I'm often asked about my journey as an artist, which began during the pandemic in 2020. With many jewellery stores closed due to lockdowns in the UK, I found myself with ample time at home to explore a new hobby connected to gemmology.
The first step was to determine which medium worked best for me. As a self-proclaimed Amazon fan, I quickly stocked up on art supplies with just a few clicks.
I experimented with various materials, including pencils, watercolours, gouache, acrylics, and marker pens. However, my favourite is the Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils, which produce vivid colours and are easy to blend.
For those interested, here is a list of the drawing and painting materials I use.
I have also included an Amazon link to the products for easy purchase.
The Classic Black Pencil (Your best friend)
I use Staedtler Mars Clutch 2mm Pencil.
This is a fantastic and affordable pencil that will last your a very long time. I got mine from Amazon for £8.00. Refills are 6 in a pack for £5.00
Leadholder for drawing, sketching and writing
For 2 mm leads e.g. Mars carbon 200
With metal clip, push-button and grip zone
Integrated lead sharpener in push-button
HB lead
Hardness-degree indication on clip
Link to Amazon Product - Pencil - https://amzn.to/3FogX1L
Link to Amazon Product - Refills - https://amzn.to/404pX4f
The Must-Have Sharpeners
This is a must if you use Coloured pencils as if you aren't sharpening them, your lines are not going to be refined. I use 2 sharpeners, the first one is by Staedler for my Black Pencil, and the other one is by Faber-Castell for all of my coloured pencils
Faber-Castell Trio Pencil Sharpener Tub Box GRIP 2001 Silver
Trio sharpening box for graphite and colour pencils, standard and jumbo sizes
Ergonomic triangular shape
Large container for sharpening
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3JicOxd
Price: Around £5
Staedtler Mars Lead Pointer Tub - Sharpener For 2mm Pencil Leads
Sharpener for 2 mm leads
Automatic sharpening stop
With measurement device for adjusting sharpening cone
Metal lead sharpener
Integrated dust wiper
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3ZMlAdU
Price: Around £10
Eraser
This is so important to me as without it, I could not complete one of my drawings. This Electric eraser from Amazon brand Eono is super fun to use and takes seconds to remove the excess pencil marks and any mistake lines you may do (we are not perfect so it's normal to make mistakes)
Here is a bit more about this eraser:
Good quality, reliable and comes with 22 replacement refills (Diameter 2.3mm 10 pcs and 5mm 12 pcs), easy to remove and replace.
Controlling it with a small button, and a light touch are all required to remove marks, The ergonomic plastic handle makes the electric eraser very comfortable to hold.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, the Electric Eraser is equally suitable for hobby artists and professionals alike --Powered by 2 AAA batteries (not included).
Suitable for graphite, coloured and pastel pencils, Ideal for small highlight, work well for drawing, office or school work
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3K0I7hY
Price: Around £8
Faber Castell Kneadable Art Eraser
After I draw my facets and the lines of the project I'm working on I tend to remove most of the pencil marks with this Kneadable Eraser from Faber-Castell by simply dabbing the eraser on the lines and you see how they disappear.
Ergonomically shaped quality eraser for soft corrections, which is smudge and PVC-free
KNEADABLE – This eraser is extremely kneadable and absorbent. It can be used for cleaning slides and final drawing touch-ups.
Ideal – This eraser is ideal for graphite and coloured pencils. It is the perfect drawing eraser choice for artists, sketch pencils and drawing supplies. It can correct and lighten Charcoal, pencil and pastel work
Essential – This is a must-have
Link to Amazon Product -https://amzn.to/3Z7T8SE
Price: Around £3
Art Paper
Paper is very important when it comes to working with different mediums. I have tried quite a few but keep coming back to my first which is by Clairefontaine and it's called
Paint-On
A real mix-media, this paper is suitable for drawing with pencil, felt-tip pen or pen but is also perfectly suited to gouache, ink or acrylic. This PEFC-certified paper is acid-free and pH-neutral for perfect preservation of drawings over time.
MATCHING PAINTON PAPER: this 100% cellulose paper is THE perfect compromise between dry and wet techniques! Thanks to its heavy weight, this versatile paper resists scratching and supports several coats. It also has good absorption capacity.
Did I say that this paper is also available in different colours and sizes? I tend to use the White A4 size and if I need an A5, I just cut the A4 in half.
