What’s in My Sketching Kit? Your Ultimate Guide to Sketching Tools

Introduction:

To create a sketch, you only need sketching tools like a pencil, an eraser, a sharpener and a ruler. With these simple sketching tools, you can create a beautiful sketch. I believe you are wonderful artist capable of making great art with minimal resources and I am also that wonderful artist. Jokes aside, I want to clarify that I am not a professional artist; drawing is simply a hobby of mine. I have not taken any drawing classes also. At the end of this blog, you’ll see the first sketch I’ve created using the same sketching tools mentioned in this blog.

Let me share a short story from my past. It is about 8-9 years back when I was in the 7^th grade. There was a drawing competition, and the theme was ‘Freedom Fighters of India’. So I decided to create a sketch of Tatya Tope, a prominent leader in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and I practiced for it. As I mentioned above, with minimal sketching tools (paper pencil with 2B grade and eraser), I made a sketch. I was shocked to discover that I had secured the first place among all 7^th grade participants. I was happy and couldn’t believe it – it’s funny how we sometimes underestimate ourselves.

During a competition, I used cotton and earbuds for blending and shading as per the suggestion of my sister. Because at that time, I was unaware of blending stumps/ paper stumps (used for smudging & blending) & other sketching tools. Now I think that sketch of Tatya Tope could have been more captivating if I had a deeper understanding & collection of the sketching tools at that time.

But we can’t neglect that having more art supplies can really level up your sketching! Every art lover should own some basic art supplies on hand. I mean, I know the stuff can be costly, but you don’t have to buy everything at once! You just need to invest in quality tools as your budget allows, and watch your skills grow.

List of Sketching Tools (For Graphite & Charcoal Sketching)

For sketching, you need a sketchbook with good-quality papers, as it enhances the overall visual appeal and is less likely to get torn. And if I talk about sharpener, you can’t use a regular one for all pencils. For instance, to sharpen charcoal pencils, the use of mechanical sharpener (you may find it expensive) is advisable or you can use cutter as alternative of it. Let’s open my sketching kit.

Pencil

For sketching, a variety of graphite pencils, charcoal pencils and colored pencils are used, each offering distinct qualities for different effects. Let’s see which pencils are in my sketching kit.

Graphite Pencils

These pencils are ideal for detailed work, realistic sketches, and smooth shading.

The medium dark HB pencils are widely used for general writing and everyday tasks because they offer a good balance of hardness and darkness.

In H-grade pencils, the ‘H’ stands for hard and they are known for their hard lead. These pencils produce lighter and gray lines compared to softer B pencils.

B-grade pencils are softer and darker, well-suited for sketching due to their ability to create rich, dark lines and smooth shading.

Charcoal Pencils

These pencils are made of quality pure powdered charcoal with charcoal blend cores. These pencils offer rich black tones. Generally, charcoal pencils are available in 3 assorted grades; hard, medium & soft. Best results can be seen on drawing paper, sketching paper, textured paper, smooth tinted paper & canvas.

EE Pencil

This pencil is a combination of charcoal & graphite in its lead. It is useful for creating very dark shading & achieving strong contrast in drawings.

Eraser

A good quality soft eraser is as important as the pencil. In addition to standard eraser, my sketching kit includes 3 other types of erasers.

Kneadable Eraser

Mechanical Eraser/ Mono Zero Eraser

Mechanical erasers come in different sizes. I have 2.3 mm diameter mechanical eraser from Brustro. As soon as I saw this eraser, it reminded me of the pointer pencils I used in school days. The only difference is that, like the lead in a pencil, the eraser needs to be refilled. The features of this eraser are…

Electric Eraser/ Slim Battery Operated Eraser

I have an electric eraser from Brustro, and here are its features.

Rolling Ruler

This sketching tool is useful to draw parallel lines horizontal & vertically, as well as circles, curves and angles. It is mainly used in technical and architectural drawings. It is not necessary to use a rolling ruler for regular sketching.

Blending Stumps

White Gel Pen

It is mainly used in sketching to add highlights, reflections, and a sense of shine, like on glass, water droplets, or eyes.

Fixative Spray

Here is the last thing remaining in my kit is a fixative spray. It protects the art work from smudging, fading and crumbling. It acts as a sealant, preserving the drawing and making it more durable.

Conclusion

I wanna conclude with an advice that as you start shading the portrait, your hands tend to get dirty with lead powder that might spoil your portrait. To avoid this, start sketching downwards from the top to the bottom of the page whenever possible, or better yet, make it a habit to place a clean paper sheet or tissue paper under your hand while working.

Take a moment to explore the first sketch I created using these sketching tools. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

So now, what are you waiting for? Start drawing the magical world of Black & White.

Read the previous blog: https://essencenart.online/the-colors-of-india-an-artistic-diversity/