Gift advice from you art types

[achiro]

My 10 year old son is really getting into art this year and is doing a lot of pencil type drawing stuff right now. We'd like to get him some supplies for Christmas but I don't have any idea where to start. Types of paper/pads, styles of pencils, what other mediums to get that wouldn't be real messy or difficult to learn.
Any help would be appreciated.
TYIA

[usaosooner]

Get him some molding clay, and some balsa wood for carving.. The rest you got covered

[MR2-Sooner86]

It is messy but charcoal is really fun to draw with. You just have to be really careful with it because it will get everywhere if you let it.

I would also suggest acrylic paints. They're water and not oil based so they dry fast. Also if you have a little spill you can mix up some water and wash it right out.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

I have a son in high school art and a niece in AP Art. Based on my purchases, I'd say the fundamentals are a sketch pad, a graphite sketch set of pencils, and a set of colored pencils.


http://www.reuels.com/reuels/media/st/st25-508L.jpg

http://image.misterart.com/grouppix/528x352/1000/g1477.jpg

http://www.polymerclayexpress.com/images/prismacolor48.jpg





They have watercolor pencils, but I suspect you don't start with them.
http://www.thewatercolorpencils.com/img/watercolor-pencils-prismacolor.jpg

[SanJoaquinSooner]

And when he turns 14 or 15, rent the movie Art School Confidential.

http://www.dvdhouse.ps/images/ArtSchoolConfidential200639000_f.jpg

[SOONER44EVER]

Go to Michael's. There is one at NW 50th and May. They have very nice sets there. My cousin is an artist and we get him something there every year. They have sets that have pencils, pens, markers, charcoal, paint, etc. etc. in a nice wooden box.

[GKeeper316]

at 10 you'll want to go cheap and get as many different mediums for him to experiment with as possible... but keep in mind that art is very very messy.

do not get him any prismacolor stuff for at least another 5 years... thats professional grade stuff and costs a ton of money. my prismacolor color pencil set cost over $500, and all my markers were more than that.

but for your purposes, i would get a good graphite pencil set and some good gum and kneaded erasers. 10 is a little young for mixed medium or acrylic/oil paints.

[GKeeper316]

o ya... a sketch pad is a must, but consider getting him some bristol board as well.

[achiro]

Thanks for the replies so far


my prismacolor color pencil set cost over $500, and all my markers were more than that.

HO-LEE CRAP!:eek:

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Thanks for the replies so far



HO-LEE CRAP!:eek:

Gkeeper may be right that it's best to wait for the expensive stuff, but I know we bought a set of 48 prismacolor pencils that listed for $75 discounted to around $50.

GKEEPER probably bought the quadruple deluxe set.

[GKeeper316]

GKEEPER probably bought the quadruple deluxe set.

something like that...

[picasso]

Get him some charcoal pencils and as stated above, Prismacolor pencils are great also.
Sketchpads are cool too but I'd get a couple of illustration boards which are basically smooth poster board.
I started out with the colored pencil thing before I delved into painting.

Good luck!

[GottaHavePride]

Side question - those prismacolor pencils are the ****, but is there somewhere I can get, for instance, just red and blue? I use them to mark my orchestra scores, but I don't need all the greens / purples / yellows / oranges.

[picasso]

Side question - those prismacolor pencils are the ****, but is there somewhere I can get, for instance, just red and blue? I use them to mark my orchestra scores, but I don't need all the greens / purples / yellows / oranges.

Yeah, most real art stores sell them separately.

I buy indigo blue to draw out my design on the canvas.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Yeah, most real art stores sell them separately.

I buy indigo blue to draw out my design on the canvas.

...thought your blue period was over.

[picasso]

...thought your blue period was over.

:D

It comes and goes.

[achiro]

o ya... a sketch pad is a must, but consider getting him some bristol board as well.

I noticed that bristol board comes in different textures or roughness? 300 or 400 I think is hat I saw? Which do you recommend for pencil drawings?

[proud gonzo]

clay boards--they're like posterboard covered in black clay that you scratch off to leave white underneath. They also sell cool scratcher tools for it and then there's my favorite--xacto knives. Best tool there is for that. Not really messy or expensive and if your kid likes drawing, it's a little bit of a different twist.

And obviously I'm gonna recommend paints and brushes :) you can buy a set of cheap little brushes for not a whole lot and then just get some basic colors and a package of cheap canvases--or you can even buy canvas boards for cheap. they're basically canvas-covered cardboard and they're pretty good for starting out.

[GKeeper316]

I noticed that bristol board comes in different textures or roughness? 300 or 400 I think is hat I saw? Which do you recommend for pencil drawings?

that number is the "weight" of the paper... how much weight the paper was pressed with when it was made... and for your purposes, it doesn't matter a smidge.