Art supplies
Tools of the trade
Digital media may be the norm these days, but more and more artists are returning to ink-on-paper as a creative alternative. This list is updated often and curated into essential and optional categories. Whether you're new to traditional media or taking a refresher, here are the supplies you'll need.
Inks, brushes, pens
Waterproof india inks
Pick one
Brushes
Short-handle round 2, 3 and 5
Crowquill pen holders
Papers
Bristol paper pads
Surfaces
Squared drawing surface
Pick one
Miscellaneous
Technical tools
Basic supplies
- Daler-Rowney Calli Jet Black india ink (lettering)
- Daler-Rowney Pro White (whiteout)
- Brush Basin
- Pencils (soft and hard)
- Erasers (gum, kneaded, pink pearl)
- Rags
- Masking Tape
- Glue Stick
Required computer tools
- Access to tabloid scanner
- Adobe Photoshop or similar (scan editing)
- Microsoft Word or similar (script writing)
- Adobe Acrobat Pro or similar (make PDFs)
Optional supplies
Helpful but not essential
Explore more
- Before you buy
- Start with ink, one brush, a nib holder, and Bristol paper. Add tools as you discover what you actually use.
- On this page
- Inks, brushes, pens
- Papers
- Surfaces
- Miscellaneous
- Required vs. optional
- Required: Inks, brushes, nibs, holders, Bristol, basic supplies, computer tools
- Optional: Everything in the last section
- Buy it locally
- MassArt Store
- Artist & Craftsman
- Dick Blick
- Full local store list