Clairefontaine - Ref 975410C - Paint'ON Multi-Technique Assorted Colour Paper Pad (24 Sheets) - A4 Size, 250gsm
Great for beginners as with this pack you will get 6 different colours to work with
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/42xgd43
Price: Around £10
Clairefontaine - Ref 96537C - Paint'ON Multi-Technique Glued Paper Pad (40 Sheets) - A4 Size, 250gsm
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/40pKEY5
Price: Around £10
Clairefontaine - Ref 975169C - Paint'ON Multi-Technique Black Paper Pad (20 Sheets) - A4 Size, 250gsm
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/42uqApt
Price: Around £10
Clairefontaine - Ref 96540C - Paint'ON Multi-Technique Naturel Paper Pad (30 Sheets) - A4 Size, 250gsm
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3lGippk
Price: Around £10
Clairefontaine - Ref 975809C - Paint'ON Multi-Technique Grey Glued Paper Pad (30 Sheets) - A4 Size, 250gsm
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3JDWPdi
Price: Around £10
Coloured Pencils
I'm obsessed with the Faber-Castell Polychromos Coloured Pencils as they are so vivid
and very easy to blend, I've been using them pretty much since day one and am so used to them. Practice getting the right pressure and coverage right.
Faber-Castell Polychromos artists' colour pencils from Faber Castell are of the highest quality. Their soft waterproof waxy leads are smooth and resistant to smudging.
Polychromos artists’ colour pencils are valued for their matchless quality by professional artists around the world. Their high standard ensures that Polychromos artists' colour pencils are ideal for use in the graphic arts, for free artistic expression, and for the precise colouring of plans. Faber-Castell's quality standards are applied consistently throughout the manufacturing process.
Download a FREE Polychromos Colour Swatch here to print at home
Here are some images of my Ruby drawing showing the different stages and how vivid the Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils are.
Purchase Ruby Print Here
TIP: You don't need to splash out hundreds of pounds to get the full set of 120 pencils (You probably won't use half of them) Invest in the 24 Pack which is around £30 and every time you need a colour, purchase them individually. Also, there is a pencil chart inside the box with all of their colours, I tend to tick each one I get so I don't double up. A good tip is also to purchase a pencil case like the one above
Amazon Link to Product - https://amzn.to/3LjmHxx
TIP:
Use a makeup brush when drawing with pencils to sweep off any excess pencils on the paper. This way you won't smudge or leave any marks (I used to use my hand or blow on the paper and that didn't go so well)
Stencils
Who is a fan of Stencils?
I love working with stencils due to the perfect lines you get and the no time spent on trying to draw a circle. The stencils I use are by Liquidraw and are made specifically for Jewellery Designers. One of my favourite stencils is the Round Brilliant cut - Art No 2015 with the face-up and pavilion view and carat chart.
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3lAUuYw
Price: Around £8
This Stencil is great for all around Gemstone shapes
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3z0o2Sl
Price: Around £12
They do get a bit pricey when you purchase them in one go, but it's something you will have for a very long time.
Here is Liquidraw's Store on Amazon so you can see their full collection
Waterbased Fineliner Pens
Those Fineliner are great to add touches of bright colours to your artwork or why not draw completely with them, the choice is all yours
ARTEZA Fineliner Pens Inkonic
Fine Precision Tips: These colouring pens have 0.4 mm fine tips that are clad with hard metal casings for precision & durability. Perfect for fine, detailed work with rulers & stencils.
Smudge-Free & Acid-Free Ink: These colourful artist fineliners contain acid-free ink that dries quickly without smudging. Perfect for lefthanded artists too
Price: Around £30 for a set of 72
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3ld8xn0
Gouache
The term gouache was first used in France in the eighteenth century to describe a type of paint made from pigments bound in water-soluble gum, like watercolour, but with the addition of a white pigment in order to make it opaque.
This is a medium that I don't have much experience with due to my personal preference towards coloured pencils. But that said, I have tried a few times to paint with Designers Gouache and the colours are stunning (when you get the consistency right).
Here is an Emerald cut Emerald I painted a few years ago using Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache. I would say you have to practice, watch plenty of beginner's videos and sign up for a course if there is one near you. Once you master it, there will be no stopping you :)
Purchase Emerald Print Here
Winsor & Newton Designers Gouache
Winsor & Newton have been producing Designers Gouache since 1935 and to this day they continue to offer the finest artists' gouache range available.
Designers Gouache colours are a range of opaque water colours, mainly used by designers, illustrators and commercial artists to create vibrant illustrations in solid colour. Gouache is also widely used in fine art as an opaque watercolour.
The Designer's Gouache range benefits from significant developments in technology and is smoother, flatter, more opaque and more brilliant than ever before.
