Beginner and Intermediate Art Supplies

Let me just say this up front: whatever you have, we can make things work. I’ve had times that were lean and times of plenty, but I was always able to make art that I felt good about. Find what works for you! Have fun! Take joy in limitation and the creative problem-solving that it helps develop in you. And if you have a little extra money to spare and want to make your artistic life a little more cushy, here is a list of supplies that I have found useful and enjoyable, without being overly expensive. If anything, you can also keep this list for gift ideas for birthdays or Christmas presents as well.

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These supplies are what I recommend to my young students, ages 7-12.

Supply	Just Starting Out	Upping Your Skills	To Avoid, If Any
Drawing Paper	Printer Paper	Drawing Pad	Toilet Paper 😀
Notes: Drawing Paper at this level is pretty easy to supply. I usually use printer paper when I’m just coming up with a concept. I use a small notebook to keep ideas of art projects I want to do, and larger notebooks to store my concepts as I work on making them into working models.
Drawing Pencils	Ticonderoga Graphite Pencils		The cheap pencils from Halloween/ the dentist’s office
Notes: Since we are using our pencils just for creating concepts and learning shading, Ticonderoga Pencils really can’t be beat. No shade on cheap Halloween pencils, but it’s nice having erasers that work and graphite that can make a dark mark without completely breaking off and having to run for the pencil sharpener eight times in a row. Also, please make this rule for yourself: if a pencil’s eraser is used up, throw the whole thing away. Don’t put on the little eraser caps. Don’t waste your time filling up drawer space – just throw those away and grab a new pencil that allows you to correct mistakes as easily as possible.
Pencil Sharpener	Twist-N-Sharp Pencil Sharpeners		The cheap little ones that I worry little kids will stick their fingers into and don’t do a great job anyway.
Notes: Seriously, pencil sharpeners have one job. I found it worthwhile to buy this three pack that sharpens well and doesn’t make me worry about babies losing fingertips. They do a really great job easily, and you can carry them with you wherever you go.
Crayola Crayons	There are no other good brands. The end.		Every time a child uses Rose Art or some other rubbish crayon, a fairy drops down dead somewhere.
Art Eraser	White Plastic Erasers		The old, crumbly erasers sitting in your drawer that smudge rather than lift.
Note: I hope you’re taking this permission to throw away all the office supplies that aren’t serving you. I know you have forty barely used pink erasers sitting in your desk drawer. Go over to it, and pull them ALL out. Save two for general use, toss the rest, get some good plastic erasers that will do their job well, and go take a bubble bath because you don’t need to worry about it anymore.
Watercolor Paper	Any generic watercolor paper can get you going, but here’s a link to one if you want it.	This is really great mid grade paper	Again, toilet paper. 😀
Note: Look, I got going on my watercolor career with nothing but printer paper and Crayola watercolors. I made it work and learned a lot. So if you need to roll with that, do it! That being said, it was SO much nicer to be able to actually make watercolor effects when you use good paper. I remember hearing an artist say, “Life is too short to paint on cheap paper,” and they do have a point. If there is any one thing that you are wanting to splurge your money on, the first thing is your paper. The mid grade paper pack I recommended is excellent – I use it in my classes, it has a great tooth and quality, and it comes with a lot of paper, so you don’t have to sweat if you messed up a painting and need to start with a fresh piece of paper.
Watercolor Paints	Basic: Crayola is great, or if you want more variety, this one is really great	This is the one that I recommend to my beginning students. The colors are bright and the case and equipment is sturdy. It’ll last a long time. This is a great one that costs a little less. Still lots of colors, and the pigment quality is pretty great! The case is less sturdy, but it’s still good.	Here’s the scenario: you found an old watercolor set in your school closet. Every color looks brown. You mist the paint with water. If in one minute the paint is floating in chunks and the color only barely shows up on your paper, you toss it in the garbage, take it out to the driveway, light it on fire, and do a happy dance.
Notes: Watercolor paints are the second area that you will want to splurge on if you can. Crayola is great for introducing kids to color theory, and I love keeping it on hand for my elementary school and preschool kids to experiment with. But there is a big payoff for paying just a few dollars more for some brighter paints with more variety. It’s simply more fun when you want to paint rainbows of color!
Watercolor Brushes	This is a good, trusty set. This is actually the set that I use for all my students.	Princeton SNAP round brushes are amazing! Size 6, size 10, size 12, and size 20	Just make sure that when you buy a set it does have a selection of larger round brushes, at least one size 6 or 8 and size 10 or 12.
Note: Paint brushes are number 3 on the “things to spend a little extra money on” list. I actually use these ones in my classes and on my commissions – even good paint brushes don’t have to cost a lot. You don’t want hairs falling into your painting, and you don’t want the bristles to be made of thick nylon hairs. Fine, natural hairs are the bees knees in the paint world.
Paper Towels	Napkins work in a pinch, but it is nice to bring at least the generic brand of paper towels from the store.	Bounty paper towels. Don’t buy them on Amazon – they’ll most likely be cheaper at the store. I really do feel a difference using them.	Papel Higiénico 😀
Note: I know the it’s such a “bougie” suggestion to go for the name brand paper towels. But seriously, though, it really is a great picker upper. 😀
A ruler	All it needs is a straight edge and the measuring lines.	My little artist heart does get a lot of joy using a drafting ruler like this one.
Doesn’t need to be fancy, though.
Water Cups	Oui Yogurt Cups	Better than Boullion jars	Flimsy paper cups that tip easily
Notes: Reduce, reuse, recycle! 😀 These jars are solid, just the right height, and don’t spill easily. They’re hard to confuse for a drinking glass (believe me, I’ve almost drank my paint water more than once!). Most artists will actually use two of them at a time: either one for rinsing cold colors and one for rinsing warm colors, or one to rinse your brush and the other to keep clean for wetting the paper.

