Art Supply Recommendations
People often ask me what art supplies I use, especially in my classes. The following is a list of items I either currently use or have used in the past. I research the heck out of things, so these are products I truly like and recommend.
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PAINT BRUSHES I USE IN CLASSES
- Princeton Velvet Touch 1/4" Angle Brush
- Princeton Select Artiste Paintbrush, Size 1/4 inch
- Princeton Artist Select Darice 10011515 Artiste Oval Mop Paintbrush, Size 3/4 inch
- Royal & Langnickel Best Majestic Taklon Acrylic and Oil Brush Bright - 12
- Princeton Select Artiste Paintbrush, Flat Wash, 1"
For gesso: Princeton Gesso Brush, 2"
For isolation coat: Blick Flat Mottler 2" (non-affiliate link)
For my paintings, I like the Princeton Velvet Touch, Summit 6100, Aspen 6500, and Redline Series. It's worth pricing them around at art supply stores. I've also lucked out buying batches of the pricier ones on Ebay. I find the Princeton Select and Royal & Langnickel Majestic series are excellent lower-priced brushes.
Large, inexpensive brush set that I use: Bates Paint Brushes - 4 Pack
PALETTES
- New Wave POSH Glass Artist Palette | Neutral Grey Glass, 9 x 12 inches
- Masterson Sta-Wet Painters Pal, 13in x 12in Airtight Stay Wet Palette with 9in x 12in Mixing Area & Paint Cup Holder
- Masterson Sta-Wet Painter’s Pal Palette Acrylic Paper Refill
PALLETE KNIVES
- Liquitex Professional Freestyle Small Painting Knife, No. 1
- Liquitex Professional Freestyle Traditional Knives 6-Piece Ring Set
- Princeton Catalyst Tools, Art Supplies for Texturizing and Moving Paint, Wedge
PAINTS
I typically use Golden and Liquitex Heavy Body Paints. Liquitex Basics is an excellent lower-priced option.
- Prussian Blue
- Ultramarine Blue
- Phthalocyanine Blue (Green Shade)
- Cerulean Blue
- Quinacridone Magenta or Alizarin Crimson Hue
- Cadmium-Free Red Medium or Pyrrole Red
- Cadmium-Free Red Light
- Cadmium-Free Orange
- Cadmium-Free Yellow Light or Hansa Yellow Light
- Cadmium-Free Yellow Medium
- Naples Yellow or Indian Yellow
- Phthalocyanine Green (Blue Shade)
- Burnt Umber
- Raw Umber
- Burnt Sienna
- Raw Sienna
- Titanium White
- Mars Black
- Paynes Gray (I often use it instead of black)
Non-essential colors that I like to have:
- Vivid Lime Green
- Bright Green Aqua
- Teal
- Turquoise (phthalo)
- Light Blue Violet
- Deep Violet
- Unbleached Titanium (excellent sand color)
- Transparent Orange
If you're not quite ready to invest in a wide variety of heavy body paints, Liquitex Basics has some excellent student-grade starter sets that have a wide variety of colors, ranging from 4 - 72 colors.
ACRYLIC MEDIUMS & VARNISHES
- Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid Gloss
- Golden Acrylic Medium, Glazing Liquid, 32 Oz, Satin
- Liquitex Professional Modeling Paste, 473ml (16-oz)
- Golden Artist Colors - Heavy Gel Semi-Gloss - 8 oz Jar
- U.S. Art Supply Modeling Paste Acrylic Medium, 500ml Tub
- Liquitex Professional Gesso Surface Prep Medium, 946ml (32-oz), White
- Golden Artist Colors Isolation Coat, 8 oz. jar
- Golden Archival Varnish (Gloss) 10 oz Spray Can - This seems to be a newer version of the varnish I use (which was discontinued). I typically like the semi-gloss. It also comes in satin and matte.
CANVASES & FRAMES
- Ampersand Floaterframe for Flat and 1 1/2" Deep Wood Panel and Canvas Artwork, Paintings, 6"x6", Black Thin
- Ampersand Floaterframe for Flat and 1 1/2" Deep Wood Panel and Canvas Artwork, Paintings, 6"x6", Maple Thin
- Blick Premier Gallery Profile Canvases - Back-Stapled, 1-1/2" (non-affiliate link)
- Michael's Artist Loft Level 3 Gallery Canvases (non-affiliate link)
EASELS I USE
- VISWIN Collapsible H-Frame Easel, Hold 1 or 2 Canvas up to 78", Adjustable Beech Wood Easel for Painting, Movable & Tilting Flat Floor Art Easel Stand, Studio Art Easel for Adults, Artists - Natural
- Falling in Art Beechwood 25’’ Tabletop Easel Display Stand Set for Painting- Holding Canvas Up to 22 1/2 Inches High
- Mabef Table Top Easel
- Best Classic Santa Fe Ii Easel
TO CLEAN BRUSHES AFTER PAINTING
- Escoda Artist Brush & Hand Soap, Natural Olive oil, 100G
- The Master's Brush Cleaner
- BEAKEY Makeup Brush Drying Rack
WATER CONTAINERS WHILE PAINTING
- MYARTOOL Paint Brush Washer, Portable Leak-Proof Brush Cleaner with Lid and Filter Screen, 4.7" tall x 4.4" dia
- MyLifeUNIT Paint Brush Cleaner, Airtight Stainless Steel Brush Holder for Painting, 17 oz/Medium
- MyLifeUNIT Paint Brush Cleaner, Paint Brush Holder
- I also use left-over glass jam jars for clean water
PENS/PENCILS
- General Pencil 4400-12A General's Pastel Chalk Pencils, 12 Colors
- Sketch & Wash Pencils 2/Pkg
- SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens - Archival Black Ink Pens
PAPER
- Canson XL Series Mixed Media Pad, Side Wire, 11x14 inches, 60 Sheets – Heavyweight Art Paper
- Strathmore Acrylic Paper Pad 9"X12"
- Strathmore 400 Series Acrylic Paper, Foldover Pad, 12x12 inches
MISC
- Magic Palette Color Mixing Guide
- Color Wheel-9.25-inch
- Pocket Color Wheel
- Grey Scale Value Finder
- Lights - I have the Neewer 2 Packs Advanced 2.4G 660 LED Video Light with Softbox Kit, but they are no longer available. These seem to be pretty similar: NEEWER 2 Pack Bi Color 660 LED Video Light and Stand Kit: (2) 3200-5600K CRI 96+ or NEEWER 2 Pack Bi Color 660 LED w/Softbox
RECOMMENDED ART SUPPLY STORES
Blick
Jerry's Artarama
Michael's