Beginner's Pack — Traditional Drawing: My Complete Selection

It's a question that comes up often, especially during the holiday season or back-to-school period: what should someone buy to start traditional drawing? Here is my selection, organized by technique, with what is essential and what can wait.

Keep in mind that there's no one-size-fits-all list—it all depends on the budget, skill level, what you already have at home, and most importantly, what the person wants to do. This guide provides a solid foundation that you can personalize.

Sketches and pencil drawings

That's the basic principle. Above all other media, the pencil remains the most versatile and educational tool.

• A spiral notebook, A5 or A4 size, 80g paper — perfect for sketching anywhere, in a bag or tote bag

• A range of pencils: 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B — each depth has its purpose

• A kneaded eraser — soft, it erases without damaging the paper

• An eraser holder — more precise for small details

• A blending pencil — for blending values

• A crimp pencil (black, red, blue)

As a bonus, if the budget allows: charcoal, sanguine, black stone.

Pen, ink and markers

• A rule

• Ink pens with multiple nib sizes (Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment or Staedtler Pigment Liner) — choose waterproof ones if you plan to use them with watercolors

• A white pen (Posca or Uniball Signo) for the lights

• Dual-tip markers (fine/broad) for quick coloring: Copic, Graph'it, Brushmarker, or Touch, depending on your budget.

As a bonus: a pen holder with several nibs if you want to explore inking with India ink.

Watercolor, gouache, acrylic

• A sketchbook or textured paper, 300g minimum — this is crucial for wet media

• Brushes of various sizes: background, medium, details (Raphael brushes are a safe bet, as are Princeton Neptune brushes)

• A ceramic bowl or palette — much easier to clean than plastic

• A rag

• A watercolor palette — portable if you like to paint outdoors

• Black India ink

Bonus items include: colored or gold inks, water reservoir pens, drawing gum, and masking tape.

Storage and comfort equipment

• A carrying case or storage pouch (makeup cases are very practical and less expensive than specific artist cases)

• A lift-up drawing table — a real comfort for posture

• An A4 light board — very useful for tracing or cleaning up a sketch

• A good adjustable lamp

• A wooden anatomical mannequin (or the Handy app on iOS, which works very well)

Books to help you progress

Some resources I regularly recommend:

• The Morpho collection by Michel Lauricella — essential for anatomy, several volumes depending on the body parts

• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Workbook) by Betty Edwards — a highly educational approach to unlocking the eye

• Figure Drawing by Andrew Loomis — a classic reference for character drawing

• Drawing shadows and light by Mark Bergin — practical and accessible

Where to begin?

If you don't have the budget to buy everything at once, here's the order I recommend:

• A notebook + a set of pencils: the absolute essentials

• One or two reference books to structure the practice

• Ink pens if the desire for a clean line arises

• Watercolor or gouache should only be used once the fundamental drawing skills have been established.