Recently, an Instagram friend asked me for some advice -- he wants to begin drawing more seriously and needed both artistic help, and some suggestions about supplies. It occurred to me that some of the readers here might also enjoy a really basic discussion of how to get started. So I thought I'd write a few posts, expanding on what of what I told my friend.
Two things hold people back who think they might want to draw or paint. The first is fear of failure, which often prevents them from beginning in the first place (or starting again in later life). I'll talk about that in a subsequent post.
The second obstacle is inferior art materials. Beginners often think they don't "deserve" to use artist-grade materials and tools, but unfortunately the result of using student-grade supplies, or those intended for children, is that your work will suffer and look far worse. Inferior tools behave unpredictably, pigments aren't ground evenly or are made of cheap imitation chemicals; cheap paper can be too absorbent or too slick, preventing you from getting the kind of results you've seen in other people's work, through no fault of your own -- except that the beginner doesn't know this. How frustrating and discouraging!
Investing in good materials will actually help you. You don't have to buy top-of-the-line paper and paint and brushes, but you do need to get decent ones. Then you have to actually use them -- even use them up! Fill up that sketchbook with drawings. Use more paint. Splash it around, have fun! Invest in good brushes and pens and learn how to take excellent care of them - they will last many years if you do.
It is almost impossible to make real progress in art if you have inferior tools, so buy the best you can, and try to use them freely. (I say this as someone who has a huge hoard of good paper, collected over a lifetime -- yes, I'm trying to use it up!) But my mother, who was an artist herself, always saw to it that I had good materials, even as a child. She let me use her sable watercolor brushes after I learned how to wash them and store them properly, and she bought me high-quality paper. This made a huge difference when I was learning to paint. So here are some suggestions about the first essential: paper.
Spiral-bound, hard-bound, and soft-cover sketchbooks.
My friend wrote that he was using his child's watercolor set, and a notebook which "might not be right for watercolor." I often see people sketching in little pocket Rhodia pads or other small notebooks. They're OK for a quick felt pen or pencil sketch, but first of all they're too small, and secondly, the paper is simply too smooth. When you try to use watercolor on paper that's too smooth and too light, it buckles, and the pigment runs. If you use it on paper that's too absorbent and fibrous, the pigment sinks in too fast and loses its brilliance; subsequent colors sink into each other and the result is muddy rather than bright and sparkling. Fine watercolor papers are available in pads or blocks from top manufacturers such as Arches and Fabriano; those papers will allow soaking without buckling, and endure a lot of repeated applications of color, as well as scraping and other surface abuse. However, you don't need a dedicated watercolor paper at all for sketching with pen and light watercolor washes.
On the left: Fabriano "Misto" - a very smooth, thin paper with dots. Ink lines are sharp, and so are the edges of brush washes. The color stays bright, but the paper buckles. There is almost no absorbency or opacity, but for a smooth paper, it's a nice surface. On the right, Stillman & Birn's "Gamma" - a good cross between a high-quality drawing paper for various dry media, and a watercolor-friendly surface that's absorbent and toothy enough to accept light ink or watercolor washes without buckling, while still retaining the character of the brush strokes.
After a lot of trial and error, I've standardized on Stillman & Birn's sketchbooks. The Gamma series (what I use) has ivory paper; the Alpha series is the same paper, but in bright white. They come hard-bound (like a regular hardcover book) or spiral bound, which lies completely flat; you can also get a soft cover version in some sizes, and the company has recently released a new line with toned papers - grey, beige, and black. Many people also like Moleskine art notebooks. These papers are excellent for pen and for light washes, where you're not going to get it soaking wet. What you want is paper that's not too rough, so your pen can make a clean line, but also not too smooth so it has some absorbency and what's called "tooth" - the ability to accept an ink or pencil line with a bit of drag or resistance, and a bit of texture so that the pigment catches in the little invisible irregularities on the surface. Many watercolor papers are too rough for a good pen line, so if you want to sketch in ink first, and then add some watercolor wash, you want a paper that is not totally smooth, and is designated for "light washes."
A page with heavy ink lines and quite a lot of watercolor - you want your paper to hold up this well.
What size? Your ideal sketchbook will be small enough to carry with you, but not so small as to constrain you. You don't want to draw with cramped fingers and little tiny lines. My standard S&B sketchbooks are spiral-bound hardbacks, 8.5" x 5.5". In my studio I also keep a larger one, 9" x 12". I also use small Global Art Hand Book journals when I have to go smaller and lighter for travelling - these have very nice fabric-covered covers, with an elastic band and a plastic pocket in the back. I like their small square (5.5 x 5.5") and the horizontal landscape format; you might also try the Moleskine art notebook line. I prefer a spiral notebook (because it lies flat, I can work horizontally or vertically, and sheets can be removed) and am particular about the paper, but many people love the Moleskine journals and there are many different formats to choose from. Personally, I think the pocket notebooks in a 3.5" x 5" page size are just too small to allow for free hand movement; they tend to make me work too tightly. On the other hand, if I don't have a sketchbook with me because it was too big to fit in my pocket or bag that day, I often regret it!
The S&B spiral-bound sketchbooks have become my "regular" choice because they are easier to work in and simply nicer than the less-expensive Strathmore or Canson pads found in most art supply stores. There is an undeniable psychological and emotional element to artist supplies. I have used many, many types of journals and sketchbooks, with good paper inside, but have failed to "bond" with them and therefore didn't use them consistently or happily. The S&B sketchbooks suit me, but once I bought one that was hard-bound instead of spiral, and with white paper instead of cream, and I absolutely hated it. The drawings I did weren't as good, I didn't enjoy working in it, and I eventually abandoned it in disgust. The paper was identical! So there's just something extremely personal about the paper we work on, as well as the format and style of sketchbook we use. The paper needs to be good, with the right quality and attributes for the type of work you intend to do (wet, dry, light wash or whatever), but beyond that, it is up to you.
Note: I don't receive, and will never accept, compensation for endorsing any manufacturer's products; these recommendations are completely without strings, or benefit to me!
