Artist Supplies?

Question

I want to start sketching and drawing. My friends have told me I'm pretty good, so I figured, "Eh....I'll give it a shot." So now here I am, ready to start learning. One teeny, tiny problem, I don't know what to buy!!!!!!!!! As I said, I want to sketch and draw, so I'll need pencils and colored pencils. Please son't be completely basic, I need details!

Remember, I will pick a best answer!

I need a sketch pad. Can someone give me a link for one?

Answer 1

You also might want to pick up some artist's sketching pencils, like these: http://www.dickblick.com/zz204/38/ . They come in different hardnesses, and it's fun to experiment with the different tones of black that you can get just by changing your pencil. Also get a kneaded eraser (http://www.dickblick.com/zz215/02/ ), as they are reusable and can be very helpful for cleanly erasing only where you need it to be clean.

For colored pencils, start out with the cheaper ones (crayola are ok), but if you get more serious with them go to a real art store and get some Prismacolor or similar brands.

Or you can just start with a regular pencil and eraser if you don't have much money. The supplies aren't all there is to it, but spending the time practicing and improving will make all the difference.

Answer 2

Wow...the guys up there are gettin a bit advanced, eh? haha. Look, I'm going to college as an illustration major. The best thing to get is a sketchbook (I prefer spiral bound so you don't have that annoying flap to your left while you draw) that's usually around 60lb paper. All you need to sketch with is either a mechanical pencil (I like HB hardness art pencils) and a good white erasor from an art store. That's it!
Have fun starting out. :-D

Answer 3

Basically you want to invest in about 2 or 3 good pens and pencils. once you figure out what kinda drawing or a style for yourself then you can worry bout color pencils and all that extra stuff. For a beginner I'd say to get a nice black hardcover sketchbook. they are pretty basic at supply stores and the paper quality is generally good for experimentation. As far as pencil I'd say go for simple mechanical pencils for sketching. If you want to practice shading then go for ebony or charcoal (but it can be a bit messy). Once you get going with that and if you want color then go for Prismacolor markers for basic shading. They bleed and can dry fast though, so be aware of that. If you want more dynamic rendering then try pastels. Oh, Micro pens are good if you want to vary your line weight and tone in your drawings. Good Luck.