My Favorite Art Supplies
05-09-2026 at 09:38 pm
Summary: This page contains my absolute favorite art supplies. I also use this page to store the info for random art supplies I don’t have pages for.
This page will be periodically updated.
Faves
I have used SOOOO many art supplies in my life. Even now, I frequently change which supplies I’m using and which are my “favorites.” I think it’s hard for me to choose which ones exactly because every art supplies has pros and cons, but I can quantify each supply’s use. I’ve compiled the art supplies below that I tend to reach for most often *and* have a very high regard for.✵ Table of Contents ✵
Drawing Supplies
These supplies are my most frequently used as most of my drawings start with a sketch (doodles are the exceptions, though I *will* sketch other parts of a piece if it includes things other than doodles).Pencils & Pens
Always good to start with the actual drawing utensils used. These are my absolute favorite drawing utensils, the ones I go back to quite frequently over the last decade. I’ve tried MANY many different pens and pencils, and will continue to try new ones (there’s a specific set I currently have my eyes on 👀), but the below are tried-and-true.
Pentel GraphGear 1000 - 0.5
Image from Amazon
Type: Mechanical Pencil
Make: Metal body with textured grip & soft latex-free pads
Line/Size: 0.5mm (HB lead pre-installed)
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: Oct 2023 | Price: $7.90 USD
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- This specific pencil is one I keep coming back to. I’ve tried sooo many different pencils, mechanical or otherwise, but I just keep coming back to this one. I’ve finally determined that it is, indeed, my favorite pencil.
- This brand comes in 0.3, 0.7, and 0.9. I have all the sizes and they all have their functions, but the 0.5 is the main one I use.
- The metal body is SO nice.
Tips & Usage Notes
- Remember to actually retract the nib. I have stabbed myself multiple times because I forgot to retract the nib.
Pentel Super Hi-Polymer Lead - F
Image from Amazon
Type: Lead Refill
Make: Super Hi-Polymer
Line/Size: 0.5mm, F Grade
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: May 2023 | Price: $12.29 USD
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Pentel Lead in general has been consistently good and lasts longer that other brands.
- Pentel is one of the few that comes in weird grades like F.
- F is favorite because it’s not to hard but not to soft.
STAEDTLER Mars Technico Mechanical Pencil
Image from Amazon
Type: Lead Holder / Mechanical Pencil
Make: Metal clip & push-button mechanism, plastic body
Line/Size: 2mm lead
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: July 2024 | Price: $12.51 USD (current $15.49)
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Just a nice, functional pencil. Has lasted a few years so far.
Tips & Usage Notes
- 2mm lead tends to lay down more graphite and means the graphite may smudge easier.
STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 2mm Leads
Image from Amazon
Type: Lead Refill for 2mm Lead Holders
Make: Mars Lumograph Carbon Lead
Line/Size: 2mm, 4H Hardness
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: April 2024 | Price: $11.24 USD (current $14.50)
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Of all the 4H leads I’ve tread, this is my favorite.
- Super light. Erases well.
Tips & Usage Notes
- Don’t press too hard, it will never get very dark.
Sakura Pigma Micron
Ref. Sakura Pigma Micron
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- It’s very versatile. Microns work beautifully with a much wider variety of papers than other fine liners. Whether I'm sketching on thin copy paper or heavyweight mixed media, I know the Micron will perform.
- I’ve tested water and alcohol on it, and it’s resistant to both. This is a huge advantage…I can use them under alcohol markers or watercolor washes without any fear of bleeding or smudging.
- Rich in color. While the black isn't quite as deep as Uni Pin, it's still a solid, reliable black that reads well.
- They're dependable, widely available, and consistent across every nib size.
Tips & Usage Notes
- I use fresh new nibs for very intricate and careful pieces. I use duller nibs for repetitive tasks that don't need very delicate lines.
Runner Up: Uni Pin Fine Liner
My second go-to is the Uni Pin Fine Liner. While I actually prefer Uni Pin to Microns in how they perform and how the ink looks, the Uni Pin is more limited in which papers it works with and is therefore the runner-up.
Why Runner-Up?
- The color of the ink is so nice, darker and richer than most other black fine liners (which can lean gray or brown).
- Size is perfect for not-too-big, not-too-small effects.
- Lasts awhile.
- The limitation: It can feather and spread on thinner or less absorbent papers, which restricts where I can use it.
Erasers
I like to use erasers that are separate from my pencil. Regular pencils will eventually run out of erase, causing the use of external erasers anyway. Even mechanical pencils can run out and if you don’t have any spares, then you’re out of luck. I’d prefer to rely erasers that are self contained so that they last longer and can give me more precise erases.
Tombow Mono Zero Eraser
Image from Amazon
Type: Precision Eraser
Make: Pen-style metal body with rubber tip
Line/Size: Round, 2.3mm diameter tip
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: May 2014 | Price: $6.27 USD
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Very precise, exactly what I need to sculpt images.
- Small, portable, light.
- Eraser lasts, though the need for replacements means I may need to carry an extra refill or to.
Tips & Usage Notes
- Works best on graphite pencil but has worked on colored pencils.
- Holding it sideways gives more coverage for larger areas.
- Can be shaped into a point.
Faber-Castell Kneaded Erasers
Image from Amazon
Type: Kneaded Eraser
Make: Soft, pliable rubber
Line/Size: Large size (approx. 3.2" x 1.3" per eraser)
Purchase Info: Amazon | Purchased: January 2025 | Price: $6.49 USD
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Very gentle on paper, doesn’t tear, even when rubbing.
