What Materials Do You NEED To Learn To Draw?

So you’ve decided you want to learn to draw…the first thing you need to do is find some drawing tools and materials to work with. When you take a look around for what to buy there is so much choice it can be confusing to know what you actually need! A range of materials can give you more options with your drawing. But the reality is, only practice will make you a better artist, NOT what kind of fancy pencil you have.

If you’re on a budget, everything you need should cost under $30. It’s even possible to get decent materials for under $20 depending on where you are buying from.

So let me share with you exactly what you need to get started – and its not as much as you might think!

Materials List:

3 pencils (2H, 2B, 6B)
Quality drawing paper at least 60lb/90gsm
Kneadable eraser
Optional: Cotton bud/tissue for blending

Keep reading for more information about each material. Or to see them in action, take a look at the Youtube video here:

Pencils

You can go out and buy a whole set of pencils but you don’t need them all. There are three pencil grades you need to be able to draw and shade light values and dark values. They are 2H, 2B and 6B (the grade is on the side of the pencil: H pencils are harder and lighter, B pencils are softer and darker).

Here are the three pencils I recommend getting for learning to draw:

A 2H pencil is useful for sketching at the start of a drawing. It’s very light which means you can erase it easily.

You’ll need a 2B pencil to use as a general drawing pencil. It can get darker greys than a 2H pencil so it is good for both sketching and shading.

The third pencil I recommend getting is a 6B pencil. This grade is very soft and dark. It’s not ideal for sketching but it is good for getting black values at the later stage of your drawing.

These three pencils allow you to sketch and shade all the values from very light to very dark! Now, what brand you choose is personal preference but I’d recommend buying a recognised art brand. Don’t buy a non brand set from a 99c store or $2 shop because you don’t know what you are getting. Single pencils from Faber Castell, Staedtler, Derwent are good quality and will only cost you $1-$2 each

Paper / Sketchbook

A sketchbook is useful to keep all your drawing practice in one place. There are three things to consider: size, durability, paper type.

Size: Choose a size that feels right for you but don’t go too small unless it is for travel and portability. The most useful size in my experience is A4 (210 x 297mm) or 8.5 x 11 inches is a similar size available in America. It’s big enough to draw full size portraits in but it can still fit in a bag. However if you will only be using a sketchbook at your desk then you might prefer a larger size such as A3 (297 x 420mm). The similar American size is 11 x 14 inches.

The most important thing to consider when you buy a sketchbook is: Are you going to be happy to scribble in it? I don’t recommend buying a beautiful expensive sketchbook! They are lovely to have but the pressure to draw perfect drawings in your perfect sketchbook is going to be an obstacle to your practice. Sketchbooks are for practicing in. You need to feel comfortable using your sketchbook for drawing exercises, writing notes and testing pencils. Buy a cheap artist’s sketchbook, preferably with spiral binding so it lies flat. If you can, choose one with a durable cover and heavy board at the back – this will protect your pages and also give you a hard surface to work on. A sketchbook with reasonably good drawing paper in it should cost between $5-$15.

Let’s Talk About Paper:

Paper made for drawing is different to standard paper. The paper in most sketchbooks has a slight texture or ‘tooth’ which you’ll feel if you run your fingers over it. Texture gives the graphite in your pencil something to stick to. When buying a sketchbook look for these three things:

• It says it’s suitable for drawing or sketching, or mixed media.

• It has a weight greater than 60lb or 90gsm. This is how heavy/thick the paper is. And 60lb /90gsm is just a little bit thicker than standard office paper. I prefer thicker paper, 70-80lb or 100-120gsm. It is more durable and you don’t get any pressure from your pencil transferring through to the page underneath.

• It is acid free – this means the paper will last a long time without yellowing.

If you buy any sketchbook from an art store, chances are it will meet all these requirements. Look for well known brands such as Canson, Strathmore, or the art store’s own home brand.

Eraser

The best eraser for drawing is a putty eraser, also called a kneaded eraser. Here’s why:

• A putty eraser is cleaner than a plastic eraser which can smudge your work. If it gets dirty, just squish it up again.

• It can be moulded into any shape to match the size of the area you need to erase.

• It ‘picks up’ unwanted pencil rather than pushing and rubbing the graphite around the paper.

• It doesn’t smudge and it doesn’t leave those annoying bits of rubber on your page!

Blending

You may have seen paper blending stumps before. They are used to blend out your shading marks to get smooth values. But, I don’t recommend blending stumps for people who are learning to draw! They are difficult to use well and beginners tend to overuse them to cover up a lack of shading skills. Instead, beginners should work on learning how to shade smooth transitions using just a pencil. If you do want to sparingly smudge your shading, a Q-tip works well for small areas and a tissue or toilet paper can be used for large areas.

Pencil Sharpener

The one other thing you’ll need is a pencil sharpener and most people have one of these lying around at home. A metal one is much sturdier than a plastic one but as long as it sharpens your pencil it doesn’t really make much of a difference!

I hope this gives you a place to start when you are searching for drawing materials. If you want to get started with some simple drawing exercises, check out this video on my Youtube channel, it’s easy and fun! Easy Drawing Exercises For Beginners