Essential Professional Art Supplies for the Serious Hobbyist

A notebook and pencil are usually the essential art supplies serious hobbyists start with. Over time, professional art supplies are needed to match the acquired skill and art knowledge.

The best tools to be on hand for every budding or serious artist are professional art supplies.

Long-lasting and quality art supplies are the essential tools to have when you are serious about your artwork. Investing in good quality professional art supplies provides the next level to your sculpting, painting, and other artwork expressions.

Investing in high-quality pencils

A drawing pencil is the most essential and basic art material for any artist. However, not any pencil will do. The pencils to pick out are the best ones that highlight your particular style of drawing.

Trying out several types and brands of pencils is highly recommended. Doing it this way eventually gets you the right pencil for colouring-in or drawing.

The pretty packages contain drawing pencil sets can be pretty awesome. The varied numbers showing on the pencils tell you the ones to go for. For instance, 6B sets are softer graphite pencils while 9H sets are the harder graphite types.

A longer sharp tip and lighter marks are produced by the harder graphite pencils. On the other hand, constant sharpening and darker marks are provided by the softer graphite pencils.

Investing in both sets of pencils enables an artist to create diverse art variations and styles. However, investing in single pencils is the usual route taken by many artists. Not only does it cut costs, but they also do not feel the need to invest in full sets either.

A great sketchbook

A good sketchbook provides the best medium for drawings or sketches. It is a must-have for all artists to hone their skills.

Canvas

Canvas is available either rolled-up or stretched using materials such as cotton or linen. The lighter weight and affordable price tag are with the rolled-up canvas. However, self-stretching or framing the canvas can be hard work.

The choice of a drawing surface

Any surface will not work well for artworks and sketches. The quality of the surface also matters. The finished artwork is significantly impacted by the choice of the drawing surface.

  • The paper weight should directly relate to the thickness of the paper used.
  • Smoother-textured surfaces provide smoother lines while broken lines are with the heavier textures.

Kinds of papers:

  • Bristol Paper is a heavy and smooth type of paper. They are great to use in depth-line work using ink or smooth gradations.
  • Drawing paper especially the medium tooth variety is the best to use with graphite pencils, coloured pencils, chalks, and pens.
  • Charcoal paper is semi-transparent and lightweight. They are great to use not only for charcoal drawings but also with coloured pencils.

Choice of erasers

Erasers are cleaning tools that artists should never have without. Some of the options include:

  • Plastic erasers can erase almost any mistakes. This is by far, considered the sturdiest eraser of all.
  • A rubber eraser is a conventional type used for erasing graphite mistakes.
  • Gum eraser is the best choice for removing marks and inks from tearing to delicate surfaces.
  • Kneaded eraser does not require friction to remove mistakes from all sorts of surfaces.

There’s no end in sight when it comes to professional art supplies for artists. Some supplies are essential while some are great additions.