A Guide to Drawing
What Do I Need to Start Drawing?
What Materials Can I Use For Drawing?
More Materials for Drawing and Sketching
What Mediums Can I Use For Drawing?
What Are The Best Papers to Use For Drawing?
Can I Prepare my Drawing Surface With a Ground?
How Can I Protect My Work With Fixative?
Introduction to Drawing
Drawing can be the most immediate and direct of all mediums. Often on paper, the materials used can be wet or dry. They can include charcoal, pencil, pastel, pen, ink, watercolour, and oils. Drawing can be a crucial way to record what you see, and it can also be a good way to develop ideas.
Mark-making doesn’t have to be planned and controlled. It can be spontaneous and expressive, and offer the freedom to combine materials. It can also be technically very simple. You may prefer the broad handling of pastels or powder, or you may be interested in the detail that can be obtained by using tools with a harder point, such as pencil, pen, and ink.
- Surface (such as cartridge paper, watercolour paper, pastel paper, in loose sheets or in a sketchbook)
- Graphite (pencils, sticks, lumps, or powder)
- Charcoal (sticks, pencils, or powder)
- Ink
- Pen
- Brush
- Eraser
Drawing Sets
Drawing and sketching sets give artists a variety of tools in one pack. These sets often include graphite, charcoal, and coloured pencils. Some sets have extras like erasers and sharpeners. Many come in sturdy tins or cases, which makes them easy to carry. With a range of tools, artists can try different styles and techniques. These sets are perfect for both beginners and experienced artists who want everything in one place.
What Materials Can I Use For Drawing?
Graphite and charcoal are both used for drawing. While both are carbon-based, the way they are made means they both have unique qualities and functions. This makes them particularly distinctive as tools.
Charcoal is used for expressive work and preliminary sketches. Graphite is great for detailed and precise work. Over recent years, they have been made in an array of different forms, meaning their versatility has increased.
What Is Charcoal?
Charcoal is one of the oldest art materials ever used. The first recorded use was discovered in the creation of cave paintings that date back to 23,000 BC.
Charcoal has been enhanced over time with new technologies and methods to improve its properties. Its structure is a complex, irregular lattice. This lack of uniformity causes dips and craters, giving it a large surface area. It also makes charcoal very fragile, prone to fracturing on a molecular level. This creates a dusty, crumbly texture that clings to the paper’s tooth but can be wiped away if it isn’t fixed.
The flaky texture of charcoal allows artists to create different effects. With pressure, it makes a dense, dark line. With a lighter touch, it leaves a faint grey mark. These variations come from the charcoal’s particles, which spread out to form a powdery, diffused line. Drawing with charcoal feels rough because the material fractures as it moves across the paper.
How Is Charcoal Made?
Charcoal is made by burning natural matter, such as plants, wood, or bone. It is burnt over a long period of time in a chamber, pot, or kiln that has restricted airflow. This leads to the incomplete combustion of the material and production of the form of carbon we know as charcoal.
How Can I Use Charcoal?
Charcoal is a dry medium that can be used in its raw form as a stick or powder, or mixed with a gum or wax binder to make it easier to handle. It can create a wide range of tonal marks, from intense matt black to light greys. Its structure makes it easy to remove from a surface with the brush of a hand, although it can leave some staining due to dust getting trapped in the surface texture.
Charcoal is most often used for quick sketches and is great for life drawing sessions. Many artists choose it for its ability to respond instantly to their touch, allowing for bold, heavy strokes or soft, subtle shading through blending.
Types Of Artist Charcoal
The wood, how it’s prepared, the binders, and the shape all affect how charcoal feels and applies.
Vine and willow charcoal are made by heating vines and pieces of willow in a kiln or chamber. These sticks tend to be fairly long and thin. They are always slightly irregular, which affects some of the marks you can make. Each produces different charcoal, with vine charcoal creating a dark grey and willow charcoal creating a rich, deep almost velvety black.
Willow charcoal tends to have a more uniform, consistent mark than vine charcoal. It is available in a range of widths, usually named ‘thin’, ‘medium’, ‘thick’, and ‘chunky’ or ‘jumbo’. These vary between 3mm to 24mm. The sticks are usually heated over three days to make them suitable for artistic use.
Vine charcoal tends to be easy to dust or erase. This makes it great for life drawing, sketching, or compositions that need constant reworking. Vine charcoal is available in a range of hardness including soft, medium, and hard. Linden is a wood often used to create vine charcoal.
You can also make charcoal yourself. Use an oven set to high heat for a long period, with the wood sealed in a covered casserole dish or similar container. However, this process is quite lengthy and involved.
Powdered charcoal is charcoal in powdered form. It can be made by crushing willow or vine charcoal, or be bought as a separate product. It can be combined with other charcoal products, or used wet with watercolour to create areas of dark rich black. You might find it doesn’t create as dark a mark as compressed charcoal, so using a combination of forms in a piece can be useful.
Powdered charcoal is great for toning a surface. You can apply it using brushes of various sizes with the dry powder, then blow away excess dust. Alternatively, mix the charcoal with a small amount of water on a palette. It is worth practising if you plan to use wet charcoal, as the wrong ratio of water to charcoal can create a muddy effect. Wet charcoal will dry to the same finish as dry charcoal, so you can use multiple techniques to create a seamless, unified finish. If using wet charcoal, you will need a suitable absorbent surface and will need to fix it as you do with any charcoal piece.
