Beginners guide to sketching gear
This lens is dedicated to the very successful lensmaker and Giant Squid Greeter Christene, who kindly advised me to do something like this. But still I feel more like an artist than a pencil salesmen... anyway happy looking and shopping !
Click on sketch to enlarge - a pen drawing done in preparation for a workshop in the Black Forest.
Other drawing lenses by Edition Handdruck
All of my drawing lenses:How to draw a tree
Landscape drawing - Improve your skills
How to draw a pine tree
How to draw decidous trees (mostly apple trees:).)
How to draw coniferous trees (some spruce trees)
How to draw buildings and houses
Drawing the urban landscape
Draw people in a landscape
The self portrait - somewhat of an adventure
How to draw a face
Artists sketchbooks - little nothings turn into big somethings
Sketching gear - a guide for beginners
The sketchbook
Basic requirements of sketchbooks
There are many choices available for the sketcher nowadays. It can be really confusing and tempting to buy sketchbooks of all sorts. I have to confess that this is one of my rare shopping weaknesses I hardly can withstand to buy a decent sketchbook, my radar for those is always on alert.However for the beginner I would suggest to look for sketchbooks that fullfil the following requirements:
paper weight : the paper weight per sqm should be more than 120gr/sqm ! This is the minimum that I want to recommend. Thinner paper is not really fun to work on. I prefer books with 150-170gr to make sure that in case I want to use water colors the paper does not curl too much and that it is possible to work also on the backside of the pages still.. There are special water color sketchbooks available which usually start at around 200gr/sqm paper weight.
paper quality The better the paper quality the longer your drawings will last. Imagine your grand grand children passing your notes and sketches on to the next generartion. Therefore you should buy only sketchbooks with acid free paper that will withstand aging best.
book binding Try to get books with strong sewn binding. Do not use sketchbooks with Wire-O or spiral binding ! Books with glue binding will fall apart very soon. Sketches will get feet and easily been torn out of your book either by you or somebody else... and you will regret it !
Sketchbooks should withstand the test of time and a couple of minor accidents.
One time a water bottle leaked in my backpack and the sketchbook was soaked partly. It took only 2-3 days for drying and I could use it thanks to good quality !
Sketchbooks fall down on the floor. So also strong covers are recommended. Last not least sketchbooks often are used for years also after they have been filled,
Size of sketchbooks The size of a sketchbook is already a kind of artistic decision. It doesn´t matter. Over time everybody develops certain preferences. If you want to scan your sketches for digital use the pages size should not be too big.
Sewn binding
I recommend to select your sketchbooks directly at a shop. If you are too far away from suitable retailers Kunst&Papier,Palo Alto might be the right source for you.
Moleskine is a brand meantime known worldwide for very good sketchbooks. Except of the water color books I don´t use Moleskine for sketching as I find the paper very smooth not to say slippy. Moleskine books are very strong and durable.
Get some more inspirations at Artists sketchbooks little nothings turn into big somethings
Sketchbooks - offers on eBAY
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Moleskine Sketchbooks
Moleskine Sketchbook Pocket
Amazon Price: $9.60 (as of 12/15/2009) 
Moleskine Van Gogh Colours Sketchbook
Amazon Price: (as of 12/15/2009)
Moleskine Small Sketch Notebook
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 12/15/2009)
INDIA INK - drawing tools and media -
My equipment is relatively spartanic,because I have learned that it is not easy to change media frequently. But for beginners I really want to recommend that they try everything they can get. This is the only way to find out what they like best. Also it is important for the further developement one might go for the brushes and painting others more for drawing in linear ways and some might prefer a combination.india ink Sketching with india ink offers a wide range of applications. India ink is also light fast and your sketches will have a maximum of duration.
You can use very fine or broader feathers for drawing and the ink can be used in a painterly way with various types of brushes. India ink is a fantastic medium and I really recommend to try it.
Brush pens for india ink There are brush pens that can be loaded with lightfast ink containers. As far as I know these brush pens are very common in Japan. I bought an inexpensive pen(Pentel) in France. I feared that it would dry and block very fast,but I have to say that the pen never failed whenever I used it. It is not that easy to draw with these brush pens,but once you get used to it it is a great tool at a very good price.
