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The Artist’s Secret Stash: Tools I Swear By
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items Beautiful art starts with using quality products and there are some things you shouldn't skimp on as an artist. Paper quality, canvas, quality materials such as brayers and zinc plates for printmaking. This list is a collection of my favorite best qu...
Sections
4
Best Art Supplies for Professional Artists - My Daily Art Studio Tools: What I Actually Use
Aesthetic Art Supplies That Inspire: Colorful Tools I Love Using
Making Your Own Oil Paint
Digital Tools Every Artist & Designer Should Know About (2025 Edition)
Best Art Supplies for Professional Artists - My Daily Art Studio Tools: What I Actually Use
Looking for the best art supplies for your creative practice? These are the must-have tools I use every day as a working artist and designer. Whether you're a painter, illustrator, or mixed media artist, you'll find pro-quality sketchbooks, pens, bru...
My go-to for sketching ideas and creating final artwork. I prefer thicker paper even for sketching. This paper can be primed with gesso and taped to board to use with acrylic and oil successfully. Holds up to markers and light washes beautifully as w...
Strathmore 400 Heavyweight Drawing Pad 9x12
When I want to use watercolor, I always reach for Arches paper. (Maybe it's my University studio training…but it's the best for me) I trust Arches paper quality - and always think of the end product when beginning a work of art.
Arches Watercolor Paper Pad, 140lb, 9x12
We all start somewhere, knowing your paper can make or break a great work of art. Starting a project with the end in mind means creating with the best quality you can afford to create a timeless work of art.
ARCHES Paper: Hot Press & Cold Press Info
Rives 100% rag paper for printmaking or drawing. Recommended for all printmaking techniques…Beautiful edge and this paper should have a watermark in the sheet that signifies authenticity…
Rives BFK White- Pack of Five 22x30 Inch Sheets
New art supplies always get me inspired to produce something new… like these great colored pencils.
Faber-Castell 24 Pc Polychromous Pencils
Known as the most expensive pastels in the world - rich pigment beautiful colors.
Henri Roché 12 Piece Intense Colors (FAS Exclusive) Set
Best art storage box for the studio. Holds a lot of different supplies - but i use it for mostly my pastels and pencils and graphite vines.
7 Elements 3 Drawer Wooden Artist Storage Box
I imagine Monet using something similar in his garden at Giverny ,,,,
American Journey Field Series Sketchbox Easels
Beautiful printmaking paper, I might have a problem because I collect beautiful white blank pages of these quality sheets…
Awagami Hosho Select 17x20 80GSM Paper
More economical than my previous post, looks similar to the more expensive version. Select the best quality you can buy so it will last- you need this to be adjusted continuously…
Somime H-Frame Studio Easel, Beechwood, Walnut
I'm in love with classic conte crayon colors. Takes me back to the studio days way back back back…
Conté à Paris Sketching Colors, Set of 4
Big box of watercolor pens, easy but takes some time to master…
CHROMATEK 54 Watercolor Pens Set w/ Pad & Tutorial
Can never have too many of these brayers in the printmaking studio…
Soft Rubber Roller Brayer 4-Inch Brown
Crafted for true artists, so for all of us…. so beautiful the wood makes it feel so classic.
MEEDEN: MEEDEN Pro Series
Wow, wow, wow - speechless and wondering why I don't own one of these yet for this price.
PreAsion Etching Press Machine 28x10cm
These are nice and you cna buy them individually per color as you go which is nice.
Sennelier Soft Pastels and Sets
Natural, make your own signature colors that are archival…
Natural Earth Paint : The Complete Eco friendly Oil Paint Kit
Stretchers for making your own canvas
1.5" Deep 72" Canvas Stretcher Bars 2PK
Kit with stapler… very handy tools kit to stretching your own quality canvas for oil painting. The benefits are a more economical solution, a better quality end product, and the satisfaction of creating your own canvas to work on.
Heavy Duty Canvas Stretcher Pliers Kit 3-in-1
Canvas on a roll for economical canvases… I have not purchased this roll, instead I go and purchase at a local camping supply store by the yard. But this is the next best thing… and I think I would buy the whole roll to have on hand to stretch severa...
Art Supplies 38"x16.4ft Heavyweight Canvas Roll
Gesso to prime stretched canvases. The gallon bucket is the best economically as a canvas may need 2-3 coats depending on how much texture your material has and how smooth you want the surface to be. I add a little crushed conte or pigment to the ges...
Hyatt's Acrylic Gesso Primer 1 Gallon
Aesthetic Art Supplies That Inspire: Colorful Tools I Love Using
If you’re as obsessed with color as I am, this list is for you. These are my favorite aesthetic and colorful art supplies — from dreamy pastel markers to vibrant paints that make every project feel magical. I use these in my own work as a designer an...
These are so rich…interesting set of tube paints. Standard colors to use: red, blue, yellow, green, white,black- always best to mix your own shades and colors with primaries…
Geneva Fine Art Supplies
Amazing shade ranges, and they are called super fine which makes me think these would be ultra smooth in consistency with rich pigments.
