My Favorite Art Supplies
**PAINTS**
My preferred brands are
Golden Fluid Acrylics, Soft Body (basic), and Heavy Body (thicker)
Liquitex Acrylics (professional grade)
A few favorite colors:
GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics, Azo Gold, 4oz
GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics, Quinacridone Magenta, 4oz
Golden Fluid Acrylics - Phthalo Blue - 4oz
GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics, Payne's Gray, 4oz
GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics, Green Gold, 4oz.
GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylics, Titanium White, 5 fl. oz. (when I want a true white)
Liquitex Basics Gesso Surface Prep Medium. This is most off used to prep a canvas and add a white layer of paint. I use is my basic “white” paint.
Arteza Acrylic Paint Set of 12 - Great beginner starter set. Also great size to use as travel set. Only $15.99. Paints are of decent quality.
Kingart Gel Sticks, 12-Colors
Tempera Sticks, 30-colors
Distress Spray Stain Set - love the grungy dispursed spray of color.
**SKETCHBOOKS**
Ohuhu Mix Media Pad, 8.3" x 8.3" Mixed Media Art Sketchbook, 120lb. My favorite everyday art journal sketchbook.
Ohuhu Mixed Media Hardcover Pad- 8.3" x 8.3" Square Mix Media Sketchbook: A bit fancier but a favorite as my travel sketchbook.
**GELLI PLATE PRINTING**
Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate - 8" X 10". Best quality. I’ve had several for years and they are still going strong!
Rubber Brayer Rollers
DeliWaxPaper - for making “semi-transparent” prints, wonderful for mixed media layering.
Liquitex Gloss Mediumor Liquitex Satin Varnish
As “glue” for handpainted paper, collage, photo transfers
As a clear “varnish” top coat to finish a painting. I typically add about 25% water, and apply two even coats.
Princeton (rubber) Catalyst Tools:Can be use to “smooth” the paper (handprinted or collage) that you’re gluing to the canvas. More gentle than using a plastic putty knives, etc.
**Mark Making Tools**
Sea Sponges: Helpful for making organic looking brushes, leaf canopy, sandy beaches, etc.
(Fat) Graphite Stick Set - Water Soluble - 4B 6B 10B:
Bamboo Wood Skewers for making scribbles, scripts and marks in wet paint.
Shelf liner- I love the ‘grid’ pattern this make and you can cut them to various sizes/shapes.
Bubble Wrap - But don’t buy it, just save it from your Amazon deliveries :)
Princeton (rubber) Catalyst Tool
Blue Scott Paper Towels for their strength and one of favorite painting tools for creating “misty, soft blended areas”. You can also use a Filbert brush or try a mop brush to create similar affects.
Bounty Paper Towelsfor lifting, pattern print, smudging, etc.
**Image Transfer**
Strathmore Tracing Paper, 11 X 14
Saral Transfer Paper- Roll of Yellow
Saral Transfer Paper Sampler Pack - Yellow, blue, graphite
**Misc. Supplies**
Spray Bottle16oz mist & stream for misting canvas and the stream for making drips.
Disposable Latex Gloves: Protects hands from paint staining, drying and having to scrub paint off, which can dry out your hands.
**Substrate**
Baltic Birch Plywood Wood Panels – 1/4 Inch 12” x 12”. I love to paint on wood as I don’t have to worry about pressing too hard like you do on canvas.
Split Frames for 12”x12” wood panels - 1.5" unfinished Doug Fir Strip Frame 5/16" Rabbet.
Gorilla Super Glue Gel XL
The Baltic wood panels fit sit in the Split Frame similar to a floating frame. I use Gorilla Glue to affix the wood panel to the split frame. Once glue is applied, I weigh it down and let it sit for 12 hours.
A Quick Note About My Favorite Art Supplies
Some of the links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission—at no additional cost to you.
I only recommend art supplies that I personally use, love, or genuinely believe are worth sharing. Your support through these affiliate links helps offset the costs of creating new artwork, teaching, and providing free resources, and it means so much to me as I continue to grow my art business.
Thank you for supporting my creative journey!