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Ready to prioritize your drawing practice and finally develop the skills to create artwork you’re truly proud of? Wondering what supplies are actually needed for deeper progress? The truth is, you don’t need much beyond paper, a pencil, and an eraser to start developing essential artistic skills like your observation and hand-eye coordination. That said, you’ll eventually hit a wall with what you can achieve and may start to feel frustrated. Your paper might get easily damaged and tolerate only minimal layering. Not to mention, regular printing paper yellows and deteriorates over time, putting your work at risk of being lost. In the following video, I go over the essential supplies I recommend investing in as a beginner and share must-know tips to help you avoid unnecessary spending. I also highlight some of my favorite brands of sketchbooks, pencils, and erasers; explain drawing pencil grades; and answer common questions like how to sharpen drawing pencils, clean blending stumps, and more!
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1. Paper and Sketchbooks My recommendation for anyone looking to improve their drawing skills is to invest in a sketchbook (or two). As I explain in this video, sketchbooks are invaluable tools for artists—they provide a space to study, explore without pressure, and prepare for larger, more polished pieces. Bristol board is an excellent choice for those aiming to achieve high levels of realism. Its super-smooth surface allows for seamless blending, making it ideal for finalized, time-consuming drawings. However, I recommend reserving this type of paper for finished works and focusing on building foundational skills in your sketchbooks, especially if your goal is to improve your freehand drawing. Here are the main characteristics I look at when deciding what sketchbook to buy to improve my drawing skills: a) Paper Thickness/Weight:
2. Pencils and Drawing Pencil Grades Pencils are the backbone of drawing, and understanding pencil grades is essential. Personally, I’m not a big fan of mechanical pencils for drawing, mainly because I don’t find them as versatile as traditional pencils. With traditional pencils, you can adjust the way you hold them throughout the drawing process to create thinner, more precise lines or thicker, softer ones as needed. I explain about different ways to hold a pencil for drawing in this video here and many of my favorite just don't work with mechanical pencils. Understanding Pencil Grades Drawing pencil grades indicate the hardness or softness of the graphite in their core, which affects the darkness of the marks and shading you create.
Using a range of pencil grades allows artists to achieve various effects, from light, easily erasable outlines to deep shadows that create striking contrast. Having a variety of pencil grades enables you to develop a wide range of values in your drawing without needing to press down hard on your paper. Recommended Pencil Sets:
Tips for Using Pencils:
3. Erasers Erasers are your best friends and are as much a drawing tool as pencils, helping with corrections, and even creating textures and highlights. I don't really like harder vinyl erasers because they can damage your paper. There are different types of erasers that serve different functions. Here are the ones I must have in my studio: a) Gum Erasers Gum erasers are soft and often crumble as you erase, which might seem inconvenient, but this characteristic makes them gentle on paper. They’re ideal for correcting larger areas of graphite without causing damage. b) Rubber Erasers Rubber erasers are firmer and more durable, making them great for general-purpose use. They can handle heavier erasing jobs, but because they are less gentle, they may damage softer paper if used with too much pressure. I still look for rubber erasers that are softer. c) Kneaded Erasers Kneaded erasers are malleable, resembling soft putty, and can be shaped to erase small, precise areas. They’re perfect for lifting graphite gently and lightening darker areas. Unlike other erasers, they don’t leave crumbs and are reusable until they become too saturated with graphite. d) Mono Zero Eraser The Mono Zero eraser is a precision tool designed for fine details. Its small, pen-like tip allows for erasing specific areas without disturbing the surrounding work. It’s especially useful for adding highlights or cleaning up edges in detailed drawings. It allows for more control, precision and cleaner lifting, than kneaded erasers. 4. Sharpeners For beginners, a basic metallic sharpener is what I'd recommend. They work well for round and hexagon shaped-pencils. There is also the option of sharpening your pencils with an X-ACTO knife and a sanding board, which I explain how to do in the video above. However, I wouldn't recommend this for absolute beginners.
5. Blending Stumps I mention in the video above that I don't always use blending stumps when I'm working on a drawing because my style is "sketchier" and I often bring in alternative shading techniques, like the ones I show in this video here. This said, whenever I am going for more of a realistic finish, blending stumps are a great tool because they'll allow for smoother shading and gradients. Sometimes I do my blending with a kitchen paper towel or kleenex, too!
Tips for Getting Started
With these tools in hand, you're ready to embark on your artistic journey. Remember, drawing is a skill that grows with consistent practice and exploration. Happy sketching!
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