Pencil Drawing Supplies

 This week I am going to cover the required supplies for pencil drawing. So here it goes.      

• Pencil 
• Paper

Well that's the supply list, I hope you found it informational and have a good week.  😊 

Pencil Drawing of Rocks on sticky note pad

Ok, I know many artists use far more than just a pencil and paper for their drawing supplies, myself included. However, the point is, all you really need is pencil and paper. Take this drawing of the rocks for example. It was done while I was sitting at my desk at work taking a 5-minute break from the action. All I used was a 3M Sticky note pad and Bic .5 mm mechanical pencil that I had at my desk. It does not take much to time or tools to practice drawing. That is why drawing is so popular. There is not a long equipment list or a lot of setup or cleanup time. All you need is a scrap of paper and a pencil.

Now when you really get into drawing, like any other art form, there is a long list of supplies that you can get to aid you in your work. I am going to list what I use the most. Remember this is my personal preference and you may find something else that works for you and that is great. It is also a good idea to experiment. Don’t just blindly take my advice or anyone else’ for that matter as the only way to do something. In drawing there are 100’s of different approaches to any subject and everyone should develop their own style.

Anyway, below is the list of items that I like to use:

·         Paper - Strathmore Bristol smooth (Drawing paper for my detailed work)

 

·         Paper - Hard Bound Sketch Book (Used for sketching when I travel)

·         Pencils - Clutch Pencil Holders with Fiber-Castell 2 MM Leads in different hardness/softness

o   For basic leads, I would recommend 2H, H, F, B, & 2B

o   To expand the range then add others from 6H to 6B

o   I should also explain what this means. 

§  The H pencil leads are your harder leads, the range goes from 6H to HB, hardest to Softest. The H leads are for laying in the lighter values.

§  The B leads are your softer leads, the range goes from B to 9B, the B being the hardest in this group and 9B the softest. The B leads are for creating the darker values.

§  There is a ton of information all over the internet on the different types of leads. A simple google search will give you more information. I will also devote an entire blog post to lead types soon to cover getting the values correct in a drawing.

Drawing Supplies

·         Erasers – Faber-Castell dust-free white erasers. I also use the long thin erasers in the shape of a pencil for fine erasing. In a future blog post, I will cover drawing with an eraser. It is a fun way experiment.

·         Kneadable Erasers. These are fun little items with a consistency like old chewed gum without the mess. They are great for erasing fine lines because you can shape them into a point or into any shape. Kneadable erasers are also mess free, they do not leave residue on your paper. 

·         Blending Stumps. These are used to pull graphite on you drawing for smooth blending effect. This is another tool that I will spend a lot of time on in future blogs.

·         Paint Brushes – Both hard bristle and soft. I us paint brushes to pull graphite as well. They give a softer blending effect over the blending stumps.

Now this is the list of items that I use on a regular basis and it is not 100% complete. There are other things that I use and will cover them in future blogs as I use them. I just wanted to give you an idea of the number of different items you can use if you really get into drawing. However, to get started my short list at the top is still valid. All you really need is a pencil and paper. Everything else is optional. Which means if you are on a tight budget, drawing it the most economical form of art.

By the way, if you made it this far though my blog, I would love to hear from you and what you think by leaving a comment below. You can also let me know if there are any drawing subjects you would like me to cover in future blog posts. Good bye for now, I will have more to post soon.