Fabulous Fabriano!

Unleash your creativity with Fabriano Cromia papers—where vibrant colours meet unparalleled quality for your next masterpiece!

What is Fabriano CROMIA?

Fabriano Cromia paper is a high-quality, versatile paper specifically made for Fine arts, produced by the renowned Italian paper manufacturer Fabriano. Known for its fine tooth  texture and excellent durability. Cromia paper is favoured by artists for a variety of applications. One of the primary benefits of using Fabriano Cromia paper is its exceptional versatility, accommodating a wide range of artistic mediums. The brand new Fabriano Cromia range also comes in a range of beautiful colours. 

Paper properties: Mould-made, 50% cotton and 50% alpha-cellulose, 220gsm, 50x65cm sheets, 2 deckle edges, textured surface, vegan friendly, acid free, no optical brighteners, age resistant!

This paper is ideal for use with:

1. Pencil and Graphite: Its smooth surface allows for precise, detailed drawings. It is resistant to scratches, tears, and erasures.
2. Charcoal and Pastel: The paper's texture provides a good grip for these softer mediums, preventing excessive smudging.
3. Ink and Markers: The even surface ensures clean, crisp lines without bleeding.
4. Watercolours and Gouache: Despite being relatively smooth, Cromia paper can handle light washes and more substantial applications of water-based paints without warping.
5. Acrylic and Oil Paints: While traditionally used on canvas, these paints can also be applied to Cromia paper for experimental techniques and mixed media work.

Additionally, Fabriano Cromia paper is acid-free, ensuring the longevity of the artwork and preventing deterioration over time. Its sturdy construction allows for repeated erasing and reworking, making it an excellent choice for both preliminary sketches and finished pieces. Overall, Fabriano Cromia paper provides artists with a reliable and adaptable surface, enhancing the creative process across various mediums.

White Black Blue Light Blue Pale Amaranth Pale Brown Ochre Green Pale Grey Grey

Fabulous products for using on Cromia Fabriano, coloured paper

We tested some of our products on this fabulous paper to see how they would perform, we were very pleasantly surprised by the results. We have provided some product links for further information. 

Acrylic markers - Posca Markers on pale grey Fabriano Cromia coloured paper. We tested  Posca markers on the Pale Grey Fabriano Cromia and the results were excellent. Smooth application and vivid colour results.

Uni POSCA Medium Markers PC-5M POSCA Markers - 0.7mm - 4 Mono Tones - PC-1M POSCA Markers - 8 Standard Colours - Assorted Sizes Uni POSCA Marker Pens - Set of 24

Coloured pencils - Inktense pencils on light blue Fabriano Cromia Coloured paper.

 We sampled the light blue Fabriano Cromia coloured paper with Inktense pencils and they worked incredibly well on the slightly textured surface. The soft pencils retained their vibrancy and once diluted with water, their colours remained opulent and jewel like. Depending on your project, you can use the Inktense pencils dry or wet, the slight texture allows for layering of pigments to add depth and detail. The paper's ability to hold both dry and wet media makes it an excellent choice for mixed media techniques, especially as the weight is 220gsm. Avoidance of over saturation with water should be considered.

• Derwent Inktense Pencils - Wooden Box Set of 48
• Derwent Inktense Individual Pencils
• Derwent Inktense Watercolour Ink Pencils - Tin of 12 

Metallics on Fabriano Cromia black coloured paper

Fabriano Cromia black coloured paper is sturdy enough to handle the metallic products listed below, inks, paints and marker pens, the contrast and sheen of the metallic colours against the black matt paper enhances their lustre.  

Metallic inks; Piñata Alcohol Ink - 4 fl oz (118.29ml) Liquitex Acrylic Inks 30ml Dropper Bottles Winsor & Newton Drawing Inks Individual Colours - 14ml Bottles   Metallic acrylic paints Roberson Liquid Metal Acrylic Paints - 30ml STUDIO Heavy Body Acrylic Paints - 200ml Large Tubes Amsterdam Acrylic Paint Metallic Set 6 x 20ml Liquitex Basics Acrylic - Set of 6 x 22ml - Metallics and Iridescents

Metallic markers;

• Montana Acrylic Marker Set - Metallic - 0.7mm
• POSCA Markers - 2.5mm - 4 Mono Tones - PC-5M
• Pentel Paint Markers

Metallic pencils on Fabriano  - Derwent Metallic pencils

Derwent Metallic Pencils Set of 12

These Derwent Metallic Pencils are highly reflective and blend together beautifully to create vivid and striking effects. The shimmering pigments produce brilliant definition, especially when used on this Fabriano Cromia black coloured paper and open up an array of possibilities to any creative artist. Their creamy consistency means they flow perfectly on the paper.

