4 Essential Drawing Materials You Need to Draw Like a Pro

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - 9:39am

Freehand drawing is a favourite among many artists and painters. Most of the pros start with sketching things from their imagination on paper to help bring their ideas to life. Developing good drawing skills is essential if you are a serious beginner who wishes to go pro. 

Like most professional skills, preparation is a huge part of becoming successful. As kids, we drew using pencils, pens, crayons, and whatever we came across; we did so on whatever surface we found. Now that you are older and wiser and want to be taken seriously, you have to be particular about the kind of materials you use. Below are a few essential drawing materials you need to draw like a professional artist.

Quality Drawing Pencils

This is one of the most important tools you need as an artist. You cannot draw without a drawing pencil. It is worth investing in a quality set of pencils. Pencils come in various types and under different categories, which include graphite, charcoal, and crayons, to mention a few. As a beginner, it is recommended to start with the graphite pencil set. Companies like TheWorks offer impressive discounts on many drawing materials like their 120 Graphite Sketching Pencils Bundle. The bundle includes lead pencils made with graphite in different sizes (2, 2B, 2H, 3B, etc.) that would actually cost you more to buy individually.

A Sketchbook

A sketchbook is like the artist’s eyes – it goes everywhere the artist goes, and it shows what the artist sees. Most of your rough work as an artist will be done on your sketchbook. Be sure to practice your skills on a daily basis. Once in a while, check out your old sketches and gauge how far you have come. Identify details you need to improve on. Over time, you will see significant improvements by comparing your old sketchbooks with your current one. 

Appropriate Erasers

Nobody is perfect. As a result, you will make a lot of mistakes. The good thing about drawing with pencils is that there are erasers that can clean your work neatly without comprising quality. Just like pencils, there are various types of erasers. Know the difference and where to apply them. For example, the kneaded eraser can be used to absorb graphite on a paper while the vinyl eraser can easily tear your paper if not used carefully.

Quality Pencil Sharpeners

Your pencils will eventually wear out or break as you use them continuously. You will need to sharpen them to keep going. The type of sharpener you use will determine if the pencil tip maintains consistency or not, or how often you need to buy pencils. Your drawing can come up with different unintended shades simply because a pencil was not sharpened properly. The two main types of sharpeners are electric and manual, which vary in prices. Whichever type you choose, go for the best quality you can afford.

In summary, it is worth investing in quality materials if you are serious about drawing like a pro. Of course, there are more essential materials you need, but for now, these will suffice to get you started. Also, like everything else needed to develop a skill, practice as much as you can daily.

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