10 Essential Drawing Materials

and Tools for Beginners

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Matt Fussell

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Most of us started drawing when we were young. Back then, materials and
tools were not that important to us. Perhaps, they weren’t even considered. A
standard pencil on some notebook paper would often “do the trick”.
But as we grew and developed as artists, the materials and tools that we
chose became more important. The connection between quality art materials
and quality artwork becomes noticeable along the way and it’s no wonder that
emerging artists desire to have the very best materials possible.

If you are starting to get serious about your artwork, no matter what age, you
may also be starting to get serious about the materials that you use.

In this post, I’ll offer 10 essential drawing materials and tools for artists that
are just starting to get serious about their drawing. (This list is focused on
black and white drawing media only.)
1. Quality Drawing Pencils
We’ll start off with the most obvious essential – quality drawing pencils. When
it comes to drawing pencils, each artist will find a brand that they connect with.
There’s no way to know which brand will become your favorite until you try a
few.

Drawing Pencil Sets

Pencil sets usually come packaged in nice tins and can be great because they
often include the full spectrum of graphite grades. Many sets include pencils
with harder graphite (9H) through softer graphite (6B). Harder graphite makes
lighter marks and keeps a sharp tip longer, while softer graphite makes a
darker mark, but needs constant resharpening. These sets give the artist the
ability to work with many different values and varieties of mark. Learn more
about the different grades of graphite here.
As far as pencil brands go, there are plenty of great options. Derwent graphite
pencils are consistent in their quality and is the brand I recommend.

Individual Pencils

Many artists will find that they don’t use all of the pencils in a drawing pencil
set. Instead, they may find that they only use a few of the pencils. For
example, 2H, HB, 2B, and 4B pencils would be plenty of range for most of us.
If this is the case, then a pencil set would not make sense. Instead,
purchasing the individual pencils as they are needed may be the better
approach.

Although graphite pencils aren’t very expensive, purchasing individual pencils

can be more pricey than just buying a full set of pencils. You may also find
yourself hunting for them at the art store.

2. A Sketchbook

A sketchbook is one of the most important things an artist can have. I should
point out that I am referring to an “active sketchbook” – one that receives
attention on a daily basis. Anyone can “own” a book with blank pages of
drawing paper. But the one that actively gets drawn in – on a daily basis is the
one of value.

Let me make an analogy to a sketchbook’s importance. Let’s compare a

professional athlete’s life to that of an artist.

The professional athlete may workout for hours daily in the gym or on the
track to enhance their performance on “game day”. Though the world may
never see the hours of hard work that have been put into the workout, the
exercise is important – if not crucial to the athlete’s success.

An active sketchbook is the artist’s “exercise”. It is the “hard work” that goes
into the development of the artist and it is the breeding ground for innovative,
artistic ideas. Though the sketchbook may never be seen by the world, it is
the often driving factor in successful artworks and successful artists.

Since a sketchbook is recommended for daily practice, it is important to

choose one that is durable and has plenty of pages for all of your ideas. I
suggest a sketchbook that has a hardcover so that it will stand up to repeated
use and travel. A hardcover keeps the corners of the pages inside nice and
clean and will help keep the pages flat if you use mixed media applications.

Need some ideas? Check out our list of 101 Sketchbook Ideas.

3. Quality Drawing Surfaces

A drawing can be made on any surface, but the quality of that surface is
sometimes just as important as the medium that it is used upon it.

There are a few considerations for choosing a drawing surface that will affect
the finished result.

1. The “Tooth” – The “tooth” of the surface is the texture of the paper. The
texture of the paper plays a role in how the drawing material is accepted on
the surface. Heavier textures will produces lines that may appear “broken”,
while smoother textures will produce smoother lines and gradations of value.
Some artists will prefer heavier textures while others will prefer a smoother
surface. Learn how the tooth of the paper can affect the application of the
medium here.
2. Paper Weight – The weight of the paper refers to how much a ream (500
sheets) of that paper weighs. For most papers, the weight of the paper will be
directly related to the thickness of the paper. (It should be noted that some
papers may have a heavier weight but actually be thinner.) For example, 80
lb. paper will typically be thicker than 60 lb. paper, while 100 lb. paper will be
heavier than 80 lb. paper.
3. Acid Free – Paper that is “acid free”, without going into all of the technical
details, will stand “the test of time”. This paper is will not yellow over time and
is more resistant to fading that can occur when exposed to UV light.
Here are few recommended papers that you might experiment with…

