The Only Horror Drawing Supplies Beginners Actually Need

16 December 2025

Getting Started with Horror Drawing

Last updated: 16 July 2026

You Need Less Than You Think

Starting horror drawing can feel intimidating before you’ve even made your first mark, especially when you’re unsure what supplies you actually need.

Social media is full of artists showing off huge pencil collections, expensive sketchbooks, and enough equipment to stock a small art shop. It’s easy to look at all of that and feel like you’re already behind before you’ve even started.

Here’s the truth: you don’t need any of it to begin drawing horror art.

Some of the most important skills in horror drawing – atmosphere, mood, texture, shadows, and storytelling – have very little to do with expensive supplies and everything to do with practice.

This guide strips things back to the absolute basics so you can focus on learning to draw creepy characters, unsettling creatures, and dark environments instead of worrying about equipment.

We’ll start with the minimum supplies you need to begin today, then look at the tools that are worth upgrading later if you decide horror drawing is something you want to continue with.

Simple tools. Simple explanations. No unnecessary pressure.

If you already have a pencil and a piece of paper nearby, you’re much closer to getting started than you probably realise.

What You’ll Learn:

In this guide you’ll learn:

• The minimum supplies you need to start drawing horror art
• Which tools are worth investing in later
• Which supplies beginners can safely ignore for now
• How to avoid spending money on equipment you don’t actually need
• The mindset shifts that make learning horror art less intimidating and more enjoyable

Quick Recommendations (Only If You Want Them)

You absolutely do not need to buy any of these to start learning horror art.

A single HB pencil, a basic eraser, and some paper are enough to begin building real skills.

However, if you’d like some recommendations for tools that I’ve personally used and had good experiences with, these are the ones I’d suggest.

Graphite Pencils

If you’re buying your first pencil set

✏️ Staedtler Mars Lumograph

This is probably the best starting set I’d recommend to most beginners.

The pencils are durable, easy to sharpen, and forgiving if you’re still learning pencil pressure and control. They hold a point well and don’t snap as easily as some softer brands.

The darker grades don’t go quite as dark as some alternatives, but for learning the basics, they’re an excellent place to start.

Most beginners will spend most of their time using the HB and 2B pencils, while the softer grades become useful later as you start experimenting with darker shadows and stronger contrast.

👉 Check out the Staedtler Mars Lumograph 6 Pack here

If you love deep horror shadows and dramatic contrast

✏️ Derwent Graphic

These are my favourite pencils for darker horror artwork.

They produce richer dark values and have a softer feel that works beautifully for dramatic shading and moody drawings.

The downside is that the softer cores can break more easily if you’re heavy-handed while sharpening, particularly with the softer grades.

👉 Check out the Derwent Graphic Medium Pack of 4 here

If you enjoy detail work and clean line art

✏️ Faber-Castell 9000

These are actually my personal favourites of the three.

They feel incredibly smooth on paper while still offering excellent control and precision.

They hold a sharp point well and feel very predictable while drawing, which makes them especially enjoyable for longer sessions.

They’re particularly good for fine details, textures, wrinkles, and cleaner sketch work.

Compared with the Derwent pencils, they feel slightly firmer and more controlled while still producing beautifully dark values when needed.

👉 Check out the Faber-Castell 9000 6 Pack here

If I Could Only Recommend One

If you’ve never drawn before and only want one suggestion:

Buy the Staedtler Mars Lumograph 6 Pack and start drawing.

The pencils are durable, forgiving for beginners, and give you enough range to learn everything from light construction sketches to darker shading.

If you later discover that you enjoy deep horror shadows, dramatic contrast, and darker values, then try the Derwent Graphic pencils.

And if you end up falling in love with the feeling of drawing itself, the Faber-Castell 9000 Pencils remain my personal favourites to use.

And if you’re still not sure whether drawing is something you’ll stick with?

Even a single HB pencil from the supermarket is enough to start learning shapes, proportions, and shading.

The best pencil is the one that gets used.

Erasers

My genuine recommendation

If you’re buying one eraser:

👉 Buy the Faber-Castell Dust-Free Eraser

This is the eraser I personally reach for most often.

It removes graphite cleanly, feels gentle on paper, and produces far less mess than many cheaper alternatives.

It’s especially useful when you’re still sketching lightly and adjusting shapes as you go because it removes mistakes without feeling aggressive on the paper surface.

And if you’re wondering about kneaded erasers:

They’re useful, but definitely optional.

