Materials and media for analytical drawings
The materials and media you use will play a big part in how successful your analytical drawing is. Your choices should depend on your purpose, techniques you would like to try and the situation you are working in.
Purpose
Ask yourself why you are creating an analytical drawing. Will you concentrate on overall shapes, particular details, tones or colours?
If you want to create long continuous lines for a contour drawing, it will be better to use a pen or pencil, rather than a brush and paint which might run out.
If you want to change the width of a line to suggest depth, you might be better using charcoal or ink applied with a brush or other tool.
For cross contour drawing, pencil or pen might be best so that you can produce precise lines of varying weight.
Tonal drawings will need media that is dark enough to show the areas of most shade or shadow, such as a 4B pencil or charcoal.
Detail studies will need precise lines, such as from a hard pencil or a fine pen.
Technique
Ask yourself what technique you are interested in using.
If you are interested in blending tones or colours then soft pencil, pastels, ink washes or watercolour could be effective choices.
For hatching or cross-hatching techniques, pen or a fine pencil will allow you to build up fine lines.
Situation
The time you have and the location you are working in will affect what media you can use.
If you are drawing a landscape or built environment study on location you will need materials that are quick and easy to use.
Pencils, pens, oil pastels or a small watercolour set would be more appropriate than taking tubes of paint, different bottles of ink and brushes. These would need more set up and washing facilities than might be available.
If you are trying to capture changing conditions or studying animals or people who are likely to keep moving you will need to work fast. Again pencils, pens, charcoal or pastels can all be used quickly.