Traditional Art Material

This page is a guide, mainly for myself, where I have a small review and opinions on material I use and where to get it.

Be free to use it if you need some guidance on what kind of supply material you should use for traditional art.

My location is Portugal and I shop mainly on physical shops (brick and mortar stores) but will leave a link for Amazon (Spain) or the shop's site (if they have one). No affiliate links, like I wrote before, these are mainly for me, I'm just sharing because it is convenient for me to have this info on hand when I'm out and need to reference something quick.

I'm not a classical trained artist, just an experimenter. Keep this in mind.

Control/command + F is your friend 

LIST:

Black inks:

Vallejo Drawing ink

• Vallejo Drawing ink Black number 30.024 - link Vallejo catalogue substitute product - 31.024

• ⦿ sticky ink, not good for dip pen
• ⦿ taker forever to dry and keeps sticky forever
• ⦿ not waterproof
• ⦿ not alcohol proof
• ⦿ good for ink wash
• ⦿ drip package
• - bought at Staples - discontinued~

 

• Pelikan Tusche A Drawing Ink Black - link to Pelikan catalogue - Amazon Spain listing

• ⦿ not very fluid, hard to use with dip pen 
• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ semi-waterproof, resists semi-dry techniques
• ⦿ not alcohol proof
• ⦿ usable as ink wash
• ⦿ glass ink bottle
• - bought at my regular art supplies shop - no web shop front

• Winsor & Newton Black Indian Ink number 1005 030 - link to W&N catalogue
  
• ⦿ semi-fluid ink, usable with dip pen
• ⦿ dries quickly, even on the quill
• ⦿ waterproof
• ⦿ not alcohol proof
• ⦿ not good as ink wash - dries too quickly and leaves blotches
• ⦿ glass ink bottle in cardboard box - quite pretty
• - bought on Amazon Spain - Amazon Spain listing

 

 Deleter Black ink number 1 - link to Deleter catalogue

• ⦿ very fluid - excellent with dip pen
• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ not waterproof
• ⦿ alcohol proof
• ⦿ very good as ink wash, dries quickly but can be reactivated
• ⦿ plastic package not very presentable...
• - bought on Amazon Spain - Amazon Spain listing

 

• Parker Quink Black ink - link to Parker catalogue
• ⦿ very fluid - too fluid for dip pen, good on fountain pen
• ⦿ dries extra quick
• ⦿ not waterproof
• ⦿ alcohol prof
• ⦿ not good as inkwash -  turns blue after a while
• ⦿ beautiful ink well glass flask in a cardboard box, cheap
• - bought on Amazon Spain - Amazon Spain listing

 Fine-liners:

•  Staedtler Triplus black 334 - link to Staedtler Catalogue

• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ not waterproof
• ⦿ not alcohol proof
• ⦿ cool stand up package - has other colours
• ⦿ not refillable
• ⦿ not very expensive
• - bought at my regular art supplies shop - no web shop front

•  Staedtler Pigment Liner 308 black - link to Staedtler Catalogue

• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ water resistant - resists drier techniques
• ⦿ alcohol resistant - can bleed if too much alcohol is used for blending for example
• ⦿ cool stand up package with multiple thickness and colours options
  
• ⦿ not refillable
• ⦿ expensive - watch for regular sales
• - bought at Staples shop - web listing

 

• Sakura Pigma Micron - link to Sakura catalogue - Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ water resistant - can bleed if too wet
• ⦿ alcohol resistant - same as Staedtler Pigment Liner
• ⦿ can be sold one by one or in packages
• ⦿ not refillable
• ⦿ expensive - not many sales found
• - bought at my regular art supplies shop - no web shop front

 

 Faber-Castell Pitt artist pens - black - link to Faber-Castell catalogue

• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ not water proof
• ⦿ not alcohol proof
• ⦿ sold on sets - has many other colours - plastic package
• ⦿ not refillable
  
• ⦿ very expensive
• - bought at Fnac shop - link to web listing

 

Pens - Dip, Fountain and Regular: 

• Bic Cristal - link to Bic catalogue
• ⦿ dries quickly but can leave blobs that smudge easily
• ⦿ waterproof
• ⦿ alcohol proof
• ⦿ four colours, sold on sets or individual - green, red, black and blue
• ⦿ not refillable
• ⦿ leaves a distinctive ballpoint pen mark pattern
  
