Tools of The Trade: Art Supplies

When I was around 7 or 8, my mom gave me a box full of dot matrix printer paper to draw on. That Paper is flimsy and doesn’t hold ink or marker too well, but for years, it was what I drew on, with No. 2 pencils, ballpoint Bic pens, and the original 10-color set of Crayola markers.

There is this idea that you need to spend a lot of money to make great art or to be an artist - and it is blatantly false.

It is not the tools that make the art or composition, it is how you use them. I’ve used a variety of India ink or gel ink pens in my work over the years, and in a world of Faber-Castell, Tom Bow, and Micron pens - I choose the unassuming Sharpie S Gel pen.

My beloved pen - The Sharpie S Gel

I love these pens so much that I am going to get the outline of one tattooed on my drawing arm. Yes I’m serious. I first used a Sharpie S Gel in 2022 working in the Personnel office at a prison that my supervisor lent me and I fell in love with it immediately.

These pens have a rich matte black finish with and are strinkingly bold. They don’t skip or dry out quickly and are cheap as far as art supplies go.

Good Ole Copy Paper

As mentioned, I used to draw on old school printer paper, as I got older, I’d sneak large chunks of modern copy paper from the family computer room to draw on. Mom would get pissed off at me for it, but I kept doing it, because it was thicker than the dot matrix paper and didn’t have those annoying blue lines that wide-ruled paper has. Obviously, it’s not designed for art. And as I’ve invested more in my craft, I’ve shifted to Bristol paper for most of my work.

But occassionally I will sneak copy paper from the office to draw on. I highly recommend it. A box of 5000 sheet of copy paper averages about $40-60, or about $0.01 per sheet, where as Strathmore 100 page Sketchbooks go for $10 and average about $0.10 per sheet.

Throw Some Color in the Mix

Honestly? To hell with Copic markers and anything fancy. They don’t have good milage and are expensive. There are many cheap alcohol marker packs online (a lot of them are on Amazon, which I try to avoid.) that will last you a long time (I bought a 48 pack of markers on Amazon in 2021 and it’s 2025 and I just now need to replace most of them. I can’t provide a brand name it’s one of those weird-ass ‘Btchuluudosisoma’ brand names.)

Bottom line: Start off Cheap, Build Your Supplies as You Gain Experience

I strongly believe art should be accessible to everyone. Don’t be intimidated by all the fancy supplies. Most of your favorite artists have their cheap tried-and-true favorites, because it is you that makes the art, not the supplies. Of course, higher quality materials age better over time, and don’t fade as quickly, but often times when I talk about art with people they use cost a reason why they don’t make anything.

“It’s such an expensive hobby.” Then don’t let it be one. Forgo Prismacolor and master shading and saturated color with Crayola until you are ready to switch. The brands you grew up with, that made up your school supply list, are the brands that will grow with you on your journey - so don’t listen to what everyone says about the right supplies.

There is no wrong way to make art.