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Picture Art Material Glossary

Art Materials Glossary

Facts in books, information in glossaries, the ability to use them in our heads!
Picture

If you are a new art student and find it challenging to decipher certain terms for art materials, this glossary might be of help.


Or do you wonder what brands to get? I included this brief glossary as a resource to aid you in your search for the appropriate starting resources.

Drawing Materials

Picture

Graphite Pencils


Picture Graphite Pencils
There are varied types of graphite pencils. When you buy a set, choose one that includes a 4h and 2h; otherwise purchase them single. All brands are really fine. Personally, I prefer Staedler for H pencils and Faber Castell graphite for all B pencils. Staedler is cheaper and a little lighter than the Faber Castell. Faber Castell is the only pencil with an added inner core strength to prevent internal breakage during falls.

Sketchpad


Picture Quill Sketch Pad
The paper we draw on is of importance. During my time as a commercial illustrator, I experimented with a variety of different papers but eventually settled on Quill, since I could use it for practically all of my work in pencil and coloured pencil. People who bring cheap paper pads to class frequently end up frustrated. But whatever you choose, don’t buy paper from Mont Marte. The paper flakes easily, and it can take only one or two layers of graphite, before it literally ruins the paper.

Putty Eraser


Picture Putty Eraser
The putty eraser, also known as kneadable eraser, is distinct from a typical eraser. It resembles Blue Tack in appearance and feel, but it is softer. We use it for two main purposes. It can remove very black graphite, that a regular eraser would smudge badly. By dabbing the putty over a surface, we can lighten an area without fully erasing to create stunning soft highlight effects.

Paper Stump


Picture Paper Stumps
The paper stump, also known as tortillon, is handy for blending. Any brand will do for this little helping tool.




Erasing Shield


Erasing Shields Image
This is a splendid companion for drawing, in particular if you are working on a smaller scale. Useful for leaving perfectly small round highlights or thin white lines. We frequently pencil in places we didn’t mean to, making it difficult to get a minor highlight back. Some people cut their eraser to help or use electrical erasers. This neat tool does the job with ease.

Embossing Tool


Picture Embossing Tool
These embossing tools are available with a plastic grip or made entirely of wood. Either a single pen or a set of three are available. We use them to actually “engrave” very thin lines or dots into the paper, which creates clear sharp lines when drawn over with a pencil. Such delicate lines are impossible to draw with a pencil.

Oil Painting & Colour Materials

Picture

Flat Stiff Neef Brushes


Picture Flat Hog Hair Brushes
We will primarily use flat brushes. You will learn about the various reasons in class. There are many additional possibilities than hogs’ hairbrushes, which are widely used for oil. The flat stiff Neef brush works best for our classes because they strike the ideal mix between softness and strength, and their hair is neither too short nor too long. The image on the left shows about the ideal length.

Oil Paints


Picture Oil Paints
The colours listed in the material list are what you will need. Which brand is up to you. I advise Winsor & Newton Winton or AS for beginners. They are affordable and of mid-range quality. If you need to save money and simply want to experiment first before committing, particularly for practice pieces, you can also buy Mont Marte. But keep in mind that they eventually fade and are by far inferior to the artist’s mid or high-quality paint and may lack opacity. 100ml should be the minimum size tube. For those who want to upgrade, I recommend Langridge Handmade Oil Paints. Their texture is delightfully creamy.

Elastic Gloves


Picture Elastic Gloves
We will need fine elastic gloves for some exercises in the beginning painting and colour course. We require the thin surgical type, so don’t get any stronger ones so that you can feel what you are doing. Purchase the smallest size that will fit your hands.

Palette


Picture Easy to Clean Palette
There are many options we can use as a palette. The Mont Marte easy to clean white palette has a good size, is extremely affordable and is much easier to clean than any untreated wooden palettes. For working from home, a glass palette is also a good option. But for safety reasons in class, the light weighted wooden palette is the best.

Synthetic Brush Set (Acrylic)


Picture Synthetic Brush Set
For finer oil work, these inexpensive Mont Marte brushes perform well. Although they are optional for our lessons, the majority will choose to get them because of their softness. Make sure you get a set with of mainly flat brushes rather than round ones. The set on the left has one small fine round brush, which is part of the material list.

Optional: Liquor or Oudourless Lean


Picture Liquol
Both solutions thin the oil. Oil paint is excessively thick for delicate lines. Liquol, is comparable to a medium 4 for oil, is used to thin oil paint for under paintings, glazing, or fine lines. Because oil is excessively thick, artists utilise it for the first, thinner layer or for minuscule lines. We may also employ it for glazing. Another less pricey option is odourless lean.

