Who says that only children should get their hands dirty and play around with art? You don’t have to be the next Picasso and create masterpieces to call yourself an artist. As long has you have fun with art and you’re enjoying your new hobby to the fullest, it’s the only thing that matters. With so many stressful and overwhelming things happening out there in the world, we’re all just looking for our own form of escapism and a way to relax after a long day.
If you’re just starting out and you’re currently making a list of all the essentials you need to get you going, you’ve come to the right place. The important thing is to not stress out too much if you’re not sure about what to get yet, no one’s rushing you anyway. Take your time to think about what you’re planning on doing and base your decisions on that. To help you out in the meantime, we’ve prepared a list of things we think you should consider.
What Drawing Tools Do You Need?
Obviously, you can’t start drawing if you don’t have the proper tools. Let’s go through all the basic drawing essentials.
Drawing Pencils
This one’s a little obvious. You do need a good set of drawing pencils and maybe even coloured pencils if you’d like to play around with colours. There’s a bunch of different brands out there so don’t be afraid to try out a few until you find one that works best for you. You can shop for individual pencils or a pencil set, depending on your preferences.
A good thing to know here – pencils have a specific set of graphite grades. Harder graphite pencils (9H) have a sharper tip and trace lighter marks as opposed to softer graphite pencils (6B). In most cases though, you should be fine with 2H, HB or 2B pencils. You probably won’t even notice that much of a difference at the beginning.
Drawing Markers And Pens
If you want to include bold, vibrant lines and colours in your drawings then you should consider getting markers and pens. This way you can create stunning shades, highlights, bright hues and even interesting 3D effects. An important thing to consider here is the width of the tip – if you want to draw bigger and more prominent lines, you should go for markers with a larger tip and vice versa.
Drawing Charcoal
This is basically charred wood and it’s probably the oldest drawing tool out there. Charcoal sticks and pencils can be both hard and soft and they also come in four grades of thickness – thn, medium, thick and extra thick. Charcoal is great for shading and adding a bit of depth to your drawing. Some people prefer charcoal pencils as opposed to sticks because it can get a little messy when using the latter but that’s the beauty of the drawing process.
A Variety of Erasers And Sharpeners
When you’re drawing, you’re bound to make a few mistakes here and there which is why a good eraser is needed. You can even use it to mark certain areas of your drawing to make it easier to plan the space.
Another important tool is a pencil sharpener. If you don’t have a good-quality sharpener, you could be out of pencils really quickly because they’d break constantly. So basically, there are two types of sharpeners – manual and electric. You can’t go wrong with either, it just comes down to personal preference.
What Drawing Accessories Do You Need?
We’ve had a brief rundown on the essential drawing tools and now we’re going to have a quick look at some must-have accessories.
Drawing Board
Sturdy and reliable artist drawing boards are no joke. You need a smooth, flat surface to get the most out of your drawing and that’s exactly why you could use an artist drawing board. You can easily adjust the angle of the drawing board to suit your needs. You can just sit upright in your chair and still get the perfect piece of artwork.
Drawing boards are perfect for sketching, outlining, shading and colouring. Just make sure the board is big enough to accommodate the piece of paper. You really don’t want any of the edges poking out and getting creased in the process. It won’t even be an enjoyable drawing experience. Secure the piece of paper on the board with clips to make sure it doesn’t move around while you draw. Fortunately, most artist drawing boards on the market come with pre-packed clips so you won’t have to shop for those on your own.
There are different types of drawing board materials out there but the most common ones are wood and glass. Don’t be fooled – the glass construction might look delicate and fragile at first glance but it’s actually quite sturdy and durable. In fact, some artists really like its stylish design and polished finish as opposed to regular wooden boards for drawing.
An interesting innovation is the LED drawing board. Essentially, the top surface of the drawing board has built-in LED light which can make tracing, sketching and shading a lot easier. You basically have a direct and bright light source that illuminates your piece of paper. This way, you won’t have to struggle with finding an appropriate light source every time you want to draw. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Drawing Easel
If you want to take it a step further and fully embrace your artistic side, then an easel is definitely going to set the proper tone. You can easily back away and take in your masterpiece once you’re done.
Sketchpad
And last but not least, your drawing collections isn’t complete without a sketchpad. After all, you don’t always have drawing ideas ready to go. A sketchbook gives you the freedom to experiment and try out different styles before doing your actual drawing.