This ideal starter set has a selection of ten 14ml tubes including Primary Yellow, Permanent Yellow Deep, Spectrum Red, Primary Red, Ultramarine, Primary Blue, Permanent Green Middle, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black, and Zinc White.
This set will be perfect for a beginner, also there are many more colours you can purchase individually via Amazon or from your local Art store
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3JY70dT
Price: Around £30
Watercolours
Watercolours are a great choice to paint too for many designers. You can mix them with gouache and coloured pencils mediums and they are all around great choice to have in your stockpile
FINE ART PIGMENTS-Cotman Watercolours uses fine art pigments with a reduced pigment load than the Professional Watercolour range, making them an accessible choice while still uncompromising on quality.
TRANSPARENT COLOUR - Formulated to create uniform consistency, the transparent quality of Cotman Watercolour is perfect for new users.
LIGHTFAST AND PERMANENT - Rated AA and A for Excellent and Good lightfastness, Cotman Watercolour gives artists the reassurance expected from a quality watercolour range
Half-pan colours are ideal to use whilst travelling. Half pans are popular with artists who paint infrequently, as the paints may be left for long periods of time between uses, without affecting their quality
Winsor & Newton, Cotman Watercolour, 'Studio Set', 45 x Half Pans
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3TIcXPt
Price: Around £40
Brushes
My favourite brushes are by Winsor & Newton (I'm sure you can see a brand theme going here) and they are called - Winsor & Newton, Cotman Watercolour Synthetic Brushes, Short Handle, Pack of 7
Mixed fibre widths give excellent spring and superior paint loading. Perfect with Cotman watercolours.
Cotman watercolour Brushes are very popular, due to their blend of differing thickness fibres. The thicker fibres give strength and spring whilst the thinner fibres improve colour-carrying capacity.
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3lueMD8
Price: Around £20
Palette
Palettes are a must when painting, there are so many plates you can use from your kitchen, but there is nothing better than having a palette that you can close and go back to the colours after a few days. I found this pallet below to be very useful and it's also leakproof and stylish.
Keeps Paint Fresh – This palette has a silicone seal on the lid, which is great for keeping the paint moist. Simply use it as a storage of your colours protected from light and in a dust-free environment. Wet the colours with a sponge when dry and simply reuse them
Easy to Clean - super flat, non-porous surface allows you to easily wash out and clean colours on your palette without any residuals. So you never have to worry about your new colour being impure
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3lrMvgx
Price: Around £17
Books
I have 2 all-time favourite books when it comes to Jewellery design
Jewellery Illustration and Design: Techniques for Achieving Professional Results
This book analyzes the fundamental aspects of graphically depicting a wide variety of jewellery. The relationships of volume, the balance between the full and empty, the treatment of metal surfaces, warm and cool materials and the relationship between the support and the stone are explained in depth along with ways to illuminate jewellery, treatment of light and chiaroscuro play to add depth. The book begins with simple geometric structures and moves on to explore more complex forms through a range of distortions and multiplications. The goal is not to show finished pieces of jewellery but to provide the tools that will enable readers to acquire a work method that allows them to represent their ideas effectively.
by Manuela Brambatti (Author), Cosimo Vinci (Author)
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/40wjbUX
Price: Around £25
Jewellery Illustration and Design, Vol.2: From the Idea to the Project
Having learned about geometry, perspective and representation of materials in the first volume, this second book in this two-part series delves deeper into the process of designing jewellery, from the first sketch to the final representation, with special emphasis on how to work on ideas, plan a collection, and design and depict a wide variety of pieces. The fundamentals of drawing different pieces, such as necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets, are carefully explained and illustrated in the book, which includes all the technical details to be taken into consideration when planning a jewellery piece, from the executive point of view. While the first volume focused on the tools needed to be able to accurately convey ideas, draw different materials, facets and effects, and master the use of colour, this publication tackles the process from the initial idea, based on natural or geometrical forms, to the final drawing of the completed piece, including illustration techniques and sources of inspiration, all aspects that will stir up the reader's creativity. It is the ultimate tool and resource for jewellery students and professionals, and even illustrators in search of professional guidelines in freehand drawing and painting techniques when representing jewellery.
by Manuela Brambatti (Author), Cosimo Vinci (Author)
Link to Amazon Product - https://amzn.to/3FGhzQw
Price: Around £25
Thank you for reading my blog on "The Gemstone Artist's Brushes, Paints and Pencils" I
really enjoyed writing this up and I'm so glad I did it.
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P.S x 2 - I have purchased each item above and none of the products is given to me to promote them. All of the above are my opinions. Some text is used from the items description on Amazon.
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