How to Choose Art Materials

Recently a reader wrote me with these questions:

She likes to draw and wants to progress with professional equipment. She asked what is the best kind of drawing pencil, what is the hardness and softness and which do I prefer, and what is the best of acrylic, oil, and water paint?

I could give a long list, but I feel that is not the best way to go about buying materials for yourself. A product that one artist may like will not be right for another. It's all about trial and error and finding what suits your style, technique, and budget.

I will tell you that cheaper is not better. You've heard the saying, and it's true; you get what you pay for.

Take advantage of trial size products and do small paintings to get a feel for the product. The Artist Magazine and other art magazines often have advertisements that offer trial sized products at value prices.

Pencil hardness refers to how dark and sharp your line will be. Each pencil harness has its place and they should all be used at one time or another. You can tell the hardness of a pencil by looking at the number. Most art pencils are graded with a number and a letter, with 9H being the hardest and the 9B being the softest. Another rating system is to just use a number. In this case, a #1 is considered a B on the other scale and is the softest, the common #2 pencil is rated as an HB, or a medium softness, and so on.

I have to admit my favorite drawing tools aren't necessarily typical. I love the big, chunky feel of a carpenter’s pencils and I just love to grab my daughter's fat kinder-pencils to do sketches.

Alina