Suggested Drawing Supplies And Tool Tips

The links in the tool lists take you to the Dick Blick art store.

Tool List 1 (The basic tools)

Pencils from 6b to 9h
Pencil sharpener
Kneaded eraser
Plastic eraser (the long pencil type that come in a holder)
Some ground graphite (or make your own from a soft lead using an emery board)
An emery board (useful for putting a points on pencils or making your own ground graphite)
A fine tipped paper stump
A No. 2 Flat shader (a very small brush with an angled flat shaped tip)

Tool List 2 (Extra tools that would be useful)

A "Colour Shaper©" Pointed "hard" (lots of uses: as a stump, as a fill tool, as a smoother, etc.)
An electric Eraser (a small battery powered one works great and you can sharpen the point on your emery board to do fine details with)
A larger Flat Shader Brush (for blending in larger areas)

Tool Tips

Erasers

Use a stick eraser as a drawing tool. You can sharpen it and use it to erase detail highlights, dip it in ground graphite and use it to draw smooth dark lines, and use it as a stump to help blend areas.

Use a kneaded eraser to lighten areas that are too dark. Remember that values usually need lots of adjusting.

Paper

Be careful with your paper. You can gouge it with sharp leads and damage it by erasing too hard. Be aware of the treatment the paper can and cannot take.

Paper is always a compromise. If you want a super smooth surface for fine details, then you'll have trouble with dark values because the grain of the paper is too smooth. If you want a lot of dark detail and use a rough surfaced paper, then you will have to sacrifice fine detail. Thoughtfully choose the right paper texture for your artwork.

Stumps / Paper Blenders

Use them to smooth out rough areas, to draw detail, to create texture, to feather graphite, and to soften edges. Try all sorts of "stumps" - paper, rubber, stiff brushes ... use your imagination.