Compressed charcoal breaks much less easily than vine charcoal and is harder to erase. You can also use the side of the stick to create broad consistent strokes, which is difficult while using vine charcoal due to its irregular shape. Compressed charcoal is made by combining charcoal powder with a gum binder and pressing it into sticks. The hardness of the sticks can be increased or decreased depending on the amount of binder added. This also affects the consistency and the shade of each block and stick. The range of hardnesses is fairly wide, going from HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B to occasionally 6B. They are sometimes referred to as extra soft, soft, medium, and hard.
Compressed charcoal allows for the creation of larger sticks than raw charcoal. These can be sharpened to a fine point and are less messy due to the binder. This makes it possible to produce a range of marks, from deep black to subtle, controlled gradations.
Charcoal pencils are the perfect tool for artists who want the feel of charcoal without the messy dust. Charcoal pencils are charcoal leads encased in a layer of wood. This not only protects the charcoal from snapping, but also guards the fingers from charcoal marks. The most common wood used for charcoal pencils is cedar. Charcoal pencils are great for making fine, clean, and crisp drawings, just like graphite pencils. They have the added benefit of letting you create deep black matt areas.
Charcoal pencils are available in the same hardnesses as compressed charcoal. This ranges from extra soft to hard, also known as 6B to HB.
Tinted charcoal is a mix of charcoal, pigment, and clay. It is perfect for covering large areas. You can remove unwanted colour with a putty eraser or a plastic eraser. Some tinted charcoal dissolves in water, which allows for soft wash effects.
White charcoal pencils are not made from traditional charcoal. They usually contain Titanium White pigment or calcium carbonate. This is mixed with a clay or alternative binder. There is a type of Japanese white charcoal called Binchōtan. It is much lighter than regular charcoal. It has a light grey, ashen colour, rather than pure white.
What Is Graphite?
Graphite is a slightly shiny and grey drawing medium. It is commonly used in pencil and stick form. Compared to charcoal, graphite produces far less dust when being used. It also adheres to surfaces more easily without the need for fixative.
Graphite has a uniform, layered structure. The atoms within each layer are tightly bonded, making the sheets very stable. However, the bonds between the layers are weak. This allows them to slide over one another (imagine a box of dry lasagna sheets). When you draw with graphite, the layers slip off easily, letting it glide smoothly across the paper. This creates clean, structured marks. Unlike charcoal, graphite is less crumbly and produces smoother lines.
A fascinating fact is that if you heat charcoal to 2982°C, it turns into graphite! This shows how closely related these carbon forms are.
Graphite is a soft yet brittle substance. Unless used as a drawing material in powder form, it requires a protective shell or a binder. Graphite is often mixed with other ingredients to improve its strength or colour. Many artists find graphite essential to produce fine detail, sketches, and final pieces. It can be buffed, smudged, or erased. Graphite can be sharpened to a fine point for detailed work. It also comes in soft varieties that are easy to use for shading and blending.
How Is Graphite Made?
Modern pencils are made by creating a paste of clay, purified graphite, and water, that is partially dried through a filtration process. This is then extruded and fired at 1038°C. These porous strands are then soaked and filled with wax, allowing a smoother line and better adherence. These are the leads that are typically used in a pencil or a lead holder.
The first use of graphite encased in wood dates back to around 1565. This was close to when natural graphite was first discovered in Cumbria, UK. Other sources were found in places like Siberia, Germany, and the USA. Today, most graphite is man-made.
This synthetic graphite is less reflective than mineral ‘flake’ graphite. Its grey hue can also be altered by changing the size of the particles that make it up. The shape and size of the particles affect the reflectivity and textural differences of the marks. This explains the effect of different pencils and how they can be used. This type of graphite also tends to be more granular and less flaky than its natural counterpart. This means it has a slightly different texture when used as a drawing material.
Types of Artist Graphite
Like charcoal, graphite is available in many forms. Some are more suitable for control and detail, while others are useful for bold and varied mark-making.
Graphite pencils can be used for writing, drawing, and technical drawing. They allow you to make controlled, precise, and detailed marks.
It is said that Nicolas-Jacques Conté (namesake of the Conté brand) made the first pencil for Napoleon in 1795. It was made by roasting clay, purified graphite, and water in a kiln. It was then encased in a wood sheath. Joseph Hardmuth improved it by finding that he could change the pencil's hardness by adjusting the amount of clay used.
The degrees of hardness in artist pencils are completely down to the amount of clay added. The more clay the harder the lead, and the less graphite, so the lighter the overall line. You can use these different hardnesses to create detail, change the appearance of lines, or create dark and light areas.
The ‘hardness’ of a graphite lead is measured using the HB scale. The letter ‘H’ denotes a hard pencil and the letter ‘B’ indicates the ‘blackness’ of the pencil mark. A combination of letters such as ‘HB’ is used to show that a pencil is both hard and black. For example, a 9B pencil is very soft, whereas a 9H is very hard. Some scales include an F as the middle of the gradations, standing for ‘firm’.
A range of tonal marks can be achieved by combining hard and soft pencils. Pressing down on the paper with a harder pencil will leave an impression on the paper that will still be visible even after the graphite is erased. The graphite mark from a harder pencil is easier to fully erase than a softer, blacker one.
Graphite Blocks and Sticks
While our modern graphite sticks are fairly new, graphite was originally sold in pieces for marking stone and sheep. Later it was shaped into sticks, which resembled today’s artists’ graphite sticks. Modern sticks, however, are not pure graphite, but a mixture of powdered graphite and clay that has been fired at a very high temperature. The amount of clay present determines the degree of hardness. The more clay, the harder the stick. The variety of hardnesses is a lot smaller than that of pencils, ranging between 2B and 6B.
