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Art Favorites: Painting Staples

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I’ve always thought an artist’s supplies reveal much about them. They are the tools we use to draw, paint, sculpt, to create. Ask most artists and they will have some favorite products and preferences. There is a lot of personal preference involved in buying art supplies. But there are some great basic supplies. Here are some of the best painting supplies to get started and jump right into painting.

Canvas

Let’s start with the base: canvases. I’ll admit I’m not too picky with my canvases. I like the affordability and the mounted style. Michael’s store brand, Artist Loft, is pretty good on these fronts. Generally once or twice a year I’ll stock up when they have their clearance event. When stocking up, I have certain canvas sizes I like. My go-to is a 16″ x 20″ size. I’ve always loved painting large, and this is a good amount of space. I’ll also do 11″ x 14″ for everyday pieces; 20″ x 20″ and 24″ x 36″ are fun for large projects.

100 cotton canvas

Brushes

On to the tools: paintbrushes. I love having a variety of brushes. If you went through my pack you’d find everything from the cheap 20-pack to a $20 extreme fine point brush. There are certain types of brushes I definitely require though. I like a good set of cheap brushes. The cheap ones generally have thicker bristles which are great for adding texture. A nicer set of detail brushes are also important. I’ve recently tried and enjoyed the brand Zen. Its smoother hair is also a little stiffer which I love when I’m doing small details.

Paint

Our final supply is, of course, paint. You can have a surprising amount of variance between paint brands. I definitely have my preferences of paint consistency and hue. Overall I like Artist Loft and Apple Barrel brands. They have a good medium consistency and the saturation is pretty good. They are an affordable brand that doesn’t feel too cheap. The Artist Loft brand is nice for your base colors especially. They have larger containers and the saturation is strong.

At the end of the day, the painting supplies come second to the artist. Start with what you have available and just create. As you grow and develop as an artist you will be able to recognize what you prefer to work with.

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