The tools I use are extraordinarily important to me, and you’ll notice that I always recommend the same brands throughout my website. That’s because I’ve tried so many supplies through the years that I know which ones work the best for my drawing techniques and how to use them specifically for my purposes.
My advice to you is to look over the work in my gallery and see if it appeals to you. I work in a smooth surface drawing technique that I developed myself over the years. I use a brush to smooth out the hatch marks as I work, and that gives the work a sort of calmness, or serene feeling. I don’t want you to mimic my work though. I want you to find your own unique style. If you think you could find it through the use of my techniques, that would be great, and you’re the person I want to find this page and see these supplies lists.
I’m a Blick affiliate and get some money when you buy from my links at no extra cost to you, so thank you if you do that. It’s much appreciated. However, I didn’t create this page with that in mind. It was written out of the urge to share what I know.
Basic Supplies
Graphite Drawing Pencils
Pencils come in grades that range from 9B (very soft) to 9H (very hard). A good starter set would be 4H, 2H, HB, 2B and 4B. You can buy drawing pencils in sets or individually.
I recommend that you begin with the Derwent Graphic Pencil – 4H-6B set. I began with this set, and re-bought it many times through the years. I drew many of the drawings in my gallery with these pencils. This set has a good range of grades and Derwent Graphics sharpen well, have little if any grittiness in their filler, and they’re inexpensive too.
A Good Hand Held Pencil Sharpener
A small plastic one will do, but make sure it brings your lead down to a long sharp point. The KUM Long Point Sharpener is the best I’ve found, and it’s inexpensive and comes with a second set of blades.
The Kum sharpener has two holes. One sharpens the wood and the other sharpens the lead. This arrangement works well and creates a very long and sharp point, and it’s easy on the lead, which leads to fewer broken tips.
However, for reasons no one fully understands, sometimes you’ll find a pencil with a lead that keeps breaking. When this happens to you, it’s best to look at it as a test of your patience by the Muses of Art. After the twelfth break or so, you may decide to throw that pencil away, and that’s okay. Sometimes you just have to give a pencil back to the universe.
Kneaded Eraser
Kneaded erasers are completely paper friendly and lift graphite subtly. You can just erase with them, or roll, dab, swipe, tap, or shape them to erase textures into graphite.
You can also use them to help erase very dark areas in the drawing. Use them first to pull up as much graphite as possible by pressing and lifting, then use a polymer eraser to erase the remainder. If you don’t use the kneaded eraser first, it’s possible to end up with a back smudge that’s embedded deep into the paper.
I even use my kneaded eraser to clean my other erasers. I’d have a hard time making my art without them. A very good one is General’s Kneaded Eraser.
High Polymer Erasers by Pentel
Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers are excellent for removing graphite without damaging the paper. This set comes with two rectangular erasers and caps for your pencils.
These erasers are for big jobs, not details. Think about sketches, the composition stage, cleaning borders, and etc..
Electric (Battery Powered) Eraser
The inexpensive Helix Automatic Cordless Eraser has a ergonomically designed body that fits your hand and stays out of your way. It’s important for these erasers to fit the hand well, because you use them in delicate situations. You regularly take them into areas were you’ve already done a lot of work, so you don’t want a clod-hopper of an eraser, you want a slim-line precision tool.
You can spin the eraser nib on sandpaper and sharpen it to a point. You can sharpen one nib several times, and the nibs are inexpensive.
Blow-Bulb
Get a blow-bulb to blow away graphite dust and eraser crumbs. Look in the pharmacy in the “infant” section for a blow-bulb type of “nasal aspirator.”
Drawing Paper
There are some really bad drawing papers out there. Really bad. If you have to buy drawing paper from a big box store like Walmart, and they don’t have any name brands, at least try to find one marked ‘drawing paper’ and ‘medium surface.’ Honestly, though, don’t expect to be able to draw very dark values on it. Just use it for light sketching and line drawing.
I use the Canson Classic Cream Drawing Pad and the Strathmore 400 Series Drawing Paper Pad
for sketching. These are good papers with enough ‘tooth’ to hold the graphite, so you can create texture and dark values on them..
The size of your pad of paper is kind of important. If it’s too big, you won’t want to take it with you on trips, or out in the backyard to draw the flowers. An 9 x 12 or smaller pad works the best for me.
Intermediate Supplies
Stick Eraser
These come in a plastic body, and you can sharpen the eraser’s end into useful shapes, like a point or a wedge, to create special effects. I like the Tombow MONO Knock Stick Eraser.
Tombow MonoZero Eraser
The Tombow MONO Zero Eraser is a small round tipped eraser that erases small areas extremely well. I’m glad they finally got around to inventing this. I use mine all the time.
Small Sharp Knife
Use it to shape erasers into even better erasing tools.
Blending Brushes
A small (Sz. 2) Filbert brush will inspire you to try new blending, shading techniques, and textures. You can make it a better graphite blender by cutting the bristles down to about 1/8″, at the same angle
Advanced Supplies
Upgrade Your Pencils
I use Caran d’Ache Grafwood for my fine art drawing. Keep your Derwent Graphics for sketching, as I do, but if you want to create some extraordinarily fine textures and gradations, you need to try Grafwoods. Each grade is absolutely pure, meaning there are no darker notes of graphite in it at all.
There’s a bit of a learning curve to drawing with these pencils, so be prepared for some practice time. And they are pricey, but the time they save because of their grade pureness is worth their $2+/pencil price.
I also use Staedtler Lumograph Pencils for my fine art drawing. Each pencil grade is pure, rich and well-defined. These are my ‘work horse’ pencils. I use for them to draw most of the drawing and use the Grafwoods in certain circumstances.
Upgrade Your Paper
I use Arches Watercolor Paper. Arches is an internally sized, 100% cotton, archival paper, and it’s very tuff stuff. The texture can carry deep black, and also delicate details. You can also take an electric eraser to it, dig through layers of graphite, and draw right over that spot again, blending it back in without a hint that you previously jack hammered-out that part of the drawing. I love Arches hotpress watercolor paper, and I use it for all my ‘fine art’ drawings.
However, I’m always testing new papers. If a new paper ever does ‘turn my head,’ I’ll let you know.
Use A Matte Fixative
Use a protective spray finish on your drawings. Don’t skimp on this. Your drawings are worth it, and one can lasts a while. For graphite drawings, use the kind marked “archival,” “matte finish,” and “for pastels and charcoal.” I use Lascaux Fine Art Fixative. It’s not the least expensive brand, but it’s the best.