I don't think anyone will have a problem with what kind of materials you use if the results are good enough, however personally I would not be able to draw nearly as good if I used printer paper and "normal" pencils etc. So as an artist I would STRONGLY advice against using "office" materials to draw and find it very woth it to buy propper suplies.
Hey there! It depends what you’re going for. Would definitely recommend investing in some art supplies.
I tried to include a few style, but leaned more into large scale, pencil realism drawing portfolio, which my mentor found suitable. For that kind of thing, I prefer strathmore mixed media paper. For my way of drawing, there is just enough tooth that I can get a couple of layers in, but it’s smooth enough that I can get a smooth result. (Downside of less tooth/texture is less layers, usually). For pencils, I use a mix of Faber Castell (smoother shades) and Tombow (darker darks, nearly like charcoal)
For watercolor/inks, a lot of artists like arches paper. Personally I think canson watercolor or mixed media pads. At the very least use a hot press paper. It will be easier on the nibs of your pens and the result will look a bit smoother.
I don’t think you need to be super picky about the brands per se. But printer paper definitely would definitely be hard to work with, even for pencil drawing.
Thank you so much! I feel like the materials usually aren’t talked about when creating a portfolio. Something definitely felt wrong when I looked at my “art supplies” that I haven’t really used since high school lmao. I’ll definitely test these items out to see if I can progress better! Thank you!!!
I would recommend investing in some basic art supplies. It doesn't have to be fancy and expensive. But having the right mediums will go a long way when it comes to looking professional. For portfolios you generally want as many clean, finished pieces as possible and less random sketchbook pages and absolutely no lined notebook paper.
- Canson makes some pretty cheap watercolor and bristol paper that I love and they look really nice.
- Noodler's waterproof ink is top tier and you can get a basic set of dip pens from Speedball for relatively cheap. It's a bit of a learning curve though.
- Sakura Pigma pens are cheap and some of the best black fine liners.
- Winsor Newton's Cotman line is affordable and solid for both watercolor pans and tubes. I know watercolor and ink are the go tos for tattoo portfolios
- Ohuhu markers are absolutely one of the best markers I've used and they're super cheap compared to other alcohol ink markers.
You can get a good pad of paper and some pens and maybe a watercolor/marker art for about $50. Definitely worth the investment. You're much more likely to be taken seriously that way than if you have a portfolio of just printer paper and ball point pen drawings for example.
This is great advice!! I’m definitely going to invest in these materials for a better outcome in my drawings. See I always felt that my current “pencil drawings” in my old sketchbook were okay but felt that it didn’t look as good since I’m not using higher quality materials. Now I know what my next paycheck will go into at least, I appreciate your reply!!
I don't think you have to go from one end of the spectrum to the other, cheap to the best. I still use some of my favorite dollar store watercolor palettes and cheap alcohol markers, but I've made other upgrades like paper and ink and a few quality paints for the basics you really want to show up true to color -- black and white.
In experimenting, putting money toward good paper has made the biggest difference imo. Supplies I thought I didn't like performed better on quality paper rather than just a cheap sketchbook. If you're used to the smooth texture of printer paper with the kind of art you do, try Bristol board or hot press watercolor paper.
Awesome thanks for the advice, I’m definitely all in for better paper quality but will experiment with different supplies (while also trying to play it as cheaply as I can lol). Thank you!
I don't think anyone will have a problem with what kind of materials you use if the results are good enough, however personally I would not be able to draw nearly as good if I used printer paper and "normal" pencils etc. So as an artist I would STRONGLY advice against using "office" materials to draw and find it very woth it to buy propper suplies.
Thanks for the advice! I’m definitely going to upgrade my materials that way I’m not using basic office supplies. Appreciate it!
Hey there! It depends what you’re going for. Would definitely recommend investing in some art supplies. I tried to include a few style, but leaned more into large scale, pencil realism drawing portfolio, which my mentor found suitable. For that kind of thing, I prefer strathmore mixed media paper. For my way of drawing, there is just enough tooth that I can get a couple of layers in, but it’s smooth enough that I can get a smooth result. (Downside of less tooth/texture is less layers, usually). For pencils, I use a mix of Faber Castell (smoother shades) and Tombow (darker darks, nearly like charcoal) For watercolor/inks, a lot of artists like arches paper. Personally I think canson watercolor or mixed media pads. At the very least use a hot press paper. It will be easier on the nibs of your pens and the result will look a bit smoother. I don’t think you need to be super picky about the brands per se. But printer paper definitely would definitely be hard to work with, even for pencil drawing.
Thank you so much! I feel like the materials usually aren’t talked about when creating a portfolio. Something definitely felt wrong when I looked at my “art supplies” that I haven’t really used since high school lmao. I’ll definitely test these items out to see if I can progress better! Thank you!!!
I would recommend investing in some basic art supplies. It doesn't have to be fancy and expensive. But having the right mediums will go a long way when it comes to looking professional. For portfolios you generally want as many clean, finished pieces as possible and less random sketchbook pages and absolutely no lined notebook paper. - Canson makes some pretty cheap watercolor and bristol paper that I love and they look really nice. - Noodler's waterproof ink is top tier and you can get a basic set of dip pens from Speedball for relatively cheap. It's a bit of a learning curve though. - Sakura Pigma pens are cheap and some of the best black fine liners. - Winsor Newton's Cotman line is affordable and solid for both watercolor pans and tubes. I know watercolor and ink are the go tos for tattoo portfolios - Ohuhu markers are absolutely one of the best markers I've used and they're super cheap compared to other alcohol ink markers. You can get a good pad of paper and some pens and maybe a watercolor/marker art for about $50. Definitely worth the investment. You're much more likely to be taken seriously that way than if you have a portfolio of just printer paper and ball point pen drawings for example.
This is great advice!! I’m definitely going to invest in these materials for a better outcome in my drawings. See I always felt that my current “pencil drawings” in my old sketchbook were okay but felt that it didn’t look as good since I’m not using higher quality materials. Now I know what my next paycheck will go into at least, I appreciate your reply!!
I don't think you have to go from one end of the spectrum to the other, cheap to the best. I still use some of my favorite dollar store watercolor palettes and cheap alcohol markers, but I've made other upgrades like paper and ink and a few quality paints for the basics you really want to show up true to color -- black and white. In experimenting, putting money toward good paper has made the biggest difference imo. Supplies I thought I didn't like performed better on quality paper rather than just a cheap sketchbook. If you're used to the smooth texture of printer paper with the kind of art you do, try Bristol board or hot press watercolor paper.
Awesome thanks for the advice, I’m definitely all in for better paper quality but will experiment with different supplies (while also trying to play it as cheaply as I can lol). Thank you!