Besides drawing pencils and paper, these
technical drawing tools will complete your list of drawing supplies.
Some of them are necessities, while others are optional and a matter of personal preference.
F R E E D O W N L O A D At the end of this article, download a free Essential Drawing Tools Checklist.
Essential Technical Drawing Tools
Drawing Board
Invest in a solid, sturdy, inflexible surface to draw on. My favorite
drawing boards are made by a brand called Helix. They are very
lightweight, approximately 5/8", and can be found at your local art
store.
Artist Tape
To attach drawing paper to your drawing board, you can use clips or artist tape.
Artist tape is acid-free so that it does not eat through your paper or leave a sticky residue (unlike regular tape).
Drawing Clips
Many consider drawing clips to be the better choice for adhering drawing
paper. They are easier to remove than artist tape, which can definitely
be nerve-racking to remove from your drawing.
Kneaded Erasers
Kneaded erasers are incredibly useful drawing tools that can be molded
into any shape to perform many different functions. Whether you need to
erase a single dot or lighten a large area, kneaded erasers are your
go-to guys.
Single-Edge Razor Blades
The traditional way to sharpen a pencil does not include using the
common pencil sharpener. Instead, we use single-edge razor blades to
create much more efficient and effective drawing pencils.
Sandpaddle Sharpener
This is another pencil sharpening tool. Once you have removed the wood
encasing of a pencil with your razor blade, a sandpaddle sharpener can be used to complete the sharpening process by sharpening the actual lead of the pencil.
Useful and recommended, but optional drawing tools:
Pencil Extender
When your pencil has been sharpened down to a little stub and is no
longer comfortable to hold or draw with, place it in a pencil extender
to extend its life and continue drawing!
Tuff Stuff Eraser Stick
This white eraser is perfect for those times that you were a little too
heavy handed, and your kneaded eraser just isn't lifting off some of the
dark lines that you would like to re-draw.
Blending Tools
Bristle Brush
Of all the blending tools made for drawing, the one I use consistently
is a soft, inexpensive bristle brush. It's very useful for evening out
values, especially when used in conjunction with vine or willow
charcoal, as I do in the sphere drawing tutorial.
B O N U S: Download a free Essential Drawing Tools Checklist (and get access to the Members-Only Drawing Resource Library)!
