Best beginning art set and books for a 10/11-year old?
December 12, 2018 4:31 PM Subscribe
My 10-year-old niece has requested a "sketch book" for Christmas. I'd like to oblige, and perhaps encourage this little spark of artistic interest buy augmenting with some art supplies. Alas, I am not a visual artist, and therefore don't know what to buy, and what to avoid.
I was thinking I would like to include an art set with a variety of different tools, a few sketch books for different media, and a good book or two (either in a "learn to DO art" mode, and/or in a "learn ABOUT art" mode).
I'm thinking something like THIS for the set. I like that it has a few different tools/materials, comes in a nice-looking box, and isn't overly "kiddie-fied". I am uncertain about the quality of the particular brand/set. I'd like to get her something actually good quality (since I believe that working with lovely materials enhances enjoyment), and that isn't aimed at super little kids (she's at an age where she LOATHES things that are obviously made for kids, and loves being given "real" grown-up things). Is this a reputable manufacturer? Do you have suggestions for other, better-quality materials/sets that are still appropriate for a beginner?
What about sketch books? I'm thinking maybe I should get her one meant for pencils, one for watercolours, and one for pastels, since those are the materials in the set? What are some good quality sketch books?
How about book recommendations? Any that strike you as excellent for a budding young artist, either in the "how-to" or the "appreciate art!" genres? She's a bright kid, and a good reader, but an absolute beginner at drawing/painting.
Thanks for your suggestions!
I was thinking I would like to include an art set with a variety of different tools, a few sketch books for different media, and a good book or two (either in a "learn to DO art" mode, and/or in a "learn ABOUT art" mode).
I'm thinking something like THIS for the set. I like that it has a few different tools/materials, comes in a nice-looking box, and isn't overly "kiddie-fied". I am uncertain about the quality of the particular brand/set. I'd like to get her something actually good quality (since I believe that working with lovely materials enhances enjoyment), and that isn't aimed at super little kids (she's at an age where she LOATHES things that are obviously made for kids, and loves being given "real" grown-up things). Is this a reputable manufacturer? Do you have suggestions for other, better-quality materials/sets that are still appropriate for a beginner?
What about sketch books? I'm thinking maybe I should get her one meant for pencils, one for watercolours, and one for pastels, since those are the materials in the set? What are some good quality sketch books?
How about book recommendations? Any that strike you as excellent for a budding young artist, either in the "how-to" or the "appreciate art!" genres? She's a bright kid, and a good reader, but an absolute beginner at drawing/painting.
Thanks for your suggestions!
That set looks quite appealing. I'd add a ream of plain copy paper.
posted by theora55 at 6:00 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 6:00 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
A little pricey, but at that age I would’ve loved an art-related subscription box. These look fun:
- monthly paint along
- Art snacks
I would recommend YouTube videos over instructional books, or maybe even an in-person class if possible.
posted by tinymegalo at 6:00 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
- monthly paint along
- Art snacks
I would recommend YouTube videos over instructional books, or maybe even an in-person class if possible.
posted by tinymegalo at 6:00 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Shopping for art supplies is one of the great joys of life. Maybe get her a book about different types of pencils, pastels, etc., and then arrange top take her shopping. Please don't do her selecting for her!
I would propose that, for many people, one or three exciting colors, or two perfect pencils, at least at first, might lead to more satisfying results than an impressive complete set of anything .
posted by amtho at 6:11 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
I would propose that, for many people, one or three exciting colors, or two perfect pencils, at least at first, might lead to more satisfying results than an impressive complete set of anything .
posted by amtho at 6:11 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
I was drawing before I could read, and at around that age (10 or so), I came across some old art books (published by Disney I think, but not about animation - there was one that featured the beaches of Carmel), with tutorials. I didn't know that watercolours, acrylics and oils behaved differently, so sometimes, following a tutorial ended up a mess. I would, if I was mentoring a youngster, get a nice Windsor & Newton watercolour paint box. The advantage over tubes is that tubes can dry out, and any excess colour you've squeezed out gets wasted. That and good watercolour paper because sketchbook paper works great with pencils, feltpens and charcoal, and crap with paint.
