fairly well but I couldn’t seem to build more than 3 layers. I think the 600 grit is too fine for oil pastels, so it is not the paper’s fault. As per UART’s information above, the 320 or lower would have worked better.

Soft Pastels

Next, I tested my soft pastels by PanPastel, Faber-Castell, Mungyo, Conte a Paris and Stabilo on the UART sanded paper for review.

Since this is a fairly detailed drawing, I used Derwent Lightfast pencils to block in the darker areas first. I wanted to see how many layers, including coloured pencils as underpainting, that the UART sanded paper can hold.

I had no trouble layering 3-4 layers on top of the coloured pencils. Colour me impressed!

This was the first initial painting of Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us. I was going to spray this with a fixative, and then add in the details with coloured pencils.

Be Sure To Use a Real Pastel Fixative!

I have used Krylon clear spray before but not on chalk pastel. Look what happened next!

Though it said it protects watercolour, pastels, charcoal, pencil and ink drawings, the Krylon spray ran like water on my chalk pastel painting! T_T

Not gonna lie, I was so angry after my painting was ruined. Notably, all the highlights with whites ran and disappeared. I could only add so much back because the sanded paper is quite fine grained. It wasn’t taking in much more pigment, so I did the best I could. I used a bit of Derwent Lightfast pencils to add the finer details.

This time, I used Pebeo’s Fixative. It is specifically for pastel and charcoal, which are powdery media, and it’s resin based so it wouldn’t modify the appearance. It did the trick; I didn’t see any pigment running and smearing when I sprayed. However, I did lose some of the whites.

So there you have it. After the setback with Krylon, I was still able to fix and complete my painting. UART sanded paper took in quite a few layers, even after fixative!

Overall Review

I must say, UART sanded paper surprised me in a good way. It took in as many layers as Pastelmat and it is cheaper. Though it claims no fixative is required, I do find that the pigment will transfer easily. When I accidentally touched an area I lifted the pigment, which did not happen with Pastelmat. However, there are 7 grades to choose from, so you can go from more textured to fine grain.

I highly recommend UART sanded paper!