This list includes 22 Art supplies that start with H, from “H-grade Pencil” to “Hot Press Paper”. These items are physical tools and materials used across drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and mixed media. You can use them for sketching, surface preparation, mark-making, and finishing work.
Art supplies that start with H are tangible materials and tools whose names begin with the letter H. For example, hot-press paper became a watercolor favorite in the 1800s for its smooth surface.
Below you’ll find the table with Item, Usage, Popular brands.
Item: The supply name as listed so you can locate the exact tool or material quickly.
Usage: Brief note on how artists commonly use each supply, helping you pick what fits your project.
Popular brands: Well-known manufacturers or labels you can search for when buying supplies locally or online.
Art supplies that start with H
Name
Type
Common sizes / formats
Popular brands
H-grade Pencil
Drawing tool
Individual, sets of 6-12 (2H, 4H, 6H)
Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Derwent
HB Pencil
Drawing tool
Individual, packs of 12
Staedtler, Ticonderoga, Faber-Castell
Hog Bristle Brush
Brush
Sizes 0-24; flat, round, filbert, bright
Winsor & Newton, Grumbacher, Princeton
Hot Press Paper
Paper
9×12 in, A4, A3 sheets; 140 lb (300 gsm)
Arches, Fabriano, Canson
Hard Pastels
Drawing medium
Square or round sticks; sets of 12-72
Conté à Paris, Cretacolor, Faber-Castell
Hardboard
Painting surface
8×10 in, 16×20 in; 1/8 or 1/4 in thick
Ampersand, Masonite
Hammer (Sculpting)
Sculpting tool
1 lb, 1.5 lb, 2 lb; steel or carbide-tipped
Trow & Holden, Auriou, generic
Hake Brush
Brush
1 in, 2 in, 3 in widths
Yasutomo, Princeton, Royal & Langnickel
Heat Gun
Tool
Handheld device; variable temperature settings
Wagner, Chandler Tool, Genesis
Highlighter (Art-grade)
Marker
Individual pens, sets of 6-12
Zebra, Stabilo, Tombow
Hook Knife
Carving tool
Single blade with a curved tip
Flexcut, Morakniv, BeaverCraft
Honing Stone
Sharpening tool
6-10 in blocks; various grits (1,000-8,000)
Norton, Arkansas Stone, King
Hot Glue Gun
Adhesive tool
Handheld device; uses mini or full-size glue sticks
Gorilla, Surebonder, AdTech
Hot Plate
Tool
8×8 in or larger electric warming surface
Enkaustikos, R&F, generic brands
Hand Rest (Mahl Stick)
Painting tool
2-3 ft long wooden or aluminum stick
Creative Mark, Jullian, Mabef
Hinging Tape
Adhesive
1 in wide rolls; paper or linen material
Lineco, Tesa, 3M
Hard Ground
Printmaking material
Liquid or solid ball form; 4 oz can
Charbonnel, Graphic Chemical & Ink
Half Pan (Watercolor)
Paint
Small plastic pans (approx. 2 ml)
Winsor & Newton, Schmincke, Daniel Smith
Hemp Cord
Mixed media material
1-2 mm thick; spools of 50-200 ft
Hemptique, Bead Landing
Hemp Paper
Paper
Sheets (A4, 8.5×11 in), rolls; various weights
Legion Paper, specialty brands
Hardener
Medium
Liquid; 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz bottles
ArtResin, EnviroTex, Alumilite
Hobby Knife
Cutting tool
Pen-style handle with interchangeable blades
X-Acto, Excel, Fiskars
Descriptions
H-grade Pencil
A graphite pencil with hard lead (“H”) that creates light, precise lines. Perfect for technical drawing, drafting, and initial, erasable sketches.
HB Pencil
The standard writing and drawing pencil, balanced between hard (“H”) and black (“B”). A versatile choice for sketching, shading, and general use.
Hog Bristle Brush
A stiff, natural-hair brush ideal for thick paint like oils and acrylics. It holds a lot of paint and creates expressive, textured brushstrokes.
Hot Press Paper
A type of art paper, usually for watercolor, with a very smooth surface. Excellent for fine detail with ink, gouache, or delicate watercolor work.
Hard Pastels
A drawing medium with less binder than soft pastels, resulting in sharp, crisp lines. Great for detailed drawings, sketching, and underpaintings.
Hardboard
A rigid painting panel made of compressed wood fibers. It provides a durable, smooth surface for acrylics and oils once primed with gesso.
Hammer (Sculpting)
A specialized hammer used with chisels for carving stone or wood. Types include mallets, bush hammers, and chasing hammers for different tasks.
Hake Brush
A wide, flat brush made of soft goat hair, traditionally used in Asian ink painting. Ideal for applying broad washes of watercolor, ink, or gesso smoothly.
Heat Gun
An electric tool that emits a stream of hot air. Used in mixed media to speed up drying, melt embossing powders, or manipulate encaustic wax.
Highlighter (Art-grade)
A marker with transparent, often lightfast ink in art-grade versions. Used for adding pops of color in journals and mixed-media art.
Hook Knife
A sharp carving knife with a hooked blade, designed for hollowing out concave shapes in wood, such as spoons or bowls. Also used for carving linoleum.
Honing Stone
A fine-grit stone (also called a whetstone) used to sharpen and refine the cutting edges of carving tools, chisels, and printmaking blades.
Hot Glue Gun
A tool that melts solid glue sticks for quick, strong adhesion. Popular in mixed media, collage, and constructing 3D models or sculptures.
Hot Plate
An electric cooktop used in encaustic painting to melt wax paints and keep them at a workable temperature in metal tins.
Hand Rest (Mahl Stick)
A stick with a soft pad on one end, used to steady the painting hand and prevent smudging wet paint. Essential for detailed oil or acrylic work.
Hinging Tape
An acid-free, archival quality tape used for mounting artwork to mat boards for framing. It’s strong yet reversible, protecting the art from damage.
Hard Ground
A waxy, acid-resistant coating applied to a metal plate in etching. An artist scratches a design through the ground to expose the metal for the acid bath.
Half Pan (Watercolor)
A small, rectangular block of solid watercolor paint, designed to fit into travel palettes. A popular and portable format for painters on the go.
Hemp Cord
A strong, natural fiber cord. Often used in bookbinding, mixed media collage for texture, and hanging lightweight art pieces.
Hemp Paper
A specialty paper made from hemp fibers, known for its strength and sustainability. It has a unique texture suitable for drawing, printmaking, and mixed media.
Hardener
A chemical agent that is mixed with a polymer (like epoxy resin) to cure or solidify it. An essential component for creating clear, durable resin art.
Hobby Knife
A precision cutting tool with a small, extremely sharp blade. Essential for detailed cutting of paper, cardstock, stencils, and other lightweight materials.
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