Recommendations

Recommended art supplies...since I know it's getting close to that back-to-school shopping time for all you art/design students!

 

Tracing Paper:  I usually begin my final drawings on tracing paper, as I have a heavy hand and it just makes everything so much cleaner.  It's also great for applying little details or changes and seeing how it looks layered over the work.  I tend to buy tracing paper by the roll, as it is cheaper, with more quantity. 

I don't really use markers that often in my work, but when I do, I tend to stick with good old Prismacolor.  They come in every color imaginable, with dual tips.  To be honest, I have not used other brands of markers, so I am not sure how Prismacolor compares.  If you have a marker brand recommendation, please share in the comments section!

Pencils: I generally just grab the generic ones at whichever art store I'm shopping at, but Staedtler and Faber Castell make some quality ones.  And this might sound a bit strange, but I rarely buy art pencils with an eraser attached to the end.  They're usually never that great in quality. 

I like to outline my fashion illustrations and to do quick bold sketches in the Cretacolor Monolith pencils.  It's basically a pencil made entirely out of the graphite material, rather than being covered by wood.  That way, any angle of the pencil can be used for varying thicknesses, pressures, and line qualities. Faber Castell also makes a highly recommended version.

Pens for inking drawings and flats.  I prefer Copic to Micron pens, as the felt tip seems a bit more durable.  My Copic pens tend to outlast my Micron ones.  The Identi Pens are great too, with dual tips. 

I made a great investment fours years back when buying my paintbrushes for gouache.  These Princeton brushes cost a pretty penny, but have held up very well in the past few years.  I've done literally hundreds of paintings, using only the same four Princeton brushes I've purchased. 

Various gouache paints:  I tend to stick with Windsor & Newton for gouache and oil paints.  They make the most pigmented paints, so their hefty price is well worth the quality.  However, for metallic shades, I highly recommend staying away from Windsor & Newton, and opting for Acryla Gouache instead. 

Seriously try to avoid buying metallic paints from Windsor & Newton!  They're ridiculously expensive, and this particular gold color comes out more like an orange or rust color.  You would have to end up mixing it with brown to tone it down, which dilutes the metallic quality.  Don't . Buy.  It.  Ever. 

Acryla Gouache is also a great option, especially for specialty colors.  It would be the brand I recommend the most for metallic shades.  In general, their paints are not as rich or pigmented as Windsor & Newton, but the quality and quantity  is nice for the price. 

Hope this was a worthwhile read...thanks for stopping by!