All you really need for sketching is something to draw on and something to draw with. For many years, I filled journal after journal using only a technical pen for both writing and drawing, supplemented on occasion with a wax-based colored pencil in a dark value. (Warm or cool dark gray, black, Black Raspberry and Indigo are still my favorites.)
Eventually, I needed more color and added a few more colored pencils to my small set. Then I realized I wanted to add watercolor to my sketch journal. By then, I was painting a great deal and watercolor is my first love, but the paper in my inexpensive commercial journal was unsuited to the medium. It was soft and too absorbent, and the colors were dulled, so the search for a good journal or sketchbook was on!
Choosing the right materials and supplies to best fit your needs may seem daunting. The key is to keep it simple and use what you have—ink, pencil, colored pencil, watercolor pencil or watercolor markers—whatever you want. It’s even okay to use a set of kids’ crayons if you like. Just explore and have fun.
There is no magic tool, no magic brush, no magic pencil. It’s all about what you choose to do with them, so try them all or mix them up if you like. Let nothing get in the way of seeing, enjoying, creating and learning.
Sometimes I add color to my single-pencil sketch, sometimes I don’t. I was taken by Molly’s turquoise boots and red hair, so I used a combination effect with Black Raspberry pencil on Frankfurt paper.