White Drawing Pads using soft pencil:
For starters you'll want a good drawing pad of white paper.
There are so many kinds but as long as the paper has good
texture to it you're good.
They come in 9"x 12", 11" x 14" and 14" x 17" & bigger.
Your choice- Dick Blick has lots of them. or go to an art store
and feel the paper. See if you like it.
You can't go wrong with most all of them.
Complex drawings need larger pads.
I like the spiral bounds one best.
Pencils:
Get a 4B, 6B or 8B soft pencil.
Wood pencils or woodless pencils are both OK.
Woodless pencils are great to work with BUT can break more easily so WATCH IT!
Eraser:
Get a kneaded eraser and a regular rubber eraser
Pencil sharpener:
nothing fancy - hand held ones are just fine.
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Toned Pastel Paper (more like painting) :
If you'd like to work on toned pastel paper, get a pad that has
all different greys OR different middle value colors (blues, greys, terra cotta)
Canson Mi Teintes is a good choice. I love these.
Tip: use the reverse side of these sheets- has less pattern texture.
Willow charcoal
Instead of soft pencil, work with "willow charcoal". These come in
small packets, are fairly fragile, but can cover broad areas and give soft
textures and tones. Willow charcoal is a great teaching medium.
Get good at this and the rest of drawing is easy.
Workable Fixative:
If you wish to preserve your drawings
it makes sense to buy a can of
workable fixative. It's a spray. Any brand is OK.
Once you have sprayed your drawing, you may continue to
add more to your drawing. That's why it's called workable fixative.
IMPORTANT:
Spray the finished pencil drawings by holding the can
8-10 inches above the finished drawing- do not soak the paper.
Maybe 2 passes of spray is needed. Touch the drawing to see
if it comes off onto your finger.
DO THIS OUTSIDE!
DO NOT BREATHE OR DRINK THIS STUFF!