But ordinary sketchbooks are relatively cheap, so one of them, a big pack of feltpens and 100 coloured pencils (but not watercolour pencils, because they are soft and break too easily when sharpening).
You could go a set of acrylics, which tend to be brighter and require less skill, and you can paint on paper with them, or canvas.
I'd avoid charcoal, pastels and crayons, the first two because you need some training (even if it's self education) to make something nice, and the third, because they're just not accurate enough.
One of the things I used sketchbooks (actually any paper, including lined notebooks) was about fantasising and telling myself stories. Labyrinths, and desert islands and fashion design. Pencils and feltpens and a couple of fine ink pens (say .2mm, .5mm, .7mm) were great for this. It was not meant to be seen by anyone else.
For sketching (landscapes, portraits, pets) and developing fine motor skills and an understanding of shadow and light, a set of lead pencils from 6b to hb. The h pencils were too light for my liking, too hard to blend.
Anyway, this is what I would put on the shopping list:
Sketchbook (cheapies) A4 and A3.
Lead pencils 6B to 6H, a good sharpener or two, preferably with something to hold the shavings
Coloured pencils, Derwent, biggest you can get.
Good erasers x 2
Then choose your paint medium, and for the sake of clothes, furniture and flooring, watercolour box set, a dozen watercolour brushes from fine to wide (oil brushes are crap for watercolour), an A4 watercolour paper (I prefer it to have a tooth, be a bit rough) as many watercolour techniques rely on the paper not being too smooth, and one (only) thick book showing water colour techniques. I recommend both the Encyclopedia of Watercolour Techniques by Hazel Harrison, and The Handbook of Watercolour Landscapes Tips and Techniques by Search Press. At her age, I just followed the pictures, later I went back to the books and read the words. I still have on my shelf from the 80s, The Artist's Painting Library: Watercolour Painting by Wendon Blake with paintings by Claude Croney and oh my, I just opened it, and it took me right back to the feeling of wonder and joy when I followed the instructions, and then when I showed people my work. It gave my style a freedom and looseness that it hadn't had before, I learned so much and oh, the delight in painting something grown-up.
posted by b33j at 6:32 PM on December 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
But ordinary sketchbooks are relatively cheap, so one of them, a big pack of feltpens and 100 coloured pencils (but not watercolour pencils, because they are soft and break too easily when sharpening).
You could go a set of acrylics, which tend to be brighter and require less skill, and you can paint on paper with them, or canvas.
I'd avoid charcoal, pastels and crayons, the first two because you need some training (even if it's self education) to make something nice, and the third, because they're just not accurate enough.
One of the things I used sketchbooks (actually any paper, including lined notebooks) was about fantasising and telling myself stories. Labyrinths, and desert islands and fashion design. Pencils and feltpens and a couple of fine ink pens (say .2mm, .5mm, .7mm) were great for this. It was not meant to be seen by anyone else.
For sketching (landscapes, portraits, pets) and developing fine motor skills and an understanding of shadow and light, a set of lead pencils from 6b to hb. The h pencils were too light for my liking, too hard to blend.
Anyway, this is what I would put on the shopping list:
Sketchbook (cheapies) A4 and A3.
Lead pencils 6B to 6H, a good sharpener or two, preferably with something to hold the shavings
Coloured pencils, Derwent, biggest you can get.
Good erasers x 2
Then choose your paint medium, and for the sake of clothes, furniture and flooring, watercolour box set, a dozen watercolour brushes from fine to wide (oil brushes are crap for watercolour), an A4 watercolour paper (I prefer it to have a tooth, be a bit rough) as many watercolour techniques rely on the paper not being too smooth, and one (only) thick book showing water colour techniques. I recommend both the Encyclopedia of Watercolour Techniques by Hazel Harrison, and The Handbook of Watercolour Landscapes Tips and Techniques by Search Press. At her age, I just followed the pictures, later I went back to the books and read the words. I still have on my shelf from the 80s, The Artist's Painting Library: Watercolour Painting by Wendon Blake with paintings by Claude Croney and oh my, I just opened it, and it took me right back to the feeling of wonder and joy when I followed the instructions, and then when I showed people my work. It gave my style a freedom and looseness that it hadn't had before, I learned so much and oh, the delight in painting something grown-up.