Graphite sticks come in a range of sizes. This varies from a block to those in the shape and size of a pencil, which you can use a sharpener with. Brands of ‘woodless pencil’ are also made this way, but with a heavy resin coating that needs to be sharpened away like you would with a standard pencil. One of the advantages of graphite sticks is that you can easily create broad strokes, rubbings, and distinctive dark lines.
Graphite powder is primarily used as a dry pigment. The powder can be rubbed into the surface and then coated with a spray fixative. Due to the fine particles, it is recommended that a mask be worn when handling dry powders and pigments. When mixed with a binder, it will give a lightfast greyish black.
Tinted graphite lets you add colour to your drawings. When used dry, it gives a subtle hint of colour. Adding water turns the tint into a rich, vibrant colour. Tinted graphite pencils and sticks, like those made by Derwent, are watersoluble and offer a wide range of possibilities.
Watersoluble graphite pencils can be dipped in water to create deep, dark marks. To blend edges, you can use a wet brush or your finger to move the graphite. For softer marks, use a wet brush to pick up graphite from the pencil or stick, then apply it to the paper, similar to painting with watercolour.
Carbon pencils are often compared to charcoal, but are made from a different type of carbon. They use Lamp Black pigment, which comes from the soot left after burning oil. Carbon pencils have a smoother and more even consistency than charcoal. This is because the material is purer. Like charcoal, they come in a range of hardness levels, similar to compressed charcoal and charcoal pencils.
More Materials for Drawing and Sketching
Sticks of soft pastel are made from pure pigment blended in a clay binder. They are essentially lightly compressed sticks that deposit strokes of intense colour. They’re the most tactile and immediate way for artists to work with colour, as no brushes or tools are needed. Pastel surfaces allow colour to be built up in layers, letting you control blends and textures.
Soft pastels are usually applied to textured paper or card by hand. They can be blended with fingers, a paper stump, or a colour shaper. A variety of liquids can be applied to soft pastel to aid blending, including water, rubbing alcohol, acetone, and oil painting solvents. Make sure the surface you work on is not resistant to your blending liquid. Always test a small section before you start to work on a piece.
Fixative is applied to finished works. You can also use it to protect layers while you are working. Unlike oil, acrylic, or watercolour, there is no way to pre-mix colours prior to applying them to your work. Instead, changes are made by layering different shades on the work itself.
Hard pastels make crisper marks than soft pastels. They are better for fine lines and details as they do not crumble or smudge as easily. However, they will not blend as easily as soft pastels. You may also find it harder to layer colours to quite the same extent as is achievable with soft pastel.
One of the most famous ranges of hard pastel is the Conté Carré range. Carré in French means ‘square’ – so they are literally square pastels. Conté Carrés are baked with kaolin clay. The sticks measure 2.5 x 0.25 in. They are synonymous with drawing classes, as they are a perfect medium with which to create sharp, bold expressive marks. They are therefore ideal for students wishing to become more confident with their drawing technique. The edges create fine lines and the sides allow you to draw broad strokes of colour.
The Conté Carré range is most famous for its selection of earthy red-brown shades, but they also offer a full colour spectrum in some of their sets. Sets are diverse and range from 4 colour sets to 84 colour sets! The colours are blendable and quite opaque. They also work very well on darker sheets of paper.
Pastel Pencils are used to add detail to soft pastel paintings. They are also a popular medium in their own right. Pastel pencils are watersoluble, so colour can be blended to appear flatter and less chalky than when applied dry.
Pastel Pencils are encased in wood so you do not get dusty fingers. This helps to avoid smudging and marking work accidently. Colours can be blended by layering and using a colour shaper, brush, or your finger.
Pastel pencils at Jackson’s are similar in terms of quality. There are some differences, such as colour range and consistency. For example, Faber-Castell Pitt pencils are thought to be a little harder than the others.
Conté pastel pencils should not be confused with Conté crayons. Conté pastel pencils are great for adding fine lines to a soft pastel painting. They have a slightly harder consistency than normal soft pastels. Conté pastels are not designed to be layered or blended – they are best used as pure individual colour. If colours need to be blended, use a hatching technique. This will avoid any dulling in your colours.
Conté sketching pencils are useful for expressive life drawing and other monotone drawings. They come in the traditional hues of sanguine, sepia, black, and white. They can easily be blended with one another. The sanguine hue is a rich, terracotta colour and is made with a transparent pigment, so marks allow the texture of the paper to show through. Mix the sanguine with their white pencil and you will find a sensitive flesh-like hue. The sepia pencil is a darker pencil akin to burnt umber. It is ideal for rough sketches. The white pencil is perfect for blending and lightening the other colours in the range. It is also great for drawing on dark paper.
Brush pens can vary widely – from their width to the quality of line and colour. Some of these come from Far East Asia, where a tradition of both calligraphy and manga art demands pens that offer intensely black ink and expressive strokes.
Our Brush Pen Guide explores how Eastern and Western pens vary, and which are best suited to your way of working.
The Difference Between Eastern and Western Pens
Kuretake, Pentel, ShinHan, Akashiya, Sakura, and Tombow are all well known Eastern brush pen makers. Winsor & Newton and Faber-Castell are examples of Western brush pen makers. Western pens tend to have a felt nib, while Eastern pen nibs tend to have a nib made of fine synthetic hairs.
