Top Favorite Art and Journaling Supplies

Hello, everyone!

In the midst of all the back-to-school shopping that is going on, we know everyone's looking for suggestions and affordable supplies. Today we're sharing some tips on finding those supplies as well as some of our favorite Art and Journaling supplies.
  1. Research products before purchasing to make sure it provides you with what you want.
  2. Stock up and buy things on sale and/or with coupons. Places like Hobby Lobby, Joann's, and Michael's have sales and coupons every week. Patience will help save you some money! 
  3. Online platforms like the ever-popular Amazon and eBay have multiple price points varying on condition and sellers.
  4. Don't forget places that sell specific products like JetPens.com 
  5. Re-purpose as much as you can. You can get creative with anything from scraps of packaging to leftover paints.

Amy

The Basics


My Essentials:
  • Sketchbook
I usually like to use Strathmore and/or Canson sketchbooks. Craft stores such as Michael's and Hobby Lobby are always having sales on those brands. Both also make different kinds of paper pads that are specific to certain types such as watercolor, mixed media, oil & acrylic, and so much more!
  • Mechanical Pencil
Any mechanical pencil works for me. Honestly, I like mechanical pencils more since it has a finer tip. I do recommend looking into the different types of lead to find the one that best suits you.
Jetpens has a helpful article that compares different types of leads for different purposes.
https://www.jetpens.com/blog/mechanical-pencil-lead-comparison/pt/887
  • Retractable Eraser
I love retractable erasers. Although I also love the kneaded eraser.
  • Micron Pen
These pens are a must even if not for sketching.
  • Sharpie Fine Tip Art Pens
Something I am obsessed with now. Any fine tip pens are so much fun to use to sketch or write with in planners or....anything! I love all the colors too~.


Kim

Branching Out


Current Everyday Favorites:
1. Sakura Koi Watercolors Pocket Field Sketch Box - Ultraportable! Great selection of colors! Comes with a water brush and sponges! My only gripe is that the paint quality is a bit grainy with visible particles when being mixed. I plan to upgrade the student-grade paints as I use them up to better ones.

2. Ebony Splendor Creative Mark Watercolor Brushes - I bought these from a local family-owned craft store that's now out of business. These are on here less because they're good brushes, but more because they are the only watercolor brushes I have. I don't have much experience with other brushes, but I use these often and the hairs don't fall out! Any suggestions for good brushes?

3. Uni Kuru Toga 0.3 Mechanical Pencil - I love this pencil! I like very very fine lines from pens and pencils and this gives me what I want. I can't find the exact one I have, so I linked something similar.

4. Tombow MONO Zero Elastomer Eraser - A fine eraser to go with a fine pencil! Used for erasing tight spaces and small areas.

5. Sakura Gelly Roll 08 - Amazing white gel pen for those extra highlights. Helen also has this on her list.

6. Sakura Pigma Micron Pens - Everybody has these! Comes in various tip sizes, dries fast, and waterproof. Awesome! I also like using brown and sepia colors.

7. X-Acto Blades - I use these to sharpen my pencils and color pencils. The kind pictured has a handle that I think I left across the country. I also use X-Acto X670 single edge razor blades. Be careful with sharp objects and these will rust if they get wet.

8. Sony Vaio Z Canvas - When I moved 2,000 miles away, I sold my lovely, beautiful, amazing Wacom Cintiq 22HD (it went to a good home) in the hopes of rebuying or getting something more portable. I eventually bought a Sony Vaio Z Canvas (Core i7 Quad-Core, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) to do digital art. It's not as much of a joy to draw on as the Cintiq, but I can easily bring it wherever I go. I also tried the Surface Pro 4 and the iPad Pro + Pencil, but this won out in the end. While it wasn't cheap, this purchase was the result of a lot of research and it has served me very well. I use it as a work laptop too.

Things I own and am excited to try and thus cannot give a recommendation for yet:
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
Charvin Extra Fine Acrylic Paints
Faber-Castell Art Grip Aquarelle (watercolor colored pencils)

Things I'm still looking for:
Awesome smooth paper for watercolor, acrylic, and color pencil work.
Amazing sketchbook (preferably with the above paper).
Astonishing watercolors
Astounding eraser

Please let me know if you have any recommendations!

Helen

Decorative Aesthetic

I mostly make art in my journals. I tend to forget some things and this is my way to keep little moments and spur creativity out of me. A large portion of my supplies is from craft stores, thrift shops, antique stores, online distributors, and of course places like Etsy and Big Cartel to support small shops and other artists. For this post, I will stick with things I consider essentials, supplies I use just about every time I sit down in the craft studio. Links are available for your convenience, keep in mind they are sold in multiple places and I recommend finding the best bargain for your situation.

Journals and Surfaces:
Carton Supply Grid Journal
 

12" x 12" - 60 Sheets Uncharted Paper Pack
12" x 12" Uncharted Scrapbook Paper









Pens:
Pentel Aquash Water Brush 3-Pack


























Extra Fun:
Image result for paintbox inkpad
PaintBox Ink Pad - Bright

Tim Holtz Botanical Dye Cut Pieces
Molshine Set of 25 Japanese Washi Tapes


Korean Diary Stickers
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamps





Do you want more?



Comments