The best $20 drawing kit.

Exactly what I would buy if I was starting again.

A big bag of pens seems like a bag of solutions. But two catches can stop you from creating:

1. You turn into an art supply collector instead of using them up.

2. You get overwhelmed with all the tools and end up choosing nothing.

You don’t need much to get started with drawing—any pen and paper will do—but here’s a kit that can do a lot more and only costs about $20. This is the exact kit I use for my beginner’s sketchbook course. And it’s what I’d buy if I were starting drawing today.

If you can name another hobby where you can get all the gear you need for 20 bucks, I’ll comp you a month’s subscription. Let me know in the comments

Anyway, here’s the list:

Sketchbook

Hahnemule Kraft Paper A5 booklet. There’s something special about the brown paper. It’s not “clean” and “perfect” like white paper. It's not too thick and luxurious so you won’t get precious about it. But it’s thick enough that it holds up. And to top it off, these books are cheap.

Black pen

I love the Tombow Fudenosuke firm nib. This pen is magic. It’s easy enough to control but expressive enough that the line is always interesting. If you don’t want a flexible nib, my second choice would be an 0.8mm fineliner—my favourite brand is copic.

White pen

Part of the charm of drawing on brown paper is using white highlights. I reckon the best white pen is the Sakura Gelly Roll 1.0 mm. It is very opaque, bulletproof, long-lasting, and cheap.

Second choice: Uniball Signo Broad.

Grey pen

The Faber-Castell Pitt Brush Pen in Warm Grey III is perfect for adding shadows to a drawing. Darks make a huge difference to any drawing.

Second choice: Staedtler pigment brush pen.

Paint pen

Regular markers wash out on brown paper, but paint pens pop. The one I use is the Uni Posca PC-5M. There are so many great colours, but start with just one. I like the red and light blue best.

Second choice: Molotow ONE4ALL marker 4mm - just as good but a little pricier.

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The kit is simple, but seriously fun. These five tools give you zillions of possibilities. Here are some examples:

If you’re used to drawing on white paper, this kit might help you get out of your comfort zone. Give it a try.

Want to see how I use this kit? Join Sketchbook Club—a monthly drawing meetup for paid subscribers. In the next edition (Sunday, 29 June), I’ll show you how I draw with it.

PS. A few spaces are still open in my upcoming sketchbook retreat in rural New Zealand. If you’re curious, but unsure it’s for you, get in touch :)