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