I don’t have extensive knowledge here, but I think this is one of those ‘it depends’ questions, as how you find paper can depend on how you use it and what your materials are. My advice is to just order a sheet or two of different types and see what works best for you. Some paper is really resilient to wearing from erasing but also difficult to erase in the first place, other paper will work better with heavier gauge leads, etc. I even recently tried out paper made from stone! Really takes the graphite well, is very smooth and only needs HB for strong lines… but I really need a light touch because of that, it’s a habit changer. It also smells slightly like a quarry… Cotton paper will wear well, Bristol is a good all-rounder, watercolour paper can be fun too. Sorry I’m probably not helping much :/

Hi, Scott, I'd better preface this comment by saying that I have limited experience with making finished graphite drawings. What I do have is a little experience with colored pencil as well as some advice from another colored pencil artist. My suggestions probably aren't the best--but maybe if all else fails, this comment will raise your post in the ranks and help you get advice from more experienced artists! For colored pencil, I've always used Bristol board. It's pretty smooth so I can get pretty detailed with it, but since the colored pencils I use have soft lead, I could only get so much detail. With the harder lead of graphite I bet you could get great detail as well as smooth tones! You can buy this in a large roll: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/strathmore-paper-rolls You can also get it in a large size (but I think it lies flat?) in packs of 25, but it's a little pricey: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/strathmore-500-drawing-bristol It's 23"x29". I also wonder if it's too smooth--without some kind of fixative, the graphite could smear. Another paper I heard about from a pro colored pencil artist is Stonehenge--but she liked it because there was some tooth, which may not work for the apes' detailed faces. But on the link that I found, there are example artworks where it looks like some artists have gotten pretty detailed with it: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/stonehenge-paper-sheets-and-rolls Once again, far from a pro here! In fact, more of a beginner. But I hope this helps in some way. And best of luck with the drawing! I bet it will turn out epic!