Eastern brush pens perform more like a brush than a conventional Western pen. This means that when applying quick vigorous strokes, you can see the individual hairs in the marks as you lift the pen. Additionally, when these pens are used on cold pressed or rough textured paper, the strokes tend to break up and show the dimples of the paper. In contrast, felt pens tend to have more even coverage.
The name you see on a Kuretake pen describes its purpose. For example, fude means 'brush' in Japanese, and fudegokochi means 'a brush that is comfortable to hold'. Bimoji means 'beautiful characters', suggesting it is ideal for calligraphy. Fudenosuke translates to 'brush assistant', meaning it can help you to create beautiful drawings and writing.
Coloured Pencils
There are many advantages to using coloured pencils. They are less toxic to use than many materials and don’t generally present a dust-breathing hazard. You don’t have to wait for them to dry and they are not messy or smelly. They are also easily portable as they take up little space. Using a variety of techniques such as dry, wet, with solvent, burnished, and more, you can find a method that works for you.
Colour pencils are generally divided into three groups. These are based on the core of the pencil: oil/wax, watersoluble, and pastel. They can be used together and combined with other media. Watersoluble pencils can be used dry or only partially wet. Pastel artists might use soft pastels for most of a painting, and then use pastel pencils for areas where they need more control. Artist quality coloured pencils will state the lightfast rating on the pencil or a colour chart.
Watersoluble Pencils
Watercolour pencils can be used on their own and with mixed media. They can be used just like normal coloured pencils, drawn straight on paper without the use of any water. Generally, you would not know the difference between a watercolour pencil and a normal colour pencil. The only difference is that the binder used in a watersoluble pencil can be dissolved in water and is not wax-based. When dry they can be blended with normal pencils.
Watercolour pencils can be drawn on dry and then worked over with a brush that has been dipped in clean water. You will see the colours come alive – the pigment appears a lot more luminous as the grain of the pencil marks is replaced by fluid colour. You can drag your brush away from the marks to achieve more translucent and watery marks. You can also blend blocks of colour together, blurring the solid lines between shapes by dissolving them in water.
For the boldest marks with watercolour pencils, try dipping the pencil straight into water before drawing. The water breaks down the pigment, allowing you to achieve bold, expressive marks. These can then be diluted or stained across the surface by dragging a brush over the top of them.
Remember that watercolour pencil colour is surprisingly permanent and will not dilute in water once it has dried to the paper. This is because the binder will have already been broken down by the water, and there will be nothing left to break down. The amount of re-wetting and lifting that is possible will vary from brand to brand.
Clutch Pencils
Clutch pencils are barrels made of wood or plastic which hold sticks of lead. The diameter of the lead that can be accommodated varies by brand. Clutch pencils are often favoured by those who create technical drawings, as it is easy to sharpen the lead (with the use of a sanding block or a piece of sand or glass paper).
As the lead is used up, you can push the remaining lead further down the barrel with the use of the button at the end of the pencil. It is a good tool for artists who like to work only with the tip of the pencil. With a 2mm or 5mm clutch pencil, you can extend the lead out and use the side, so it is much easier to get broad marks than with a standard pencil. A lead holder can vary from a fine lead with a metal tip for running along a straight edge, to a 2mm thick lead often used for sketching and life drawing, to a thick 5mm lead that can be expressive and is easier for large drawings than a standard, thin pencil.
Clutch pencils have many advantages over wood pencils. The pencil stays the same size as it is used up, and so remains balanced in the hand. They are eco-friendly because they are refillable, and you don’t have to remove wood for them to be usable - they are always ready.
Learn more about clutch pencils in our blog post, 'Why Use a Clutch Pencil?'.
Marker Pens
Marker pens are an easy and fun way to add tone and colour to your drawings. They aren’t as intimidating as traditional media like watercolour or oil. You can use them to experiment with shading and create deep, rich tones that look like paint.
For more information, read our blog post 'Drawing Pens and Papers Compared'.
Dip Pens and Drawing Ink
Modern fountain pens do not have the same characteristics and don’t really prepare you for the experience of drawing with a dip pen. Most dip pens will only draw downward strokes. They will also invariably run dry halfway through a long, smooth stroke. Rembrandt will have used a pen with these limitations every day. Modern dip pens are capable of producing a variety of textures, from long, sinuous lines to scratchy, hasty looking scribbles. Unlike many of the quills or pens of the past, some can even make upward strokes as well as downward.
You can start using a dip pen with a few nibs. Drawing and mapping nibs are good for beginners. You'll also need a pen handle that fits your nibs, ink, and the right paper. Another option is to choose a Joseph Gillott nib and handle set from William Mitchell Calligraphy, available in Drawing and Mapping styles.
Most dip pen nibs come coated in wax to stop them from tarnishing in storage. To draw with them, you will need to submerge them in boiling or just boiled water for half a minute or so, which melts the wax and allows ink to flow freely from the nib onto the page. Your nib should also be washed clean and dried completely after every use to prevent it from rusting.
It’s helpful to have a sheet of paper just for doodling when you first pick up the pen or change nibs. Practice hatching for laying down tints - large areas of uniformly spaced lines which describe the shape of an object. This will give you a sense of how the ink flows from the nib, what colour the ink is, and how the width of the line varies with pressure. Try cross hatching too, drawing quickly to make your strokes more decisive.
