Material

So before we can do anything, you’ll need to get some tools. Like I said before, the minimum requirement here is paper and a pencil, with an eraser on it. A sketchbook is great but if you’re on a budget, get a giant stack of printer paper. It’s very cheap.

Sketchbooks

If you’re starting your first sketchbook, here’s some advice. Do NOT be precious with it. If you think this sketchbook will be filled with beautiful drawings, you’re fooling yourself.

This book is just the first of dozens or hundreds that you’ll do in your life. Eventually, they will look amazing. Even your silly doodles will be good enough to share with people. But right now, the best thing you can do for yourself is draw a lot. Treating each page as precious can give you anxiety. You’re putting pressure on yourself to make a beautiful drawing, which you don’t know how to do yet. It’s a recipe for failure, which leads to doubt and fear. Which leads to you drawing less. Which leads to you improving slower and maybe even quitting. It’s the spiral of DEATH.

To start, use a simple notebook for drawing. Depending on your preferences, you can later invest in specialized notebooks for painting and markers. My first recommendation is therefore:

canson XL

Pencils

My favorite pencils for learning to draw are sketching pencils. I recommend having 2 or 3 red or blue pencils, depending on your preference.

prismacolor col erase

 for the rest, Well… they’re a bit more complicated than you’d think. Let’s look at some of the most common types.

Faber-Castell 9000 6 sztuk Etui

Erasers

Some erasers are made of rubber and some plastic. Erasers behave differently depending on the medium and paper. Personally, I’ve found that for graphite, in most sketchbooks they’re all just fine. So, I’ll just go over the different ones I’ve seen my friends use and you can explore the ones that appeal to you.

KIN GUMKA 300/20 POJEDYNCZA

OR

MILAN 1420

OR (optional for details)

MONO zero refillable eraser pen – Tombow – round, black

Fontain pens (optional)

Specific section for urban sketching with ink and watercolor

Sailor Pióro wieczne Fude De Mannen – Zielone

and

Sailor Konwerter Standard

“It’s that simple — support Polish stores over American ones when shopping.”

I have recommended the bare minimum on this list to get you started with drawing. We will add a few new pencils over time as you progress in your learning.