Dear beginners, when you’re eager to begin your painting journey, facing the dazzling array of art supplies, do you feel a bit lost? Pencils, charcoal, colored pencils, watercolors, markers… every tool beckons, and prices range from affordable to expensive. Don’t worry, choosing your first set of painting tools isn’t difficult. Remember one key principle: in the early stages, the tools should serve you, not the other way around.

Sketch: Start with the simplest pencils

Sketch is the foundation of painting, and for beginners, I strongly recommend starting with the most traditional pencils.

Recommended pencils: You don’t need to buy a full set of professional pencils, ranging from 6H to 8B. Just three are sufficient: 2H (hard lead, for delicate lines), HB (neutral lead), and 2B (soft lead, for rich lines). These three pencils allow you to experiment with the variations in line hardness and master basic light and shade relationships. Basic pencils from brands like Zhonghua and Mali are affordable and excellent for beginners.

Sketchbook: Choose an A5 or A4-sized sketchbook with paper weighing around 150g. Don’t go for expensive handmade paper; ordinary sketching paper is sufficient for hundreds or even thousands of practice sessions.

Erasers: A soft eraser (for large-scale fading) and a plastic eraser (for finer corrections) are essential. Remember, an eraser isn’t just for erasing mistakes; it’s also a tool for shaping light and shadow.

Beginners in Color: Find the area that interests you most

As you begin to explore color, your options become more diverse. The key is to choose your tools based on the style and content you want to create.

If you prefer a quick and clean approach:

Colored pencils are your first choice. They offer easy control, strong coverage, and easy revisions. We recommend oil-based colored pencils (such as the Faber-Castell Red Box Basic) for vibrant colors and excellent layering. A 24- or 36-color set is sufficient for initial use.

The slightly textured paper of a colored pencil exercise book helps colors hold better.

If you’re craving a transparent, fresh style:

Watercolors will delight you. While a bit challenging, its unique transparency and serendipity are captivating.

Watercolor Tools for Beginners:

Paints: Avoid cheap children’s watercolors! Opt for student-grade watercolors (such as Winsor & Newton Gowin or White Night). They have much better pigments and are more stable. 12- or 18-color sets are a good starting point.

Brushes: Get one or two round-tipped watercolor brushes (such as Huahong 345 series, No. 6 and No. 10). Nylon or mixed bristles are inexpensive and easy to use.

Watercolor paper: This is the soul of watercolor! Always use watercolor paper (such as Baohong medium-grained paper). Ordinary paper will wrinkle when exposed to water. A 200g-300g watercolor pad with adhesive on all sides will give you the perfect painting experience.

If you’re interested in anime and illustrations:

Markers (such as Touchcool and ShowPu) are a great choice. They have vibrant colors, dry quickly, and are perfect for flat painting and gradients.

Note: Markers require special paper to prevent bleed-through and are consumables; they need to be replaced once the ink runs out, resulting in a high investment. It’s recommended to start with a small set and expand once you’re confident in your interests.

General Advice and Mindset Adjustment

Avoid the “gear-of-trade” mentality: The best tools are the ones you’re most familiar with and use most often. Masters can achieve miracles with the simplest tools. Don’t expect to instantly elevate your art skills by buying the most expensive supplies.

Try before you buy: If possible, try different tools in a physical store. Alternatively, buy small refills or single-use packs to experiment with.

Focus on “Core Tools”: Within your budget, prioritize quality paper (the medium used for your art). Good paper enhances the expressiveness of your paint.

Embrace Imperfection: When you’re just starting out, imperfections are common. Don’t blame the tools; view every “failure” as a necessary step toward mastery.