Here are art supplies that I use daily as an Art Student! Trust me, I’ve tried them all🥴
Sections
3
Illustration Supplies
Painting Supplies
Paper and Sketchbooks
Illustration Supplies
This includes pens, pencils, illustration board, and more!
Out of all the ink pen brands I have tried, Staedtler Brand has always been the most affordable and reliable!
Staedtler Brand Fine Line Pens
Kneaded erasers are a MUST for illustrators and sketching and I find that Blick has cheap but effective ones available!
Blick Kneaded Erasers
Any brand works honestly, just make sure it’s got that cork backing to avoid slipping!
Cork Backed Ruler
Mechanical pencils are great and all, but I find that having a variety of weights really makes a difference! These are the only brand I use and they are super affordable!
Staedtler Brand Drawing and Sketching Pencils
Drawing boards are super nice to have for any project! I currently have two of the smaller sizes and three of the larger ones!
Blick Sketch Pad Clip Board
If you’re willing to spend a little more, Prismacolor colored pencils is the only brand I ever buy! They layer color well and their pigments are beautiful!
Prismacolor Colored Pencils
Painting Supplies
This includes watercolor, acrylics, and paintbrushes!
I have been using this exact watercolor set for all 4 years of art school and I still have so much left to use! It is 100% worth the purchase if you’re on the hunt for good watercolors without breaking the bank!
Winsor & Newton® Cotman® Watercolor Compact Set - Michaels
These are my favorite acrylic paints to work with and they are super affordable for the quality!
Golden Brand Acrylic 22 ml Tubes
For watercolor and acrylic paints, you literally just need some brushes from Walmart! They last forever and don’t break the bank!
Hello Hobby 25-Piece Assorted Craft Paint Brush Set for Art Projects
Skip the paint palettes for watercolor and get yourself a nice ice cube tray for mixing colors! I use one all the time and it’s super easy to clean and mix new colors depending on my palette!
Ice Cube Tray, 2-pc Pack.
You can find these pretty much anywhere, I recently found mine at Dollar Tree and they’re perfect for traveling!
Collapsible Paint Brush Wash Cup
Paper and Sketchbooks
This includes my preferred paper and specific kinds you’ll want to look out for for your own projects!
This is my go-to watercolor paper for my watercolor paintings and it is super affordable with great quality!
Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Paper Pads
I have personal gripes with sketch paper in traditional sketchbooks, but mixed media is my absolute favorite due to its thickness and versatility!
Canson XL Mixed Media Pad - 9" x 12"
Whether it’s for printmaking, watercolor, acrylic, or even graphite, Arches is my go to bulk paper for larger projects! It is very versatile and durable, I’ve used it for every medium I just listed and they all came out great!
Arches Natural White Watercolor Paper
If frames are too expensive, I love using uncut matboard to put my prints and drawings on to give it that professional look!