posted by b33j at 6:32 PM on December 12, 2018 [3 favorites]
I think at this age exposure to a variety of media is a good idea, and if the set includes watercolor paper, I would certainly add sketch paper (decent quality. It makes a huge difference, but you don't want gorgeous hand-laid paper that is too precious to sketch on). The quality of Blick supplies is in a range from student to professional, but it's silly to buy very expensive supplies for a beginner, and these are just fine. One thing that struck me is that the marker set seems aimed at younger artists, and oil pastels are a very challenging medium that is not commonly used these days by most artists. Are there instructions on using all these techniques? Oil pastel in particular can be messy and hard to use skillfully.
It does seem a little odd to me that there is watercolor paper, but the only medium needing it is the watercolor pencils (themselves generally spurned by artists, but fascinating to use and underappreciated by many artists), and I wonder if you'd want to upgrade to add watercolors. I would suggest a mixing dish, watercolor paper in a couple of sizes, a couple of medium-quality brushes, and a few tubes of watercolor, 5 or 6 at most. (It's hard to buy good pans of dry watercolor in smallish sets, but you could search for one with a dozen or fewer colors. And white is a waste - watercolor artists use the white paper as "white". Few artists use black, either, preferring to mix their own gray shades).
If you move forward, the most important instruction you could include would be on understanding color. Many watercolor sets have a dizzying array of colors, such as a brownish red, an orange red, a pink red, etc., but the genius and challenge of watercolor is that you only need a few tubes in the primary colors to make almost every color of the rainbow. This is part of the art of watercolor. The student needs to learn how color works. I am an art school grad, and have found to my delight that watercolors are endlessly challenging. Fine watercolor is difficult but fascinating because it combines the chemistry of color, the intensity of concentrated pigment vs. washes, the use of the paper's whiteness, and the element of time. Watercolors dry, and although they can be painted over, what is underneath will alter whatever is painted atop. This can be a critical advantage, or a frustrating element, but something that will be endlessly engaging.
posted by citygirl at 7:52 PM on December 12, 2018
It does seem a little odd to me that there is watercolor paper, but the only medium needing it is the watercolor pencils (themselves generally spurned by artists, but fascinating to use and underappreciated by many artists), and I wonder if you'd want to upgrade to add watercolors. I would suggest a mixing dish, watercolor paper in a couple of sizes, a couple of medium-quality brushes, and a few tubes of watercolor, 5 or 6 at most. (It's hard to buy good pans of dry watercolor in smallish sets, but you could search for one with a dozen or fewer colors. And white is a waste - watercolor artists use the white paper as "white". Few artists use black, either, preferring to mix their own gray shades).
If you move forward, the most important instruction you could include would be on understanding color. Many watercolor sets have a dizzying array of colors, such as a brownish red, an orange red, a pink red, etc., but the genius and challenge of watercolor is that you only need a few tubes in the primary colors to make almost every color of the rainbow. This is part of the art of watercolor. The student needs to learn how color works. I am an art school grad, and have found to my delight that watercolors are endlessly challenging. Fine watercolor is difficult but fascinating because it combines the chemistry of color, the intensity of concentrated pigment vs. washes, the use of the paper's whiteness, and the element of time. Watercolors dry, and although they can be painted over, what is underneath will alter whatever is painted atop. This can be a critical advantage, or a frustrating element, but something that will be endlessly engaging.
posted by citygirl at 7:52 PM on December 12, 2018
As an art-kid I can tell you that all of those art sets suck, unfortunately. Get some actual artist supplies.
Prismacolor pencils are good and you can get a set for inexpensive on Amazon. I also really like this watercolor set. (You'll want thicker watercolor paper if you get watercolors.) You can get regular watercolor brushes but I also like these water pen style brushes. You don't want to squeeze it but it keeps things a little less messy and is pretty fun.
Canson, Strathmore, and Bee Paper brands are decent for beginner levels for sketchbooks and watercolors.
