Drawing Tools and Art Supplies for Cartoons

Mr. Grissom's Recommended Art Supplies

I always get asked about the tools I use to create my art, and what supplies I recommend for young artists, so I made this resource so everyone could see what they are.

These are not what you need for our live classes. Typically, all you need is any pencil, paper, eraser, black marker or pen, and any basic coloring utensils. We focus on skills in our classes, not the supplies.

With that said, when you're ready to upgrade your arsenal, here are my favorites and exactly what I and many of our Kids Cartoon Academy members use. Note: I receive a tiny commission as an Amazon Associate if you purchase through these links at no extra cost to you. These are still the lowest cost links I've found and they are all supplies I've personally used. But in many cases, the brand doesn't matter and your local art store will have great selections.

Pens, Markers, & Brushes

Ohuhu Alcohol Markers (My Top Pick!)

These are my favorite alcohol markers. These are a great option, and your child can make great art with these. They are a world ahead of typical markers like Crayola. They blend well and have a variety of beautiful colors. They're also refillable!

White Gel Pens

White Gel Pens are a bright, opaque white ink that's perfect for highlights.

Get this OR a white Posca marker OR the white charcoal pencils. You don't need all three. They serve the same purpose.

Extra Fine White Posca Marker

Fine tipped white Posca markers also create great opaque highlights.

Get this OR the white gel pen OR the white charcoal pencils. You don't need all three. They serve the same purpose.

White Charcoal Pencils

Perfect for translucent highlights. You only need a single pencil, not a whole set. But it's hard to find a single one online. This set is affordable. You can probably get them in your local art store though.

Get this OR a white Posca marker OR the white gel pen. You don't need all three. They serve the same purpose.

My Favorite Paper for Alcohol Markers (My Top Pick!)

These are a bargain! This is actually nice printing copy paper, but works surprisingly well for alcohol-based markers. It's definitely the most affordable blending paper and definitely works better than a regular sketch pad. You can blend well and it doesn't bleed too badly. I use these all the time. Downside is it's not in a sketchbook, but a clipboard works well to keep them together.

Micron Pens

Sakura Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens are a great choice for drawing. The pens come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, and multiliners are easy to control. These are very common and are used by kids and professionals alike.

Posca Market set

These are acrylic paint pens that are so much fun to use. This is a large broad tipped set but you can get smaller ones. They can be used on more than just paper-paint rocks, wood, glass, clothing, etc. But they are as easy to control as a marker. I love using these, and the colors are just beautiful!

Awesome Inking Pens by Tombow

These are great entry pens for students who are new to drawing with brush pens, beginner artists, or younger students. It's a more firm brush pen, so it doesn't require as much skilled hand-eye coordination, but still used by pro artists all around the world (including myself). It makes a great even line, but you can still vary the line weight (thickness) when you want by intentionally applying more pressure. I can't recommend this one enough! Affordable too.

Pentel Arts Portable Pocket Brush Pen (Medium Point)

I'm obsessed with this brush pen (and pretty much any brush pen by Pentel). It's the standard professional brush pen that cartoon and comic artists around the world use as their go-to inking tool. It's not for beginning artists though. It takes some hand-eye coordination and practice to get better at using. But it's so versatile, makes beautiful lines, and is fun to play with.

Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Refills, Black Ink / Set of 12

The pen on the left is refillable so get these refill cartridges to that when the pen runs dry, you can just screw the top off, and replace the cartridge. It's super easy. And affordable.

Pencils

My Favorite Pencil

First, you should know that pencils don't matter much in my opinion. Generally, any basic pencil does a fine job. But with that said...personally I'm obsessed with this pencil! The bigger lead helps me sketch quicker, lighter lines and get a rough draft down on the paper. I can't recommend it enough for young artists who are already used to drawing lightly and loosely. If you're still gripping a little too tight and not yet able to sketch light and loose then I'd hold off on this and stick to a thinner lead.

