Which art supplies will you need?
If you are looking for a hobby to fill your spare hours, then taking up art is always a good choice. Whether you try your hand at painting, drawing, or something more physical such as sculpture or pottery, whatever form your artistic expression takes, you will need to find the right art supplies to enable your design to take shape. While your choice of art supplies is always going to be a personal decision, if you attempt to work with the wrong materials, then the results are never going to satisfy you. If you want to start with something deceptively simple such as drawing, here are three tips that should help you get the most out of your new hobby.
Start with the right paper
Whether you want to learn drawing or painting, you will need some paper to work with. While it can be tempting to find the cheapest paper in your local store, it is far better to invest in a proper sketchbook to keep all your work together. In addition to keeping all of your drawings in one place, a sketchbook presents your work better especially if you select one with a good weight of paper. Look for a sketchbook with a paper weight of around 74 to 96 GSM. As you progress, think about investing in a drawing pad with a heavier paper weight to better preserve your work.
Choose the best pencils
Pencils are one of the most basic of art supplies and you might think that they are all the same, but the truth is very different. When you investigate graphite drawing pencils, you will find that you can purchase them individually or in sets. A typical six pencil set should contain pencils marked as 2H, HB, B, 2B, 4B, and 6B. These designations indicate the hardness of the graphite used for the pencil. If you want to draw a darker line, then you will need to use a soft pencil, which is indicated by a 'B'. To make a lighter line, you should use a pencil which is marked by an 'H'.
Remember your other art supplies
While a pencil and some paper are the most obvious things you will need for drawing, you can't afford to ignore accessories such as a pencil sharpener and a kneaded eraser to rubbing out any unwanted lines without damaging the paper on which you are working.
Visit a shop near you that has art supplies to look for these materials and more.