Kneaded erasers are fantastic for lifting graphite, creating highlights, and softening areas of shading, but they’re firmly in the “nice to have” category rather than the “need to have” category when you’re starting out.

They’re worth exploring later once you’re experimenting with smoother shading and more finished pieces.

An average eraser that gets used every day is far more valuable than a perfect eraser that sits in a drawer.

Sharpener

My recommendation

👉 Faber-Castell Trio Pencil Sharpener (Grip 2001)

This is the sharpener I personally use and the one I’d recommend if you’re buying one for drawing.

It produces a clean, sharp point without constantly snapping the graphite core, which becomes especially important when working with softer pencils such as 2B, 4B, and 6B.

The separate sharpening holes also make it useful if you eventually move into coloured pencils or charcoal pencils later on.

The built-in container keeps shavings contained, which sounds like a small thing until you discover graphite shavings somehow have the ability to spread across an entire desk.

Do you need a specific sharpener?

No.

If you already own a basic pencil sharpener that gives you a clean point without breaking the lead, keep using it.

A good drawing comes from practice and observation, not from owning a particularly expensive sharpener.

My genuine recommendation

If you’re buying your first sharpener:

👉 The Faber-Castell Trio Grip Sharpener is an excellent choice that should last you for years.

If you already own a sharpener that works:

Spend your money on paper and keep drawing instead.

Blending Stumps

Do you need blending stumps?

No.

You can absolutely learn shading using nothing more than a pencil and patience. Many artists prefer blending with layering and pencil control alone.

However, blending stumps can make smooth shadows and soft transitions much easier when you’re first learning.

They’re particularly useful for:

• Large areas of smooth shading
• Smoky backgrounds
• Deep eye sockets
• Fog, mist, and atmosphere
• Smooth shadow transitions in horror characters

My recommendation

👉 Derwent Paper Stumps (Pack of 3)

These are the blending stumps I personally use and recommend.

The paper is tightly rolled, holds its shape well, and doesn’t start unravelling after only a few uses, the way some cheaper alternatives can.

Having multiple sizes is useful too, as smaller stumps work well for details such as eyes and wrinkles, while larger stumps are better for broader areas of shading.

Should beginners buy blending stumps?

They’re helpful and can make blending easier, but they’re definitely not essential.

If you’re working with a tight budget, I’d spend money on pencils and paper first and come back to blending stumps later.

If you have a little extra to spend, though, they can make learning smooth shading much easier and more enjoyable.

Want to learn how to use them?

If you’re new to blending stumps, these guides will help:

• How to Use Blending Stumps with Graphite
• How to Blend Charcoal with Blending Stumps
• Blending Tools for Graphite and Charcoal

Why I Use These Tools

These are the tools I personally use and recommend, along with the strengths and weaknesses I’ve noticed while drawing with them.

1. Graphite Pencils

Staedtler Mars Lumograph

What I Like

• Strong, durable cores
• Smooth for general sketching and early shading
• Beginner-friendly and easy to control
• Comfortable for longer drawing sessions
• Excellent all-round drawing pencils

My Experience

I’ve always found these pencils to feel very reliable and forgiving, especially while you’re still learning pencil control and sharpening techniques.

The cores feel strong and dependable, which makes them particularly beginner-friendly.

While the darker grades don’t quite reach the same deep blacks as Derwent Graphic pencils, they’re still more than capable of producing excellent shading and contrast for horror artwork.

If you’re looking for a set that can comfortably handle sketching, line work, and shading without specialising too heavily in one area, these are an excellent choice.

For durability, consistency, and beginner confidence, they’re hard to fault.

👉 If you’d like to try them, you can check out the Staedtler Mars Lumograph 6 Pack here.

Derwent Graphic

What I Like

• Richer, darker graphite for strong contrast
• Excellent for dramatic shading
• Soft and smooth to blend
• A wide range of grades is available
• Produces deep shadow values with relatively little effort

My Experience

Derwent pencils produce noticeably deeper dark values than many brands at the same grade. They’re fantastic for dramatic horror shadows, strong contrast, and creating atmosphere quickly.

They feel slightly softer than Faber-Castell pencils, which makes blending and shading feel very natural.

The trade-off is that the softer cores need a little more care when sharpening, especially in the darker grades.

I’ve also found that some of the harder grades can feel slightly scratchier than Faber-Castell pencils on smoother paper surfaces, although this becomes much less noticeable once you move into the softer pencils.

If your goal is strong contrast, bold shadows, and moody horror lighting, these are difficult to beat.

