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Step 1
Choose appropriate paper. Newsprint is the best type of paper for preliminary and thumbnail sketches because it's inexpensive, but don't use it for a final product as it deteriorates and fades quickly. It can be bought in different size single sheets and tablets. Use a heavier paper made specifically for sketching to create pictures you want to keep. This can also be bought as single sheets and as pads, all in various sizes.
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Step 2
Determine the best pencil for your project. For sketching, the most common tool is the graphite pencil. The common scale of graphite pencils used in the U.S. ranges from the #4 or hardest pencil to the #1 or softest one. Harder pencils create lighter marks that do not generally smear and softer pencils create darker ones that smear easily.
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Step 3
Choose to use charcoal to draw. If you want to add color to your sketches it's easy to find charcoal in different colors.
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Step 4
Buy a kneaded eraser. It can be molded into different shapes to erase even the finest lines, and it leaves very little residue behind unlike traditional erasers that crumble with use. Kneaded erasers can erase both pencil and charcoal marks of varying colors.