• ⦿ inexpensive, cheap, cheap!
• - bough at my grocery shop - web listing

 

• Reform 80 piston fountain fen - discontinued
  
• ⦿ uses any fountain pen ink - using Parker Quink now - see inks.
• ⦿ hard to handle because ink can fail to flow due to aged seals.
• ⦿ leaves a cool line weight effect - small nib
• ⦿ not good for fine-liner
• ⦿ reasonable as an inking tool
• - gift - probably made in the late 1980's

 

• Zebra-Tachikawa G dip Pen Nib - link to Zebra catalogue
• ⦿ uses any ink dip pen compatible - see inks.
• ⦿ hard to master but fun to use
• ⦿ leaves a cool line weight effect and can be finer than an 0.05 fine-liner
• ⦿ great inking tool as long as being mind-full of wet ink
• ⦿ moderate price - sold on packs
  
• - bought on Amazon Spain - link to listing

 

• Sakura GellyRoll White Pen - link to Sakura catalogue - link to Amazon Spain
• ⦿ slow dry white ink
• ⦿ opaque ink
• ⦿ ballpoint pen
• ⦿ works well on alcohol markers
• ⦿ works well on watercolour AFTER it DRIES
• ⦿ ballpoint can get stuck
• - bought at local supermarket - no web listing 

 

Brush-pens:

 

• Sakura Pigma Brush - black - link to Sakura catalogue
• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ not waterproof
• ⦿ alcohol resistant - be aware of blending 
• ⦿ fine point but wears of quickly
• ⦿ not easy to use
• ⦿ not refillable
  
• ⦿ quite expensive and hard to find on local shops
• - bought at auchan - web listing

 

• Sakura Koi Coloring Brush Pen - black - link to Sakura catalogue - Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ not waterproof
• ⦿ alcohol resistant
• ⦿ tip feels more like a marker tip than a brush
• ⦿ not easy to use and not very black more blueish grey
• ⦿ not refillable
• - bought at local office supply shop - no web presence

 

• Pentel Pocket Brush Pen - black - link to Pentel catalogue
  
• ⦿ dries quickly
• ⦿ not water proof
• ⦿ not alcohol proof
• ⦿ fine tip, feels just like a brush
• ⦿ takes practice but it is usable
• ⦿ refillable with blisters of ink
• ⦿ expensive
• - bought at Amazon Spain - link to listing

Inart (top) and Pentel (bottom) - Water Brushes

•  Pentel water brush pen - link to Pentel catalogue - Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ can be used with india ink or water based inks (watercolours, ink-wash)
• ⦿ many tip sizes - I have medium size
• ⦿ nylon bristles - cheap plastic construction
• ⦿ water compartment can be pressed for water flow
• ⦿ takes time but water can dry out of feeder
• ⦿ god for ink, watercolour and ink-wash
• - bought at local art supply store - no web presence
• Inart water brush pen - link to Inart catalogue
• ⦿ can be used with india ink or water based inks (watercolours, ink-wash)
• ⦿ small tip, good for fine details
• ⦿ nylon bristles
• ⦿ water compartment with flow pump
• ⦿ water can remain on the feeder even after draining the pen
• ⦿ good for watercolour, no so good for ink as soon as you use it with water.
• - bought at staples shop - web listing

 

Brushes

• Auchan Watercolour and Gouache set 
• - 4, 6, 10 and 14 sizes
• ⦿ real pony hair bristles
• ⦿ wood handle
  
• ⦿ soft bristles
• ⦿ hard to get a point
• ⦿ suck water easily
  
• ⦿ good for watercolour
• ⦿ good for ink wash
• ⦿ bad for inking
• ⦿ cheap
• - bought at auchan - web listing set - web listing number 4

 

• Generic 000 chinese-made set 
• - 000 size
• ⦿ synthetic bristles
• ⦿ wood handle - but cheap
• ⦿ hard bristles
• ⦿ no point, bristles with different lengths
• ⦿ holds no water
• ⦿ bad at watercolour
• ⦿ bad at ink-wash
• ⦿ can work for inking, better options though
• ⦿ cheap (crap)
• ⦿ bought at local Chinese bazaar shop - no web presence - try alibaba

