These Are The Things You Need If You Want To Start Painting And Drawing
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what would happen if you drew the picture yourself? There's no doubt that creating art is one of life's simple pleasures, and if you've always shied away from it, you may be missing out on your next passion. Many of us sometimes fear grabbing art supplies and just starting on an art piece, because let's face it: the process of creating any kind of art can be deeply intimidating. You might ask yourself, "Will my sculpture rival Michelangelo's 'David' or will it look like a melting glob of ice cream?" and if you're on that boat right now, we totally get it.
Staring at a blank canvas can send your mind racing in the same way laying down during savasana in a yoga class can: you know you're supposed to just let go, but suddenly, you're frozen. Ironically enough, us humans can get nervous when it comes to just having way too many options, and there's nothing more "limitless" than a totally blank, white canvas. Whether sticking to a pencil sketch, going for a watercolor landscape your grandma will love, or a rainbow-hued oil painting that will rival any museum tableau, you can do anything you want with your canvas — and that freedom is wonderful!
While you figure out your latest inspiration, we've got you covered with everything you need to get started with painting and drawing. At least there won't be any guesswork when it comes to your materials!
Everything you need to start sketching and drawing
First up, we need to talk about all the supplies you will need if you want to start your artistic journey with some pencil sketching instead of going directly into all things paint. If this is you, your intuition may be onto something: as explained by Trekell, you should dive into drawing before trying your hand at painting for quite a few reasons. It will sharpen your accuracy when it comes to bringing your subjects onto the page, and teach you all about shadows and light before ever holding a paintbrush. Now that that's settled, here's everything you need to sketch.
You're going to need a great sketchbook to hold all your drawing ideas, finding the perfect balance between sturdy yet light enough to be portable (you never know when you want to take your sketchbook to the park). According to Felt Magnet, you should buy a sketchbook that is 9" x 12" (22.9 x 30.5 cm) with 50 to 65 lb. weight paper (74 to 96 GSM). One great option is this 100-sheet Strathmore Sketchbook that fills all the requirements and then some.
You'll also of course need fantastic pencils for all your sketching. KD Newspaper recommends buying a good amount of graphite pencils, which go from the darkest "B" shades to the lighter "H" variety. A set including HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B, and 8B pencils will be perfect for you, such as this Faber-Castell Pencil Set.
There are still quite a few other things you need to get your drawing journey started
While it might seem like having your trusty sketchbook and graphite pencils is good enough when it comes to sketching, you may be in for a surprise. There's no denying that the basis of any sketching practice is rooted in simply having an array of black pencils at your disposition, and a sketchbook full of blank pages to burst all your creativity onto. But there's a lot more where that came from if you really want to take your drawing practice to the next level.
According to Insider, you should also buy a charcoal set, which will make the shadows and highlights in all your drawings even more realistic, and give you more tools to play with. As per the outlet, this Cretacolor Charcoal Drawing Set is the best of the best, bringing together 20 pieces you'll use every day.
Another must-have? As per KD Newspaper, you can't forget about good colored pencils once you want to move on from black-and-white shaded drawings. These super-smooth Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils – 24 Pack is perfect, and will make you a regular Van Gogh in no time. Don't forget a couple other miscellaneous items, either: you'll need a kneaded eraser that won't leave any marks, such as this Prismacolor Kneaded Rubber Eraser. A sharpener with different-sized holes such as this Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener will prove very useful, too.
Here are your best bets for buying paint
Well, there's surely more to sketching than we thought — so you can imagine all there is to know about painting supplies, which can be just a bit more complex. No worries though, we've got you covered. If you're ready to put your sketches of fruit bowls and landscapes down and go for oil paints, watercolors, acrylics, and a big ol' canvas, here's absolutely everything you'll need to set yourself up for Picasso-esque success.
So, let's start with paint. According to KD Newspaper, watercolor is one of the easier paints when you're just getting started, so feel great picking up a watercolor set like this Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint, Deluxe Sketchers Pocket Box. One and done!
Alternatively, if you prefer another kind of more in your face paint, there are tons of options for you, too. Felt Magnet explains that acrylic paints are also fantastic for beginners, since they are water-based (making them less messy). You should stick to a tube set that comes with at least six colors including white, black, red, yellow, green and blue (a set that also includes purple and brown is great). This Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Paint Set is perfect, while Insider recommends also picking up a set of pastels like this Sennelier Cardboard Oil Pastel Set.
Meanwhile, the outlet also explains that for oil paint, this Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Paint Set is just the thing for beginners.
It's all about brushes and your canvas
Just like sketching has a plethora of materials and supplies attached to it, so does painting. While the paint you buy might be the most important part, your paint brushes and canvas will make or break your art piece as well. And while you might not expect it, there are a few other miscellaneous supplies you'll need for your painting practice you might have missed.
So, where to start with brushes? First off, there are a few different kinds of brushes, each designed for a different kind of paint. As explained by Step By Step Painting, you will be safe first buying a set of paint brushes designed for acrylic paint, such as the Royal & Langnickel Zen Brushes 5 Piece Set or this Princeton Velvetouch 4 Piece Set. Both will prove just the thing for all your acrylic paint needs!
Alternatively, if you want a brush set that works for both watercolor paints and acrylics, Felt Magnet recommends trying a different approach and going for this Royal Langnickel Soft-Grip 5-Piece Starter Set instead. Cost effective and perfect for beginners, the outlet describes how these brushes are some of the best Taklon synthetic brushes out there. Meanwhile, Insider recommends this Da Vinci Universal Brush Set that works for watercolor, acrylic, and oil paints.
Your canvas is crucial, too: as per Insider, this large Fredrix Style 520 Polyflax Red Lion Acrylic Primed Canvas Roll is your best bet.