Strathmore 300s medium surface drawing pad

I normally use the Winsor and Newton Cartridge sketchpad for my practice drawings and also used to use it for commissions or finished works. It has a 110gsm weight and a smooth surface with 25 sheets. That however is quite scarce and expensive, I recommend the Strathmore 300s drawing pad with 114gsm and 50 sheets for both beginners and intermediate artists as that's much more economical.

Strathmore Bristol Vellum 300s rolled paper

I currently(as of August 2021) use the Strathmore Bristol 300series paper in my commissioned portrait drawings. The Vellum paper has rough or toothed surface texture and is good for drawings with skin texture especially when using charcoal pencils for dark values. This is the rolled paper. It is one lengthy paper that can be cut into any desired size. I recommend this for intermediate artists. You don't want to waste paper if you're a beginner.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth 300s rolled paper

Here's the smooth surface paper of the Strathmore Bristol 300series I just mentioned above. Smooth surface papers are best for use with graphite pencils and in drawings with no rough texture; like a baby's skin for example.

Strathmore Bristol Smooth 300s A4 paper

Here's an A4 sized Strathmore Bristol 300series smooth paper. In case you're looking to cut costs. You can buy the A4 size with 20 sheets. I recommend this for intermediate artists mostly.

Strathmore Bristol Vellum 300s A4 paper

This is the Vellum version of the A4 Strathmore Bristol 300series. This version is in a pack of two.

Kimberly Generals graphite pencil set

When it comes to my choice of graphite pencils, I use Kimberly Generals graphite or Staedler graphite pencils. Here's a link to the Kimberly's pencil set. It contains 4H, 2H, F, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B pencils.

Kimberly Generals 9XXB graphite pencil

Sometimes I want darker values than what the graphite 8B pencil can offer and would prefer not to use charcoal pencils. In those cases, I use the Kimberly Generals 9XXB graphite pencils. The thing goes unapologetically dark. It also barely gives a shine when you press hard.

Staedler Lumograph graphite pencil set

I mentioned earlier how I used Staedler Lumograph graphite pencils before I started using Kimberly Generals. Well, If i had to pick between the two, I'd pick Staedler. It's better than Kimberly but also more expensive. If you prefer better quality and don't mind the price, then go for this.

Kimberly Generals charcoal pencil set

When it comes to charcoal pencils, I normally use Marie's or Monte Marte's charcoal pencils. However, they're not easy to find, so I've linked the Generals charcoal pencils, a brand I also trust alongside many other artists.

Tom bow mono plastic and dust free eraser

Even the best of artists erase. I kind of do too. I use dust free erasers to undo my mistakes at minimal paper cost. Tom bow here makes one of the best erasers ever, and I highly recommend you get one of these "for when you make a mistake".

Kneaded eraser

A kneaded or kneadable eraser is an eraser that you can mould into any form or shape you like. I usually use mine to erase tiny or small areas(or i play with it, cutting and joining different parts together). Save one of these for when you need to make white highlights in the eyes or dab areas where you've gone too dark and need to lift some graphite off.

Conte Pierre Noire 3B pencil

Conte pierre noire 3B is one of a kind. It's a carbon pencil(a combo of graphite and charcoal), gives extremely black values and doesn't give a shine like graphites do when pressed hard on paper. Mine's now very short(in August 2021) so I should get another soon. You should too.

Mechanical pencil

I use mechanical pencils to achieve fine dark lines, usually I use them for my eye lashes and eye brows drawings. I like them so much I actually have two different 0.5mm mech pencils. This one right here one of the cheapest and best you'll find with lots of freebies included. Be careful with the lead when changing them though, they're not as strong as normal pencil leads.

Pencil extender

I use this pencil extender so I don't have to throw away short pencils(which is equals to throwing away money). My 9XXB and my Marie's 10B graphite pencil fit in the big hole while every other pencil fits in the smaller one. That way, I don't have to throw any of my pencil babies away prematurely.

Tom bow mono-zero eraser

While doing my portrait drawings, a lot of times I have to create tiny white highlights in the hair or pick out some fray hairs. This is where my Tom-bow mono zero eraser comes in. It usually comes with a refill as in this case, but you can also buy more refills separately.

Tom bow mono-zero eraser re-fills

After a while, you're going to need more refills for your Tom-bow mono zero eraser. Here's where to get it.

Blending stump and sandpaper pencil sharpener

I use a blending stump and a sand paper pencil sharpener to ensure smoothness in my drawings. The blending stumps does all my various blendings while i use the sandpaper pencil sharpener for sharpening the edges of the stumps or to sharpen my Tom-bow mono zero eraser. I also use it to make charcoal powder. This pack here is well worth way more than the money.