“What kind of art supplies do you use for your painting?” This is a very frequent question I am asked, right along with, “How long does it take you to paint a picture?” While the second question is harder to answer, the first one is more tangible… I shall begin from there.
Most people’s concern about art supplies is the cost, “where can I find cheap art supplies?” Art supplies are expensive, but if we gain some understanding of how they are made and what kind of effects they have on the result of the painting, we will have a greater appreciation. Less is more does not apply to art supplies. However, if we choose wisely and learn how to handle the materials diligently, they will go a long way.
I teach school-age children and youth. I don’t believe in giving cheap materials to youngsters since they are just learning. Learning how to draw well and paint well is a big hurdle to jump over already; they don’t need to deal with poor quality materials, which will greatly affect the outcome of the picture.
The three basic supplies would be brushes/pencils, paper/canvases and brushes:
For drawing, I tend to lean towards Staedtler products. From erasers (Mars plastic/Latex Free) to pencils (Norica HB) and Mars Lumographic sketching pencils. They are affordable and very reliable. The erasers always lift the graphite without disturbing the papers. The quality of the graphite is very good, too.
Sketching and drawing paper – Sketching paper tends to be lightweight since it is intended for sketching and experimenting, whereas drawing paper is of higher quality for creating works that need to be preserved for a longer time. Typically, drawing paper has a higher grammage. I like Jack Richeson’s Drawing paper, as it has good tooth for shading purposes. They come in 9”x12” size; weight 75lb; acid free.
For painting, I focus more on the paints and the support (paper/canvas) because these 2 elements will affect the outcome of the painting greatly. The cost of paints differs greatly due to 2 factors:
1. The pigment itself, for example, the earth tone pigments, are very economical since they are easy to produce, and some other pigments are quite expensive since it takes great effort to process the mineral.
2. The second factor is the quantity of the pigment in each tube. The cheaper brands and some of the student’s quality paints tend to have a lot of filler in each tube.
So, in the long run, getting a decent set of paints is more cost-effective. We don’t need a lot of fancy colours; learning to mix colours is a good exercise for students. To ensure good results, I would choose at least Schmincke Akademie Aquarell (watercolours). For acrylics, I would choose either Akademie Acryl (acrylics) or Golden Artist colours—they are very reliable.
The struggle with cheaper paper is not only because it is thinner. There are a few factors to consider: paper that is mass-produced by machine is often cheaper and does not have enough sizing or is mixed with filler or brightener. That affects how it can hold the pigment and water. I would use at least 140 lb cold press produced by reputable companies with long histories of producing artist papers. When I plan to do a lot of wet-on-wet techniques, I use Arches paper 300 lb cold press. For acrylics, I would at least use the Canadian-made Apollon – doubled primed. Having a good quality canvas with acid-free gesso gives assurance of good support to the acrylic paints.
The last basic supply would be brushes. Most students and artists alike make the mistake of over-buying brushes. I have adult students who have come for workshops and brought along 10-15 brushes. In reality, 2-3 brushes is often enough if we choose them right. I usually provide a flat brush and 2 sizes of round brushes to my beginner students – a one-inch flat to do washes, a large round brush for general painting and a small round brush for details.
I used to buy natural hair brushes for their ability to hold the water and paint, but they are costly. Later, I was introduced to da Vinci Casaneo. I was very happy about the products; they are vegan brushes that act very much like natural hair and hold a great volume of fluid but come to a very precise point!
I emphasized the reliability of the products quite a bit. When the products are reliable, we won’t get caught by the unexpected surprise outcome. Learning how to draw or paint is a challenging process. We don’t have control of each person’s ability to create, but we can limit some of the struggles during the learning process to reduce disappointments and frustration.