Good art supplies cost a little but are absolutely necessary for adults as well as children. Making art is a lot of physical and mental work - good supplies can make the job easier and well worth it.
Here are some suggestions. Not all of these supplies are necessary - just pick and choose a medium, some good paper, a good pencil and eraser, and you are ready to plunge into a magical world.
Basic Drawing
- Paper - Sketchbook or Drawing book with spiral binding, size 11"x14"
- Bristol paper (available as a pad) is nice thick paper for nicer drawings. Size either 9"x12" or 11"x14"
- Graphite Pencils - H and HB
- Eraser - Staedtler Mars plastic eraser - nice one for black graphite pencils
- Good sharpener
- 12" scale
- Fine black tipped pen - 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm
- Color pencils - box of 24 or 36 pencils. There are a few different good brands besides Crayola - all of them a bit pricey but here they are -
- Staedtler Ergosoft color pencils
- Prismacolor Primier color pencils (very popular and very good)
- Derwent Studio color pencils
- Markers - make sure they are fine-tipped - at least 24 colors
- Oil Pastels - set of 12 or 24 Water soluble Portfolio brand - available at Staples
- Canvas Panels or stretched canvas - 11"x14"
- Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint set - 6 different colors
- Brushes - sets of different sizes are available.
- Rags - old cotton t-shirts work best
- Yogurt tubs - recycle any plastic tub for water
- Watercolor box - box with cubes of different colors
- Watercolor paper - size 9"x12"
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Old kid appropriate magazines
- Colored/patterned paper, construction paper in various colors (for collage, making books etc)