Ink pens There are ink pens availabe,some of them even rechargable. In theory this should be ideal drawing and sketching tool. I have tried a couple of brands,but never used them on a regular basis as the tip of these pens quickly wears off and then drawing gets impossible in the worst case. Also the ink is used up fairly quickly,which makes this tool rather expensive. Also the line is comparatively uniform (dead) it always has same thickness and I found that it is necessary to hold these pens in an unatural almost upright position to get best results.
I use cheap plastic vessels(for chemicals or cosmetics) to carry india ink. These bottles have a double closure. My experience is that ink will go through most of the simple closures of bottles. As support for detailed drawings I use a plywood board.
Pentel brush pens on EBAY
I have Pentel brush pen for a couple fo years now and til today it has not made any trouble at all. I always feared that if I do not use it for some time it will be dried out and blocked. But it just seems not to happen. It is a simple plastic pen and not expensive at all. Really a great tool that allows very versatile sketches and drawings in lightfast india ink. The pen can be perfectly closed and you can carry it in your pockets without fear that the ink will come out.
I have written a special review on the pentel brush pen
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byInk pens and brush pens for ink
Faber Castell PITT Artist Brush Pen Set- Shades of Grey
Amazon Price: (as of 12/15/2009)
Sailor Profit Special Script Calligraphy Fountain Pen
Amazon Price: (as of 12/15/2009)
Kaimei Natural Hair Brush Pen Refills- Pack of 3
Amazon Price: $4.29 (as of 12/15/2009)
Kaimei Sumi Fountain Pen (Natural Bristle)- Black Barrel
Amazon Price: $80.00 (as of 12/15/2009)
Fountain pens - sketching tools and media
fountain pens Fountain pens are comfortable to handle. I like best that you can move your hand more freely with a fountain pen in comparison to the traditional ink nib. Also you do not have to worry about having enough ink on the nib. The speed of drawing can be much faster. For these reasons my favorite tool is a small fountain pen. A more detailed description can be found in my lens How to draw with a pen The ink in fountain pens usually is not light fast.However there seems to be one exception. I found a recommendation on the blog of Mattias Magnuson. He uses a Namiki Falcon fountain pen, with American eel from noodlers ink.
The ink for fountain pens I prefer black ink because you can achive very dark blacks. With blue ink the range of tonalities is not that wide.
However I experienced that there are different qualities of black ink. Some brands might not work that good in your pen. I have one pen that gets immediatley blocked when I use black ink cartridges,it works only with blue ink. Black inks contain carbon black, depending on the viscosity and the particle size certain brands might not flow that easy. Before drawing I usually have to shake my pen until the black ink drips on the ground.
At present I use PELIKAN 4001 "Brilliant black" and a very nice french brand HERBIN.
Jean Pierre Lepine Fountain pens - my favorite sketching pen
The elegant choice for the sketcher !
I use the model Cactus. It has survived the rough times in the field. Drawing with this pen is like riding a wilful pony, always good for a surprise. The closed pen is short and fits in small pockets. See how I handle it on my lens about drawing with a pen !
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byNamiki fountain pen and other pens for ink
Fountain pens and lightfast ink
Bulletproof BLACK EEL Noodlers Fountain Pen Ink
Amazon Price: $12.50 (as of 12/15/2009)
Namiki Falcon Fountain Pen - Black, Medium Nib 60252
Amazon Price: $136.00 (as of 12/15/2009)
Pen & Ink Fountain Pen Sketch Set- Extra Fine
Amazon Price: $19.49 (as of 12/15/2009)
Fountain Brush Pen #DT140-13C
Amazon Price: $33.95 (as of 12/15/2009)
Pencils - sketching tools and media
pencils The world of pencils is a something special. Pencils are the oldest and the most versatile black and white medium. It always good to have a set of pencils in various grades from very soft to soft with you. The hard ones I do not like that much. I prefer the range from B6-B0 I rarely use H grades.I also have always a thick graphit piece with me (see image). There are special holders for these available.
Charcoal - sketching tools and media
charcoal Charcoal is a great sketching and drawing medium. In fact probably the best with a maximum of expression. However I don´t recommend to draw with charcoal in a sketch book as the surface is sensitive. Charcoal drawings should be fixated with a special spray of with hairspray(also possible). There are also differnet brands of charcoal and the products differ also. Some testing is necessary. I have some quite soft and very deep black and a harder one which is not that dark.
