Drawing Supplies Basics

One of the great things about drawing, especially when you are just starting out, is that you don't need a lot of 'stuff'. Sure, you can explore a lot of different mediums and supports if you wish, but you can also keep it very minimal with a sketchbook and a pen or a couple of pencils. It's totally up to you - and your budget! Like all products, there are endless choices of art supplies and most salespeople will be happy to sell you a cartload of materials. I've occasionally shopped online, but I do like to support my local art store. We are blessed with a wonderful local art store whose proprietor is knowledgeable and helpful without being pushy, stocks a great selection of supplies and will order in things she doesn't carry. So it's nice to enjoy the friendly service, get to actually examine the products, chat about new products and support my local community business all at the same time. I hope you have a similarly fabulous local art store!

When it's time to buy art supplies, it helps if you go to the store with some ideas about what you want to do and what you might want to buy. Do a bit of research first, and you're less likely to end up making an impulse buy - it's a great pity to have a beautiful boxed set of inks or pastels going to waste in a closet because they seemed like a 'good idea at the time'! I suggest you start with two types of paper - a generous quantity of inexpensive sketch paper for exercises and sketching, and some good quality drawing paper for working on fine shading and finished pieces. A selection of middle grades of pencil (not too hard nor soft), and a kneadable eraser and sharpener are all you need to get started.

Articles on Choosing Art Supplies:
Paper for Graphite Pencil Drawing
Paper for Sketching
Before You Buy Graphite Pencils
Before You Buy Drawing Supplies - pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners and blenders
Graphite Pencil FAQ - Can you use an eraser? What do those numbers mean?