Materials

So for a start, very simple materials will suffice. But if you want to stick with drawing, you soon wonder what else is interesting to work with. Maybe you want to bring color into play or just use higher quality paper for your artwork. If you then go to an art store, you will be overwhelmed by the selection. You feel like a kid in a candy store. Everything smiles at you. But what is right for you?

The products themselves often provide information about what they are made for. Manufacturers publish brochures that not only tell you what products are available, but also how to use them and what properties they have. Of course you can also get advice in the shop.

There is the question of the right paper. How thick does it have to be? Smooth or rough? That depends on what I want to work with on it and how I want my result to look like. Some like it when some paper white shows through in a drawing, others want to avoid that. Should the work be lightfast - if you want to hang it on the wall - or is that not important? Does it bother me if I have to treat the work with fixative afterwards so that it doesn't smudge?

That being said, the most expensive material is not always the best choice. The cheaper version usually also brings good results and expensive material can also be a barrier to using it. Ultimately, nothing beats trying it yourself.