So you want to draw? Where do you start, and what should you buy, art material wise?
First, go to your local discount department store and buy a common, everyday fishing tackle box. You can go to an art supply store and pay a lot of money for a specialized “art box”, but in reality it is just a glorified and over-priced fishing tackle box. Art supplies can be quite pricey so you need to save money where you can.
Next, go to an art supply store. There are a couple of franchise art supply stores in the United States such as Pearl Paint and Utrecht, both quite complete and reputable, but they can also be overwhelming in scale and selection. Make a list of what you need, and stick to it.
Start simple with pencils I know, it sounds simple, but in an art supply store there are myriad kinds and brands of pencils that will compete for your purchase. Drawing pencils also come in degrees of hardness and softness. The harder the pencil, the lighter the line it draws. (These are your H pencils.) The softer the pencil, the darker the line is when drawn. (These are B grade pencils.) I prefer an HB pencil which is probably the equivalent of a #2 pencil.
Erasers are also crucial when you are learning to draw. Beginning drawers and draftsmen erase a lot in the goal of getting a drawing correct and accurate. I prefer a classic kneaded eraser, which looks a lot like a grey chunk of bubblegum, and can be torn apart and reassembled when the eraser needs to be cleaned. Other artists prefer the classic Pink Pearl or the Art Gum eraser. Try them all, they are not terribly expensive and it’s good to know the full range of materials available to you.
A good quality pencil sharpener (hand held, no batteries necessary) is essential for keeping your pencils razor sharp and ready for art. You will find that as you continue to make art you will continue to return to the art supply store for more and improved materials to add to your art box.
The final essential art supply (that won’t fit in your art box) is a good hard-backed sketchbook. Use this book to make quick sketches of things you see that you would like to use later as a visual reference. You can also take your sketchbook to a museum to make sketches of masterworks of art, or to record the names of artists that you would like to investigate further.
Got any questions or need brand name recommendations, drop me an email.
First, go to your local discount department store and buy a common, everyday fishing tackle box. You can go to an art supply store and pay a lot of money for a specialized “art box”, but in reality it is just a glorified and over-priced fishing tackle box. Art supplies can be quite pricey so you need to save money where you can.
Next, go to an art supply store. There are a couple of franchise art supply stores in the United States such as Pearl Paint and Utrecht, both quite complete and reputable, but they can also be overwhelming in scale and selection. Make a list of what you need, and stick to it.
Start simple with pencils I know, it sounds simple, but in an art supply store there are myriad kinds and brands of pencils that will compete for your purchase. Drawing pencils also come in degrees of hardness and softness. The harder the pencil, the lighter the line it draws. (These are your H pencils.) The softer the pencil, the darker the line is when drawn. (These are B grade pencils.) I prefer an HB pencil which is probably the equivalent of a #2 pencil.
Erasers are also crucial when you are learning to draw. Beginning drawers and draftsmen erase a lot in the goal of getting a drawing correct and accurate. I prefer a classic kneaded eraser, which looks a lot like a grey chunk of bubblegum, and can be torn apart and reassembled when the eraser needs to be cleaned. Other artists prefer the classic Pink Pearl or the Art Gum eraser. Try them all, they are not terribly expensive and it’s good to know the full range of materials available to you.
A good quality pencil sharpener (hand held, no batteries necessary) is essential for keeping your pencils razor sharp and ready for art. You will find that as you continue to make art you will continue to return to the art supply store for more and improved materials to add to your art box.
The final essential art supply (that won’t fit in your art box) is a good hard-backed sketchbook. Use this book to make quick sketches of things you see that you would like to use later as a visual reference. You can also take your sketchbook to a museum to make sketches of masterworks of art, or to record the names of artists that you would like to investigate further.
Got any questions or need brand name recommendations, drop me an email.
