Deep-diving into my art supply cabinet!
Hi friends! As promised, today I am doing a showcase of some of my favourite art media that I go to for sketchbook studies and finished art. I will run through a handful of my favourite supplies and include sketchbook photos (with a caption underneath to explain what specifically I used).
BTW, this is not a comprehensive list—I hope to share more tools and techniques (and maybe even…some demos?!) as I get more comfortable sharing behind-the-scenes stuff in my studio space :)
Strathmore Sketchbook, Dr. Ph Martin Bombay Inks, Beams Paints, Pentel Brush Pen.
Paint & Media
I LOVE to mix media, and it shows in my sketchbook and supply cabinet. I have many kinds of paint and use them all depending on what I’m after. In addition to the ones outlined below, I also like to use more standard brands like Holbein, Golden, and Liquitex. I also use handmade inks created by a neighbourhood friend at Indigo & Oak (which deserves a completely separate post).
Anyhow, here we go:
Beams Paints
Indigenous-made, lightfast pigments made with tree sap, gum arabic, and Manitoulin honey. An excellent selection of metallic paints, made from naturally harvested mica! I use these for flower and abstract studies and finished paintings.
Stoneground Paint
Another excellent handmade paint company, based out of Regina, SK! Such beautiful gouache paints, and they also have watercolour NEONS!
Schminckie Watercolour
These are of my favourite travel sets for painting watercolour on the fly. When a colour runs out, you can continue to refill the pans! I use these mostly for sketchbook studies on the go.
Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Inks
These inks have the most vivid and brilliant colours, which have been essential for me to get a wow factor in my original floral paintings.
Colourcraft Brusho Colours
This is a dry powder pigment that I often use to create some spontaneity in shapes and forms. If you head over to my botanical flower section and look at the different flowers, Brusho is used on the forms that look like they have a speckle of colour, or colour variation. Find these locally at Delta Art & Supply.
Pentalic Aqua Sketchbook, Indigo & Oak Natural Inks, Sennelier Oil Pastel, Caran D'ache Wax Pastel.
Brushes, Pens, Pastels etc.
You can never have enough brush pens, amiright? These are a few brushes, pens and pastels I really like to use:
DaVinci Synthetic Brushes
I have a variety of expensive AND cheap brushes in my cup. One of my faves is the DaVinci Synthetic Quill Brush, but the price point is what my 6-y-o would describe as “very money.” So ,I only get a couple of these every year at the Paint Spot, slowly building up my collection.
Pentel Brush Pen
I have so many Pentel and Kuurake brush pens that I can’t imagine breaking down a list. One of my faves is the Pentel Fude brush... it makes a gorgeous line and is the closest I can find to an “organic” paintbrush line. Check out this youtube vid, which that shows and tells just how great this pen is.
Posca Pens
Acrylic pen is great for overlaying light colour over dark colour; they also can feel a bit more precise than a brush. I don't use these a ton (or a tonne, for that matter) but will pull out some Posca if the mood strikes.
Blackwing Pencils & Pencil Crayons
These pencils have developed a cult following over the years! I recently experimented with a coloured pencil set they put out and its super buttery feeling to use them! You can pick them up locally at Maven & Grace Hardware. If you are interested in trying a soft Blackwing pencil, ask a Curio and we can gift you one from the reserves :)
Sennelier Oil Pastels
I started loving oil pastel in elementary school, and since then, I have come back to this tool over and over. Currently, I am using them for layering texture in abstract works. These Sennelier oil pastels are soooo smooth (they describe them as 'lipstick' which is just about perfect).
Caran D'ache Water Soluble Wax Pastel
I actually just started using these (I only have five colours) and don't have much to say yet. They make a nice line, but you can also add water and make them into a wash. I noticed that Rebecca Green uses them for finishing work in her painting videos (via Dessert Club).
Strathmore sketchbook, Beams Paints, and a hint of Posca pen.
Sketchbooks & Paper
This feels like an entirely separate deep dive. I usually have four to six sketchbooks going at any given time, and I also have some cheap 'plan books’ for thumbnails, colour tests, or jotting down notes on a day job/personal work. I’ve got my my regular abstract and flower study books that have heavier watercolour paper, and finally, I have watercolour blocks for high-end work like commissions or finished illustration.
Pentalic Aqua Journal
These were hard to find for awhile, but the company was sold and is finally making product again! This is my absolute fave sketchbook of all time—I particularly love the landscape one for colour and nature studies.
Pentalic Nature Sketch
This is another one from the same brand that has a weightier paper for sketchbook studies, ink drawings, quick washes, etc.
Strathmore 400 Series
This is a great intermediate watercolour paper. I use it when I want to play around vs. do a final piece.
Arches Watercolour Paper
The Queen of Papers. I like a heavy cold press (green cover), but I also like experimenting with some of the other finishes! I use this paper for my final works (because it’s the best of the best and is priced as such—my large 18 x 24” paintings can end up being $10 per sheet). The best part about this paper is that it comes in a ‘block’, so you don’t have to worry about the sheet buckling when you load it with water.
Arches watercolour paper, Dr. Phil Martin bombay ink, Colourcraft brusho, Holbein gouache, annnnd some of my own homemade ink made from acorns.
That’s it for now! I hope this has inspired you to go blow some serious coin on good art supplies. My biggest advice is to buy them and USE them! No art supply is so precious that you wait for the perfect time to pull it out. Use them, then buy more and enjoy every minute of it.
xo, amanda