 

• Kolibri 8503 Primus number 2 - link to pdf catalogue - no web presence - no Amazon listing
• - number 2 size
• ⦿ synthetic bristles
• ⦿ wood handle
  
• ⦿ semi-hard bristles
• ⦿ round tip
• ⦿ holds water
• ⦿ good at watercolour
• ⦿ good at ink-wash
• ⦿ medium at inking, except if covering larger surfaces
• ⦿ cheap but quality 
• - bought at regular art supply shop - no web presence

 

• lg 83015/6 numbers 0 & 00 - link to lg Arts & Crafts catalogue - no Amazon listing
• - numbers bigger than usual, 0 is closer to a 1 and 00 to a 0
• ⦿ synthetic bristles
• ⦿ synthetic handle (apparently)
• ⦿ semi-hard bristles
• ⦿ round tip
• ⦿ holds water well
• ⦿ good at watercolour
• ⦿ good at ink-wash
• ⦿ good at inking
• ⦿ cheap but quality
• - bought at local office supply shop - no web presence 

 

• milan 311 number 0 - link to milan catalogue - no Amazon listing for 311 series
• - closer in size to the lg 00
• ⦿ synthetic bristles
• ⦿ wood handle
• ⦿ soft bristles
• ⦿ pointy tip
• ⦿ holds water well
• ⦿ good at watercolour
• ⦿ good at ink-wash
• ⦿ my favourite at inking
• ⦿ cheap but quality
• - bought at local office supply shop - no web presence 

 

Watercolour

• Giotto Watercolour 12 colours set - Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ cannot give a good review, this is my first watercolour set and I'm enjoying it.
• ⦿ widely available and comes with a brush.
• ⦿ bought at my regular art supply shop

 

Markers 

• Graph-it marker - Graph-it Catalogue - Amazon listing example
• ⦿ alcohol markers
• ⦿ vibrant colours, but not the best
• ⦿ double tip - bullet and wide
• ⦿ not so easy to blend
  
• ⦿ can be refillable - but re-fills hard to find
• ⦿ if dry - spirits can "wake" it back
• ⦿ cheaper than promarker and copic
• ⦿ good for practising
• - bought first at ComicCon Portugal and later at my regular art supply shop 

 

• Graph-it brush - Graph-it Catalogue - Amazon Listing example
• ⦿ alcohol brushes
• ⦿ same colour as graph-it markers
• ⦿ double tip - fine-liner and brush
• ⦿ easier to blend
  
• ⦿ can be refillable - but re-fills hard to find
• ⦿ if dry - spirits can "wake" it back
• ⦿ cheaper than promarker and copic
• ⦿ good for practising and finished works
• - bought at my regular art supply shop 

 

• Winsor & Newton Brushmarker - W&N catalogue -  Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ only have one colour, cannot do a fair comparison
• ⦿ it is pricier than Graph-it but cheaper than copic
• ⦿ very intense colour, more than graph-it
• - bought at Papelaria Marciano - no web store 

 

• Posca  - Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ white marker for covering mistakes
• ⦿ bullet point
• ⦿ has included spheres inside to mix the ink
• ⦿ not very opaque
• ⦿ ink can be applied with brush after wetting the tip
• - bought at my regular art supply shop  

 

Pencils

My collection of Staedtler Noris Pencils
The HB are wy newer because I barelly use the lower 4

• Staedtler Noris - Staedtler catalogue - Amazon Spain listing example
• ⦿ Not counting Viarco. this is my oldest pencil brand in use.
• ⦿ I use mainly number 2 HB, for drafts.
• ⦿ I also use number 3 H for lighter lines, but it bites too much the paper.
• ⦿ When I need to enhance some aspects of the draft, I use number 1B, but rarely.
• ⦿ cheap
  
• - bought at a defunct office supply store, but nr 2HB are available everywhere. 

 

• Staedtler Lumograph - Staedtler catalogue - Amazon Spain listing example
• ⦿ Lumograph is my go to set for pencil drawings.
• ⦿ I do finished pieces with these: 2B, 6B and 8B
• ⦿ 2B is the mos used.
• ⦿ medium value
  
• - bought at a defunct office supply store, need to buy a new set.

