Reddit reviews Staedtler Mars Lumograph Art Drawing Pencils, 12 Pack Graphite Pencils in Metal Case, Break-Resistant Bonded Lead, 100 G12

While I don't think jumping straight to digital (especially with an iPad) is the best way to learn to draw, you seem pretty reluctant to use anything else, so I will say this: You absolutely need a stylus with pressure sensitivity, it will make drawing much easier. You mentioned wanting something to ease workflow, but using an iPad without a pressure sensitive stylus is not the way that can be achieved. Sure it may be fine a rough sketch, but anything beyond that will be very difficult because of how you will have to manually adjust the size and density of the brush.

Also, as I said before, an iPad is probably not the best way to learn to draw. It doesn't have a very high LPI touch resolution, even a $79 dollar Wacom pen tablet has a higher LPI. However, you said accuracy isn't a big deal and you don't want to use a PC, so if you want to keep using an iPad, that's your choice.

Really, I think pencil and paper are the best way to go when you are learning. If paper having "no undo" worries you because pencil doesn't erase cleanly, then get this. It has pencils that leave marks much lighter than a normal no. 2 pencil allowing very clean erasing when sketching, and has pencils that leave darker marks than no. 2 pencils, which is good for final linework. Plus, the different shades of pencil make shading your drawing much easier.

Also,
>I prefer that others don't tell me what to do, preaching their personal opinions as undisputed facts, leaving little room for interpretation and adjustment to one's preferences.

While nobody here is going to physically force you do anything, people may indeed tell you what do, as that is the point of constructive criticism/critique. It would be poor etiquette to simply criticize someone's work without offering advice or telling them how they can improve upon it. If you don't want someone telling you how to make your work better, and would rather do it on your own, but would still like to know what is wrong with your drawing, then maybe that it is something you should mention in the comments of your post.

Anyway, I hope this was helpful.

I'm no pro by any means but I have a lot of fun drawing after work and certainly I'd love my SO surprised me with something like:

• Faber Castell 9000!
  
• Lumograph 100!
  
• Prismacolor Premier Verithin!
  
• Polychromo!
  
• Bristol paper!
  
  Also you can always include some nice accesories like blending stumps, different types of erasers, a good cutter/blade or sharpener.
  
  Does she like books? Andrew Loomis' books are incredible! Drawing the Head and Hands!
  
  These are (for me) good options for a present. Depending on budget you could increse/decrease the count on the color set but 24/36 is a good starting point.
  
  I hope this helps.

I would recommend something in the pencil range from Staedtler or Derwent, depending on your price range and what he may already have, a sketch set with a range from 6B to like 4H (because this happened to have that), but generally a range of hardnesses, a couple of different erasers (kneaded are particularly fun, but I have become partial to the white plastic ones recently), and a sketchbook or two (am partial to the recycled Strathmore ones) in a 9x12ish and/or 4x8 would probably be a good start. OH, and a good metal pencil sharpener, is cheap but probably the best thing (Pentel makes good erasers and sharpeners).

Really, you would definitely be able to drop by your local art supply store (probably Michael's) and get all he'd need, might wait for a sale or grab stuff from amazon and just look at the options in the store.

For what it's worth I'm a penniless recent college grad but the above is what I bought in hs/college with coupons and sales and the like, is definitely a good start. Colored pencils I still go with a good old 50 pack of Crayolas, and I have a 4 pack of Faber-Castell artist markers (for lining and inking), usually ~$15, can get on amazon or where ever.

Edit: Alvin (and Staedtler) also make nice mechanical pencils and the like, if he's more into (or is studying something) technical drawing. That said I have metal Zebra mechanical pencils I really like and are much of what I use right now.

Don't buy cheap chinese pencils or colored erasers. Get yourself a nice Staedler set and some decent white erasers.

A set of these for sketching: https://www.amazon.com/STAEDTLER-break-resistant-super-bonded-100-G12/dp/B0014E2S0Q/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=staedtler+pencils+set&qid=1572010245&sr=8-4

Or just get yourself some HB staedlers for drafting.

http://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Lumograph-Sketching-100G12-Attractive/dp/B0014E2S0Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1416962533&sr=8-3&keywords=staedtler+mars+lumograph+pencils

Only $14.58 and are amazing quality from what I've heard. Staedtler, in my opinion, make some of the finest art supplies when it comes down to graphite pencils. Prismacolor colored pencils are also great but are expensive - you can get a 24 set of them for $15 and they are excellent (I use them frequently).
Perhaps look on dickblick.com, they always have sales that include some products being 50% off.
Hope this helped you!

I bought these pencils from amazon and I think they are pretty good. I am not any kind of good artist or anything, but I just wanted some different pencils to play with. There are more expensive versions, so these might not be the best ones out there.