Supplies list
You can find printable PDF handouts of this page here: color | black & white | text only
PAPER
8.5″ x 11″ office paper for sketching, thumbnails, taking notes
14″ x 17″ pad of bristol board – regular (vellum) or plate (smooth) surface for final artwork. Try Strathmore or Canson brand.
Heavyweight tracing paper (also called vellum)
PENCILS
An assortment of graphite pencils — you’ll mainly want HB but a few softer (say 2B and 6B) and harder (4H or 6H) pencils will come in handy.
A mechanical pencil in .5 mm or .7 mm size
Erasers: Kneaded and white plastic
![Plastic and Kneaded Erasers](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/erasers.gif)
INKING TOOLS
India ink: Koh-I-Noor Universal 3080-4, Windsor-Newton (Waterproof India ink), Dr. Ph. Martin’s Black Star (Hi-Carb), or other brand of waterproof India ink (if you get the Koh-I-Noor, you will need an ink jar with a tight seal as well). Higgins brand inks are pretty watery; use them for nib pens only.
Nib Pens: a few pen nibs and holders. Here are some starter sets:
Brushes: Round watercolor, size 2-4, acrylic for starters, or up to Kolinsky sable. Raphael makes a lovely sable brush; it has an orange tip. If you shell out for sable, definitely get the brush basin (see below)
![Brush](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/brush.gif)
“Graphic white”: white ink for correction, Deleter #2 brand recommended.
Small/stubby round brush to apply white with
Brush soap
![Brush Soap](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/brushsoap.gif)
Brush basin: Highly recommended. The best kind is the square one from Plaid Industries or Masters, not the round one or other brands.
![Brush Basin](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/brushbasin.gif)
DRAFTING TOOLS
Clear plastic grid-style ruler, 18-inch
T-square, 18-inch
Ames lettering guide – available in the drafting section of art stores
![Ames Lettering Guide](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ames.gif)
Proportion wheel – available in the drafting section of art stores
![Proportional Scale](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/proportionalscale.gif)
Drafting tape
![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=draworwripic-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000GAVJP4&camp=217145&creative=399369)
OPTIONAL
Ink palette
Technical pens: Make sure they have archival, pigmented ink, not “permanent”
![Technical Pens](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/technicalpens.gif)
Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils: Various colors, particularly “light blue”. (Avoid non-erasable colored pencils.)
![Col-Erase Pencil](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/col-erase.gif)
Circle and ellipse templates
Compass with ruling pen attachment
![Compass](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/compass.gif)
30-60-90 triangle
![Triangle](http://dwwp.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Triangle.gif)
other drawing implements
A calendar with a week- or a day-at-a-time pages.
A manila envelope or portfolio for all your work.