What Art Supplies I Use for Paintings
Making art is a personal endeavor. It takes our thoughts, feelings, and hopes, and makes them into a tangible Visage. As a traditional artist, the experience of creating is also incredibly tactile. Over the years, I’ve refined my supplies collection for creating. There were many times I tried new paint brands or different mediums altogether, but no matter how much my style and technique evolved, my favorite substrates and materials have remained fairly consistent.
Whether I am making an abstracts, animal impressionisms, landscapes, or botanical paintings, the items below are my studio staples. *Some of the links below are affiliate links and can result in monetized reimbursement. For more information, see the Policies & Disclosures pages under About.
My 12 Most Used Art Materials for Creating Paintings
Golden High Flow Acrylic Paint
I’ve tried a few high flow acrylic paints, as well as using pouring mediums to make other paint higher flow. Nothing beats Golden brand high flow acrylic paint. It is more expensive, but the color and texture cannot be beat. Sometimes it is cheaper on sale if I can purchase it in-store at Blick.
I’ve used the mixed media, oil & acrylic, and watercolor Canson brand paper. I prefer the mixed media paper as I have trouble with warping with the watercolor. (Probably because my work space is freezing). I buy Canson paper in multiple sizes. I like the texture, weight, and that it is easy to source.
The Jacquard Pinata alcohol inks are so saturated in color, they cannot be beat. I’ve tried countless brands and the only other brand I also consider worthwhile is Copic. The Copic Ink Refills also have great colors, but are more difficult to store. There are much cheaper brands out there, but usually the color is less saturated or the container is awful. These two brands win in both categories.
Blick Premier Stretched Cotton Canvas – Gallery Profile
These premier canvases at Blick are my favorite canvases. They are decent quality for a good price. I’ve yet to have one warp in any weather. They are far superior to anything you can buy at a run-,of-the-mill arts and crafts store.
Synthetic Paper (polypropylene paper) also known as Yupo
Polypropylene paper is the preferred synthetic paper to use with alcohol inks. Regular art paper will just absorb the ink and will not give you time to work with the ink. Synthetic paper can be expensive, so I practice on glossy coated card stock. The glossy card stock gives time to work with the ink, but does not work quite as well as the polypropylene. The most well known brand is Yupo. I like to buy Yupo in the big roles to save money and control the size, but you can also purchase it in pre-cut paper pads. I’ve worked with cheaper off-brands, and those might not be as great a surface as Yupo, but most are OK.
I’ve tried many brands of paint pens, but Posca remains a top brand for a reason. I am not a big fan of the fine tip Posca pens as I find them leaky, but I really like the medium sized tips. They are great for details and have good coverage. The only issue I have is like with most acrylic based paint, you want your studio around 75°F or the coverage is inconsistent. Just another Minnesota living issue for me.
A larger wood easel is a must for me. In a perfect world, a custom easel would be great, but a prefab easel kit is more realistic.
I will be the first to admit this easel isn’t perfect, but I’ve had it for years and it is adequate. The only problem is with super large canvases that make it too top-heavy. You are better off lowering the canvas platform and sitting in a chair or else it gets tippy.
For tubes of acrylic paint, I like Arteza. There are many other brands that are better quality, but Arteza offers a huge spectrum of colors at affordable prices. I find the texture and durability to be good as well. Their acrylic paint is easy to source and is a good mid-range option that won’t break your debit card or your spirit.
I love gold paint pens for shimmery details. The Krink brand of paint pens uses very good quality paint. It is smooth and consistent. The pens and applicators are usually good quality as well. They are worth the extra cost compared to much cheaper versions.
Archival Black Ink Pens – (Specifically, SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens)
Good ink pens are a must for fine details, sketching, doodling, and outlining. I’ve gone through a lot of art pens, and the Micron pens are a go-to in my stash.
Sketchbooks – Mix Media Pad Ohuhu
I prefer a hardcover sketchbook with thick paper. Obviously, this is because I’m painting in it rather than sketching. This sketchbook is my latest favorite for both paper quality and durability. the hard cover is coated in a poly material that doesn’t absorb the spills I end up setting the book in.
Watercolor Paints – Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint
Although, I also like the tin boxes of Prima watercolors.
The Winsor & Newton tubes have strong, saturated color, and I love that I have a lot of control over how strong I can make it. Although, Prima tins are more convenient for travel, outdoor painting, and quick color. I like and use both more than any other watercolors.
Alright, there they are! These 12 substrates/materials are my must-haves for creating the three most common types of paintings I make. There are many more of course, but if I had to have a minimalist, capsule studio, I would be able to make quite a bit of my favorite styles with these items.