Drawing is the foundation of any painting, be it a quick compositional sketch, an entry in a sketch journal, or a fully developed work of its own.  The distinction between drawing and painting can be difficult to pinpoint.  Some describe painting as drawing with a paintbrush.  Works considered to be drawings can include washes and painterly mark making. 

One of my favorite choices for drawing is graphite in several forms: graphite powder, woodless pencil, and graphite sticks in varying hardness.  Graphite powder is versatile:  it can be applied directly to the surface and pushed around to create tones and textures.  I can then lift out highlights with various tools and add deeper values with the graphite sticks and pencils.  Graphite powder can also be mixed with other media and applied as a painterly method.  

I also enjoy drawing with ink, which can be with a simple pen or involve washes or modification with solvents on various surface options. 

An additional option for our times, I also draw using digital media.  Graphics tablets and numerous computer programs allow artists to explore a whole new range of image creation possibilities.  Images can be traditional sketches in digital form, or the choices of colors and virtual brushes can be used to create fully developed paintings.  Manipulation of digital photography is another avenue of expression and can be mixed with many additional techniques, both digital and traditional.  I am relatively new to this art form and look forward to exploring it more thoroughly.