Graphite supplies
paper
Good quality paper provides a great foundation and fortunately, isn’t expensive. I like Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper, which has a lovely smooth surface.
Strathmore Bristol Vellum paper has a bit more tooth to it to grab hold of pigment. I use both for graphite and charcoal work as well.
I like to use a 9 x 12 inch size, as it gives enough workspace and I can always cut it down to an 8 x 10 size if my drawing comes out smaller than I intended.
pencils
Faber Castell 9000 Series pencils have an extremely hard lead and keep a sharp point for a very long time. Because they rarely need sharpening, you can work uninterrupted. This also prolongs the life of the pencil.
You can buy pencils in sets or individually. I recommend the set of Faber Castell 9000 Series sold in a tin containing the full range of hard and soft pencils.
Easily rivaling charcoal, Mars Lumograph 8B pencil is blacker than night. Add this to your graphite work at the very end. It’s so intensely black that it’s difficult to erase. Excellent for strong contrast.
Erasers
Erasers are not only used when an artist makes a mistake!
I recommend a kneaded eraser (aka putty eraser). It has a myriad of uses, although I use it mostly for lifting sketch lines. In order to minimize those lines, I roll the kneaded eraser into a sausage shape, and roll it back and forth across the page. I happen to like the colored kneaded erasers made by Faber Castell.
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Sharpeners
The X-Acto Electric sharpener has an helical steel cutter that produces a fine point without over sharpening. One of the best features about this sharpener is that once it sharpens the pencil, the motor shuts off. Because of the many openings, you can sharpen pencils with wider diameters, such as Derwent and Caran D’Ache pencils, that won’t fit into regular sharpeners.
The General’s pencil sharpener is a winner. It gets the point sharp enough but rarely, if ever, breaks a lead. Try the sharpener in a pack with white charcoal pencils, which are fantastic for using as highlights, whiskers and fur on toned paper.
Blending Stumps
These are indispensable tools. Made up of compressed paper, they blend and smooth graphite on paper. They’re useful for keeping oils from fingers away from artwork. I’ve used these successfully in portraits for smoothing skin tones, and adding soft transitions and shadows. It’s worth buying a selection of sizes. The kit I recommend comes with a sanding block for sharpening them.
Drawing board
A drawing board is really nice to own. I take it from my easel to my art table, This one’s made of masonite.
Drafting brush
Particles often get in the way when you erase. To avoid smudging or using fingers, sweep them away with a drafting brush or makeup brush.
Graphite Powder
I use graphite power in almost all my work. It covers large areas of paper quickly and goes on smoothly. I store it in a screw top jar and apply it with an eyeshadow applicator. This little set (that lasts forever!) includes charcoal powder.
art portfolio
Once you’ve created a body of work, it’s a really nice to store it inside a portfolio with protective sleeves. This Profolio that’s big enough for all your sizes, shows off your artwork and protects from damage.
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