Drawing Studio Supplies* - updated Monday, November 9, 2015
Wash pencils - Water soluble, soft, black graphite pencils. May be used wet or dry, or use dry then apply a water wash. The pencils are pre-sharpened.
Ebony pencils - The Ebony Pencil is for sketching, drawing, and layout, with thick, black, satiny-smooth graphite lead. Pencils are pre-sharpened.
Carbon pencils - The carbon pencil is the perfect combination of charcoal and graphite. It has a fine grain, and goes on smoothly and precisely in rich, velvety, matte black lines. Carbon pencils have a consistent softness, for superior blending and texture.
Charcoal pencils and sticks, vine and compressed, of various sizes - Charcoal is the black substance left over when wood is heated in the absence of oxygen.
Graphite pencils - There are about 20 grades available from 9H to 9B often called lead pencils
Mechanical pencils - Pencils with a plastic or metal case and a thin replaceable lead that may be extended as the point is worn away by twisting the outer casing. Some are made with Super Hi-Polymer Lead and come in various sizes.
Leadholders or Lead Holders - any durable instrument that is designed to hold lead and be refillable with pieces of graphite so that the graphite can be conveniently used for drawing or writing. These drop lead type pencils come in 2H, HB, 2B, 6B graphite leads with their holders and their corresponding sharpeners and specific lead pointer (one sharpener for each size lead)
Standard pencil sharpener
Portable Electric eraser - Sakura has been recommended as the best.
Sandpaper blocks for sharpening and electric eraser to a point and to keep a point on difficult-to-sharpen drawing pencils, charcoal, pastels, or crayons. Also for cleaning and sharpening blending stumps and tortillions.
Design 2000 white plastic eraser
Design art gum eraser
Kneaded erasers - grey, some available in colors
Pink Pearl erasers
Makeshift blending tools: fabric, facial tissue, makeup sponges/wedges, etc.
12-inch C-Thru brand ruler or other straightedge
Circle template - the tinier the holes the better
Sealed Drawing papers or sketchpads - Bristol board pad, very smooth drawing surface
Steady, firm drawing surface or board
Taboret - a place to store supplies
Reference photos (get copyright approvals/permissions from friends and relatives)
List of suggestions - of areas to paint or photograph outdoors - try shade and semi-shade areas
Soft brush with long handle to remove debris from drawing and drawing surface.
Fat Blending Brush - long handle - for very light blending
Set of paper stumps - points at both ends - for blending and smudging - can damage paper
Set of tortillions - for detailed blending and smudging - point at one end - can damage paper
Foam tipped blenders - a softer form of blending and smudging - doesn't damage paper
Paper Clip (extend for use) - insert into a tortillion to extend the tip to its original shape.
Fingers? - Never! - Leaves oil on the paper.
Chamois - for blending, smudging, erasing - creates the smoothest textures - use smooth side
Cosmetic sponges/wedges - for blending and smudging
Brawny cloth-like paper towel - for blending and smudging producing a rougher texture
White Felt Squares - 12 x 12 - reduce in size for use - Wal-Mart or K-Mart - roughest texture
Printer Paper - cut small pieces - brings out the texture of the paper under the drawing
3-inch soft dry paint brush - creates a unique effect when used for blending
Tracing paper pad - for protecting drawing - separating drawing hand from sketch
French curves - for drawing curvy lines you don't want to draw by hand
Erasing shields - metal, plastic, cardboard - consider making your own with sheets of acetate
File folder type acetate paper - for making custom stencils
Razor blades with single edge and scraping tools
Proportional dividers
Comments
This could end up as a huge list of drawing materials. Adding to yours. Nothing essential, just handy to have.
some suggestions
Tombow MonoZero elastomer eraser. - both sizes. For accurate erasure.
Charcoal sock. As demonstrated by Casey Baugh.
Leather chamois for blending graphite.
Small laser line - for shooting long vanishing points.
Calipers - digital.
Angle finder -digital.
Draftsmans set squares 45 and 60
Parallel ruler
Spring clips - four large
Putty rubber
Knitting needle - thin black for sight sizing
Pounce pack eraser - cleaning up stray graphite on white paper.
Soft pastels - White and terracotta for shading.
A2 folio case - Zip closure.
A2 clipboard capable of secure attachment to easel.
2 metre retractable measuring tape.
Restricted palette inks, dropper, cups.
Powdered graphite.
Light source 5000k
Long point electric sharpener for lead holders and pencils.
Wet wipes.
Denis
Late additions.
Workable fixative.
Tee Square, large & small.
Pilot Frixion pens and butane jet.
Rotring drawing pens and ink.
iPad with various drawing apps.
Camera and associated gear
Masking and invisible tape.
Toolboxes. multi compartment, movable partition.
Denis
Charcoal, graphite, plus all that erasing and no DUST BRUSH? You guys walk on the wild side!
Here are a couple that I didn't see on your lists . . . . .
Cutting Mats - I have a 3x4 feet mat that sits on top of an old drafting table
Fiskars Heavy Duty Knife - It holds regular number 11 blades and holds them so much better than any other x-acto handle I've tried.
Rapidograph Pens
Refillable Ink Brushes
Snap Off Knife - to sharpen your charcoal pencils
after shaping them with a sanding block they will look like this, which makes shading so much faster
Magnetic Drawing Board - A personal favorite of mine, I made one about a quarter of the size that you see here. No tape required, magnets are all that's needed to hold the paper in place. Also extremely useful as a Photo Holder.
OK. Admit it your drawn to this stuff.
Denis
That's a big list.
Best of luck!
H.M
@Summer is that book list top secret?
Castillo asked "is that book list top secret?"
@Castillo (and other fans of drawing) Here is a Bibliography of books, all related to drawing, that I've added to my physical library within the past nine months. Most are dog-eared, a couple look like my dog ate them. I've truly been enriched by these authors. Some authors I would like to know personally. I thank members of DMP for suggesting these books, @Kingston for PDF versions, and @dencal for online resources that I haven't gotten to yet. I guess it's not my secret anymore--haha. Summer
Parks, Carrie Stuart and Rick Parks. The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 2009.
Parks, Carrie Stuart. Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 2003.
Hillberry, J.D. Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 1999.
Calle, Paul. The Pencil. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 1974.
Hultgren, Ken. The Art of Animal Drawing. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993.
Metzger, Phil. Pencil Magic Landscape Drawing Techniques. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books,
2004.
Metzger, Phil. Perspective Without Pain. Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books, 1992.
Combs, Jamie and Brenda Hoddinott. Drawing for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2011.
Hoddinott, Brenda. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing People Illustrated. New York: Alpha Books, 2004.
Loomis, Andrew. Fun with a Pencil. London: Titan Books, 2013.
Loomis, Andrew. Drawing the Head and Hands. London: Titan Books, 2011.
Loomis, Andrew. Figure Drawing For All It's Worth. London: Titan Books, 2011.
Loomis, Andrew. Creative Illustration. London: Titan Books, 2012.
Thanks for the booklist.
Here is a stunning figurative graphite artist ;
The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective On the Classical Tradition
Jun 1, 1999Denis
(Strikes me, by the time you collect all these things you will be both money and time poor and still will not have actually achieved an, actual drawing!!
Keep it simple and don't get tempted to procrastinate, just actually getting on with a drawing will help improve your work, more than any of the items anyone has listed above)