Shading workshop

Supply list

Paper

Any good quality drawing paper will work. You want some texture, but not too much. For this workshop, a 9×12 pad will be good, though you could go a little bigger or smaller.

Recommendation: Strathmore 400, 80lb, medium texture

Pencils

You want a range of pencils from soft to hard. The brand isn’t super important, as long as they’re decent quality artist pencils.

Recommendation: Staedtler Lumograph HB, H, 2H, 4H

Eraser

We just want a regular kneaded eraser that’s fairly firm. Unfortunately the quality of a lot of brands of kneaded erasers has really dropped lately and they’re super squishy or sticky.

Recommendation: Blick kneaded eraser

Optional: A pen-style eraser like the Tombow Mono Zero Round

Sharpener

We’ll be getting our pencils super sharp! Most manual and electric sharpeners don’t get quite sharp enough. We’ll go the old-fashioned route and use a knife and sandpaper. Any sharp blade like an X-Acto knife will do. Any sandpaper will do. I find 100 grit is fine enough to get a sharp point but not take forever.

Recommendation: X-Acto Gripster and Sandpaper block

Board

Any drawing board will do!

Easel

I highly recommend working upright. It makes it much easier to use lighter pressure to make lighter values.

Any easel will do. If you don’t have an easel, see if you can find a wall or something else upright to work on.