Those are some of the things I use and I follow many professional artists that use those supplies. They're also kid-friendly.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:59 PM on December 12, 2018 [8 favorites]
Prismacolor pencils are good and you can get a set for inexpensive on Amazon. I also really like this watercolor set. (You'll want thicker watercolor paper if you get watercolors.) You can get regular watercolor brushes but I also like these water pen style brushes. You don't want to squeeze it but it keeps things a little less messy and is pretty fun.
Canson, Strathmore, and Bee Paper brands are decent for beginner levels for sketchbooks and watercolors.
Those are some of the things I use and I follow many professional artists that use those supplies. They're also kid-friendly.
posted by Crystalinne at 7:59 PM on December 12, 2018 [8 favorites]
How about an outing with her to an art supply store where you both can talk with staff about niece's art interests & get staff recommendations on supplies, paper, books, & info on storing/caring for her tools. It could be a lot of fun & I am sure you would find an enthusiastic staff member. A lot of staff in art supply stores are artists. If you need a gift to unwrap, a note about the outing wrapped in a portfolio of Art Bin would work.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 9:21 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 9:21 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
The texture of paper varies a lot. Some are smooth, some have tooth, and the way a pen/pencil/brush moves over each surface is very different. Get 2 or 3 sketchbooks. Different sizes are nice. 11x14 is the biggest you can go while still being portable, as in *fits in a backpack* and *doesn't require a table or drawing board underneath for support*.
I like this one a lot: Canson mix media paper. It's cheap and the paper holds up under light wet media. It still buckles, but so does watercolor paper unless you do some prep work on it by wetting and stretching the stuff out on a board.
This is a good example of really smooth paper that is nice to draw on with sharp colored pencils, markers, technical pens, gouache paints. I also like having a cheap notebook (no lines) for ballpoint pen and pencil sketches, that I can write and doodle in without feeling like I'm wasting paper.
posted by mammal at 9:46 PM on December 12, 2018
I like this one a lot: Canson mix media paper. It's cheap and the paper holds up under light wet media. It still buckles, but so does watercolor paper unless you do some prep work on it by wetting and stretching the stuff out on a board.
This is a good example of really smooth paper that is nice to draw on with sharp colored pencils, markers, technical pens, gouache paints. I also like having a cheap notebook (no lines) for ballpoint pen and pencil sketches, that I can write and doodle in without feeling like I'm wasting paper.
posted by mammal at 9:46 PM on December 12, 2018
I got really into drawing at about that age, and my two pencil recommendations would be Derwent and Faber-Castell. I tried prismacolors recently and found them to be... sort of mediocre. Like, they're fine, they just felt a bit harder and scratchier than my Faber-Castells (which I looooove, I have the giant set). Maybe the prismacolors I used were a cheaper set and not the pro version, I don't know.
I also found pure watercolours difficult when I was younger, but I loved my watercolour pencils. They're fun, I really recommend them. I still use them and I don't know why they're not more popular.
I never got into markers because I never had actually nice ones - regular felt tips kinda suck for colouring but copics or similar artist's markers are lovely to use.
posted by stillnocturnal at 3:41 AM on December 13, 2018
I also found pure watercolours difficult when I was younger, but I loved my watercolour pencils. They're fun, I really recommend them. I still use them and I don't know why they're not more popular.
I never got into markers because I never had actually nice ones - regular felt tips kinda suck for colouring but copics or similar artist's markers are lovely to use.
posted by stillnocturnal at 3:41 AM on December 13, 2018
I would go with a set of very nice blendable colored pencils, blending stump, art-specific erasers, multiple hardness pencil set - - over a huge kit with stuff they may not use (quality over quantity). Also, get one of those black, hardcover bound sketchbooks - they feel very much like "I Am An Artist" just carrying it around, plus there's the benefit of being a more permanent way of keeping early art, it becomes a keepsake of their beginnings as an artist.
If you've got a college near you, go buy there, art departments usually make the students buy quality stuff so that's what's going to be in stock.
posted by AzraelBrown at 4:10 AM on December 13, 2018
If you've got a college near you, go buy there, art departments usually make the students buy quality stuff so that's what's going to be in stock.
posted by AzraelBrown at 4:10 AM on December 13, 2018
I love this! I have a 13 year old drawing daughter. Based on my experiences with her and what she uses most, I would get:
- Prismacolor pencils in a set that fits your budget perhaps including a skin color set for drawing people if you think she would like that,
- a couple sketchbooks with general paper,
- a drawing prompts journaling type book, and
- a book showing how to draw something that corresponds to her interests.
