NOTE: As of May 2022, we will no longer be selling most art supplies. Make sure you join our email list to receive future recommendations of where you can buy these recommended supplies!
Beyond the bare necessities of paper and pencils, here are some other important tools that we consider essential to the Draw Botanical Method.
Mono Zero Eraser
This little eraser is the art supply of our dreams. It is so small and easy to erase with accuracy and precision. Our instructors all choose this as the art supply they can’t work without. Its pen-style design makes it easy and familiar to use and gives you awesome control as you erase. And it’s refillable!
Muji Pencil Sharpener
A simple hand-powered pencil sharpener. Lightweight, durable, and portable. Awesome sharp points. It’s handy to have a desktop, hand-crank pencil sharpener in your studio, and we’ve found this one to be the best that we’ve tested for getting the sharpest point at a low price. It’s also nice and small, which is great for drawing on-the-go. Students often ask us, “Is an electric sharpener good?” Sometimes, if that’s what you prefer, but we’ve found that hand crank sharpeners give you the sharpest point and are easier to travel with because they don’t have any bulky cords. Watch a video about how to use the Muji sharpener.
See-Through Ruler
6-inch clear plastic ruler. The awesome part about this ruler is that you can see through it, making it easier to precisely measure complex subjects. We like the 6-inch one because it’s travel size and is easy to maneuver back and forth between the subject and the paper while you’re measuring and drawing.
H Graphite Pencil
This H graphite pencil is excellent for starting the basic outlines of a drawing. We really like this high quality Tombow brand pencil. H is the hardness of the lead and this one is hard enough that it’s easy to erase and it makes fine lines, but not so hard that it cuts or indents the paper. We recommend sketching your initial drawing in graphite because you can draw lightly and it’s easy to erase. Remember that you don’t want to do toning or coloring with graphite pencil! It can smudge and interfere with the quality of the colored pencils. When you’re done with your initial sketch, put your graphite pencil away and move on to colored pencil!
Interlon Watercolor Brushes
If you’re working with watercolor, you’ll need a good watercolor brush! This is Wendy’s favorite synthetic watercolor brush, handmade in Japan. Many watercolor brushes are expensive, but this brush is inexpensive enough that you can buy several to have backups. They hold a really good tip/point, and they are perfect for the Draw Botanical Method. We hand-picked these four sizes because they are the ones that Wendy uses the most. We are the only US retailer of this brush!
Brush Travel Case
Delde Pencil Cases
Sometimes you have to take your pencils with you, and when you do… why not use a pencil case and cup in one! We love these versatile canvas pencil cases by Delde. These pencil cases hold a nice amount of pencils, and when you’re ready to draw, just unzip and pull the tabs down, and the case becomes a stand-up pencil holder! Great for travel and for everyday use. Vern used to keep her pencils in a box or bag, and searching for the right pencil was a very noisy experience, but with these pencil cases, she can put a few in a case, slide it down to use as a cup, and see all of her pencils easily with no noisy rummaging!
Art Supply Kits
Looking for all of the tools essential to following the Draw Botanical Method? Check out our curated art supply kits, including our Practice of Botanical Drawing & Botanical Basics Kits, which contain every tool you need to get started with drawing realistic botanicals in colored pencils and watercolor. You also have the option to add a “Kraft Paper Companion” so you can easily experience the same joy that Wendy has found drawing on this hot press, mid-tone, watercolor paper.