Oil pastels - sketching tools and media
In sketchbooks I have use Carandache and similar hard ones,but still these colors will transfer from one page to the other a bit when the sketch book is closed.
For years I have used cheap oil crayons on craft board. Unfortunately the craft was not 100% virgin craft and tends to bleach out. Also cheap oil crayons fade away under natural light in short time ! So these precious memories of Dresden are kept in a drawer most of the time.
Charcoal and oil pastels
Sennelier Oil Pastels- Set of 24 Assorted Colors
Amazon Price: $67.98 (as of 12/15/2009)
Prismacolor 24 Piece Charcoal Sketching Set
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 12/15/2009)
8.8LB Cowboy Charcoal
Amazon Price: $7.09 (as of 12/15/2009)
More drawing lenses by Edition Handdruck
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Efficient drawing tips for landscape drawing
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Eight efficient drawing tips how to improve your landscape drawing skills efficiently and fast.Everybody who can write her/his own name on a piece of paper can achieve a high level of drawing skills. Landscape drawing can be learned and it gives so m...
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Drawing the urban landscape
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This is the online version of a book that contains sketchbook drawings of an urban landscape (7X20 inch,double page size)done on site between April 2006 and May 2007 in the city of Stuttgart,Germany. The city with about 600 000 inhabitants is an agg...
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How to draw buildings and houses
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Do you want to draw or sketch houses ? Get here some ideas, tips on how to draw and sketch buildings. Some basic explanations on perspective are given. However focus here is mainly to inspire you for own explorations. Some practical tips how to are...
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How to draw a pine tree
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Ten typical features of pine trees are explained and shown in a big size image of a pine tree drawing study. Learn about drawing a realistic looking pine tree. See more examples, get inspiration for own drawings here. If you were looking for botanica...
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How to draw a tree - tree drawing
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How to draw a tree - Find a collection of tree drawings and explanations how they have been done. Get inspired by famous and less famous, but very impressive contemporary and historic examples of tree drawings and have a look at online drawing tutori...
The essential beginners instruction book to drawing
Keys to Drawing
Amazon Price: $15.63 (as of 12/15/2009)
Keys to Drawing with Imagination: Strategies and Exercises for Gaining Confidence and Enhancing Your Creativity
Keys to drawing by Bert Dodson takes the reader through great practical lessons. The book is unique in the market of instruction books. I found my copy on a messy table with sell out books at a ridicolous price. After browsing throw the first couple of pages I knew that I had to have this ! Bert Dodson is a motivator who inspires and activates you instead of flooding the reader with boring tech stuff or lengthy explanation. Yet the text is of great value and Dodson finds the right voice to speak to those who need encouragement !
O.K. I am a total Bert Dodson fan ...:). But why ? Because 95 % of my capabilities came by selfstudies on basis of Bert Dodsons lessons. Whenever I think I am stuck.. I go to my bookshelf and pick up "Keys to drawing".
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 12/15/2009)
Watercolors - sketching tools and media
Water colors A small set of watercolors with 6-12 colors is great for sketching. In combination with pencil you already have the ultimate "Willliam Turner set". In fact one does not need anything morefor a quick sketch or a decent piece of art. Purist even don´t use any pencils and work free without pencil pre-sketch.My advice is to buy good colors which seem quite expensive on first sight, but they are not. Good watercolors carry much more and better pigments. So they will last much longer not only in use, but also on your paper and don´t forget the decent looks !
On the right you see my Schmincke Mini-set and a plastic palette for guache colors that I have broken in the middle to make it fit better in my backpack.
High quality watercolor sets and oil pastels
Schmincke Half Pan Watercolor Pocket Set in a Compact Metal Travel Box
Amazon Price: $100.00 (as of 12/15/2009)
Sennelier Oil Pastels- Set of 24 Assorted Colors
Amazon Price: $67.98 (as of 12/15/2009)
Sennelier Artist's Watercolor Metal Travel Set 10 Tubes - Best Price on Web!
Amazon Price: $109.95 (as of 12/15/2009)
Guache - sketching tools and media
For sketching you need only very small amounts and if necessary you can restrict yourself to a basic set. In fact the basic colors blue,yellow,magenta plus white and a dark brown (van dyke brown) are sufficient to mix all other colors you might want to have.