 

• Bic evolution - Bic Catalogue - Amazon Spain listing
• ⦿ Almost all my drafts and studies are made with there.
• ⦿ They are lighter than the Staedtler noris number 2HB but do not bite into the paper like the number 3.
• ⦿ they are easier to sharpen than the staedtler because they do not use wood.
• ⦿ cheap, quality can differ from stock to stock.
  
• - bought at many supermarkets, it is the most used. 

 

• Caran D'ache Sketcher Blue - no catalogue
• ⦿ This is a blue pencil for sketching
• ⦿ This pencil can be invisible in photocopy machines, scanners and image processing software.
• ⦿ Good to do pre-sketch and then ink on top before scanning the art.
• ⦿ Bad thing is that they are too soft and need to be sharpened constantly
• ⦿ Quite expensive and hard to find on shops.
• - bought at Amazon Spain - listing

 

Mechanical-pencils 

• Rotring Tikky II - 0.35, 0.5 & 0.7
• ⦿ metal body
• ⦿ wavy grip patters
• ⦿ easy to disassemble in case of stuck lead
• ⦿ can use any brand of leads as long as they match the size
• ⦿ colour coded tops
• ⦿ eraser at the rear covered with metal cap
• ⦿ included metal pin to unblock tip
• ⦿ discontinued
• - bought at defunct shop in the late 1990's
• Note: these are still my go-to mechanical pencils. They are ideal for precision lines when preparing a piece for inking or tracing. I started with my father's original Tikky, a thinner mechanical-pencil, and liked it so much that I bought these because the original was discontinued by then. Nowadays you can find one with the same name Tikky but it is a different model, and I cannot attest the quality, the Tikky Retro is a reproduction of my father's model but, again, I cannot attest if the quality remains.
• Tikky III (old name) / Tikky modern variant Rotring Catalog
• Tikky Retro modern reproduction Rotring Catalog 

 

• Bic Criterium
• ⦿ metal body
• ⦿ "spiked" grip
• ⦿ no disassemble without breaking it
• ⦿ can use any brand of leads, as long as they match the size
• ⦿ prone to rust on cap and bottom
• ⦿ non-replaceable eraser on the bottom of the cap
• ⦿ sold with spare leads
• ⦿ discontinued
• - bought at a supermarket in the late 2000's 
• Note: this is my go-to for drafting large pieces. The lead is 2mm and requires to be sharpened constantly, and the lead sharpener on the back is weak and messy. The grip is also a bit uncomfortable after a while. Like the previous entry, this was discontinued. Bic sells other mechanical pencils with the same name but different from mine, so I cannot attest the quality, or lack there of. The only thing equal is having an hexagonal shape. I'll leave the links for them just as curiosity.
• BIC Criterium 2 mm - Amazon listing
• BIC CRITERIUM Luxe 2mm - Amazon listing 

 

Erasers (using this name because of US readers, please grow up...)

 

• Maped Technic - Amazon
• ⦿ Softer eraser
• ⦿ leaves a lot of residue and needs some effort to erase
• ⦿ can smudge pencil
• ⦿ does not remove ink
• ⦿ takes ages to harden and break
• - bought at supermarket 

 

    What is left of my Rotring B20

• Rotring B 20 - Amazon
• ⦿ Soft eraser
• ⦿ leaves a lot of residue but works without effort
• ⦿ does not smudge pencil
• ⦿ does not remove ink
  
• ⦿ takes ages to harden and break
• - bought at defunct office supply shop, need to refill

 

• Mitsubishi Uni auto-eraser - Uni-ball Turkey Catalog (?)
• ⦿ soft mechanical eraser
• ⦿ leaves some residue and is precise
• ⦿ can smudge pencil after hardening
• ⦿ does not remove ink
• ⦿ ages faster but takes years
• - bought at defunct supply shop, found another one who sells it but it is not widely available. Discontinued?

 

• Staedtler mars plastic - Amazon
• ⦿ hard mechanical eraser with terrible design
• ⦿ leaves some residue but...
• ⦿ ... smudges everything!
• ⦿ ink can be affected
• ⦿haven't had enough time to evaluate hardening
• - bought at supermarket 
• Note: this is my last resort of erasers. I bought it because I could not find a shop with the uni auto.eraser for sale. Even for writing it is bad! It is plastic, the eraser feels like a plastic spring. Not recommended at all. Sorry Staedtler, this one was a failure.