Coloured Pencil Art Materials

Picture

Coloured Pencil Faber Castell


Picture Faber Castell Coloured Pencil Box
Faber Castell produces two kinds of artist quality coloured pencils: Polychromos and Albrecht Dürer. For both classes or workshops, the best brand would be Polychromos, not to be confused with Prismacolor. Considering everything, Polychromos has many advantages over Prismacolor. This includes blending as being more difficult to break. Albrecht Dürer are excellent as well, but since we are layering as well, you will cover more ground with Polychromos. If you already have a set of a particular brand, then bring those. Holbein and Caran d’Ache qualities are unsurpassed for those seeking the best.

Coloured Pencil Derwent 


Picture Derwent Studio Coloured Pencils
If you are tight with money, Derwent coloured pencils are an alternative to the more expensive brands. They don’t work as well for the burnishing technique and are not as chroma rich, but they are still a decent, cheaper option. Their light fast quality is like Faber Castell and Prismacolor, so they won’t fade. Born and Crayola Signature pencils are another option. Both are brilliant when applied and for blending, but they will eventually fade.

Pencil Sharpener


Picture Carl Angel 5 Sharpener
You will need a good sharpener while dealing with coloured pencils, and the Derwent (formerly Carl Angel 5) is excellent. A typical sharpener quickly becomes dull. This model provides many advantages over similar types. First, they used metal rather than plastic to make the case. It keeps on working thanks to its spiral blades. It is the sharpener with the longest tip, exactly what we require for coloured pencil. Finally, it stops when the pencil is sharp, in contrast to other models that simply keep sharpening.

Colourless Blender


Picture Derwent Coloureless Blender
Derwent produced two different pencil equipment to support coloured pencils. The blender and the burnisher. The blender produces far smoother results and is less porous, so I never use the burnisher.

Zest It 


Zest Medium Picture
“Zest It” is one of the best mediums available for blending colour pencils to create an extraordinarily smooth surface. It is available at Musgrave Arts.

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MARTINA POOK ©  2016-2022                     |                     68 Armstrong Way, Highland Park, QLD 4211                    |                   Trading as Martina Pook                  |               ABN 54905 254 156
  • Home
    • Art School Surveys
    • Mailing List
    • Art News Blog
  • Art Tips
    • 1 Year Drawing & Painting >
      • Daily Watercolour Practice >
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
      • Daily Drawing Practice >
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
    • Art Business Tips >
      • Before Starting A Business
      • Earn from Your Drawings
      • Pricing Your Artwork
      • Art Business Planning
      • Arts Marketing
      • Artist Media Release
      • Artist Proposal Writing
      • Creative Website Writing
      • Copyright (eousness)
      • Organise Your Art Business
      • Networking for Artists
      • 5 Tips for Instagram Success
      • The Power of Pinterest
      • Art Is A Business
    • Free Art Business Books
    • Free Art Instruction Books
    • Free Stockphoto Collection >
      • Art Students Photo Collection >
        • Peculiar Photo Collection
        • Landscape Photo Collection
    • Artists Reference Photos >
      • Artist Reference Bundles
    • Best Art Websites
    • Book Recommendations
    • Gift Ideas for Artists
    • Art Magazines
    • Art Organisations
    • Art Accountants
    • Art Competitions
    • Art Infographics
    • Artists Info Sheets
    • Artists Signatures
    • Web Tools For Artists
  • Martina's Articles
    • Painting Tips
    • 15 Must Have Skills for Art Students
    • Art Competition Benefits
    • Benefits of Art Classes
    • Coloured Pencils Article >
      • Coloured Pencil Studies
    • Colour Mixing Article
    • Did You Know?
    • Learn to draw in 15 minutes a day
    • The Art of Learning Art
    • Why We Need Creativity
  • Art Workshops | Classes
    • Art Materials Lists >
      • Art Material Glossary
    • Art Student Portal >
      • Arts Ministry Liberti
      • Drawing Introduction >
        • Line Contour Variation
        • Measuring Proportions
        • Atmospheric Perspective
        • Shading Laws
        • Composition
      • Painting Introduction
      • Portrait Drawing Introduction >
        • The Eye
        • The Nose
        • The Mouth
        • The Ear
        • The Head
      • Coloured Pencil Introduction
      • Colour Mixing Introduction
    • Gallery >
      • Kids Art Gallery
      • Teen Students Gallery
      • Adult Art Students Gallery
      • Student Scholarship >
        • 2018 Scholarship Winner
        • 2018 Scholarship Winner
        • 2017 Scholarship Winner
        • 2015 Scholarship Winner
      • Artist in Residence >
        • 2017 Artist in Residence
      • Opportunities for Students
    • Gold Coast Art Teachers
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  • About
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