Metallic markers on Fabriano Cromia coloured Pale Amaranth paper 

The Pale Amaranth coloured paper was perfect for showing off the Frisk Metallic Markers. The shimmering metallic colours would be perfect for card crafters and illustrators, as well as for our young creatives.

Frisk Metallic Markers Set of 10 - 2mm Frisk Metallic Pen Set of 10 - 1mm Frisk Metallic Brush Pen Set of 10 - 1mm Faber-Castell Set of 6 Metallic Bullet Nib Pens Sakura Gelly Roll - Metallic - Set of 12 Gel Pens Pentel Arts Dual Metallic Brush Pens

Gouache paints on Fabriano Cromia Coloured Blue paper 

We tested Pebeo Gouache paint on the blue Fabriano Cromia paper and found it held the colours well without rippling or buckling. The colours remained vivid and opaque.  We would suggest using a small amount of  water, to avoid saturating the paper. You can achieve some great scumbling effects with the soft surface texture of the paper.  

Pebeo Studio XL Gouache Set - 24 x 20ml Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache Primary Colour Set - 6 x 14ml Winsor & Newton Gouache Set 10x12ml Daler-Rowney Simply Gouache 12 x 12ml Tube Set

Water Soluble crayons on Fabriano Cromia blue coloured paper

The Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle water-soluble wax pastels glide smoothly on Fabriano Cromia 220gsm coloured paper, with vibrant pigments that blend effortlessly, creating rich, watercolour-like effects even on the paper's textured surface. These versatile water soluble Wax pastels can be used wet or dry. 

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle - Water Soluble Wax Pastels - Set of 30 Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle - Water Soluble Wax Pastels - Set of 10 LYRA Aquacolor Water-Soluble Wax Crayons - Set of 48 Stabilo Woody 3 in 1 Pencil Crayons - Set of 18

Soft Pastel sticks on Fabriano Cromia green coloured paper

We used the Inscribe soft pastels on the green paper, the slight tooth of the paper provides a great base for the soft pastels. We have listed a variety of soft pastel brands below. Working on a mid-tone colour provides a good measure for the rest of the dark and light values in your composition.

Inscribe Soft Pastels - Full Length Sticks - Set of 24 Winsor & Newton Soft Pastel - Set of 30 Sennelier 30 Seascape Extra-Soft Pastels - Half Stick Size Faber-Castell Mini Soft Pastels - Set of 72 Sennelier Extra Soft Pastel Selection (24 Iridescent / Shimmering Colours)

Soft pastel pencils on Fabriano Cromia Ochre coloured paper.

After sampling the soft pastels we used Derwent Pastel Pencils on the ochre coloured paper, with some great results. We tested the original colours first, then layered them with a darker hue to see how they would layer up on the paper. The middle colour is the new hue created by the two colours either side of it. The fine tooth of the paper holds the pastels well and enables the layering of pigments to create new ones, it is also excellent for creating gradients.

Derwent Pastel Pencils - Set of 24 Derwent Individual Pastel Pencils Caran d'Ache Dry Pastel Pencils - Set of 12 Faber-Castell Pitt PASTEL Pencil Metal Tin of 36 Pencils

Watercolour paint on Fabriano Cromia White coloured paper

We would call the White Fabriano Cromia paper a warm white. We used our own Studio Set Artist Quality Watercolour Half Pans to swatch out the colours on the Fabriano paper and the colours remained vibrant. We used the colours relatively dry, but diluted enough to give a good coverage on the paper. The paper’s fine tooth created some amazing dry brush effects whilst still providing a good strong base for the watercolours. Over saturation may cause the paper to buckle slightly, however the paper will take small areas of wet into wet techniques where the fine grain accentuates  the granulation textures of the paint. 

• Studio Set Artist Quality Watercolour Half Pans - Set of 24

• Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Travel Set - 24 Half Pans + Cotman Brush

• Sennelier Watercolour La Petite Aquarelle 24 Watercolour Half Pan Set

• Van Gogh Pocket Watercolour Box - Metallic & Interference Colours - Set of 12 Colours & Accessories

• Pebeo Fine Art Watercolour Painting Set - 24 Half Pans

• Daler-Rowney Aquafine 12 Half Pan Travel Set

In conclusion to our testing of this fabulous paper we think Fabriano Cromia coloured paper is incredibly versatile, offering artists the flexibility to use a wide range of products with stunning results. From pencils, pastels, and charcoal to ink, markers, and even light watercolours, this premium paper handles each medium with ease. Its smooth texture and vibrant colours enhance the brilliance of any creative project, making it an ideal choice for both professional artists and hobbyists looking to experiment with different techniques. Whether for sketching, crafting, or mixed media art, Fabriano Cromia coloured papers provide the perfect surface for creative artistic expression. Don’t forget to share your creations with us on instagram #colouringthenation.