Whether you’re a seasoned artist looking for a new creative outlet and wanting to expand your skills or a complete art newcomer, a toolkit is essential. You need a certain number of supplies on hand before you start a project. Because there’s nothing worse than getting into the flow and suddenly realising you are missing those crucial items and can’t go further.
To help you out, here are some of the essentials that are best sellers in our online shop to help you compile your list – and shop for it!
Artist pencils
Artist pencils come in many forms but there are two general categories and you are likely to want something from both in your equipment kit.
Drawing pencils are black and are used for all those simple jobs or foundation sketches that you need for many types of art. It’s a good idea to have a few on hand as they get used a lot (and frequently go missing!) The Daler Rowney Simply Drawing set is perfect with 22 pencils in a single pouch.
You also need coloured pencils. Watercolour pencils are one of the most common types as they can be used to colour but also transform into watercolour paints easily. Winsor & Newton are a well-known brand and their 12 pencil set is really popular.
Artist paints
The sort of paints you choose will depend on the type of artwork you’re intending to specialise in but there are two popular types to start with – watercolour and acrylic paints.
Acrylic paints come in tubes and can be squeezed into a palette to paint with or mix. A good starter set will contain around 12 colours and the Daler Rowney Graduate Acrylic Paint Set is a perfect example. There are twelve 22ml paint tubes in the set covering the main colours.
Watercolour paints tend to come in small blocks and are usually encased in a palette or storage set to protect them. The Cotman Watercolour Compact Set from Winsor Newton features 14 different colours as well as a mixing area and a brush, all in one compact box.
Other important supplies
If you are using paints, you’ll also need brushes. There are plenty of different styles, depending on what you want to paint. There are acrylic brush sets and watercolour specialist brushes as well as long-handled oil colour tube brushes. Look for a selection of brushes in a pack if you want to try different ones.
Finally, an artist’s toolkit should always contain a sketchbook or pad so you can make a quick sketch any time you see something that catches your eye or an idea comes into your head. While the bigger A4 and A3 pads are great, a smaller A5 pad is handy to keep in your toolkit and can travel around with you.
Essential art supplies
You may be looking for a new hobby in lockdown, taking up something you haven’t done for a while or even art could be part of your studies. Whatever the case, having the best art supplies on hand will mean you can get into your project without constantly waiting for things to come!
Our online shop is always open. And if you need help or advice about the right products for you, please contact us. We’re happy to help.