👉 If you’d like to try them, you can check out the Derwent Graphic Medium Pack of 4 here.

Faber-Castell 9000

What I Like

• Smooth and controlled graphite
• Excellent control for refining details and edges
• Comfortable and balanced in the hand
• Layers beautifully for gradual shading
• Produces clean, predictable marks and shading

My Experience

These are the pencils I reach for most often when I want maximum control and clean details.

They feel smooth and predictable on the page, which makes them particularly useful for refining shapes and adding smaller horror details such as wrinkles, cracks, skin textures, and fine line work.

They don’t produce quite the same deep dark values as Derwent pencils at equivalent grades, but they build tone beautifully through layering and feel exceptionally balanced in the hand.

More than anything else, these pencils simply feel enjoyable to use. There’s a smoothness and consistency to them that makes long drawing sessions feel effortless rather than frustrating.

The softer grades are still softer graphite and benefit from a decent sharpener, but I find them more forgiving than some darker, softer alternatives.

Overall, these are an excellent choice if you enjoy precision, clean lines, and controlled shading.

👉 If you’d like to try them, you can check out the Faber-Castell 9000 6 Pack here.

2. Paper

You do not need expensive paper when you’re starting out.

The goal right now is to practice freely without worrying about ruining pages or wasting something expensive.

• Printer paper works perfectly well for early practice and quick sketching.
• Basic sketch paper is a great step up once you’re drawing more regularly.
• Sketchbooks are nice to have, but they’re absolutely not required.

The best paper is the paper you’re actually willing to draw on regularly. If you’re nervous about making mistakes because the paper feels too precious, it’s probably not the right paper for learning on.

When you’re starting out, quantity beats luxury every single time.

You want pages you can fill with experiments, mistakes, half-finished monsters and questionable anatomy decisions without feeling guilty about it.

The more pages you fill, the faster you improve.

The fancy paper can wait until you’re creating finished pieces or exploring more specialised materials and techniques.

Once you’re ready to explore different sketchbooks and paper surfaces, my guide to Best Sketchbooks and Paper Types for Horror Art covers the strengths, weaknesses and best uses for each option.

3. Erasers

Faber-Castell Dust-Free Eraser

This is the standard eraser I personally reach for the most.

• Less likely to damage paper when used properly
• Removes graphite cleanly
• Doesn’t tear up sketch paper easily
• Produces relatively little mess while erasing
• Comfortable shape for controlled erasing

It removes marks easily without feeling overly aggressive, which is especially helpful when you’re still sketching lightly and adjusting proportions.

If you’re only buying one standard eraser to begin with, this is the one I’d recommend most.

It removes graphite cleanly, lasts well, and feels comfortable to use during longer drawing sessions.

👉 If you’d like to try it, you can check out the Faber-Castell Dust-Free Eraser here.

Kneaded Eraser

A kneaded eraser becomes useful once you start adding shading and highlights, but it isn’t essential when you’re first starting out.

• Excellent for lifting graphite gradually
• Perfect for creating highlights and soft transitions
• Can be shaped into fine points for small details
• Lasts a very long time with proper care
• Leaves little to no eraser debris behind

Unlike standard erasers, kneaded erasers don’t really erase graphite in the traditional sense. Instead, they lift it gently from the paper, making them incredibly useful for hair highlights, glowing eyes, fog effects, and subtle lighting in horror drawings.

I wouldn’t recommend buying one as your very first eraser, but once you start experimenting with shading, they’re surprisingly useful and quickly become difficult to live without.

Want to learn when to use kneaded, dust-free, and standard erasers? My guide, How to Use Erasers in Horror Art (Types, Techniques and Effects), covers the differences and shows how to use them effectively in horror drawings.

4. Pencil Sharpener

A good sharpener is more important than many beginners realise. A blunt pencil makes it harder to control your lines and can even damage the paper if you press too hard.

Keeping your pencils sharp helps with clean sketch lines, better detail, and smoother shading right from the start.

Faber-Castell Trio Pencil Sharpener (Grip 2001)

This is the sharpener I personally use.

• Keeps pencil points sharp and precise
• Multiple sharpening sizes for different pencil types
• Works well with graphite and charcoal pencils
• Less likely to break pencil cores when used properly
• Built-in container keeps your workspace tidy

It sharpens evenly and produces a clean point with far fewer breakages than many cheaper sharpeners, which is especially important when using softer graphite grades.

