# Sketching/Drawing **URL:** \ **Category:** Unrelated Discussion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953 "2012-04-18T03:07:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mx.yoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mx.yoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mx.yoyo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/1 "2012-04-18T03:07:54Z")
Hey guys I recently got the urge to start doing some good sketches. Im a total apprentice but I want to get some decent pens/pencils and a notebook. What do you guys recommend? I dont really want to mess around with fountain pens and dont plan on spending a lot of cash(for now) but want to get some good gear. If you guys can also post pics of what you use and links to them(or where I can buy them) it would help a lot ---
**Author:** ![Trace](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/trace/32/620097_2.png) [@Trace](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Trace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/2 "2012-04-19T02:23:55Z")
I like to draw, though I’m not too good at it so I can’t help much when it comes to suggesting tools. ---
**Author:** ![mx.yoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mx.yoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mx.yoyo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/3 "2012-04-19T02:36:00Z")
Well Im not looking for pro pencils and stuff, just say decent cheaper pencil sets, or mechanical pencils, or pens and what kind of paper to use. ---
**Author:** ![Trace](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/trace/32/620097_2.png) [@Trace](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Trace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/4 "2012-04-19T03:21:05Z")
> [@mx.yoyo](#): > > Well Im not looking for pro pencils and stuff, just say decent cheaper pencil sets, or mechanical pencils, or pens and what kind of paper to use. I just use pencils for drawing the shapes and then use a mechanical pencil to finalize. And as for paper I use what ever I can find, from post it notes to graph paper. xD ---
**Author:** ![manofmystery](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/manofmystery/32/982_2.png) [@manofmystery](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/manofmystery)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/5 "2012-04-21T17:39:13Z")
A good to book to read if you want to learn how to sketch would have to be “Lee Hammond’s Big Book of Drawing.” That book helped me become a better artist. It teaches you all the basics of drawing. ~ManofMystery ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/2/0/7/207c6e9c7ea345f86bbdf87c5be79f2261fcc6af.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Shadowz143](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/shadowz143/32/952_2.png) [@Shadowz143](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Shadowz143)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/6 "2012-04-21T17:48:40Z")
> [@manofmystery](#): > > A good to book to read if you want to learn how to sketch would have to be “Lee Hammond’s Big Book of Drawing.” That book helped me become a better artist. It teaches you all the basics of drawing. > > ~ManofMystery I believe he was looking for some supplies, not a teaching book. ---
**Author:** ![manofmystery](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/manofmystery/32/982_2.png) [@manofmystery](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/manofmystery)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/7 "2012-04-21T17:56:12Z")
> [@Shadowz143](#): > > I believe he was looking for some supplies, not a teaching book. Well, in that case, I would recommend this: IT’s a pretty good set for anywhere near 10 bucks. ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/d/8/2/d827874d40e0cac9c9e5d1ba4b733f755fbe71fb.jpeg) ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/c/1/1/c11569ec93a98bd486a7e68e210b3669ba096c44.gif) ---
**Author:** ![mx.yoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mx.yoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mx.yoyo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/8 "2012-04-21T18:21:18Z")
> [@Shadowz143](#): > > > [@manofmystery](#): > > > > A good to book to read if you want to learn how to sketch would have to be “Lee Hammond’s Big Book of Drawing.” That book helped me become a better artist. It teaches you all the basics of drawing. > > > > ~ManofMystery > > I believe he was looking for some supplies, not a teaching book. Actually I guess a book also falls into supplies. Those pencils look nice. I might get both. And what kind of paper is better to draw on? The only high quality paper I know of is Velum which I use for floor plans at school but I know thats mostly for tracing and expensive ---
**Author:** ![dynikus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/dynikus/32/812_2.png) [@dynikus](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/dynikus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/9 "2012-04-21T19:08:53Z")
maybe I’m not the best to be giving advice, because I do a majority of sketching with a basic #2 pencil, but here’s my set up I usually use a strathmore 300 series sketchbook (100 sheets of 9x12 50lb paper) if I feel like being fancy or making a good sketch, I use a set of reeve’s pencils I got and a nice staedtler eraser. The set I got didn’t come with a metal case like the ones linked before, but it came with 6b-4h pencils, a couple erasers, blending sticks, and a pencil sharpener for around 5 or 6 dollars at michaels. oh and if you’re not sure what the paper weight means, it’s just how many pounds 500 sheets of that paper weighs. so heavier = thicker paper. ---
**Author:** ![mx.yoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mx.yoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mx.yoyo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/10 "2012-04-21T19:18:48Z")
And what is the difference between using 50lb to 500lbs paper? Which is better for what? ---
**Author:** ![manofmystery](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/manofmystery/32/982_2.png) [@manofmystery](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/manofmystery)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/11 "2012-04-21T20:28:34Z")
Weight of paper is determined by how much fiber content exists in a ream of paper of a standard size - often 22x30 is considered a standard size. But there are different standards for European, American and Asian papers. So the weight can be confusing. LBS or GSM is for pounds and grams per square meter respectively. The higher the number the thicker the single sheet of paper is. ~ManofMystery ---
**Author:** ![mx.yoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mx.yoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mx.yoyo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/12 "2012-04-21T20:45:52Z")
But whats the belefit of using lighter over heavier and vise versa? ---
**Author:** ![manofmystery](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/manofmystery/32/982_2.png) [@manofmystery](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/manofmystery)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/13 "2012-04-21T20:53:39Z")
Lighter paper is weak and fragile compared to heavier paper, which can withstand more lbs of pressure. I’m not sure which is better for which. ~ManofMystery ---
**Author:** ![dynikus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/dynikus/32/812_2.png) [@dynikus](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/dynikus)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/14 "2012-04-21T21:00:17Z")
light paper like the strathmore 300 series sketchbooks use is made for sketching with dry media. This doesn’t really go into weight, but it does go into the different types of paper depending on what you wanna use [http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/3698/520/](http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/3698/520/). But assuming you just plan on drawing with a pencil and paper, any sketchbook should be fine. My art teacher one year gave everyone a 20 lb (basically printer paper) sketchbook, and it was perfectly adequate. ---
**Author:** ![mx.yoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@mx.yoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mx.yoyo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/15 "2012-04-22T00:46:02Z")
So for now I think I’ll just look for a set of pencils with tin and just a regular pad or something for drawing anything without lines for now. Maybe add some velum for tracing later on ---
**Author:** ![jhb8426](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jhb8426/32/631_2.png) [@jhb8426](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jhb8426)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/sketching-drawing/36953/16 "2012-04-22T02:38:36Z")
Paper… [https://www.google.com/search?q=drawing+paper&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=M9S&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=qW6TT9iZGoGm8QTU9\_X4Aw&ved=0CJsBEK0E](https://www.google.com/search?q=drawing+paper&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=M9S&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=qW6TT9iZGoGm8QTU9_X4Aw&ved=0CJsBEK0E)