9 Essential Supplies for Becoming a Professional Artist:
Drawing is a great art form in and of itself, but it is also good preparation for other types of art, such as painting. Learning to draw will genuinely expand your mind to your surroundings, allowing you to see what is in front of you.
There are various drawing tools available for today’s artists, and what you choose to work with is based on your preference. It all boils down to trial and error. It would help if you experimented with various tools until you find the ones that best suit your artistic style.
Don’t go out and spend a lot of money on drawing supplies at first. You may get started right away with a basic pencil set and some newsprint paper. As you gain experience, you will be able to travel out and spend money on better supplies.
- Graphite pencils — Graphite pencils are designated from 9H to 9B based on their hardness. The hardest pencils are the H pencils. The lighter the mark, the higher the number in front of the H. The B pencils are the most pliable. The darker the mark, the greater the number in front of the B. H pencils are typically used for intricate lines. Still, B pencils generate rich, dark lines that are ideal for robust, expressive drawings.
2. Charcoal Pencils — Charcoal pencils, like graphite, come in a spectrum of hardness and are designated either from H to B or simply as “soft,” “medium,” or “hard.” They have a distinct feel to them and generate a deep, black line. Because of their suppleness, charcoal pencils tend to wear out quickly.
The combo set of 35 items shown in the figure above has charcoal + Graphite pencils + Blending paper stumps, etc and is an ideal gift for a budding artist.
3. Blending Tortillions — These are tightly curled stumps of paper with a tip used to blend in your drawings. Watch the below youtube video to know the usage of Tortillions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st9ucuZ31Zw
4. Erasers — You may want to keep a variety of erasers on hand for different occasions.
5. Kneaded Eraser — A pliable, soft eraser that can be kneaded into any form to pick up and remove pencil and charcoal. It might not be ideal for removing fine details. SANFORD Kneaded Rubber Erasers are extremely popular.
6. Eraser Pencil — These are great for digging into the finer details of your works. They can also be sharpened in the same way that regular pencils are.
7. Fixatives — Fixatives keep your drawings from getting smudged or destroyed. Fixatives are classified into two types: permanent and workable. Permanent fixatives are used to safeguard a finished drawing. In contrast, workable fixatives are utilized during the drawing process as you work. When working with fixatives, use extreme caution and only in a well-ventilated location. When spraying the fixative, make sure not to spray anyone region for too long and to spray a light mist from about 3 feet away from the design. You should start with a few practice sketches to see if a fixative is good for you. When it comes to fixatives, there appears to be a divide among painters. Some painters adore them and swear by them, while others believe they can degrade the quality of a drawing. Again, you must experiment to determine whether fixatives are an appropriate option for you.
8. Paper — First, you may want to consider obtaining some inexpensive newsprint paper for practice purposes. This should be available in any local art store or online. When you’re ready to buy a higher-priced grade paper, go with something that will work best with the medium you’re using. Paper has a range of textures, from smooth to rough, referred to as its “tooth.” An exceptionally smooth paper may not be suitable for some mediums since the surface lacks roughness and will not hold certain drawing mediums properly. The medium may glide across the surface if the paper is too rough. You must try with many papers to find the one that is most comfortable for you. Strathmore Brand produces a high-quality paper that is popular among artists.
9. Horse Hair Drafting Brush — A horsehair drafting brush should be available at any local art supply store or online store. This is a fantastic tool for removing undesired eraser bits from your drawing. You can buy a combo set of 24 pcs of these brushes from Amazon by clicking on this link
Though drawing tools essential for drawing are clearly mentioned, I would like to refer one good e-book that shows how an artist can become a professional artist. The cost of the e-book along with 72 other e-books is just $1 (INR 73/= ) from the one dollar e-book sale. You can click here to visit the site for more details.