For the Upper Class (ages 13 – adult, refining artistic techniques, building up skills):

Take a look at the art supplies above, because many of them are what I use for everyone, no matter their skill level. I will make some extra recommendations here for those that are more serious artists, just in case they are getting to the point that they do start to see and feel a difference in what they are using.

Supply	Just Starting Out	Upping Your Skills	To Avoid, if Any
Watercolor Paint	This one I invested in and still use regularly in my professional practice. It will last you YEARS. Alternatively, you can buy a palette like this one and fill it with watercolor paint tubes like this one	If you are wanting to get the cream-of-the-crop, tip-of-the-top, go with Daniel Smith. These paints are more for that “extra edge,” but they are more expensive. I’d suggest you get good at color mixing before going for it.	At this point, Crayola might be more frustrating than rewarding.
Notes: This is where you’re going to see a larger difference in price for your paints. It’s a learning curve. In the beginning, it makes a really big difference between what you pay $10 for and what you pay $50 for, and when you’re just starting it’s really worth it. When you’re starting to really up your skills to the next level, the quality difference isn’t as steep, but the price can still sometimes be. In the commissions that I do for people, I honestly still really enjoy my Winsor & Newton set and use it the most often. My sets have lasted me at least five years apiece, so I will say that whatever you buy will pay off in the long run.
Watercolor paper	This is really great mid grade paper	Arches Paper is the best of the best	Again, cheaper paper or cardstock at this level will probably be more frustrating than rewarding.
Notes: If you’re able, I would suggest buying one of each of the above. It is really great to learn on mid grade paper, and then to be able to use the best quality paper when you want to make something really nice. Arches is expensive, but their quality is hard to beat, and I would say a worthwhile investment in a budding artist’s arsenal. Arches is the paper I use for all my commissions.
Artistic Pen Set	This is a classic.	These pens are great for adding fine detail on a level that a brush can’t reach. It gives you way more control as well.	Don’t use ball point pens here. The ink will bleed and smear and ruin your painting.
Note: These are also great for wanting to sign your name on your work!
Engineer’s Ruler	This ruler will prove useful in so many ways, and will probably last you for life.		Don’t use a tape measure. You’ll poke your eye out.
Notes: When you start working with larger pieces of paper, it’s good to have a larger ruler that has a little more weight to it to help ensure you’re making straight, correctly measured marks. I use mine almost every day.
Light Board	I love this one. Simple, sturdy, nice to the touch.		Don’t get this one. It’s got a lot of harder edges, and the charging port is finicky.
Notes: Light boards are incredibly useful when transferring images to paper. Yes, we can learn about proportions and the grid method and such, but it’s also really nice to be able to quickly transfer an image and move on with your project. I consider them indispensable to an art practice.

Other Supplies that are JUST SO FUN!!!

These are not necessary; they are extra tools that I keep handy because I think they are SUPER DE DOOPER FUN to bring little touches and personality to the art I’m doing. I highly recommend them all!

Supply	Good Quality	Notes	Don’t Even Think About
Liquid Frisket	This is a perfect masking fluid	Masking fluid, or frisket, is great when you want to preserve small, detailed highlights in a painting. It rubs off like rubber cement.	Buying a huge, expensive jar. This little jar will last forever, do a great job, and doesn’t cost much.
Metallic Gold Watercolor Paints	This watercolor metallic gold paint is great for giving a shimmer to your painting	Great for adding a translucent shimmer
Metallic Gold Acrylic Paint	This acrylic paint is the bomb.	This is wonderful when you want to add gold details that are more solid and opaque. Once it dries, though, it’s set and can’t be changed.
Gold Leaf Kit	This is the best gold leaf kit I have worked with. It lasts forever, too.	Gold leaf gives you the best gold coverage and shine – way more than paint can. It’s harder to get fine details with, though, and takes a little practice.	Don’t buy real gold foil until you’ve done plenty of experimenting with this kit first.