As someone who's been drawing since I could hold a crayon, I've been through my fair share of graphite pencils, sketchbooks, and paint sets. I've tried dozens of different brands over the years, and some are still my favorites. Whether you've been painting for years, are going off to art school soon, or just want to get into drawing for the first time, you need quality art supplies. And while professional artists may use pricey supplies to create their masterpieces, you don't necessarily have to shell out on the fanciest pastels or canvas. In fact, there are plenty of. more affordable options that can serve you just as well, if you know how to use them to your advantage. To help, we rounded up many of the basic art supplies you need in your studio in one handy guide.

Here are the best art supplies you can buy:

The best sketchbook:

Strathmore Sketchbooks, $12.76 from Amazon Strathmore makes excellent sketchbooks with all kinds of paper, including drawing, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, and more

Pros:

Sturdy sketchbooks, great paper quality, paper types for different media, affordable

Cons:

Larger sizes cost more, specialty papers have fewer pages

I've used Strathmore sketchbooks for years. I typically buy the ones with recycled paper, but I've also used the pastel, charcoal, and watercolor pads for when I need a different texture. No matter which media you choose, these sketchbooks can handle it.

The standard paper will warp if you use watercolors on it, but for any kind of pen, pencil, marker, or another drawing implement, it will do the job — it's a good thickness and weight.

When it comes to Strathmore's watercolor paper, it's sturdy and strong enough to stand up to lots of water. The charcoal and pastel paper notebooks both have a wonderful texture to them that really works for the softer media and good blending. Strathmore's prices are fairly reasonable, too, so you can sketch away.

Best graphite pencils:

Staedtler Pencil Mars Lumograph 12-Piece Set, $12.82 from Amazon Staedtler comes with all the graphite pencils you need to draw like a pro.

Pros:

Bold graphite pencils, 8B to 6H range, affordable, long-lasting

Cons:

None

If you draw with graphite pencils, you know that not all graphite is the same. This Staedtler set comes with 12 pencils in different hardnesses from 8B to 6H. For the uninitiated, the higher the number in front of the B, the softer the lead. Conversely, the higher the number in front of the H, the harder the lead.

Most people will use 2B, HB, and B the most, but if you need deep dark blacks that blend well, you'll need 4B and up. For hard, light lines, H pencils are perfect.

The pencils come in a tin for safekeeping, and they're easy to sharpen and comfortable to hold — even when you draw for hours on end. I've used dozens of graphite pencils, but Staedtler's are the best for the price.

Best charcoal:

Cretacolor Charcoal Drawing Set, $29.41 from Blick The Cretacolor Charcoal Drawing Set has every kind of charcoal you need to create beautiful work.

Pros:

Big set with many pieces, includes charcoal pencils and compressed charcoal; comes with an eraser, charcoal sticks, and a charcoal block; affordable

Cons:

None If you're just getting started with charcoal or you want to try a new medium, this charcoal set has everything you need, including pencils and compressed charcoal. Each pencil is labeled with its hardness level, and the kneaded eraser is a great blending tool, but it can also erase any mistakes fairly well.

Best colored pencils:

Prismacolor Quality Art Set, $46.99 from Amazon Prismacolor Quality Art Set includes 48 colored pencils that are rich in color.
      Pros:

      Bold colors, lots of variety, long-lasting, eraser and sharpener included, affordable

      Cons:

      None

      The Prismacolor Quality Art Set comes with 48 colored pencils in beautiful, bright shades. You'll also get a sharpener and a Latex-Free Scholar Eraser in the set.

      These colored pencils aren't like the basic Crayola ones you used in elementary school. — they're high-quality, soft lead pencils with rich colors. You can create extraordinary drawings with these Prismacolor pencils or color in an adult coloring book to make a black and white design come to life.

      Best erasers:

      Prismacolor Premier Kneaded, ArtGum, and Plastic Erasers, $2.48 from Blick Premier will erase any mistake you make.

      Pros:

      Three types of erasers, affordable

      Cons:

      None

      fix your mistakes by Prismacolor's erasers. This three-pack gives you a kneaded rubber eraser, an artist gum eraser, and a latex-free plastic eraser.

      I personally only use kneaded erasers, because they work with all media and don't shed eraser bits everywhere, but the ArtGum eraser is great for stubborn graphite and the plastic eraser doesn't shed, either.

      Since this set gives you all three, you can pick and choose which one you need based on the medium you're working with.

      Best pastels:

      Sennelier, $45.17 from Amazon Sennelier makes the absolute best oil and soft pastels, but Van Gogh, Koh-i-noor, and Prismacolor are fine alternatives.

      Pros:

      Beautiful oil and soft pastels, good variety of colors, strong pigments

      Cons:

      Sennelier's pastels are expensive

      One of my favorite mediums is pastel. The rich, bold colors and easy blending make for the perfect drawing experience. Of all the pastels I've used, Sennelier's are the best. Its oil pastels, in particular, are stunning. The richness of the colors is unparalleled and you can feel the oiliness of the pastel. I lust over them every time I got to the art store.

      However, Sennelier pastels are very expensive, because they are among the highest quality ones you can buy. Since not everyone can spend hundreds on them — myself included, alas — Van Gogh makes great oil pastels for much less, Koh-i-noor sells wonderful soft pastel pencils, and Prismacolor makes great soft pastels for an affordable price.

      I mostly use soft pastel pencils, because the fine tip gives you more control over your drawing and fine detail. However, when you're working big and you need to blend, Prismacolor's pastels are perfect. Van Gogh's oil pastels are nearly as pigmented and rich as Sennelier's and they blend very well. You can even thin them with linseed oil, just like you would for oil paint if you want a painterly look.

      Best watercolors

      Winsor & Newton makes wonderful watercolor paints and sets, while Derwent makes excellent watercolor pencils.
        Pros:

        Bright colors, good variety in the sets, sturdy pencils

        Cons:

        High-end tubes are pricey

        While you may think about those plastic sets from elementary school, the best watercolors come in tubes like acrylic and oil paint. You can get good sets in plastic, of course, and there are wonderful watercolor pencils, too. We've got picks for all three.

        The Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Color 12-Tube Set is best for the serious watercolor artist who wants a nice set of colors, while the Sketcher's Pocket Box is great for anyone on the go who want a travel-friendly plastic set. Both provide rich, lovely color.

        My favorite watercolor pencils are Derwent's because you can get a nice variety of colors without paying too much. The watercolor pencils give you more control over fine details in your paintings, so they may be a fun addition to your supplies.