As a beginner, limits are good.
Standing in the art supply store, confronted by gorgeous arrays of paints stocked right beside tempting tableaus of colored and textured paper, it's easy for a beginning artist to feel both tempted and confused. Not knowing what to buy can easily translate into buying too much. The beginning artist actually needs only limited supplies. Indeed, limiting art supplies is one of the keys to mastering all-important basics, according to Betty Edwards, author of the art method book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain."
Pencils
Any pencil on hand will do in a pinch.
You can start and practice with any pencil, of course, but a small, standard set will provide more flexibility and is easily found at craft or even office supply stores. The pencils will be stamped with a number followed by an H and/or a B. The stampings have to do with the hardness of the graphite. H represents hardness, B, softness. A pencil stamped 4H is harder--and leaves less graphite on the paper--than a 2H or a 2B.
Learning with pencils allows the student to learn about line and values--that is, the gradations between light and dark--while practicing fundamentals.
Pencil Sharpener
Anyone planning on drawing a lot needs a sharpener to keep things moving ahead.
This can be the kind of manual sharpener you'd put in a child's pencil box.
Paper
You'll need a sketch pad and a drawing pad for your more formal work. Most of your efforts will be for practice, so you'll want more sketching than drawing paper. You can even get by without the drawing paper at first, using sheets of printer paper to practice certain techniques. Don't buy newsprint; it is difficult to use with pencil.
Colored Pencils
Get a small pack, for these will be used to only practice fundamentals of color at first. Later, colored pencils might be the medium of choice. In the beginning, a limited palette is fine.
Chalk Pastels
These can be used for drawing and painting, serving as a bridge between the two. Pastels are usually wrapped in paper, but you can buy them in pencil form, too, useful for sketching.
Depending on the method you use to learn drawing and how quickly you progress, you might wait to purchase a set of pastels until you're comfortable with pencil techniques, all of which can be used with pastels.
If you do decide to buy pastels toward the beginning, buy a small set--say, a dozen colors. Buy a set with a range of colors, including black and white. If you buy pastels, you might also want a mask to block pastel dust unless you work in a well-ventilated area.
Erasers
Both a regular and a putty or kneaded eraser are necessary, the first for pencils, the second for the pastels.
Fixative
Fixative comes in a spray and set pastels so they don't smudge.
Reference
It's a good idea to get yourself a good book on drawing and technique. Before you buy, preview them at your library or check them out and give them a try before purchasing. The right method book is one you know you'll refer to many times. If the book asks you to buy a lot of supplies or special supplies for one-time use, it likely isn't the one for you.
