My Favorite Drawing Materials

When asked who I am as a person, one of my initial responses is an artist. I have been an artist my entire life and my love for creating and experimenting with materials has continued to grow the older I get. Just like every other artist out there, I have my go-to favorite materials that I prefer to use when I am drawing. But, being an artist doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to being just one kind of material or only using one brand of supplies. I have used countless materials and supplies over the years and some were just random things I found on the ground such as leaves and sticks.

The point of being an artist is to be creative and expressive and that includes using whatever your imagination wants you to use. In some cases, you do indeed get what you pay for in terms of quality, but as you’ll see below, in some cases, cheaper versions work just as well. It all depends on 2 things, your budget and what you’re looking for in a material. For example, if you are wanting pens that offer multiple size tip options but the same shade of ink, Micron or Faber Castelle ink pens may be the way to go for you. Below I have laid out some of my personal favorites of materials that I use on a daily basis and then also some other suggestions of items that are similar within a different price range.  

**Please keep in mind that these are my own personal opinions and not anything endorsed or paid for by any of the companies mentioned below.**

1. Acrylic Markers

POSCA Markers – link to buy

1. • PROS
     • Good quality – Very opaque without having to do multiple layers
     • Long lasting – (depending on amount of usage) but I have had mine for just under a year and they are all still going strong and I draw pretty much every day.
     • Multiple Tip options – Is offered in sizes from Extra-Fine to brush
   • CONS
     • Expensive – These pens are great if they are within your budget. However, it wasn’t until recently that I have been financially stable enough to afford these but, there are plenty of budget friendly options that I use too.
     • Mainly offered in “packs” instead of individual colors – More often than not, these pens are offered in stores in color packs and not individually. (In stores like Blick and Joann and online, you can buy individual)

Grabie Markers – Link to Buy

1. • PROS
     • Less expensive than POSCA – If you are on a budget and POSCA is out of it for you, I suggest Grabies!
     • Long Lasting – Maybe not as long as POSCAS but they are cheaper so you can always replace them if need be.
     • They have multiple tip options – just not as many as POSCA
   • CONS
     • Only offered in packs – If you use one color more than others and it runs out, you will need to buy a pack to replace it which can cause duplicates in other colors.
     • Occassionally, some colors may lack pigmentation and not be as opaque as POSCAs. You may have to do more than one layer.

2. Ink Pens

Micron Pens – link to buy

1. • PROS
     • Long Lasting – I have had the same Mircons for just about a year now. The only ones I have had to replace are the finer tip ones (003 and 005) due to the tips issues but that usually doesn’t happen.
     • Multiple Tip Options
     • Offered at many stores
   • CONS
     • Ink dries slower than other brands so it is more likely to be smudged if you are not patient.
     • Some pens may lack pigmentation and occasionally the super fine tips are extremely sensitive so you can’t press down too hard or you will ruin the tip.

Faber-Castell Pens – Link to Buy

1. • PROS
     • Offered in multiple tip sizes and colors.
     • Can be bought individually by size (only offered in certain colors)
     • Available to be bought in many retail stores
     • Budget friendly
     • Fast drying ink
   • CONS
     • There sometimes has been an issue of pens being dried out right out of the package.
     • Not super durable
     • Don’t last as long as microns
     • Ink may not be opaque

3. Gel Pens

Gelly Roll – link to buy

1. • PROS
     • Long Lasting – I have had the same pens for a long time and they are still going strong.
     • Thick and opaque making it easy to use and hardly ever requires a second coat dependong on the project.
     • Offered in alot of different colors and types
   • CONS
     • Ink dries slower than other brands so it is more likely to be smudged if you are not patient.
     • More expensive than other gel pens but still somewhat budget friendly.

Master’s Touch – Link to Buy

1. • PROS
     • Good beginner Pen – easily navigated
     • Budget friendly
     • Fast drying ink
     • Decent amount of color options
   • CONS
     • Not available at many stores – Mainly just Hobby Lobby
     • Don’t last as long as Gelly Roll
     • Ink may not be opaque and require a second layer depending on the project.

4. Paper

All in all, the type of paper depends on the style and medium you are using/going for. When it comes to my personal preference, I almost always choose Smooth Bristol, but there are MANY different options of paper out there.  Learn more about the differences between Bristol paper types here.

*EXTRA TIP* – I buy my paper from Hobby Lobby whenever they have their 40% off Master’s Touch sale to save money.

Bristol – link to buy

1. • SMOOTH
     • Smooth surfaces are great for pen & ink, mechanical pencil, airbrush, and markers. There is little to no tooth, making these surfaces great for creating fine lines, detail drawings, or marker drawings. Vellum surfaces are great for graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, pastel, and crayon.
   • TEXTURED
     • This paper is great for graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, pastel, and crayons. It’s also known as regular, medium, or kid finish. Vellum paper has a tooth or roughness that grabs dry media.