New Artist - 2016__

(^1) Graphite pencils
Pencils are graded by the
hardness of the lead (H) and
how black the mark is (B). Harder
graphite (the hardest being 9H)
makes lighter marks and keeps
sharper longer, while softer
graphite makes a darker mark
(9B being the blackest). The
standard HB pencil is a good
place to start as it’s not too
hard and not too black. As you
become more confident, you
may wish to try a darker, more
smudgy pencil. Many artists find
a 2H, HB, 2B and 4B is sufficient
for their needs. A pencil set in
a tin is a good way to try a full
range and see which you prefer.
Charcoal papers come in a
range of neutral colours with
a slight raised texture and are
good for pencil, pen, art crayon
and pastels, as well as charcoal.
Remember to get acid-free
paper for your finished pieces so
they’ll stand the test of time.
(^5) Charcoal
Charcoal comes in stick and
pencil form. Vine charcoal
(charred willow) sticks are soft
and produce lighter marks, while
(^4) Drawing surfaces
Paper comes in a variety of
surfaces and weights, used
for different drawing media.
The ‘tooth’ is the texture of
the paper. The more toothy
the paper, the rougher the
surface. Thick, toothy surfaces
are better for high contrast
work, with lines that may look
‘broken’. Smoother surfaces are
suited to detailed work, plus if
you’re sketching in pen, it won’t
bleed. For practising, a lighter
75-90gsm paper
is fine, for finished
artwork including
graphite, charcoal
and coloured
pencils, 130gsm
is ideal, while if
sketching in ink, go
for a heavier, smooth
tooth ‘bristol’ paper.
(^2) Colouring pencils
Colouring pencils have a
pigment core. Look for wax-
based pencils as these are easily
layered and blended, though
they do break if dropped! Oil-
based pencils have a stronger
core. Watercolour pencils can,
as the name suggests, be
dipped into water.
(^3) Sketchbooks
When you’re learning to draw
you’ll want a big, inexpensive
sketchbook where you can
doodle away to your heart’s
content, making mistakes
without worrying about wasting
paper! Alongside this, treat
yourself to a nice sketchbook
to act as a personal journal,
recording your development and
keeping track of any ideas and
themes you are building.
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Essentials
Sketching & Drawing
You may think you can’t draw, but we all can. It just takes practice
and some simple tools – be patient and revel in the results!