Charvin Extra Fine Oil Paint Set, 9 Greens, 20ml
Pan Pastels from Golden Artist - Professional tools, if anyone has tried these pans I would like to know how you like them… would you use them on a gessoed canvas surface or only paper?
Golden Artist Colors: Pastels
Williamsburg Oil Paint Colors for Professional Results- owned by Golden Artist, I toured the Golden facility once to see their process of making paints. There I was a great museum and factory tour with an installed art exhibit onsite.
Williamsburg Artist Oil Colors by GOLDEN, 13 Colors Set
Bring on the saturation with these Panpastel colors. I just want to do everything red when I see this shade…
PanPastel Artist Pastels by GOLDEN, Red, 2.44in
Beautiful Artist watercolors by Golden for Professional results, this is where it matters what yiou use…the quality, consistency, and saturation makes a big difference in the final product.
QoR Artist Watercolors GOLDEN Sap Green 11ml
Beautiful sets that get you started quickly until you figure out your color story. Then you can invest in the larger tubes to replace the colors you use frequently ….
Williamsburg Artist Oil Colors by GOLDEN - 7 Colors Set
Making Your Own Oil Paint
Ambitiously, I wanted to design my own paint colors and this list highlights what is needed to create your own oil paints. First- Find the pigments, or create your own pigments. Second - Decide which oil you would like to mix with the pigment and thi...
Step 1: Find your pigments. Or make Natural dried pigments from dried flowers, dirt, natural materials, iron oxide,
Making Your Own Oil Paint with Jackson's Pigments
Make your own natural powder pigments or try finding natural pigments online…
Shop Premium Oil Paint Pigments
Search for Natural Pigments on Amazon, there is a wide variety of powder pigments online…
terrachrom Mineral Pigment Packs 3x150ml
Step 2: decide what oil you would like to use to create your handmade oil paint and how it will be stored.
Tusc & Pine Walnut Oil for Painting - 3.4 Oz
Walnut oil doesn't yellow as quickly as Linseed oil and may be beneficial to use in mixing your own pigment oil colors.
TERLANS Anatolian Walnut Oil Refined 250ml
Linseed Oil traditionally recommended to use for thinning paint or making paint.
Tusc & Pine Alkali Refined Linseed Oil Paint Medium 33.8 Oz
Palette knives for mixing paints
10PCS Stainless Steel Palette Knife Set for Painting
Mineral Spirits for thinning and cleaning oil paints
Tusc & Pine StudioSolv™ Odorless Mineral Spirits 3.4oz
Sometimes it's easier to purchase a kit to learn how to mix your own pigments. When you mix your own pigment paint you have more control over colors and consistency…
Paint Making Sets - Pigments
Containers to hold oil paint and terps.
YIUIRUOI Stainless Steel Art Oil Pot with Lid
Excellent Paint Brush Washer
MyLifeUNIT Airtight Stainless Steel Brush Washer
Hog Boar Bristle Brushes… Substantial to not fall apart through cleaning and oil paints.
Fuumuui 11pcs Hog Bristle Oil Paint Brushes
Sable Brush Extra Large for painting Large Murals and Canvses
Silver Brush 820340 Jumbo Golden Taklon Filbert
Yes, Bob Ross - Branded Paint Brushes
Bob Ross Background Brush 5
Very handy for cleaning brushes
Bob Ross Cleaning Bucket & Screen-White
Odorless sometimes can mean unknowingly poisonous… but stay ventilated or use the odoriferous turpentine to better gauge how much the chemical is affecting the atmosphere…
BOB ROSS ODORLESS THINNER 32OZ QUART
Wow a whole branded Bob Ross Set of Everything… I'll just add this here for interesting things that exist --so Let's get painting….
Bob Ross Master Artist Oil Paint & Easel Set
Digital Tools Every Artist & Designer Should Know About (2025 Edition)
These are the digital tools and apps I use to run my creative business, stay organized, and deliver professional work faster. From must-have design software to helpful browser extensions, these picks are the tech side of my creative toolkit — and the...
Procreate for the iPad
Procreate
Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch M4, 256GB, Space Black
Can't digitize or create digital art without this.
Apple: iPad
Apple Pencil makes it easier…
Apple Pencil Pro - Latest Model, Precision Stylus
When I am not painting, I am designing and this is my mobile go to…
Apple 2024 MacBook Pro M4 Pro 24GB 512GB
Interesting lineup of machines, more powerful than my desktop righ tnow… droolworthy power.
Apple 2024 iMac M4 10-core CPU/GPU 16GB 256GB Blue + AppleCare+
Ideas for a replacement desktop for home that will still have enough oomph for what I need it to do…
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27-inch 3.8GHz Eight-core i7 (Mid 2020)
Nice options available that are not brand new…
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M2 Pro with 12-Core CPU and 19-Core GPU (Early 2023)
Have to keep searching for the right balance of functionality, hard drive and RAM
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27-inch 3.8GHz Eight-core i7 (Mid 2020)