Artist Toolbox: Drawing Tools & Materials: A practical guide to graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, and more

Artist Toolbox: Drawing Tools & Materials covers all drawing media, from graphite and colored pencils to crayons and pastels, as well as their uses and interactions with traditional drawing surfaces. Learn how to work with specific drawing tools, and then use them to create your own artwork.

*Named One of the 54 Best Colored Pencil Drawing Books of All Time by BookAuthority*

Artist Toolbox: Drawing Tools & Materials first discusses how to create a drawing workspace—in particular, ensuring proper lighting and storage. This guide then details all of the most popular drawing media: the differences between and advantages of each, their purposes, and the effects that each tool can create.

The book covers every drawing tool, including all pencil grades, flat sketching pencils, charcoal and vine charcoal, white charcoal, conte crayons, conte pencils, colored pencils, and pastel. Surfaces and supports are discussed as well to provide a thorough introduction to everything you need to learn to draw. Step-by-step drawing projects round out the book.

Artist Toolbox: Drawing Tools & Materials provides tips, techniques, clear instructions, beautiful artwork, and detailed demonstrations for a comprehensive look at drawing. This book will make an expert out of anyone who wants to learn this classic technique.

The Artist Toolbox series includes useful, practical reference guides designed for beginning artists and art hobbyists interested in fully understanding the focus and function of essential art tools of the trade.

Elizabeth T. Gilbert earned a BA in English from the University of San Diego in 2003, where she also studied art and anthropology. Elizabeth spent the next eight years as an editor, writer, and in-house artist for Walter Foster Publishing. In 2009, she co-authored The Daily Book of Art (Walter Foster Publishing). She's also the author of Walter Foster Publishing's The Fine Artist's Guide to Tools & Materials and Walter Foster Jr.'s The Big Book of Art: Draw! Paint! Create! Elizabeth lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Like many artists, Steven Pearce got his start at a very early age. His mother was an accomplished oil painter, and his father was an oil painter, sculptor, and master jeweler. Their encouragement and knowledge helped Steven grow as an artist. Creating art with a pencil is Steven’s passion. He enjoys experimenting with other media, including colored pencil, oil, and acrylics. Steven loves drawing portraits, still life, wildlife, landscapes, and anything that represents well in graphite and charcoal. www.srpearceart.com

Alain Picard earned a BA in illustration from Western CT State University and went on to study at the Art Students League in New York City. Picard sites Sargent, Degas, and Sorolla among his artistic influences. A love of light and beauty are immediately apparent in his pastel and oil paintings. Alain's award-winning work has been featured in The Artist's Magazine and The Pastel Journal. He is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the Connecticut Pastel Society, where he previously served as President. He frequently conducts workshops for art associations, schools, galleries, and museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. www.picardstudio.com

Paul Pigram is a full-time artist specializing in pastel painting. A resident of North Wales, Paul is passionate about painting landscapes and seascapes inspired by his own stunning backdrop, which includes Snowdonia National Park and the world-famous Bodnant Garden. His pastel-painting workshops share tips and techniques for artists of all skill levels. ww.paulpigram.co.uk

Marcio Ramos is a Brazilian artist living in Germany. He has worked with pens to create stippled artworks since 2000, with a focus on trains and lions. COPIC selected Marcio to represent its Multiliner pen, and he was one of 20 finalists for Ketel One's "The Modern Craft Project" in 2012. www.pontilhismo.com.br

Nathan Rohlander's vibrant paintings have been featured in the pages of Esquire and Shuz magazines, on the cover of Coast magazine, in Super Bowl commercials, in numerous television shows, and even in MTV videos. Having graduated with honors and a fine arts degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Nathan is working toward a Master of Fine Arts at California State University, Long Beach. Nathan's work is featured in two Walter Foster Publishing titles: Acrylic: Still Lifes, in the How to Draw and Paint Series; and in The Artist's Source Book: 80 Acrylic Painting References. Nathan lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Eileen Sorg is an award-winning artist who lives on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. Working primarily with a mixed media technique of colored pencil, watercolor, and ink, Eileen always strives for unique compositions. Eileen is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and a juried member of the International Guild of Realism and the Society of Animal Artists in New York. She is author of Landscapes in Colored Pencil, Portfolio: Beginning Colored Pencil, and Colored Pencil and co-author of The Art of Colored Pencil Drawing.