Drawing Paper – Medium tooth paper that is suited for drawing with a variety
of drawing media including graphite, charcoal, and colored pencils. There are
ton of options for drawing papers, but Strathmore papers are recommended.
Charcoal paper – Heavier tooth paper that is lightweight – almost semi-
transparent. Excellent for creating texture. (A variety of media can be used
on charcoal paper – not just charcoal. I love it for graphite drawings.)
Bristol Paper – Smooth tooth paper that is heavier (think cardstock). This
paper is quite rigid and is excellent for creating smooth gradations of value or
detailed line work with ink.
Want to learn more about drawing papers? Check out this lesson…All About
Drawing Papers

25 Days to Better Drawings

Learn a new drawing concept and skill every day for 25 days. Each drawing
concept taught includes a short drawing exercise (less than one hour) that
reinforces the concept taught.

VIEW COURSE

4. Variety of Erasers
Erasers are for mistakes – right? Think again. Erasers can be a great mark-
making tool as well. Each eraser creates a different mark and should be used
as necessary according to the specific drawing medium.

Here are a few recommended erasers…

Rubber Eraser – Your standard eraser for erasing graphite. This eraser uses
friction to remove any material from the surface.
Kneaded Eraser – This eraser lifts material from the surface, instead of using
friction to remove it. It can be pulled and fashioned into different forms to
create specific marks. This eraser gets dirty over time, but can be cleaned by
pulling and “kneading” it.
Gum Eraser – “The Crumbler”. This eraser is great for removing media from
surfaces that are sensitive to tearing. A gum eraser removes the medium
through friction, but crumbles as it does so – preserving the surface.
Vinyl or Plastic Erasers – This eraser is the toughest of the bunch. It can
erase almost anything. But be warned – this eraser can tear the paper if
you’re not careful.
Some manufacturers produce inexpensive sets of erasers like this one from
Prismacolor…

You can read more on the differences between erasers here.

5. A Good Pencil Sharpener
Pencils need to be sharpened with a quality pencil sharpener. Use a poor
quality sharpener and you could be out of a pencil in a matter of moments.

Pencil sharpeners generally fall into two categories – Manual and electric.

Electric Pencil Sharpeners

Electric pencil sharpeners can vary in price and the old saying, “you get what
you pay for” is true for what you get here.

A quality electric pencil sharpener will sharpen your pencil without eating it all
up.

Electric pencil sharpeners are nice to have for a quick sharpen of the pencil,
but should not be used with colored pencils. The waxy binder found in colored
pencils can build up within the blades of the sharpener, ruining the device.

An Extreme Solution
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the X-Acto Commercial sharpener. It is a
MAJOR pencil sharpener. This pencil sharpener sharpens pencils in a split
second and is incredibly durable. It should last you years.
The only negative is that smaller pencils can get caught inside of the
sharpener. This sharpener is definitely on the extreme side of things, but a
cool commodity to have around.

Manual Pencil Sharpeners

While an electric pencil sharpener has its appeal, a manual pencil sharpener
will do for most of us.
Like electric pencil sharpeners, the manual varieties come in different forms.
My favorite is a simple, handheld metal sharpener. It’s a cheap and easy
solution that is portable and easily replaced. Remember, if you’re
sharpening colored pencils, then a manual pencil sharpener is what you should
be using.
6. Charcoal or Conté
There are more options to black and white drawing other than drawing with
graphite. No artist’s toolkit would be complete without charcoal or conté.
Charcoal provides a broader range of value and mark-making than what’s
possible with graphite. The manner in which marks are made is different as
well.
Charcoal comes in both stick and pencil form. Sticks of charcoal are usually
either “vine” or “compressed”. Vine charcoal is softer and produces lighter
marks, while compressed charcoal – which is concentrated, produces darker
marks.

Charcoal pencils can be sharpened like graphite pencils, making them great
for details.

Conté is similar to charcoal in richness of color – however the makeup of the

material is different. Charcoal is burnt organic material, while conté is made
of clay constituents.

7. Drawing Pens / Ink

When we draw with ink, we’re forced to master the use of line. Line is used to
develop the illusion of form, texture, and light. Technical drawing pens are
affordable, easy to find, and portable – making them great for every budding
artist to have. Sakura Micron pens and Steadtler technical ink liners are both
fine choices.

When you’re ready to take your ink drawings to another level, you may
consider working with a dip or nib pen. This traditional approach to pen and
ink drawing requires bottled ink. This approach does require a little more skill
and is obviously less portable, but the resulting drawings have more character
and are more interesting.

Felt tip pens are another option. I absolutely love felt tip pens. Felt tip pens
allow the artist to create a variety of marks. The tip of the pen allows the artist
to create a broad range of line quality.