Lead for My Favorite Pencil

In case you're wondering, "B" refers to the softness of the graphite. 4B produces a bold, dark line that's great for drawing. The higher the number before the B, the softer the graphite, and the darker and richer the lines it produces. Of course, it's all about personal preference. I've been enjoying using 4B lately!

Overall, these lead refills are a great value for anyone who draws regularly.

Graphite Sketch Pencil Set – 6 Graphite Pencils (2H, HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B)

A simple sketch set like this is the ultimate gift for your young artist, especially if they want to improve at shading.

The higher the H-number, the harder the lead, and harder you have to push on the paper. On the other hand, the higher the B numbers, the softer the lead is, which means you don't have to apply as much pressure. They easily make darker lines and darker values for better shading.

Personally, I love the darker leads (4B and up), but 2H can be useful at times too. It's fun to let kids experiment with the different types and choose their favorite.

Blending Stump

This is perfect for achieving smooth and precise shading effects in pencil drawings but not necessary. A Q-tip can also be used effectively as an alternative tool for blending and shading.

Faber-Castell LARGE Pencil Eraser

This eraser is a great choice as it leaves behind minimal mess compared to many other erasers.

Drawing Paper

Honestly my favorite paper for daily drawings-HP Printer Paper | So cheap!

The cheapest paper I use, perfect for practice and sketches because it's so easily replaceable. It encourages making mistakes which is essential for growth! I actually color a lot of great art on it with markers, but it bleeds some. It's what I use in almost all of my live teaching classes. The downside is it's loose, but you can keep track of it with a clipboard.

If I'm making art for a frame or a commission or something, I'll choose one of the papers below.

Inking Paper

This is Bristol Paper which is perfect for pencil, markers, colored pencil, and especially inking. I use it all the time since I love my brush pens so much

My Favorite Paper for Alcohol Markers (Awesome Deal!--same as the set mentioned at the top of this page)

Sketchbook

Quality, affordable paper for sketching, drawing, and coloring. The classic go-to paper. But any sketch paper is fine. You can find cheaper ones in stores and they work almost just as well.

Digital Tools

2021 Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi‑Fi, 128GB)

This is what I do all of my digital art on. It is an investment, but is easy to use and is an incredible professional powerhouse of a machine for creating digital art. I use the app Procreate which is only $9.99 in the App Store. Other digital drawing programs like Ibis or Adobe Fresco/Sketch may work too. I haven't used all of them, so to make sure your child gets the full experience from my class, you would need to make sure their app has the ability to import a photo, create multiple layers, lower opacity of a layer, and use different digital brushes.

Apple Pencil

This works incredible well with the iPad Pro. It's pressure sensitive just like a real brush, which is how I create those thin and thick lines (variation in line weight) to make my characters look the way they do. It's also more responsive than a typical stylus.

Watercolor

Big Travel Set

This one has some cool waterbrush pens. You just fill these pens with water and squeeze to get the water into the brush. You don't need an extra cup of water and don't have to worry about spills. Kids also love the wide assortment of colors.

Tiny Travel Set

This one comes with a conventional brush. There aren't many colors because you have to mix the colors to get the color you desire (which is what artists should eventually learn anyways). Small and you can take it anywhere. I love it.

Budget Paint Set

The ones above are nicer sets, so if your child might not ever use watercolor again, you might be better off just purchasing a more cost-effective set like this or another cheaper one from your local craft store. Limited colors force students to learn to mix the colors to achieve their desired color. Takes a while to do that though.

Strathmore Paper 300 Series Watercolor Class Pack

I do recommend watercolor paper because otherwise the paper will curl and tear when water is added. Paper like this works great. The brand doesn't matter, as long as it's clearly labeled "watercolor" paper.

Budget 48-Color Set

Very affordable. Great for brand new beginners or younger kids who want all the colors without learning how to mix them.

Paint Brush Set

This paintbrush set is a great option for beginners and artists on a budget. These brushes are versatile, as the can be used for acrylic, watercolor, and oil painting.

Books

Most of what I've learned about art has come from books. Here are my favorites!