A good sharpener won’t completely prevent broken leads – sharpening technique and the pencil itself still play a part – but it can make a surprisingly big difference to your drawing experience.

If you’re only buying one sharpener to start with, this is the one I’d recommend. It’s reliable, easy to use, and works well with most drawing pencils you’ll encounter as a beginner.

👉 Check out the Faber-Castell Trio Pencil Sharpener (Grip 2001) here.

5. Blending Stumps

Blending stumps help smooth out graphite, soften harsh pencil lines, and create the subtle shadow transitions that make drawings look more finished.

They’re especially useful for smoky backgrounds, deep eye sockets, and soft shadow transitions in horror drawings.

You do not need them to start drawing, but if you want smoother shading and more control over your values, they can make the process much easier.

• Help create smoother shading transitions
• Reduce the appearance of visible pencil strokes
• Useful for both graphite and charcoal
• Available in different sizes for details and larger areas

I use blending stumps regularly in my own work and tutorials because they make shading easier to control and far less streaky.

Derwent Paper Stumps

These are the blending stumps I personally use and recommend.

• Tightly rolled paper that holds its shape well
• Smooth blending without leaving fibres behind
• Different sizes for small details and broader shaded areas
• More durable than many cheaper alternatives

I’ve tried cheaper stumps that started peeling apart after a few sessions. These hold together well and give much better control, especially when working on eyes, wrinkles, and soft shadow transitions.

👉 You can find the Derwent Paper Stumps (Pack of 3) here.

Tools You Can Safely Ignore for Now

It’s very tempting to buy everything at once, especially when learning horror art. I’ve definitely been there.

The good news is that you don’t need to.

For now, you can safely skip:

• Charcoal – Fantastic for dramatic, moody shadows later on, but it’s messier and harder to control while you’re still learning pencil pressure, light sketching, and basic shading techniques.

• Ink pens – Brilliant for bold outlines and finished pieces, but much less forgiving. When you’re still learning proportions and line control, pencils are far more beginner-friendly.

• Coloured pencils – Fun and expressive, but they introduce another layer of complexity. It’s usually easier to understand light, shadow, and depth using graphite first.

• Expensive or heavily textured paper – Lovely to work on eventually, but right now you’re building confidence and mileage. Printer paper and basic sketch paper work perfectly well.

• Large professional pencil sets – Most beginners spend the vast majority of their time using HB and 2B pencils anyway.

These are fantastic tools later on, but early learning is about control and confidence, not complexity.

A Quick Mindset Reset Before You Start

Your practice, not your tools, determines the quality of your art.

Horror drawing is especially forgiving. Uneven lines, strange proportions, and rough sketches often enhance the atmosphere rather than ruin it.

Something looking “wrong” doesn’t necessarily mean you failed. Quite often, it simply means you’re learning.

Messy sketches are progress in disguise.

And if all you have is one pencil that’s been chewed at the end and an eraser that’s seen better days, you’re still more than qualified to begin.

Horror art doesn’t require luxury stationery.

It requires curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to make strange little drawings that may or may not look mildly cursed at first.

Those slightly cursed sketches are usually where the good stuff starts.

Conclusion: You’re Ready to Start

That’s it. No dramatic supply haul required. No mysterious art cabinet full of tools you don’t understand. Just a pencil, some paper, and the willingness to let things look a little rough at first.

With a handful of basic tools, you already have everything you need to begin learning horror art.
The goal isn’t perfect drawings.
It’s practice.
It’s getting comfortable making marks, pushing shadows darker, and slowly realising that the sketch you almost threw away might actually be the one that teaches you the most.

Keep your lines light. Let things stay messy for a while. Draw strange things.

The spooky fun starts here.

What You’ve Learned:

• You don’t need special or expensive supplies to begin horror drawing
• A small collection of basic tools is enough to build real skill
• Fewer tools make it easier to focus on control, confidence, and consistency
• Messy sketches, erased lines, and “why does this look like that?” moments are all part of improving
• Practice matters more than equipment

What’s Next…

Now that you’ve got your tools sorted, the next step is learning how to build creepy drawings from simple shapes and place everything where it belongs. No details yet, no pressure, just the foundations.

• Basic Shapes for Drawing Horror Art (Beginner Guide)
  Every horror drawing starts with simple shapes underneath the details. Learning these foundations makes complex creatures, skulls, and monsters much easier to build.
• Simple Guidelines for Horror Characters (Beginner)
  Once you’re comfortable with shapes, guidelines help you place features and proportions correctly before committing to darker lines and shading.