These are the supplies and tools I currently use for my general art making. I’ve used and adjusted these tools to fit me and my preferences, so what I use may not be what you’ll use. Even if you have shiny tools, that won’t mean that you have shortcuts create better art. It’s still on you to create things that resonate with people.
For my digital art, computer software, and links I use, check out my Software List Page! A majority of the links I’ve posted are Amazon Affiliate Links to monetize my information. The only thing you pay for is the product you’re buying and Amazon drops me some money for recommending it.
8.5 x 11 Copy Paper
Copy Paper is totally serviceable for sketching if you don’t have or want a sketchbook. A bunch of stores with an office supply section should have 8.5 x 11 Copy Paper, otherwise that is not much of an office section. Obviously, it’s a lower quality paper, and using anything further than a pencil will cause bleeding and curling, but it’s still the best ever option for learning or practicing art ever.
Strathmore Sequential Bristol Paper
This is currently the Bristol Board Paper that I use for my traditional comics.
College Ruled Spiral Notebook
I usually start writing with a simple spiral notebook. I used the College Ruled notebooks because… I’m an adult. But really, Wide Ruled or Composition Notebooks are fine, heck you can even write in your sketchbook! There no rules about where to write!
I physically write because I don’t want to be staring at a screen so much and my giant fingers makes typing on a phone clumsy. I also end up getting into a giant editing loop when typing and not moving along the story, so traditional writing has a bit more “permanence” to it.
Sketch Wallet
It’s a wallet…THAT CAN HOLD A SKETCHBOOK! I have a day job, so I’m always on the go and never at my home desk. I keep having ideas but little time to draw them. With my SketchWallet, I can hold my sketchbook and important pocket stuff like cards and cash in one spot, so I don’t need to fish for them. Between this and my phone, I have so much pocket space!
When you first buy a wallet, it comes with a sketchbook from the start, but it can hold any other 3.5 x 5.5 inch sketchbook inside. My only real critique is that it’s cumbersome for holding actual cash. Despite this, this wallet is a good item to have if you want to practice sketching more often. Having a sketchbook on hand at certain times can make a huge difference.
Pentel Graph Gear 1000
Precise mechanical pencil that I use for portability and ease of use. I have them at 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9, and I’m able to get the leads in alternate hardnesses and colors!
Pentel Graph Gear 500
I used these pencils as my normal pencils before upgrading to the Graphgear 1000. These days I stick this pencil as my mechanical Blue Line Pencil for precise portable inking.
Staedtler Mars Technico 780 Lead Holder – 2 mm
I use this lead holder with 2mm Blue Lead as a sort of Mechanical Blue Pencil.
Tombow Mono Ultrafine 2.3mm Elsastomer Eraser
Using the mechanical pencil’s eraser can be a pain in the butt because it rubs down too short or pushes down into the lead barrel, needing to pull it back up again. The Tombow Elastomer Eraser is an eraser pen that stores one long eraser. It’s cleaner to hold in my pocket than a kneaded eraser, and not as big to erase on like a white plastic eraser. I prefer keeping the Kneaded Eraser for versatility, but the eraser pen is fine if you know you don’t need to erase big mistakes.
Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser
I used to use plastic white erasers, but I’ve been preferring kneaded erasers more and more because they can erase as much as I want them to without completely getting rid of lines. I could lighten up lead strokes or clean up mistakes easily. I can even mold the eraser to a better shape to fit my hand and mold it to a small point to erase things to a line.
Crescent Rendr Softcover Sketchbook
I used this 3.5 x 5.5 sketchbook in my wallet. A great thing about this sketchpad is that markers will not bleed through the paper, letting you draw and color on both sides of a page! Since this isn’t marker paper, you’ll have a smaller window of time to blend marker colors without a colorless blender. Ink also has a bit of a spread, so you need to watch out for fuzzy lines. It’s definitely a cheaper option than Moleskine sketchbooks, and with better paper in my opinion.
Round Winsor & Newton Kolinsky Watercolor Series 7 Round Brush (1 & 2)
When I do Traditional Brush Art, I use this brush. Since I’m not outside, I don’t need to use the small amount of ink in my Pentel Pocket Brush.
Speedball Standard Pen Nib Holder
I still have a holder from my old calligraphy nibs. I’m not sure if the holders make that huge of a difference other than being able to hold certain sized nibs, so I wouldn’t know if this it’s any special.
Pentel Arts Tradio Stylo Sketch Pen
It’s my personal favorite general-purpose inking pen. The felt tip has the right balance of firm flexibility, for me to give me thin lines without compromising some thick and thin line work. The flow is good enough that it will draw even with a lighter hand, allowing less rigidity in drawing to the point where I can sketch with it without a pencil underdrawing. The only downside to it is that it’s water-soluble, so if you want to paint watercolor or use Copic markers with this, the lines will run. If you’re getting this, also consider getting refills with it!
Pentel Pocket Brush
When I need to do fast ink brushwork with no dipping and thick and thin lines, this is the often recommended pen to use to learn how to use a brush. Don’t forget the refills!
Copic Multiliner Pens
I have them at 1.0, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3, 0.1, and a Brush pen! Just like the markers, these pens are refillable and the nibs are replaceable. Unfortunately, the 1.0 pen isn’t refillable and I use it for a thick unmissable outline! I bought my pens individually but I’ve linked a set if you want to put in the money. The brush pen is a bit stiffer than the Pocket Brush and I like it more if I’m working on something smaller.
Artist Pro White
After Inking, it’s likely you’ll make mistakes. Artist Pro White can make fast and substantive fixes!
Uniball Signo White Pen
When I’m inking and I still want small white areas, I use these pens. They’re opaque and go down on the black really nicely so I don’t have to worry about the ink showing through.
Copic Sketch Markers
I personally think Copic Neutral Gray Markers are the prefect markers to start learning how to render in marker! They’re also Cool Grey, and Warm Grey marker sets. They might break the bank a bit, but when you’re doing fast traditional sketching, they’re worth the price!
This particular Color Set is a decent starter pack of colors for the price. They’re many more colors out there, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself. With that I also have the Copic Colorless Blender to make softer transitions between values or colors and to do low-key erasing of colors.
They even had the decency to put Copic Skin Tone Colors in a pack to find them easily!
Global Art Canvas Pencil Case
A cool pencil case that stashes my traditional supplies for mobility.
Mirror
Whenever I need more specific faces, I purchased a small makeup mirror, so I can look at my face and act out any emotions I need. I might also find myself acting out character interactions or facial movements on my bathroom mirror.