My Favourite Art Supplies

Welcome to my little corner of the art world, where paper is a playground of colours, textures, and stories. As a mixed-media artist, I work with various materials and techniques, combining paint, ink, and collage to create my pieces. In this guide, I'll take you behind the scenes of my artistic process and share insights into the best art supplies for mixed-media creations.

Finding the right art supplies is an adventure. Some of these tools are like old friends, sticking around through thick and thin, while others are new gems discovered and highly recommended by other artists. They've all profoundly impacted my work, allowing me to play with depth and splash my thoughts across paper in vibrant layers.

These supplies have empowered me to tackle everything from the practical—like keeping things affordable without skimping on quality—to the more profound, like striving to keep my practice as green as possible. The right tools can genuinely transform your artistic journey, and I'm here to guide you in finding them.

I believe in the magic of sharing a good thing. Whether you’re about getting that detailed line just right or looking for colours that pop, I’m here to share my top picks in an art supplies review. I hope you find something here that sparks your creativity and maybe, just maybe, becomes a part of your art toolkit. Let's build a community of artists and art enthusiasts, sharing our passion and insights.

Paints

Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint

Features: Medium viscosity, dries matte, versatile, and economical—crafted with high-quality pigments.

Usage: Ideal for mixed media art, I use these paints for the underpainting and adding details. They are great for layering, and I often thin them with water or mediums for glazing effects, enhancing the painting insights for anyone looking to explore new techniques.

Golden High-Flow Acrylic Paint

Features: Ink-like consistency, spreads easily, offers brilliant colour saturation.

Usage: Perfect for covering large areas or creating dynamic grounds in art commissions. Its fluidity makes it ideal for layering over other mediums, giving my work a vibrant underlayer that’s both striking and full of depth.

Derivan Acrylic Ink

Features: High pigment load offers bright, intermixable colours.

Usage: Excellent for drawing techniques with brushes or dip pens. I also squirt these inks directly onto the paper to establish a colourful and vivid foundation, which sets the tone for many of my pieces.

Mark Makers

Acrylic Paint Pens

Features: Offers controlled application, dries matte and opaque.

Usage: I've transitioned from Micador to Posca and now to Montana, which are refillable and thus more sustainable. They're great for adding detailed accents or text to pieces.

Woodless Coloured Pencils

Features: More pigment and less waste due to no wood barrel, available in various colours.

Usage: I love using them for their versatility in line and mark-making. They're perfect for adding detailed touches or broad strokes depending on the angle and pressure applied.

I Heart Art Tempera Paint Sticks

Features: Creamy and rich in colour, these paint sticks are smooth to apply and blend easily.

Usage: I often use these for final touches on my pieces, adding vibrant lines and marks that pop against the more subdued backgrounds.

Tools

Reeves Brushes

Features: Durable, affordable, and available in various shapes and sizes.

Usage: Despite my habit of forgetting to wash them and leaving them soaking, these brushes endure through it all. They're my go-to for everyday painting because they perform well under the stress of my artistic process without falling apart.

Catalyst Wedges

Features: An ergonomically designed wedge of flexible silicon that perfectly fits in the hand for direct interaction with art materials.

Usage: Essential for manipulating paints and mediums. I use it to push and pull paint around. Its versatility also allows me to scrape back wet mediums to expose previous layers, adding depth to my artwork.

Letter Stencils

Features: Simple cardboard stencils that are affordable and effective for adding textual layers.

Usage: Found at a local KMart, I use these stencils with foam rollers to incorporate words and text into my paintings, creating subtle narrative layers that interact with other visual elements.

Mediums

Derivan Matisse Matte Gel Paste

Features: Clear, transparent, thickens paint while maintaining a matte finish.

Usage: I use this primarily to add texture and depth. It's excellent for collaging, too, thanks to its adhesive properties. Matisse is a cost-effective option that matches pricier brands in performance.

Liquitex Stucco Medium

Features: Lightweight, non-toxic, creates a finely textured finish that’s non-yellowing and water-resistant.

Usage: I apply this directly to the painting surface to create a textured ground. It's also mixable with acrylic paints for varied effects, perfect for mixed media techniques and tips.

Mont Marte Acrylic Matte Medium

Features: Enhances paint flow and maintains colour strength while creating a matte finish.

Usage: Ideal for creating thin glazes, washes, or watercolour effects, especially when I want to keep the colours vibrant but reduce the glossiness.

Golden Fibre Paste

Features: Gives a handmade paper-like texture and is semi-opaque.

Usage: Applied to the canvas ground, the paste can be manipulated with a palette knife. It's fabulous for building up areas when mixed with acrylic paint, adding a three-dimensional quality to the artwork.

These tools and materials form the backbone of my creative practice, and by sharing my favourites, I hope to inspire you to explore and integrate some of them into your artistic explorations. Now, I’d love to hear from you!

Share your favourite art supplies on Instagram, tag me @tegan.makes.art, and use the hashtag #MyArtToolkit.

Tell me why you love those tools and how they enhance your creative process. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from each other and build a community dialogue around the art supplies that inspire our creativity. Let’s get the conversation started!

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