Traditional drawing inks are made with shellac. They dry to a water-resistant finish. Sennelier makes a range of traditional lightfast drawing inks that are ideal for dip pens. Winsor & Newton Drawing Inks come in a range of colours, though they do have a major drawback; the only lightfast inks in the range are the Black and Liquid Indian Inks, and the White. All of the colour inks are made with fugitive dyes, which means the colour will fade over time.
Learn more about Dip Pens in our blog post, 'A Guide to Dip Pens and Drawing Ink'.
Bamboo Pens
Bamboo pens are made of dried bamboo sticks. They are hollow so that the pen can be dipped into ink and then dragged across the surface on which you are working. Lines created with bamboo pens are expressive and vibrant.
Bamboo pens need frequent dipping as they do not hold a lot of ink. They are not made to create long unbroken lines, so are best used for short lines where blotchiness and variation in the width of the line do not matter too much.
Bamboo pens are available with a flat nib and a pointed nib. The flat nib can be used to make a wider range of marks, while the pointed nib will produce finer marks. Once the ink starts to run out they are capable of making dry, textured marks.
Metalpoint
The drawing pencils we know today are made of graphite, which became popular towards the end of the 16th century. Before then, drawings were made with a variety of metal sticks. Many of the drawings of the Renaissance period were made with these ‘metal points’.
A metalpoint drawing is made by drawing with a metal tool on a prepared surface. Preparation involves coating a support with a gesso-like ground. You can use gesso panels, or apply a mix of gypsum (calcium carbonate) and rabbit skin glue to any type of paper. Special paper for metalpoint and pre-made grounds are also available.
As you move the metal tip over the textured ground, tiny metal particles are deposited. With silver, the mark starts as a light grey colour and changes to red-brown over time.
An abrasive surface is used to allow the metal to leave a trail of itself. Metalpoint marks are hard to erase but they also do not easily smear. It is best for delicate line drawings made with a sensitive touch and confidence without needing to erase. You can use the end of the metal as a rounded tip, or you can sharpen it on a sharpening stone with sandpaper or metal cutters. A very sharp point will leave indents in the drawing surface.
Traditionally, artists found lead points the easiest to use. Unlike silver point, lead point didn’t require the paper to have a toothy surface. The drawback is that lead is very soft and blunts easily, so the point must be re-shaped often. It was often alloyed with tin to make it harder and reduce the need for constant re-shaping.
Lead Point Stylus
- This stick of solid lead is quite heavy for its size. It comes wrapped in tape.
- It makes the darkest grey line of the metal points because it is the softest metal.
- It will make a mark on any paper.
Lead-tin Point Stylus
- This stick of lead-tin alloy is nearly as heavy as the lead point. It comes wrapped in tape.
- Because the lead is alloyed with tin, it is a bit harder and blunts less quickly.
- It makes a slightly lighter coloured grey line than a lead stylus.
- Will make a mark on any paper.
Silverpoint
- 100% silver rods and wires are held in a clutch holder.
- They are also available in a ‘pencil’ that is a wood body with a silver wire glued in the tip.
- The thin wires fit into a wire holder and 2mm rods fit any of our 2mm clutch lead holders.
- The silver marks of the drawing will tarnish over time and become more brown in colour. This is one of the effects desired by artists. Silver is the hardest metal point and requires a smooth yet somewhat toothy surface. This can be achieved by preparing your surface with gesso or Golden Silverpoint Ground. You can also use toothy pastel paper such as Mi Teintes Touch or Clairefontaine Pastelmat. When testing, the 2mm silver rod was found similar to a 3H pencil hardness.
Gold Point Stylus
- This 9ct gold wire fits a wire holder.
- The gold is softer than silver but still works best on a coated ground.
- The colour is a warm grey to a golden colour, with a golden sheen.
- The gold does not tarnish so the drawing colour will not change.
Silverpoint Ground
Many artists draw on an illustration board coated with silverpoint ground. The thickness of the board means the moisture from applying the ground will not curl the paper.
Learn more about 'The Art of Silverpoint Drawing' on Jackson's Art Blog.
What Mediums Can I Use For Drawing?
Pencil Blend
Pencil Blend is great for blending coloured pencils. It is a solvent that can break down the oil and wax content of pencils, allowing pencil marks to be blended together. This helps to create a smooth, uniform layer of colour. Only a small amount of the medium is needed and it leaves no residue. Use with a brush, tortillon, or paper stump.
What Drawing Tools Can I Use?
Stumps and Tortillions
Stumps and tortillions save your fingers from the pain and mess of rubbing your paper to blend areas. They also offer more control in smaller areas and can press harder. A blending stump is a solid piece of paper pulp and is a bit softer than a tortillion, which is made from a long rolled strip of paper.
Sandpaper Block
A sandpaper block is good for pointing pencils, as well as shaping charcoal and pastels. It is useful for drawing tools that do not fit in a standard pencil sharpener. You can also create different shapes at the end of your pencil or stick, and you can save the ground up colour for powdery uses.
Erasers
Erasers can remove graphite, charcoal, and coloured pencil marks. An eraser is just as useful as a pencil for creating shapes; it can help to define the negative spaces in a composition.
Putty erasers are soft and can be shaped to erase small areas. You are less likely to damage paper with a soft eraser. Plastic erasers are firmer and cannot be moulded into different shapes. They are less likely to smudge marks than a putty eraser when used lightly. We also offer electric erasers that help you remove drawing marks with ease.
