ART SUPPLIES RECOMMENDATIONS

Colored Pencils:

The cheaper the pencils, the harder it is to blend and layer. Pencils can last a long time and create amazing effects. It’s worth buying quality pencils.

1. Faber-Castel Polychromos color pencils (oil based) - my favorite. Do not break as easily.

2. Prismacolor premier pencils plus colorless blending pencil - waxed based, more opaque than Polychromos. They can break.

3. Caran d’Ache Luminance pencils are very good. More light fast as well.

4. Derwent Lightfast pencils are also very good.

Pastel pencils:

I’ve learnt that it’s perfectly OK to use a mix of pastel pencils, but not all pencils have the same softness/hardness and colors vary. Here are just a few:

1. Cretacolor pencils - nice, easier to sharpen but can also break

2. Faber-Castel Polychromos Pitt Pastel pencils - best for sharpening to get a point, so good for outlines. They are not as soft and do not layer as well.

3. Caran d’Ache pastel pencils - I only have a few of these. Love them, they are soft and therefore can be difficult to sharpen.

4. Conte a Paris pastel pencils - great colors, bit grainy in feel, but break easily and are hard to sharpen. I use a few colors for touch ups.

Graphite pencils:

Staedtler or Faber-Castel are a good options. Even Derwent pencils are good. Most pencils are sold separately so you can test them. It's good to have every second number i.e HB, 2B, 4B etc. Not all pencils in the set are necessary. Please remember that H range are hard pencils for all light work such as white mushroom. B range are soft, dark pencils great for mid and dark tones. HB is right in the middle of the range.

Charcoal:

1. Vine charcoal - soft or medium is best for soft tones, easy for erasing

2. Faber-Castel compressed charcoal - love this, because it’s soft to use. Some compressed charcoals are very hard.

3. Charcoal pencils are compressed - good for details or sketching.

Pastels:

Before buying pastels, keep in mind that you may need many colors because blending is limited. Instead of buying a starter kit with random color range, be more specific about what you would like to create. For example: buy a green set if you wish to draw foliage.

1. Unison pastels - buy colors specific to the project you're working on in order to keep costs down or buy a small set.

2. Great American pastels or Blick pastels (only experience with these is through my students) - they seem to be good.

3. Prismacolor pastels - I’m not in love with these. They are hard and colors are not very bright.

DRAWING PENS:

1. Copic Multiliner pens - great! Last a long time. Waterproof.

2. Pigma Micron pens - popular and not bad, but I find that the pens dry quickly even when not in use. Waterproof.

3. Pentel Arts Hybrid Technica - I love this. Works like a ballpoint pen, great for “sketching” with a pen. Downside: not waterproof

Drawing paper:

1. Strathmore drawing papers are good. I would recommend not buying mixed media pads. Rather drawing pads for dry media and wet media separately. 

2. For pen work, I like Pentalic Paper for Pens. But Bristol works well too. Sometimes doesn't dry as quickly as I would like and smudges a bit as I draw. 

3. Hot press paper, such as Arches or Fabriano is fantastic for variety of work - pen, graphite and color pencils and wet media. Best for final work, expensive to practice on.

4. Sketchbooks: I really like Stillman & Birn Zeta series. Great for dry and wet media work.

Pastel paper:

1. Uart pastel paper 600 grade - rough like sandpaper.

2. Clairefonteine pastelmat paper - my favorite because it doesn’t waste pastel, it feel smooth, great for detail work. It’s expensive though. I don’t like to use white for pastels.

3. Canson Mi-Teintes Touch paper for pastels - nice, medium roughness. Does generate dust.

MISCELLANEOUS:

1. Tombow Mono Zero Elastomer Eraser 2.3 - fantastic for details.

2. 3M Scott Magic Tape - great for lifting color pencil.

3. Glassine - best for protecting and storing artwork.

4. Sharp Tank pencil sharpener - to get that super fine point on your pencil. Or PowerMe sharpener (electric).

5. NT cutter Pro Auto Lock Stainless steel graphic knife - great for sharpening pastel pencils or cutting paper.