by Bob Bahr

Here are the basic art materials for three media: drawing, watercolor, and oil paint.

Drawing

Graphite pencils
A graphite pencil usually consists of a long, thin cylinder of graphite enclosed in a hexagonal wooden sleeve--the standard pencil. But solid graphite is also available in a pencil form that is wrapped in plastic to keep the graphite off the user’s hands. Graphite pencils come in degrees of hardness, and artists use the varieties to achieve different effects. Most draftsmen keep at least 6B, 4B, 2B, and HB pencils in their toolbox. The graphite in a pencil has clay in it to make the graphite more cohesive. The higher the clay content, the harder the lead in the pencil. A very hard pencil lead will make precise marks; a softer lead will leave pigment in a more flowing manner.

Charcoal is available in three different forms: vines, willow twigs, and pencils. From the New Artist's Handbook (DK Publishing, Inc., New York, New York.)

Charcoal
Charcoal is slowly charred wood. Large vines are charred in an airtight environment to make bigger sticks of charcoal, while thin willow twigs are charred for other applications when a thin stick is needed. Like graphite, charcoal comes in degrees of hardness. Charcoal is also sold in pencil form.

Conté
Conté crayon is a popular drawing material that is similar to chalk but waxier. It is available in sticks of black, white, sepia, bistre, and sanguine. It is difficult to erase.

Kneaded eraser
The soft, slightly sticky surface of this pliable, puttylike eraser allows an artist to precisely lift up a lot of pigment from a drawing without generating “crumbs.”

Paper
Draftsmen have worked on virtually every kind of paper produced. Some papers, like Bristol board, are more difficult to erase from. Others, such as newsprint, are not archival. An artist’s choice in drawing paper should reflect the goals of the drawing. Is it meant to be purely a preliminary work in preparation for another piece? Is precision important, and are fine details required? Should the paper be toned in a middle value, or does the artist wish to have the drawing pop off a stark white background?

Watercolor

Watercolor pigment is sold in cakes, tubes, and pencils. The binding agent for the pigment is usually gum arabic. Many artists prefer watercolor colors in tubes because they allow more-fluid application and increased control over color intensity, but pans create less mess and boast superior portability. Watercolor pencils permit an artist to draw one moment and brush on a plane of color the next.

Watercolor paper
Watercolor paper is sold in pound weights that reflect how much a ream (about 500 sheets) would weigh. Thus, a thick paper could weigh 300 pounds, making it 300-lb paper. Typical weights for watercolor paper are 90, 140, 200, 300, and 400 pounds. Paper under 300 pounds should be stretched before it is painted on, as it will pucker and curl.

Cold-pressed paper
Pressing paper flat and without heat in the papermaking process lets the sheets retain much of their texture, or tooth, allowing the watercolorist to skim the surface with pigment to create broken lines and a pleasing effect.

Hot-pressed paper
The very smooth surface of hot-pressed paper allows for careful, detailed painting and effective washes.

Rough paper
The extreme texture of this paper can be difficult to manipulate; the assertive personality of rough paper makes working with it a virtual collaboration between artist and material.

Watercolor canvas
This new product allows a watercolorist to paint on a canvas--traditional canvas surfaces would not sufficiently absorb watercolor pigment. The artist can lift off several layers of paint from a watercolor canvas and nearly get back to the white of the surface, which can be a boon for watercolorists who master the trick.

Water
Some watercolorists use distilled water, but regular tap water is the default.

A variety of soft (sable) brushes. Left to right: fan blender, round, bright, filbert, and flat. All artwork this article from The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist (Watson-Guptill Publicatons, New York, New York) unless otherwise indicated.

Oil Painting

Pigments and mediums
Oil paint is pigment suspended in oil, usually linseed oil. Painters thin oil paints by adding either more oil or a solvent, such as turpentine--or a mixture of both.

In addition to linseed, artists use walnut, poppy seed, and safflower oils when painting. Each has its merits, and artists hold different opinions on which oil is preferable. For example, many painters swear by walnut oil, but it is expensive, and others assert that poppy seed oil dries with the least yellowing. Linseed is the most common oil, but it is known to yellow noticeably as a painting ages.

In addition to turpentine, artists use mineral spirits and Turpenoid. Turpentine is made from a tree resin; mineral spirits and Turpenoid are petroleum products.

Other mediums used by painters include varnishes and resins. These mediums give paint a jewellike shine, allow for easy glazing of color layers, and protect the finished painting by acting as a hard shell.

Brushes
Paintbrushes generally fall into two categories: soft-hair and bristle. Both categories feature natural hair or synthetic fibers.

Soft-hair brushes, which can be made from synthetic fibers, sables, squirrels, or oxen, allow smooth strokes and delicate marks. They are ideal for watercolor painting because they can hold a larger amount of thin paint. Bristle brushes, which are sometimes made with hog’s hair, are for scrubbing in a color or quickly blocking in an underpainting--or for adding texture to a piece. They are also useful for applying thick paint, and watercolorists occasionally use them to pull pigment off a surface.

A variety of bristle brushes. Left to right: fan blender, round, bright, filbert, and flat.

Brushes come in several shapes. Rounds feature a cylinder of hair that usually comes to a point. Filberts are flat brushes with a rounded tip. Flats are flat brushes with sharp corners.

Artists also regularly use palette knives for moving paint around on the surface, sculpting edges in the paint, creating large, flat planes of thick paint, and applying large amounts of paint for highlights. The palette knife is also used to mix colors on the palette.

Canvases
One chooses the appropriate canvas by considering the texture desired for the composition and the amount of money one wishes to spend. Canvas is primarily made from either linen fibers or cotton. Two examples: Portrait linen is very smooth--and expensive. Cotton duck has more texture and is more affordable.

Canvas can be purchased in a roll or prestretched over a frame. It can be bought primed with gesso or in its raw state. If canvas isn’t primed, the paint will bleed into adjacent areas, plus the archival quality of the canvas will be compromised. Artists can save money by stretching canvas themselves.

Bob Bahr is the managing editor of American Artist.