Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan Artist Tiles, 30 Sheets

Although not made for water colour, this 4x4 paper stock is really fantastic for mixed media and zentangle. I use them to create tiny series of mixed media studies . The tan colour can be incorporated into the art piece but I usually gesso the paper and then work on it. It stands heavy, flow and high flow acrylics, water soluble crayons, water mist, drawing inks and basic hand/ machine stitching. I find that this paper is better than other similar tiles with more gsm. My only but is that these are usually a bit pricey.

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Studio Series Artist's Tiles: White (75 pack)

I'm most disappointed with this pack of tiles supposedly 300 gsm good for dry and wet media. I normally use 300 gsm watercolour paper for my mixed media and this is a bit thinner than that, so I wonder whether the gsm on the label is a printing mistake.

The cards are smaller than average, about 3x3 inches. See my photo against a 4x4 grey tile.

I've done comprehensive testing on the paper, and it confirmed my first impression. You can see the photos I've uploaded for everything I say.

Re markers, it's good for my Sakura micron, for my fountain ink permanent ink, for my FC pitt pen, for my Fude brush pen and my Townbows. None of these bled. I tried one of my AS pigmented inks, one drop, and it worked well (the yellow stain on the photo) but my Liquitex acrylic ink (not on the photo) didn't spread well and the light rubbing with my finger sanded the paper a bit. I also applied my red Stabilo All pencil and then used a water brush to spread the colour and it didn't work well and sanded the paper a bit. Alcohol markers and inks DID bleed, as per my photo.

I did a simple abstract exercise using water-soluble crayons, which require barely any water, adding some pitt pens and non-soluble crayons. The paper doesn't have enough hold for the colour and the process of using these materials to be done without tearing or sanding. Needless to say, the paper buckled and deteriorated. As this test was done without gessoing the paper beforehand, I tried again and I did gesso the paper this time.

Gessoing the paper certainly helped with mixed media and acrylics and the results were definitely better. Paper curled a lot, though, and there was tearing and sanding in certain parts. I was careful with the paper due to the fact that I know isn't good quality after the first test.

I find the advertisement notes on the packaging misleading and inaccurate, as per the testing I've mentioned above, proven by my photos. The paper is not good for wet media or mixed media or anything that requires a bit of work on the paper.

Comparisons are unavoidable. I recently reviewed some paper tiles with, supposedly, less msg and they stood anything I did to the paper without any damage, so it makes me wonder.

This paper tiles have been a waste of money and time, as I do mixed media no zentangle or colouring, I'll have to use these tiles for something else, and I won't buy them again. The paper is good for pencil, most markers and, archival ink. It is not fit for wet media, alcohol marker, alcohol inks or anything that requires a bit of work on the paper, slight rubbing etc..

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