Read 'Choosing A Rubber: Comparing Erasers' on Jackson's Art Blog to learn more.
Blenders, Burnishers, and Colour Shapers
These tools are great for artists using coloured pencil, pastel pencil, and even charcoal and pastels. These tools tend to be used once colour has been applied to the drawing surface. Blenders will blend colours together, and paper stumps and tortillions can also do this to an extent. Derwent and Caran d'Ache make blender pencils, which are wax pencils without colour. These are used over the top of layers of colour to mix and smooth them. There are also blender pens, which use solvent.
Colour shapers can blend and burnish by pushing the pigment deeper into the paper. This fills the gaps between pigment particles, which makes the colours seem more saturated and brilliant.
Chamois leather is another useful blending tool. It can also be used to lift colour when more pressure is applied.
Colour shapers, tortillions, paper stumps, and blenders all work on the same principle. These are tools that will move colour around, push it further into the surface, and allow you to blend colours. With these tools you can create smooth effects and subtle blends.
All of these tools can be dipped in water to aid blending. You can also use Soft Pastel Liquefier. This is an alcohol-based medium that allows you to create watercolour effects with soft pastel when lightly sprayed over marks.
Sharpeners
A sharp point to a pencil is vital for crisp, fresh vibrant lines and marks. You can decide between a simple sharpener, one that collects the sharpenings, or one that is battery operated. Or, you might choose to buy a craft knife or sandpaper block instead.
Find out more in our 'Guide to Manual and Electric Sharpeners' on Jackson's Art Blog.
Pencil Cases
There are a number of options for how you might choose to store your pencils. A pencil wrap allows you to carry lots of pencils with no real extra weight added. They roll to a compact and practical cylinder. Pencil tins and various sizes of zip up pencil cases are available.
Other Drawing Accessories
Telescopic Tubes
Ideal for taking large life drawings home from class.
Pencil Extenders and Grippers
Hold your pencils even when they are sharpened or worn. Allows you to fully use all of your drawing tools.
Drawing Boards
Provide a hard, smooth surface that can be easily moved around.
Clips, Clamps, and Pins
Tools to hold your paper securely on a drawing board.
What Are The Best Papers to Use For Drawing?
Cartridge paper is a type of heavy paper used for drawing and illustration. It comes in a variety of smooth textures. It is available in loose sheets, pads (glued or spiral), hard and softbound sketchbooks, and rolls.
Cartridge paper is so called because it was used for making paper cartridges for firearms. Today, artists use it for drawing, printmaking, and much more. Cartridge paper is made for dry media such as graphite and charcoal. However, heavier sheets (200gsm and above) will take some wet media with minimal buckling.
Cartridge paper is available in a variety of weights and shades of white. Quality cartridge paper will have a slight texture to it. This is known as grain or 'tooth' and provides the resistance needed to hold marks in place. It also lets you to achieve a wider range of tones with graphite or charcoal. Cartridge paper is most commonly made of woodfree cellulose.
Bristol board is a strong and durable drawing surface. It is available with either a completely smooth or vellum surface. The smooth surface is suited to ink pens; the lack of texture is kinder to delicate nibs, whether they’re made of metal or felt. The vellum surface has a slight tooth that is great for dry media such as graphite and charcoal.
Marker pad paper is an acid-free wood pulp paper. Some papers are as light as 70gsm (sometimes called layout paper), while others are heavier, around 220gsm. Marker pen papers serve two main functions. They are used as a drafting paper for quick sketches, or for more laboured, layered work. The ultra smooth, satin sheen surface accentuates crisp edges and vibrant marks without bleeding or feathering. It is usually bright white in colour.
Layout paper is thinner than marker pad paper, at only 45-50gsm. It is semi-transparent and designed to reduce bleed-through. This is the white, lightweight paper that is often used in illustration and design work.
Tracing paper is made from wood-free cellulose. The cellulose is pulped many times until the fibres become short and tightly packed. This process removes light reflections, making the paper clear. Because the fibres are short, tracing paper is brittle. It works best with dry media or quick-drying wet media like ink.
Pastel papers are textured so that they can hold layers of pigment. They are also ideal for charcoal drawing. The wide variety of textures cater for every kind of approach to the medium. They are either coated or have an imprint of texture. The paper you choose to work on will greatly affect the marks you are able to make and the final look of your work. Pastel paper tends to be available in a wider range of colours than other papers, as the paper is often visible between the marks.
Ingres paper is named after Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867). It has a faint grid texture (‘laid’, the lengthwise, closer lines, and ‘chain’, the less frequent lines running across its width) due to the impression taken from the screen of the mould. It is usually lighter in weight than other pastel paper and has a more subtle tooth. Ingres paper will only hold a few thin layers of colour so is suited to work with a light touch. It will take light applications of wet media such as blending liquid or watercolour. The texture of the paper will show through your marks as either faint lines or dots.
Watercolour paper is great for combining drawing with washes of colour. However, the sizing that prevents the paper from absorbing too much liquid can cause the felt tips of marker pens to wear out quickly. Also, texture on the paper can make it hard to draw thin, precise lines with technical pens.
Watercolour paper is made from cotton, acid-free wood pulp, linen, or a mix. Linen and cotton papers are stronger, so you can scrub and scratch without damaging the surface. In contrast, acid-free wood pulp papers are less durable.
Watercolour board is essentially watercolour paper attached to a stiff, lightweight board. It won’t buckle or warp when you use a lot of paint or water.