 

• inart knead-able eraser - Inart Catalogue
• Haven't had it enough time yet.

Paper

There is much to say about paper. I'm only now learning how to distinguish types of paper, because I was used to only do pencil sketches. Take my opinions with a grain of salt. 

Drawing / Sketch Paper 

• United Office A4 90 g/m2
• Smooth paper with some absorption capability, similar to printing paper but better surface for drawing.
• Bought at Lid'l - cheap, available usually during back to school season.
  
• Good for:
• Pencil sketch
• Fine-liner
  
• Some inks with dip pen
• Bad for:
• Watercolour
• Alcohol markers
• Ink-wash
  
• Pelikan ink - smudges 

 

• Crelando A4 100 g/m2
• Smooth paper, smoother than the previous, a little thicker than the printing paper.
• bought at Lid'l - cheap, available usually during back to school season. 
• Good for:
• Pencil sketch
• Fine-liner
• Dip pen - slides effortlessly, all inks
• Bad for:
• Watercolour
• Alcohol markers
• Ink-wash
• Charcoal drawing - too smooth and smudges a lot 

 

• Cavalinho A4 125 g/m2
• "Cavalinho" is a type of paper common in Portugal for school works and art classes. The paper has some bite and is thicker than regular office paper to be a mix-media sort of solution for students, without breaking the bank.
• bought at any supermarket, art shop, office supply shop, etc
• Good for:
• Pencil sketch
• Charcoal drawing
• Fine-liner
• Markers
• Dip-pen - some more watery inks may bleed
• Gouache - dryer techniques
• Watercolour - dryer techniques
• Bad for:
• all the above - this paper is reasonable, but not good for all techniques. Too much water/alcohol and it win wrinkle. But it is a versatile medium.
  

• Inart Drawing Paper A4 180 g/m2 
• This is a kind of "cold pressed" mix medium paper. The maker recommends dry techniques but the paper has a little bite for some techniques like charcoal or coloured pencils.
• bought at almost any Portuguese art store, I think it is a Portuguese brand and cannot find it outside Portugal. 
• Good for:
• Pencil sketch
• Charcoal drawing - may turn glassy if too much is applied
  
• Fine Liners
• Alcohol markers - may bleed a little
• Ink-wash - lovely results
• Watercolour - dryer techniques
  
• Bad for:
• dip pen - any ink: bleeds a lot and the likes become fuzzy and with streaks
  

Watercolour paper

 

• Inart Watercolour Paper A4 250 g/m2 Cold Pressed
• This is a totally new area for me. I just got this paper and tries it out only with ink and some water. It has a lot of bite - cold pressed - but the texture is not too bad. Wrinkles quite a bit with watercolour but not with alcohol.
• bought at almost any Portuguese art store, I think it is a Portuguese brand and cannot find it outside Portugal. 
• Good for:
• watercolour - duh!
• dip pen - all inks - mind the roughness of the paper
• alcohol markers
• Bad for:
• no opinions yet...

 

• Crelando Watercolour Sketch A4 90 g/m2 Felt
• Bought this one a long time and have been trying to find out on what is it good for... It is too thin for watercolour, smudges alcohol, has a weird pattern texture for charcoal...
• bough at Lid'l - never seen it again 
• Good for:
• nothing?...

 

• Fabriano Watercolour 24x32 cm 300 g/m2 25% cotton 
• Just bought this one, will do a review later...
• bought at my regular art supply store.  

 

Sketch-books 

I've had many sketch-books/pads over the years, mainly they were my school notebooks (hehe) but only in the last decade or so that I began to take sketchbooks seriously. these are a mix of those who I've tried or completed.

