There aren’t many tools that go into making a sketch, yet there are a lot of variations of those tools. A simple pencil, paper and eraser would suffice to make a great drawing, yet using the best pencil, best paper and best eraser increases your efficiency and optimizes your sketch for its best performance. Just like you can capture an amazing moment with your normal phone camera, yet having a professional camera can add that sharpness and detail that can give your photograph an edge.
Deciding what tools to use is super important, yet the journey to discovering which brands serve you the best can be quite long. A lot of research and experimentation goes in, before you are fully equipped with the choicest materials that will ensure the professionalism of your sketches. I have made that journey, and today I have my toolbox, which contain the best pencils, papers and erasers for me. I am comfortable with these tools because they have not let me down, and are the arms with which I can confidently go into the arena. Today, I want to share these tools with you, not because I suggest you use the same tools, but to give you insight into the world of pencils, erasers and papers, which can aid you in making an informed decision about the tools that you will pick for yourselves.
GRAPHITE PENCILS
The first graphite pencils I used were of Camlin and they worked perfectly. After trying Marco, Staedtler and Faber-Castell, I could not discern a notable difference between them. However, the Faber-Castell pencils were much softer. Soft pencils are the ones that leave a lot of graphite on paper and it helps in smudging that area or blending it effectively. Yet, I really don’t consider it a significant difference, an a lower priced pencil will work just fine.
Graphite pencils come in different grades - from 6H to 9B. The ones in the H category are hard pencils with light values. B category mean soft pencils with dark values. The 9B pencil is the softest and its value darkest. The softer the pencil, the more you can smudge it and play wound with it
CHARCOAL PENCILS
Yes, you have to be careful when selecting charcoal pencils as the difference between brands are quite significant. I personally recommend GENERALS and the FABER CASTELL charcoal pencils. They not break easily when sharpening and the charcoal is quite rich. The experience and results that you get with these pencils is definitely amazing.
Charcoal pencils come in 3 different ranges - hard, medium and soft. The hard one is the lightest one and soft one gives the darkest values. The difference between graphite and charcoal is the color. Charcoal gives you black, while even the darkest shade of graphite won’t give you black. Another difference is that graphite drawings shine and reflect whereas the charcoal ones don't so it is you who should decide which shade works for you the best according to your reference image.
PAPER
This is where most of us make mistakes. Papers come in different kinds and each has its own unique purpose. When selecting a paper, 3 factors affect its usage -
Its weight
Its texture
Its color
Papers are weighed in Gsm. An approximate weight when drawing in graphite and charcoal should be at least 120 gsm and above. You can use a paper lighter than that but if you wish to add multiple layers in your drawing, a light paper might not be the right choice. The texture of the paper affects the drawing a lot. Texture is basically how prominent the tooth of the paper is. When you feel the paper, you will easily be able to tell that some surfaces are smooth and some, rough. If you are creating a realistic drawing where you need control to add those fine details, smooth paper is the way to go. For example, I recently created a detailed drawing titled ‘The Swim’ on textured paper and it wasn’t easy. Hence, textured paper is definitely not recommended unless you desire that textured effect.
Recommend Papers:
BLENDING
There are various tools for blending. A great artist knows which to use when. Here is a list of the three main tools that I use:
Blending stumps
Round tip Paint brush
Cotton Buds
Cotton wool
I use blending stumps mainly for blending smaller sections as they have a pointed tip. They come in different sizes so there are a lot of possibilities therefore trial and error will guide your way.
Cotton buds are great for blending. Something to keep in mind is to choose a bud with a good amount of cotton on it. I use it for almost everything. The advantage of using a cotton bud is that the graphite or the charcoal you are blending wont wash away. It will blend and stay intact with the tooth of the paper.
Paint brushes are a great deal efficient as well. Mainly, I use is to re-layer an area which requires being worked on again. A dis-advantage is that when applying, it pushes away the charcoal or graphite and lightens the overall drawing.
PS - it is not a must to have each one of these blending tools. Blending stumps and cotton buds will do just fine for a beginner.
Cotton wool is another great tool for blending. It enables you to blend the graphite or charcoal very smoothly and gives a very smooth transition between different values.
ERASERS
Various kinds of erasers exist in the market, and a few of the erasers I use are:
Kneadable eraser
Tombow mono eraser
Derwent eraser
Faber Castell eraser
Electric eraser
I highly recommend Kneadable eraser. It allows you to pick up the unwanted graphite or charcoal and creating skin pores and small tiny highlights. The frustrating part about it is that you will have to continuously keep on shaping it to get that sharp point. The Tombow mono eraser, Derwent, and the Faber Castell pencil eraser are from the same family. Used to create fine lines, they aid in creating highlights in hairs and other areas. An electric eraser is a very powerful tool but you should know the right place and the right way to use it. It is helpful when a dark layer of charcoal has been done and then you think of creating some bright highlights. Where a normal eraser doesn't work as effectively, the electric eraser works magic. It scrubs off the charcoal and gives a bright spot.
EMBOSSING TOOLS
These are of great use and I love them. However, you should be cautious to not over use them or else it might spoil the drawing. Their primary use is when you are drawing hair. Prior to adding any sort of graphite or charcoal, I understand the direction and the size and accordingly apply the embossing tool. It creates an indentation in the paper and when graphite or charcoal is applied onto the paper, it does not enter that area. This allows the hair strokes to pop up and give a naturalistic look. A quick hack for when your are not willing to spend much you could use an empty pens nib to indent. That would work just as well.
There are 2 pens which come in handy at several occasions:
One of them is this Softliner 0.1 This is often used to create subjects like fine hair. The second one is a white gel pen. It is used for creating bright highlights such as the reflection in the eye or the glitter which appear in water ripples.
I hope this information on the tools I use helped you identify which ones are suited best for your needs. For a beginner who isn't prepared enough to spend on these materials, I would suggest not to look for the best brands. A branded pencil and paper does not guarantee a fine sketch, while normal tools have made many masterpieces. These tools will help you optimize your creation process and make it more enjoyable and efficient. You can increase your inventory as you progress and try experimenting other tools as well.
Let me know which tools you have tried in the past, and which ones you'r looking forward to using in the future, I would love insight on how you use your tools. Once again, thank you for reading, I hope you found it helpful.
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