An added benefit to a felt tip pen is the psychological effect that it can have on
the artist.
Using a medium that cannot be erased forces the artist to be more deliberate
with their marks. As a result, a bit more thought is put into the marks that are
made. You can actually improve your drawing skills simply by using a felt tip
pen while sketching.

Subjects with Pen and Ink

“Subjects with Pen and Ink” is a collection of 31 pen and ink drawing lessons
on a variety of subjects (objects, flowers, food, animals, landscape, people)
using a variety of ink techniques.

VIEW COURSE

8. Blending Stumps / Tortillions

Blending stumps are essential for the artist wanting to smudge or move
material around on the surface. A blending stump allows the artist to create
gradations in value without introducing the oils of the finger (through finger
smudging) which can make a drawing look dirty or uncontrolled.

Blending stumps also allow the artist to create gradations and smooth
applications of value in areas of detail that may be hard to get to otherwise.

You can learn more about using blending stumps and blending tortillions in
drawings here.
9. Quality Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are everywhere. You can buy them just but anywhere. But
this doesn’t mean that every colored pencil brand out there will get the best
results. Quality matters and so does the type of colored pencil that you
choose.

Prismacolor Premier

Prismacolor wax-based Premier pencils are soft and buttery, allowing the
artist to layer colors to build up a solid application that often compares to a
painting. Some people complain that they break easily and they do. But this is
due partly to the soft core of the pencil which is also why they are so easy to
use and build up on a surface.

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Faber-Castell’s Polychromos pencils are oil-based and behave slightly

differently from wax-based pencils. These pencils require several layers to
build up depth in color, but the results are fantastic. They’re expensive, but
well worth the investment if colored pencils are your medium of choice.

Caran D’ache Luminance

Luminance pencils are wax-based, premium pencils. They layer nicely and
are a little harder than Prismacolor Premier, meaning they break less often.
These pencils are, in my opinion, the brightest colored pencils. So if you plan
on working on darker surfaces, these pencils may be your best bet. They are
expensive, so consider it an investment if you decide to go this route.

Learn more about the different types of colored pencils here…Colored Pencils
vs. Watercolor Pencils vs. The Others
10. Artwork Storage / Portfolio
Your artwork is important. Even those works that you’d rather not let anyone
else see are important. They need to be treated with respect and stored in
manner that will keep them preserved and protected.

There are more than a few options for storing artwork, but the most popular
option is a portfolio.

There are many different portfolio options out there on the market – each with
their own benefits and drawbacks. If you are looking to add a portfolio to your
collection, I would suggest looking for a couple features.

1. Rigidness – Look for a portfolio that will keep your artwork from bending.
Most portfolios will do this, but there are a few cheaper versions that may not.
Look for a portfolio that has a rigid support system.
2. Size – When purchasing a portfolio to store your work, be sure that you
provide yourself some room for larger works. Don’t just purchase the 18″ by
24″ portfolio because all of your works up to this point are smaller than this
size. Chances are good that you’ll produce drawings that are larger in the
future and you’ll wish you would have opted for a larger sized option.
You don’t have to buy a portfolio when you can build your own. With a couple
of rigid pieces of cardboard and tape, a portfolio can be created fairly quickly.

BONUS – Art Material Storage

Taking care of your artwork is important – but taking care of your materials is
important too.

Finding a suitable storage solution is easy. Let me offer three different

solutions for three different situations.

1. The Portable Container – When I was an art student in college, I carried

around a tackle box filled with my art materials. No manufacturers had tapped
into the demand for portable art storage containers back then, so we were all
forced to carry around theses modified tackle boxes. They did the trick.
These days, there are plenty of portable solutions that are fortunately
designed for artists. Many of these feature stackable trays and levels and are
long and deep enough to accommodate brushes and other important tools.

2. The Semi-Portable Container – Larger varieties of the portable option

exist as well. I call these “semi-portable” because while you can lug them
around – they are really too large for daily use. But, they can provide
exceptional organization for your art supplies and tools.
3. The Permanent Stack – If the need doesn’t exist to be carrying your art
materials all over the place, then a more permanent solution might be the best
option for you.
I’ve already posted on art material storage and the solutions that I use over
here. You can check that out to learn more about what solutions may work for
you as well.
Summing it Up
By no means are all of these materials and tools required for serious drawing.
(You really only need a mark-making medium and a surface.)

But, if you are getting serious about your work, then you’re probably getting
serious about your materials and tools as well and this list is what I consider to
be “the essentials”.

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