REQUIRED MATERIALS LIST
Note: All students get 20% off purchases at Oregon Art Supply while enrolled in a class… What a great time to try new stuff!
Paper: Your favorite sketchbook is fine, especially if it has a firm back. You need to walk around with it, so 8 x 10 or similar works well. Smooth surface paper is best… if the paper has too much texture it is generally too absorbent and will use up your pastels and markers very fast. Good quality sketch weight paper is ideal. This is where paying a bit more can make a great difference! Cheap paper will not stand up to mixed media or erasing.
Loose paper is fine, cut to size and with a clipboard or drawing board. I also like good inkjet paper, 20lb at least.
Support: If you have loose paper you need a firm support. An office type clipboard works, or any firm surface sized for your paper/sketchbook.
Media:
For the massing/gesture:
You will be using broad marks to capture mass and gesture. Two options are:
Chalk/pastel: Cretacolor pastel: Any subtle neutral is good, mid to light value. Ochre, tan, grey, even soft green or blue can work. Cretacolor brand is excellent. If you buy Conte, get the lightest value… the grey or tan.
Marker: Broad tip markers are a good option, especially if you want to avoid pastel dust. Because you can’t erase them they can help you let go of perfectionism! Mid to light value neutral hue (grey or buff) broad tip or brush tip markers are best. Copic markers (#1 or #2 grey), Pitt markers, Tombo etc. are all good. It can be hard to determine the value (lightness), but try to get something that is 10-20% grey.
Line work: For adding details and definition.
Fine to medium point black pen. Brand/type doesn’t matter, anything you enjoy scribbling with!
And/or: Mechanical pencil 0.7 or 0.9 with 2B or SOFTER lead (not the HB that comes in the pencil). The soft lead is much nicer for good strong line work. The advantage in using a pencil is that you can erase. A mechanical pencil has a good line weight and doesn’t need sharpening. Also… graphite combines with pastel very well.
Erasers: You won’t be erasing much, especially if you use a marker for gesture, but might find these useful:
Click type white vinyl eraser (if you use a mechanical pencil, Pentel Twist has a good eraser)
Kneaded eraser (Faber Castell: very soft and tacky, gentle to your paper). This is very useful if you use a pastel for the gesture, as it will allow you to manipulate value in interesting ways.