This way she would have good pencils (bad colored pencils are so bad) and could draw on the blank pages open-ended or the journal if she felt like following prompts or follow the how-to book if she felt like following directions.
If my budget extended, I'd consider a water color set. And then a set of prismacolor markers or copic markers but I'd maybe keep this for a different occasion. And okay maybe then a set of micron pens and a blank comic book or zentangle book depending on her interests.
Drawing prompts example:
https://www.amazon.com/642-Things-Draw-Young-Artists/dp/1452150664/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544711823&sr=8-3&keywords=drawing+prompts
How to Draw example although there are more serious Learn to Draw books:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Cool-Stuff-Teachers-ebook/dp/B074CDJPNK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544711896&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+draw+books
All in One Watercolor set, decent quality:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001OVG40E/cooltools-20/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=cooltools-20&linkId=18e1e0382a0cced7c2fa25f4fb4af289&language=en_US
Micron Pens:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008G8G8Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Blank Comic Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Blank-Comic-Book-Variety-Templates/dp/1544237545/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544712252&sr=1-5&keywords=blank+comic+book
Zentangle:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592538118/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
posted by RoadScholar at 6:47 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
- Prismacolor pencils in a set that fits your budget perhaps including a skin color set for drawing people if you think she would like that,
- a couple sketchbooks with general paper,
- a drawing prompts journaling type book, and
- a book showing how to draw something that corresponds to her interests.
This way she would have good pencils (bad colored pencils are so bad) and could draw on the blank pages open-ended or the journal if she felt like following prompts or follow the how-to book if she felt like following directions.
If my budget extended, I'd consider a water color set. And then a set of prismacolor markers or copic markers but I'd maybe keep this for a different occasion. And okay maybe then a set of micron pens and a blank comic book or zentangle book depending on her interests.
Drawing prompts example:
https://www.amazon.com/642-Things-Draw-Young-Artists/dp/1452150664/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544711823&sr=8-3&keywords=drawing+prompts
How to Draw example although there are more serious Learn to Draw books:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Cool-Stuff-Teachers-ebook/dp/B074CDJPNK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1544711896&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+draw+books
All in One Watercolor set, decent quality:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001OVG40E/cooltools-20/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=cooltools-20&linkId=18e1e0382a0cced7c2fa25f4fb4af289&language=en_US
Micron Pens:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008G8G8Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Blank Comic Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Blank-Comic-Book-Variety-Templates/dp/1544237545/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544712252&sr=1-5&keywords=blank+comic+book
Zentangle:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592538118/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
posted by RoadScholar at 6:47 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oh and I'd avoid that set, the quality would be surpassed by a smaller number of tools. You may also consider asking what tools she already has if she is only asking for a sketchbook then maybe she already has pencils etc? We've done this before, asked for sketchbooks and - sigh - ended up with a bunch of crayola markers that we don't need.
posted by RoadScholar at 6:51 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by RoadScholar at 6:51 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is she learning to draw using youtube videos? My son started drawing around that age and he had really specific requests for things that the artists he watched used. If she asked for a sketch book, definitely get her a sketch book and if possible find out what size she likes.
My son is 12 now and his recommendation is to get just a couple of pencils, all the same kind. They sell a lot of sets of various drawing pencils of various hardnesses and it's really confusing and you don't actually use them all. Just get a couple basic good ones. Also he is a huge fan of copic markers, especially the outlining ones. He did stuff in a cartoony style and it is amazing how outlining a drawing in thin black maker makes it pop and look professional.
posted by selfmedicating at 8:03 PM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
My son is 12 now and his recommendation is to get just a couple of pencils, all the same kind. They sell a lot of sets of various drawing pencils of various hardnesses and it's really confusing and you don't actually use them all. Just get a couple basic good ones. Also he is a huge fan of copic markers, especially the outlining ones. He did stuff in a cartoony style and it is amazing how outlining a drawing in thin black maker makes it pop and look professional.
posted by selfmedicating at 8:03 PM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
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