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MY GO TO ART SUPPLIES
This page contains affiliate links. If you shop art supplies through them I make a small commission :)
The paint makes the artist... right?
For many years I assumed you had to be painting in oil paints on massive canvases by candlelight to be a real artist. And while I might've added that last bit about lighting, I spent quite a bit of time only working in oil because that was the way to achieving 'professional artist' status. I'll be honest, I did not like it. I didn't even like my work. And if I had a photo of some of the drab, earth toned canvases I would share it, but since that time, everything has been burned.
Here we are in 2022 and I've since liberated myself and my art.
Your medium does not determine your success. Paying $75 for a tube of paint or just paying $5 won't determine how well your piece turns out. And to the uptight readers who are thinking, "BuT iT wO'nT lAsT aS lOnG," yes, there is a place to push your craft further and look at why some paints are more than others. This page isn't for that.
So if you're just getting started and wanting to get creative, buy what makes sense for you. If you're here because you want to know what my studio is full of, here are my secret supplies.
NOW THAT THAT IS OFF MY CHEST - I want to share my favorite supplies with you. Spoiler alert, there's no oil paint on here.
MY COMPLETE SUPPLY LIST:
For years now I have preferred purchasing all my supplies through BLICK art supplies. I'm such a big fan of this Midwest based company that I joined their affiliate program recently. If you shop these supplies through my links, I'll get a commission.... and I only recommend my favorite, tried and true supplies.
Titanium White, Process Cyan, Process Magenta, Cadmium Red Hue, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Ultramarine Blue, Payne's Grey.
I love this medium body acrylic paint. Sometimes I feel like heavy body is just too thick for my process and methods on canvas. I tend to use water generously and like being able to layer and develop depth easily and without too much texture (am I alone in that?!).
Teal, Quinacridone Magenta, Fluorescent Magenta, Green Gold, Ultramarine Blue.
Golden paints are great, I might even call them a gold standard, but they're pricey. While they're worth every penny, it can be hard to bite the bullet on a $50 jar of paint (especially if you need more than one color!). Because of this, I look for alternatives that have the similar color vibrancy, consistency, and quality, but for half the price.
Titanium White and Fluorescent Pink.
High Flow paints are so fun, but I don't use them much. They can be great for achieving splatter or tinting a color slightly without adding too much paint.
Flat 1/4", Flat 1/2", and 1" Wash.
Meet my current obsession! These are my favorite brushes and I have about 20 of them in the studio right now. They're the perfect synthetic brushes - durable, soft, and they make the best marks.
Gallery profile, splined, and all the sizes.
I am obsessed with this paper and have been using it for years. I use it for acrylic paint now and it holds up so well to my sloppy strokes.
Do yourself a favor and get some of this to work on. You can use it for one painting, or do what I do and use it until it's got so many paint mountains on it it's no longer usable.
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