 

 Clairefontaine Sketch A5 90 g/m2

• my first "real" sketchbook, but not taken seriously for decades
• Great sketch book for pencil sketches, bic pens, fineliners
• Not so good with alcohol markers.
• Bought in 2004 at Office Pack - finished 2018 

 

• Canson XL croquis Sketch PadA5 90 g/m2
  
  
  
• was out and had nothing to do. Went to a supermarket and bought this one with a pencil.
• love the page texture, it is great for sketching and grips the pencil the right amount.
• pencil sketches, some graphite and even alcohol markers work great - be aware and use a bleed sheet behind the page.
• bought in 2019 and finished  in 2022  

 

• Ambar Basic Black Notebook A5 80 g/m2 (aprox)
• 
  This isn't a sketch book but a notebook, part of the black cover series common in Portugal.
• This is thin paper with some bite great for sketching and taking notes. Bic pens and pencils are the best for these pages, fine-liners will bleed through. A great thing is that you can roll it and put it into your pants pocket.
•  Bought in 2010 and "finished" in 2017

 

• Note it Hardcover Notebook A5 80 g/m2 (aprox)
  
  
  
• Another notebook, a moleskin imitation by the Continente stationary generic brand, most certainly made in PRC. The paper is cheap napkin thick, thinner than copy paper and super smooth. no bite for pencils. Use an eraser too much and you'll destroy the paper.
• Bic pens and number 2 pencils were the best use for this one.
• Bought in 2015, never finished.

  

• Inart Ringed Graphic Diary A5 110 g/m2 
  
  
  
• Loved this sketch pad! The surface texture is ideal for sketches, grips the pencil and the mechanical pencil's led the right amount. Can be used with fine-liners and, if you don't care about the back of the page, some alcohol markers.
• Of course there are negatives, the paper is too soft so the mechanical pencils grooves stay after being erased. If you use your eraser too much, paper fibbers begin to detach. No dip pens or the ink will bleed. this paper is close to the Inart drawing paper from above.
• Bought in 2022 and finished in 2024.

 

 

 

 

• Firmo Estudos A5 Sketch Pad 90 g/m2
• This is my current sketchbook. I wanted another with the spirals on the top. 



Page with pencil sketches

• The paper is a bit yellow-er than the Inart one, closer to the canson, but cheaper, and the paper bite is comparable with the canson as well. 
• It is great with any kind of sketch - pencil or mechanical, and can handle fineliners without bleeding or ruining the back page. Dip pens is another story. The lines are crisp but the back of the page is ruined. This does not matter much to me because I only use the front of the page so that I can use the light table. Alcohol markers do not bleed but ruin the back as well.
• bough in 2023 - main current one. 

 

• Firmo Graphic Diary 165x220 cm 160g/m2 
  
  
  
• I was looking for a Graphic diary where I coud use front and back pages with dip pen in and fine-liners and I think I found it with this one.
• I only tested it, haven't begun to fill it up but, so far, all the inks I own and all the fine-liners work well except Sharpie! Sharpie bleeds through. Alcohol also bleeds through but watercolour doesn't. 
• Will update as I begin to fill it.
• Bought 2025. 

 

• Inart Stiched Graphic Diary A4 180 g/m2
  
  
  
• This one was a present and my first Inart product. It is too big for me and I have used it mainly for colour pencils. Can't say more about it.
• Offered to me in 2017. 

 

 

 

 

• Inart Stiched Graphic Diary A5 180 g/m2
  
  
  
•  I have 4 of these. Most of the finished traditional art that I do is in these. They are made for pencil but the alcohol markers and fine-liners pop really well in these. The paper is the same as the Inart sketch from above, so I will not repeat myself.
• Bought 2019 for "inktober" some pages left. Bought the second for inktober 2020, never finished, other two wrapped new new.  

 

• Artix Ringed Sketch Pad "A5 190 grs"
  
  
  
• Just bought this one for the paper. I wanted a pad which could withstand dip pen ink without bleeding and alcohol markers.Saw this at the Chinese bazaar and bought it to try.
• I don't believe in what the cover says, for starter, it is not A5, it is smaller, it is not 190grs, the pad may be 190 grs, not the paper itself. 
• Testing it, shows a good result with dip pen inks, no bleeding, not even through the paper nor smudging. Alcohol markers bleed through, so another lie, but the colours pop, beter than other papers I have. You also have two sides of the paper, one rough and another super smooth. I've only tried the rough side. Will update with later testing.
  

Other-Tools

Other tools I use for traditional Art:

• Pencil Sharpeners: Staedtler: metal and plastic
• Short Pencil holder/extender: cheap amazon purchase
• Light table: Cheap Lid'l Crelando
• Painters Tape: to hold the paper to the light table
• recycled glass jars and pipettes for water.
  
• among other things...