Guache is also an ideal medium in combination with other media mentioned above.
Acrylic colours - sketching tools and media
Coloured pencils - sketching tools and media
Coloured pencils I don´t have much experience with these materials,but I have a Derwent colored pencil set of 12 colors in my sketching gear. I use water soluble pencils by Derwent because they can be used also as a watercolor substitute and because they do not break that easy.There is a excellent resource on Squidoo by an expert on colored pencils Katherine Tyrell. She has tested a lot of brands and you can get lot´s of valuable information on her lens Coloured pencils - resources for artists.
A good pencil sharpener is very helpful. I use a rather expensive one which can be adjusted to the thickness of the pencil with a screw. Sharpeners that break your pencils are terrible !
Coloured pencils
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils 48 Count (24103598T84)
Amazon Price: $44.99 (as of 12/15/2009)
Marker pens - drawing and sketching tools
I like those sets that offer a range of rey tonalities, but in fact it is not necessary to buy such a set as you can get the same effect by using several layers of the lightest shade.
In this sketch I have combined pen,coloured pencils and marker pen.
My small standard sketching set
This is the basic set that fits into my smaller bag. It consists of:
Sketchbook landscape format 6"X8"
Fountain Pen
Small water color set Schminke (12 colors, +2 extra I squeezed in)
Small Windsor Newton brush (Metallic look, can be closed)
Piece of cloth and some more brushes
A broken plastic palette
An a small water container, this type of container are great also for india ink
The clothing - protection against heat,rain and frost
hat or cap As protection in heat and for situations with strong counter light a hat or a cap are absolutely necessary. I always have a cap with me.
rain and frost It can be great to sketch outdoors when it´s raining so some raincoat as protection is necessary and there are special umbrellas that fishermen or hunters would use. It is quite easy to sketch with an umbrella one hand when sitting on a small chair. Meantime I have an umbrelly with a littel peice of rope at the top. If necessary I can hang the umbrella to a branch of a tree and sketch under it.
As proctection against frost I recommend the investment into skying underwear and clothes which are perfect for this purpose.
The seat - and further protection against the cold
The right seat - it is availabe on Dick Blick
The seat A seat is a very useful tool even though one can also sketch while standing or sitting on some available support on site. With a seat the sketcher can chose the best place and the best point of view. Therefore on most of my excursions I have a seat with me.I have broken several seats meantime, one dropped me into a potato field much to my amusement. Depending on your weight I recommend a sturdy and robust version. I use a seat with three strong wooden legs and a leather cover as it is offered by Dick Blick below. It served now for several years through all seasons and has never let me down. In addition to that I have a patch or a cusion of horse hair felt with me. To sit warm is quite convenient in early spring or late autumn not to speak of winter.
You might find these felts in sports shop for hunting,fishing or even horse riding.
Tripod stools on Amazon
Walkstool Comfort 55cm/22in. Folding Seat for Outdoors - Walkstool WA22
Amazon Price: $79.99 (as of 12/14/2009)
Ameristep Tripod Stool
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 12/14/2009)
Morphtech #01-0110 Cremco Tripod Stool
Amazon Price: (as of 12/14/2009)
Travel Chair Slacker Stool (Green)
Amazon Price: $20.49 (as of 12/14/2009)
Texsport - Folding Tripod Stool
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 12/14/2009)
Backpack and other bags
Backpacks I have a small backpack as the standard bag. A backpack is great especially on a longer hiking trip. The one I bought was fairly cheap and really nothing special. Over time some dirt,color, dust and other things will cover the surface and will be found inside too. Therefore I would not use a very valuable backpack for this purpose. it helps when the inside is covered with some foil so the baclpack can be washed inside every now and then.
Bags by Freitag Beside of the backpack I have a small collection of Freitag bags. These are recycled bags from lorry tarpolin. The bags are very robust and can be wiped wet.
Cheap backpacks for the sketcher
Targus CVR600 15.4 Groove Notebook Backpack
Amazon Price: $27.00 (as of 12/15/2009)
K-Cliffs Black Outdoor Backpack/ Biking Backpack/ Messenger Backpack/ Cross Shoulder Backpack
Amazon Price: $12.50 (as of 12/15/2009)
