New Hahnemühle Natural Line Pads

Hahnemühle expand their eco-friendly range from the existing 265gsm Bamboo with two more papers. In addition to bamboo fibre, two other quick-growing fibres are introduced: hemp and agave. All are blended with lesser proportions of cotton for strength. The resulting papers are eco-friendly, coming from more easily renewed resources that require less processing, while being of the highest quality, archival and vegan.

Each paper has unique surface qualities due to their composition.

Hahn natural line The durability of Hemp Sketch (left and middle) allows for repeated layering of dry media and erasure without “pilling” the surface, and even for sketching with wet media, despite the lightness of the paper. Agave Watercolour (right) suits acrylic, watercolour and gouache techniques, with a durable and unusual surface.

80gsm Hemp Sketch

Made from 60% hemp fibre with 40% cotton, 80gsm Hemp Sketch is a very durable paper for dry media and pen & ink. In fact, despite the lightweight paper moving with moisture, the tough surface and fine grain also make this a very attractive paper for rough sketching in gouache and watercolour. The surface catches dry media easily, allowing layering with excellent erasing qualities. Even with heavy pressure when drawing, there is little distortion of this lightweight paper.

290gsm Agave Watercolour

From 70% agave fibre with 30% cotton, Agave Watercolour has a unique surface effect for watercolour painting, with some similarity to 265gsm Bamboo. While the paper seems relatively smooth for a “Cold Press”, the grain becomes apparent when colour is applied, as the absorbency favours textural appearance of the watercolour. This is especially visible with granulating colours, which are highly emphasised. The surface sizing offers the ability to lift colours and use masking fluid, tape and erasing without damaging the surface.