MY FAVORITE ART SUPPLIES
If you met me in real life, you might notice I’m a little flighty and definitely a messy creative. I like to explore new things and try new adventures, which carries over into my artistic life. I love mixed media because I can always change things up.
One day I might obsess over watercolor and the next acrylic. I might experiment with pens, pastels, markers, and more. Collage is always an option too.
There are no right or wrong answers and that makes me very happy! Here’s the secret I want to pass on to you. The act of creating, the process of creating, is where the joy truly is!
Check out my favorite supplies below to inspire your creative journey.
Note: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase through a link.
Paper and Journals
You get what you pay for when it comes to paper and mixed media. My favorite paper is Fabriano in a watercolor block, but if I’m playing around in a sketchbook I like to use a Canson Watercolor XL Sketchbook. Sometimes playing around with different art journals is fun to keep things interesting. I like Moleskin, these linen watercolor journals, these little square journals, plus any interesting journals I find in local shops.
Canvas and Panels
If you have a Michael’s near you, watch for their major canvas sales or purchase them bulk online. That’s the cheapest way to stock up on the Artist Loft level 3 canvases that are 1.5 inches thick. They’re my favorite. I also like to paint on wood panels. You can make them out of thin, 1/4-inch thick plywood or purchase these ready-made ones.
Brushes
Over time, you’ll begin to notice what brushes you reach for over and over again. I enjoy using round and flat brushes for the most part. For watercolor, my favorite brushes are Princeton Velvetouch. I’m gentler on my watercolor brushes so I’m willing to spend a bit more for them. For acrylic and mixed media, I like to use Royal and Langnickle variety packs. On larger canvases and sometimes to mix things up on smaller work, I like to use chip brushes.
Palettes
I have used this watercolor palette for years. It holds my favorite colors. To experiment with other colors, I use these ceramic flower palettes. My acrylic paint palette is a wet palette that consists of lunch trays and tracing paper. All you have to do is line the tray with shop towels or paper towels, wet them thoroughly with water, drain the excess, and then place a piece of tracing paper on top. When I use this method, I can use my acrylic paint longer because it stays wet. If I’m done for the day and still have paint left, I spray my paint lightly with water and cover my tray with a larger cookie sheet. My paint is still wet and ready to go the next day.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint dries fast and layers beautifully, making it a lovely medium for mixed media artists. My favorite brands include Golden Heavy Body Acrylics, Golden Fluid Acrylics, Matisse Australian Salmon Gum, Southern Ocean Blue, and Burnt Sienna, and Nova Color Paints. To save some money while you’re experimenting, you can try out a student-grade paint set. The pigment isn’t quite as strong, but you can get a taste of what acrylic painting is like.
Acrylic Ink
Acrylic ink is a fascinating medium. It’s highly pigmented and highly fluid, which makes it fun to experiment with. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite things to play with. Drawing with the dropper that comes attached to the lid makes beautiful, sketchy lines. When you use a brush and water, you can spread it around like watercolor. The versatility keeps it interesting. I use Daler Rowney and Amsterdam brands. Here are some of my favorite colors: Payne’s Gray, Black, Dark Green, Fluorescent Pink (for tiny pops of color), and Burnt Sienna.
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor is relaxing to work with. I love to watch the colors flow and bloom into each other across the page. Daniel Smith is a favorite because of their strong pigments, but also because they make interesting granulating colors. That means the paint has texture when it dries. You can see me swatch out a bunch of these colors here. My all-time favorite regular Daniel Smith color is Quinacridone Burnt Orange. My other favorites include Art Philosophy confections. These little sets include 12 curated colors that work beautifully together. I highly recommend these artist-grade pigments if you begin to enjoy watercolor, but to see if you like it, you can try the student-grade Winsor and Newton Cotman set.
Mark Making Items
Many of the items on this list are my current favorites, but please know it took me years to collect everything listed here. Start with what you have and build your collection slowly. I listed sets below to give you an idea of what each item is, but a fantastic way to learn about mark making is to purchase one or two of the items on a site like Blick Arts. I do that first, and then if I fall in love with something, I’ll buy more.
Pens
Pencils
Crayons
Pastels
Other
It’s fun to gather unique items from nature, around the house, the hardware store, and more. If you can put paint on it, it can become a mark making tool. I also want to mention Willow charcoal sticks. When you want bold, dark lines with a natural smudgy, rough texture, charcoal is the way to go.
Scrapers and Wedges
Scrapers and wedges can give you interesting marks and a new way to play with paint. My favorite is the Silicone bowl scraper, but I also enjoy using the Catalyst wedge, Catalyst mini blade. Silicone flat brushes are another item I use almost every time I paint and for random mark making I like to try Silicone baster brushes.
Mediums and Varnish
For gluing down collage items, like paper, fabric, and more, I like to use Liquitex matte medium. It also comes in a gloss finish if you prefer that look. To protect my work, I use SpectraFix on the regular to set charcoal, pastels, crayons, and more. It takes a few light layers to fully prevent smears. I also use Krylon UV-Resistant matte spray varnish to protect canvases and large paper works. Because of the fumes, make sure it’s done outside with plenty of ventilation.