Watercolour papers and boards come in three textures:
Hot Press: Very smooth surface.
NOT / Cold: Slightly textured.
Rough: Heavily textured.
Drawing Pads with Texture and Character
Textured pads are great for fine artists. The texture or tooth of the paper will influence how the artwork looks. Artists like these surfaces because they inspire chance and experimentation.
Khadi Paperback Pads
These pads are made with Khadi handmade paper. This is a 100% cotton rag paper which is absorbent and textured. Recommended for those who create bold drawings. Also for those who enjoy working with materials that possess qualities that play a prominent role in the overall look of your work.
Hahnemuehle Sumi-e Japanese Ink Paper Pads
This paper is unique to Far Eastern painting traditions. It is very absorbent and semi-transparent. It feels very soft as a result of the lack of sizing. Its surface is dappled with undulations in the opacity of the paper, which makes it very pleasing to the eye. It is best suited to freestyle ink and watercolour. 80gsm, available in 30 x 40cm and 24 x 32cm.
Sumi-e is the name of the traditional Japanese style of freestyle ink painting. It is highly impressionistic with few marks used to describe the subject. It derives from Chinese calligraphy, which dates back as far as the 5th century BC.
Coloured Paper
Clairefontaine Maya Coloured Papers are a popular type of drawing paper in a range of brilliant, matt colours. The pads can be used for drawing and for other applications such as collage or paper sculpture. Canford is also available in a pad of black paper, which is best used with light coloured drawing media.
In addition to bright colours, drawing paper is also available in more muted shades. These are called toned papers. Toned papers are often used with light and dark coloured drawing media, leaving the colour of the paper visible as the mid tone.
Drawing Pads as a Visual Journal
The most common use for a drawing pad is to record ideas, preparatory sketches, and quick observational drawings. These may develop into ideas for other works of art. A good sketchbook for such use is likely to have paper with a bit of weight (100gsm or more). Drawing pads that are intended to be taken to classes or to the studio will ideally have a hard cover to help protect the work within. They may also have a spiral binding to help the book stay open when working.
Paper for Dip Pens
The ideal paper for dip pens will be a quality cartridge paper or Bristol board with a smooth or vellum finish. This is because dip pens, especially the smaller nibs, will scratch the surface of rough, textured, or low quality papers. This can tear the fibres, and these sodden fibres can then lodge in the nib, either blocking the flow of ink or causing droplets to splatter over your work.
Strathmore 300 Series Smooth Bristol pads provide a great surface for pen and ink work, as will the slightly higher quality 400 Series. All purpose cartridge paper is fine for sketching and testing your pen.
Drawing Pads for the Environmentally Conscious
Fabriano Eco Pads are made of 100% recycled cellulose paper. They are acid-free, but not 100% cotton. They are made in Italy with Hydro or water power, i.e. the energy derived from falling water. The manufacture of these pads saves 15 trees for every tonne of paper produced. Eco paper pads are available in 120gsm or 200gsm, and each weight paper is available in both A4 and A3.
Can I Prepare My Drawing Surface With a Ground?
Acrylic Ground for Dry Materials
Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels is used to prepare surfaces for the application of pastel. It can also be used for dry media where a coarse tooth is desired. It contains finely ground sand (silica) in a pure acrylic emulsion. It can be applied to paper, canvas, wood, or any primed support. This allows you to use dry media in ways that are not usually possible.
Acrylic Ground for Silverpoint
Golden Silverpoint/Drawing Ground is used to prepare supports for drawing media. The ground is made for creating fine, detailed lines. It is permanent, lightfast, and flexible. It is ideal for use with metal styli or other drawing tools.
How Can I Protect My Work With Fixative?
Fixative is a clear liquid similar to varnish. It is sprayed onto a dry media artwork to 'fix' the pigment or graphite on the surface. It also protects finished artwork from dust. Work can be fixed throughout various levels of completion. Most fixatives are available in an aerosol spray.
The work should be placed on a flat surface and excess dust removed. Spray the fixative using an even amount of pressure and at the same distance over the whole work. Fixatives are sometimes available in bottles without aerosol. When this is the case, the fixative can be applied using a mouth operated spray diffuser or a pump spray bottle.
Fixatives are known to sometimes darken colours. Those who wish to protect their work without fixatives are advised to keep their work in a sketchbook between layers of glassine paper. It can also be displayed behind glass.
What Is The Best Way to Protect Finished Work?
There are three main ways to protect drawings:
Fixative – For Protecting Work While In Progress
Fixative is sprayed onto a drawing to stabilise the media. It holds it in place and protects the surface from dust. A variety of coatings, such as resins and casein (milk protein), are used in spray fixatives. They are usually dissolved in a solvent, often alcohol. They can have a strong odour so should be used in a well-ventilated space.
Spectrafix Degas Fixative is an exception. It is water-based and comes in a pump bottle without any propellant. This means it is odourless. Many artists choose it for their coloured pencil work.
For a comprehensive look at fixatives, read 'Fixatives Are Not All The Same' on Jackson's Art Blog.
Fixatives can make colours appear darker. They help secure marks while you work on your drawing and provide a final protective layer.
Glassine – for protecting work in storage
Glassine is a glossy greaseproof paper that protects artworks from smudging. It is used to interleave sheets in some pastel paper pads, such as those made by Sennelier. Loose sheets of glassine can be purchased in packs or as single sheets. They are useful to keep in supply, for interleaving between stored works, or for wrapping works on paper prior to posting them.