- Essentially endless eraser, as kneading creates clean surface.
- Custom colors.
Tips & Usage Notes
- Works best with graphite, charcoal, and pastel pencils. Not effective for ink.
- To clean the eraser, stretch and knead it until the dark spots disappear into the material.
- Warm it in your hands for a few seconds to make it more pliable.
Paper & Surfaces
I’m constantly disappointed by paper. When I was only doodling and doing nothing else, my main medium was Uni Pin Fine Liner pens. My confetti doodles (and any predecessors) use thick layer of pen strokes to “bold” the exoskeleton of doodles while also leaving the inner space a single stroke pattern. Lots of paper falls apart when you go over the same spot when an ink pen over and over. Other papers will feather or bleed. It’s been so hard to find paper that will handle this style. But I have found some, primarily Bee Paper Super Deluxe Paper and Uni Pin Fine Liner. Though recently, the Canson XL Mixed Media Paper and Canson Graduate Mixed Media Paper, particularly when combined with Microns.
Canson Graduate Mixed Media Paper
Ref. Canson Graduate Mixed Media Paper
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Very durable. At 200gsm, it's thick enough to handle wet media without warping easily, including my favorite acrylic markers.
- Very versatile. It accepts all media very well, making it more practical for everything I do.
- The best function over all. While Bee Paper makes media look gorgeous, Canson Graduate is the more reliable, everyday workhorse that can handle anything I throw at it. Also nice that the sketchbooks come really thin but the price is comparable to the page count (i.e., this is a very affordable sketchbook.)
- Nice white paper and pleasant tooth.
Tips & Usage Notes
- This is the paper I use for acrylic markers and any project with significant wet media.
- The thickness means it can take more abuse than thinner papers.
Runner Up: Bee Paper Super Deluxe
My second go-to is the Bee Paper Super Deluxe Paper. While I tend to prefer Bee Paper for the way it makes media look and its durability with Uni Pin in accepting my heavy doodles, the paper weight is still thin enough to warp easily under any wet media, including acrylic markers, which are my favorite media.
Why Runner-Up?
- Every art supply I've used looks better on Super Deluxe paper than any other paper I've tried. Tt makes supplies look gorgeous.
- Handles my heavy Uni Pin doodles with great durability.
- Erases well and handles a lot of working.
- The limitation: 150gsm is still thin enough to warp easily under any wet media, especially acrylic markers. That lack of versatility is what keeps it from the top spot.
Color Mediums
This was a hard one. Color media give me such a hard time. I love watercolor but it’s so hard to master. Any other types of traditional paint aren’t practical for me. Alcohol markers were a great find but isn’t lightfast and WILL lighten relatively quickly over time. They’re also very transparent, which means you can only ever get darker. But they blend well. Ultimately, they didn’t make it on the list.
NICETY Acrylic Paint Markers
Note: My acrylic marker favorites tend to change a lot, so this is what it is right now (05/20/26 2:41 pm).
Ref. NICETY Acrylic Paint Markers
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- They have THE best color range.
- Direct ink flow means more ink that’s more opaque (and they are quite opaque).
- Pretty colors.
- Can get individual sets for individual colors, which means I can buy what I need when I need it (though each set is quite large at 32 markers).
Tips & Usage Notes
- Shake it, baby, shake it.
Runner Up: ARTISTRO PAINT MARKERS
ARTISTRO makes some of the cheapest paint markers you can get. The colors are vibrant but the cheapness show itself in how transparent this paint is. It often takes multiple layers to get a nice solid coat, and lighter layers appear to never get fully opaque.
Still, they have their use. Sometimes I want transparent. Sometimes they have really nice colors not in other sets. They will probably remain in the rotation no matter which other marker brand is my favorite. I will get more when I run out.
Prismacolor Premier Soft-Core Colored Pencils
Please refer to the Prismacolor Premier page for more information.
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- While I tend to use both Faber-Castell Polychromos and Prismacolor Premier (often at the same time), if I could only do one, it would be Prismacolor because the buttery blending and saturated colors make up for it’s lack of ability to keep a point for long.
Tips & Usage Notes
- Light pressure to layer more.
- Don’t burnish until you are R-E-A-D-Y.
Runner Up: Faber-Castell Polychromos
Faber-Castell Polychromos are excellent pencils. They do blend well, and best of all, they keep a point for much longer than Prismacolor. Their hardness means they can also create sharper lines too.
Generally, both sets will be used since they combine very well into a nice chromatic fusion, but Polychromos are just not as nice (saturated) and can be harder to blend as the hardness of the lead can cause streakiness if not careful.
Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India Ink
Ref. Bombay India Inks
Overall Thoughts
Why Favorite?
- Cleans up SUPER easy with Dawn dish soap.
- The blooms are gorgeous. It spreads like granulating watercolors and functions like them too.
- The colors are super bright and I consistently prefer how India ink looks to acrylic inks.
- Permanent.
Tips & Usage Notes
- Wash with dawn dish soap to break down any spilled ink.
- I sometimes use this ink with glass pens.
Runner Up: Liquitex Acrylic Inks
Liquitex Acrylic Inks are an excellent runner up. They are very nice and come in a much larger range of colors. These may also be more opaque than colored India inks. I’ve noticed they warp paper less.
They are definitely great as supplementary inks, and they function fine with the India inks, but they are a little too shiny when dry and the bottle itself is easy to spill.