You may love to draw, or you may feel that drawing is a necessary evil you must struggle through before beginning to paint.
Some artists love the quiet contemplation of taking a sketch to a completed work of art.
They may use pencil, pen, charcoal or pastel, but they revel in the slow-paced exercise.
For those who are impatient with drawing and use as little as possible to set up a composition, sketching is like an unpleasant household chore. The house won’t look nearly as nice if you don’t do it, but it’s something to avoid if possible.
Here are a few tools to aid you with your drawing endeavor, whether it’s a labor of love or an unavoidable task.
Compact & Portable Sketch Folio
Compact & Portable Sketch Folio By Nicole ASIN: B00251AIGS
This drawing set comes in a convenient nylon folder that closes securely with a Velcro tab. A handy, wire bound sketchpad with 20 sheets is included in the mesh pouch. It comes with graphite pencils in an assortment that includes 2B, HB, B, H, 2H and F. It also features Soft, Medium and Hard charcoal pencils, one HB woodless pencil, one Sanguine and one Sepia sketch pencil.
There’s room for an eraser and a small pencil sharpener, and it folds into a tidy, portable folio that fits in any briefcase, backpack or purse.
On the go or lounging in the den, this is a practical and inexpensive all-in-one sketch set you’ll enjoy anywhere.
Prismacolor 24 Piece Charcoal Sketching Set
Prismacolor 24 Piece Charcoal Sketching Set By Strathmore ASIN: B001BYRKGG
This reusable tin box is full of charcoal drawing supplies that beginners and dust-stained professionals will enjoy.
It contains 10 sticks of vine charcoal in Extra Soft, Soft and Medium grades and four compressed charcoal sticks in Extra Soft, Soft, Medium and Hard grades. It also includes a selection of black charcoal pencils in Soft, Medium and Hard as well as a white Extra Soft charcoal pencil. There are also two sketch pencils in Sepia and Sanguine, one kneaded eraser, one Magic Rub eraser, one steel sharpener and one blending stump.
This set is all you need to literally get down and dirty with your drawing and sketching. Just add a can of spray fixative, and you’re ready to start creating charcoal masterpieces.
Krylon 11-Ounce Workable Fixatif Aerosol Spray
Krylon 11-Ounce Workable Fixatif Aerosol Spray By Krylon ASIN: B00023JE7U
After you’ve created that stunning drawing, it needs protection from an errant finger swiped across its surface. Whether it’s pencil, pastel or charcoal, Krylon Workable Fixatif will keep it fresh and smudge free.
Since it’s workable, you can use it as you draw to prevent smudging your own work. It’s archival and acid free, so your drawing will remain in pristine condition for years.
This product is packaged in an 11-ounce aerosol can, and with a name like Krylon, you know that it’s a good value.
Pro Art Sketch Book 5.5″ X 8″, 220 Pages
Pro Art Sketch Book 5.5″ X 8″, 220 Pages By ProArt ASIN: B0029943SK
This diminutive sketchbook is only 5.5″ X 8″, but with 220 pages, you get a lot of drawing for a few dollars.
The 65-pound paper is heavy enough to take some serious erasing, and it is a clear white acid-free stock you’ll enjoy using.
The attractive, black-bound book is great to tuck in a backpack or tote bag for drawing on the run or at home in your studio.
Sketches in the Making Giant Hardcover Sketch Book
Sketches in the Making Giant Hardcover Sketch Book By Art Alternatives ASIN: B0025TZ30G
If you’ve always dreamed of having your work on display in a coffee table art book, now’s your chance. Art Alternatives makes your dreams come true with a giant hardbound book that you can fill with all your inspirations and artistic insights.
This acid-free, 75-pound paper book contains 348 sheets to fill with whatever inspires you. Use it as a scrapbook, photo album or fill it with memorabilia as a continuing collage of your life.
Whether you’re drawing, doodling or using it as a journal, you’ll love the feel and quality Art Alternatives provides.
This book is 11” x 12-1/2” and is 2-1/2” thick. At this price, you may want one for yourself and one for a gift.
Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen with Refills
Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen with Refills By Pentel ASIN: B002LJRKN8
Pentel has been creating writing instruments for generations of satisfied artists, drafters and illustrators. This refillable brush pen is just another reason that Pentel continues to be the first name in fine drawing tools.
The flexible nib allows you to create fine lines or broad strokes with a single stroke. This versatile pen is all you need for an afternoon of plein air sketching. Why bother packing up a box full of pens when this one instrument does it all?
This package contains one brush and two permanent ink refills. Order some extra refills, and you’ll be set for anything.
6-Piece Pigma Micron Clam Ink Pen Set
6-Piece Pigma Micron Clam Ink Pen Set By Sakura ASIN: B0008G8G8Y
If you want pens with precision drawing capability, a good selection of sizes and a waterproof ink that doesn’t smear or bleed, this is the set for you.
Whether you’re drawing or writing, these micron pens are smooth and skip-free with ink that is archival and fade resistant.
This set includes six black pens. The sizes range from 0.20 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.30 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.45 mm and 0.50 mm.
Artists, illustrators, drafters and doodlers agree that Sakura’s Pigma Micron pens are a great value for all your writing needs.
Totally Tangled: Zentangle and Beyond
Totally Tangled: Zentangle and Beyond By Sandy Steen Bartholomew ISBN-10: 1574216716
If you’ve ever doodled, you know just how relaxing it can be. Now, take your doodling to the next level with Zentangle. Anyone can Tangle, and this book is packed with tips and illustrations that will have you Tangling with the best of them.
The book contains step-by-step instructions and over 100 Tangle patterns to copy or adapt as you doodle along. You don’t need to know how to draw, and you don’t need to be particularly inventive. Just start out with Ms. Bartholomew’s patterns, and get comfortable with creating complex patterns out of simple shapes.