Glass – for protecting and presenting finished works
Arguably the most secure way to protect a drawing is by framing it behind glass. However, this is also likely to be the most space consuming. As with all work on paper, it is best to have a gap between the work and the glass, to allow any humidity to circulate away from the work. This also prevents any shifts in the position of the glass smudging the work. A window mount offers a good solution to this, or the use of spacers in your frame.
Glossary
A
Abrasive Paper
Textured paper used to sharpen and shape drawing tools like charcoal and pastels.
Automatic Pencil
A mechanical pencil. They have a push-button mechanism to extend the lead.
B
Blending
The technique of smoothing and merging colours or tones for a soft transition.
Bristol Board
A thick, smooth drawing surface. Ideal for detailed pen, ink, and graphite work.
Burnishing
A technique of layering and polishing coloured pencil. Creates a smooth, shiny surface.
C
Cartridge Paper
A versatile, medium-weight drawing paper. Suitable for all dry media. It has a slight texture.
Charcoal
A carbon-based drawing material. Known for its deep black tones and expressive mark-making.
Clutch Pencil
A mechanical pencil. Holds a replaceable lead. Allows for continuous use without sharpening.
Conté Crayon
A hard pastel stick made from pigment, clay, and a binder. Used for rich, bold drawings.
Cross-Hatching
A shading technique. The use of intersecting lines creates depth and texture.
D
Dip Pen
A pen with a removable nib that must be dipped into ink before drawing or writing.
Drawing Board
A rigid surface that supports your paper while drawing.
Drawing Ink
A highly fluid ink. Used for illustration, calligraphy, and painting. Can be pigment or dye-based.
Dry Brush
A technique where a brush with little ink or paint creates textured, scratchy marks.
Dusting Brush
A soft-bristled brush. Used to clean excess eraser shavings and graphite dust from a drawing surface.
E
Eraser
A tool used to remove marks. Available in different types such as putty, plastic, and kneaded.
Extender
A tool used to hold short pencils, making them easier to grip and use.
F
Fixative
A spray used to secure charcoal, pastel, or graphite to prevent smudging.
Frottage
A technique where paper is placed over a textured surface and rubbed with drawing material to transfer the texture.
G
Glassine
A smooth, translucent paper used to protect drawings from smudging and dust. Commonly placed between sketchbook pages or used to wrap artwork for storage and transport.
Graphite
A smooth, grey drawing material. It is most commonly made into pencils and sticks. Available in different hardness levels.
Grid Method
A technique for enlarging or transferring images. The reference and drawing surface is divided into equal squares.
Ground
A prepared surface that is applied to paper or board. Improves the adhesion of drawing materials.
H
Hatching
A shading technique. Closely spaced parallel lines are used to create depth.
I
Ink
A liquid drawing and writing medium. Can be applied with a pen, brush, or dip pen.
K
Kneaded Eraser
A soft, mouldable eraser that lifts graphite and charcoal without leaving residue.
L
Layout Paper
A thin, translucent paper. Used for initial sketches and tracing.
Lightfastness
The resistance of a material to fading when exposed to light.
Line Weight
The variation in thickness of a drawn line. Used to create depth and emphasis.
M
Marker Pen
A pen with a felt or brush tip. Dispenses ink smoothly for bold, even marks.
Mechanical Pencil
A refillable pencil that uses a fine lead. Ideal for precise drawing and technical work.
Metalpoint
A historical drawing technique. The artist uses a metal stylus on a specially prepared surface.
N
Nib
The tip of a pen. Available in various shapes and sizes for different line qualities.
O
Opacity
The degree to which a medium covers a surface. Opaque materials block underlying layers, while transparent ones are like seeing through a window. This allows for subtle layering of colours.
P
Paper Stump
A tightly rolled paper tool. Used for blending graphite, charcoal, and pastel.
Pastel
A soft drawing material. Made from pigment and a binder. Available in soft, hard, or oil-based varieties.
Pencil Blend
A solvent used to blend and smooth coloured pencil marks.
Pigment
The coloured particles in materials. They are what determine hue, strength, and permanence.
Q
Quill Pen
A traditional pen made from a bird’s feather. Used historically for ink drawing and writing.
R
Rendering
The process of creating realistic drawings with shading, texture, and detail.
Resist Technique
A drawing method where a substance repels ink or paint. This creates contrasting areas.
S
Scumbling
A dry, light application of material over a darker layer. Creates soft transitions.
Sgraffito
A technique where layers of material are scratched away to reveal the surface beneath.
Sketchbook
A bound book of drawing paper used for studies, sketches, and ideas.
Smudging
The act of softening marks using a finger, tissue, or blending tool for a blurred effect.
Soft Pastel
A stick of pastel colour and binder. Creates smooth, blendable marks.
Stippling
A shading technique using small dots to create tone and texture.
T
Toned Paper
Paper that is pre-coloured to provide a mid-tone background for drawings.
Tracing Paper
A thin, semi-transparent type of paper. Used for copying images and overlaying sketches.
U
Underpainting
An initial layer of drawing or paint. Used to establish composition and values.
V
Varnish
A protective coating applied to finished drawings. Helps to prevent fading and smudging.
W
Wash
A diluted layer of ink or paint applied for a transparent effect.
Watersoluble Pencil
A coloured pencil that dissolves in water, creating a soft, washy effect. Often used in combination with watercolour paint.
Woodless Pencil
A pencil made of graphite without a wooden casing. This allows for thick and expressive marks.