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Drawing for Beginners: Must-Have Supplies

March 15, 2022      Tami R      12 Comments

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Hi friends!

A little while ago, I wrote a post about my favorite acrylic painting supplies for beginners. It’s one of my most popular posts to date, so I thought I’d share a similar post today. 😊

I’ve been into drawing ever since high school, and I’ve used so many different supplies for it!

There are tons of expensive pencils and sharpeners and sketchbooks out there, but are the prices of them always worth it?

Sometimes.

But I’ve found many less expensive alternatives to them that work perfectly fine. And when you’re just starting out on a new hobby, you usually don’t need to waste money on all of the expensive items when you’re still new to it.

For these reasons, most of the items on this list are SUPER affordable and of great quality – perfect for beginners and experienced drawers alike.

So, here are my favorite must-have drawing supplies for beginners (plus some extras!)

 

 

A set of pencils + eraser + sharpener.

This is an obvious one, but a good set of pencils is essential for drawing. When you buy a set of drawing pencils, you’ll get different sizes and varying degrees of hardness and softness. Here’s a little graphic from The Virtual Instructor that shows the difference.

A simple set like this is definitely more than enough to get you started. Plus, this set comes with erasers, sharpeners, and more. These pencils are high quality, at a decent price, and perfect to start your drawing supplies kit!

 

A sketchbook.

The next absolute must-have supply is a sketchbook. Really, as a beginner, any notebook or paper will do. But it’s always nice to have a sketchbook dedicated to your drawings. And if you plan on coloring your work, a sketchbook is definitely necessary. You don’t want colors to bleed through the pages or anything.

I have a bad habit of not finishing a sketchbook before I get a new one. So I have about 4 that I’m using right now, haha. But I love mixed media sketchbooks and if you’re a beginner who wants to try different mediums, I recommend the same for you. Here’s a great, inexpensive sketchbook that you can start out with!

 

Good pens.

If you’re planning to outline your drawings, good pens are an absolute must-have. You want pens that are smooth and leave good lines. The type of pen that you want really depends on the type of drawing that you’ll be doing.

If you just plan to outline illustrations, these Sakura Micron pens are the BEST, in my opinion. They glide across the paper, and I’ve had mine for about a year now and they still work. They also come in a variety of different sizes depending on your needs, which is great. If you want a calligraphy pen instead, this Zebra brush pen is my favorite!

 

Colored pencils.

If you plan on coloring your drawings, then colored pencils are one option for doing so. I’ve bought many packs of colored pencils and I keep them all in a Hello Kitty lunch tin, haha. But while there are many different brands out there, Sargent Art colored pencils is one of the cheaper brands that still offer good quality. I think they’re perfect for beginners!

 

Markers.

If you don’t want to use colored pencils for your drawings, then markers are another option. Alcohol markers are the best for this, in my opinion. They provide a smoother, more even look than other markers. They also have more vibrant colors, and you can blend them. They also come in SO many different colors! Alcohol markers can be expensive, but there are sets out there (like this one) that are on the cheaper end but still work really well.

 

Other helpful supplies:

  • A good pencil case is super helpful. There are a lot of fancier ones out there but this simple one should be big enough to hold your supplies!
  • This one might get overlooked, but a place to hold your drawings (if you tear them out of your sketchbook) is always great. My choice for storage is an archival box like this.
  • If you’re going to be making more sketches, instead of illustrations, then blending stumps will be your best friend. They’re good for smudging or moving material around on the surface. I have this set here – super inexpensive!
  • If you’re trying to make straight lines or creating guidelines for your work, a simple transparent ruler is always helpful. You’ll probably want to make sure it’s transparent so it doesn’t block your view of your work!
  • If you’re looking for art prompts or ideas of things to draw, my book 365 Art Prompts is perfect for you. It provides you with a year of drawing, painting, or writing prompts plus a space to create each day!

What do you think of this list? What is your advice on drawing for beginners? Let’s chat in the comments!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amber Myers says

    March 21, 2022 at 5:59 pm

    Thank you for this post! My daughter loves to draw so I will pick some of these up for her.

    Reply
  2. Forever My Little Moon says

    March 21, 2022 at 6:48 pm

    I had a set of pencils back in high school when I took drawing class. I never had the markers but have heard they are really nice!

    Reply
  3. Tara Pittman says

    March 21, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    My son enjoys drawing. These are good supplies for him.

    Reply
  4. Tasheena says

    March 21, 2022 at 7:48 pm

    Thanks for sharing these tips, I would love to improve my drawing skills. Thanks for this!

    Reply
  5. Joline says

    March 21, 2022 at 8:50 pm

    Sadly I have zero drawing skills but my sister would definitely appreciate this! She’s the creative one.

    Reply
  6. Richelle Milar says

    March 22, 2022 at 8:00 am

    This is a really great post! I am surely going to share this to my brother who is really skilled at drawing!

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth Neas says

    March 22, 2022 at 11:42 am

    I have some grandkids who love to draw, and a couple who are taking an interest in the hobby. I would be happy to get them started with these supplies.

    Reply
  8. Terri Steffes says

    March 22, 2022 at 1:05 pm

    I love to scetch and I use thin point Sharpies. I am going to give your pen suggestion a try.

    Reply
  9. LOURAINE says

    March 22, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    I don’t draw but will share with my friend who does. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. Catalina says

    March 22, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    My kids love to draw. It’s so relaxing for them! And they have a lot of fun buying supplies.

    Reply
  11. Marysa says

    March 22, 2022 at 9:45 pm

    These are nice products to get started with. I have purchased a few of these for my kids for learning some art.

    Reply
  12. Lynndee says

    March 23, 2022 at 9:04 am

    My son loves to draw so we got him all these things. He doesn’t draw as much as he used to anymore, but I kept all his drawings.

    Reply

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