15 Must-Have Art Supplies for Painters, Designers, & Mixed Media Artists
By Lea Byrnes Art
Are you struggling to find the best art supplies for the best prices but don’t know where to start? Look no further! Throughout my time as an artist working in various mediums, I have acquired many favorite products that have become absolute staples in my art kit. These products are both affordable and high quality! Over the years, I have come to realize how important it is to have a variety of quality materials in order to create the best work possible. Skimping on materials and purchasing low quality supplies can have a negative effect on your artwork. Choosing the right paints, pens, markers, and more makes the process of creating beautiful work so much easier. When I decided to take art more seriously, I made the decision to invest in a few professional “artist-grade” products, rather than student-grade products. I was shocked at the difference it made in my art. With years of experience in both painting and drawing, I am here to share my list of my 15 favorite art supplies! I’ve also included Amazon links for each product to make it easy! Let’s get started!
Koi Watercolors - Creative Art Colors Set, Design by Lea Byrnes Art
SAKURA Micron Pens - 6-pack
SAKURA Micron Pens are absolutely unmatched when it comes to drawing fine, detailed line work. They come in an array of sizes and colors, and are perfect for any ink drawing that has a lot of detail. These are non-negotiable for me; they are the only pens I will use on my drawings or watercolor paintings. They do not bleed, they are long-lasting, and the fine-tipped points come in tons of sizes. I find that the 01 and 02 size Micron pens are best for fine outlines, but I also regularly use sizes like 05 and 08 for thicker lines. I recommend getting a variety pack to begin with.
Pro-Tip: One of my favorite ways to use Microns is to begin by outlining a pencil drawing with my Micron. Then, I will paint my design with watercolors. Here is the most important step: After you have finished adding your colors with watercolors, go over your black outlines again with your Micron. This ensures that your black lines stay sharp, dark, and defined.
SAKURA Koi Watercolors
SAKURA Koi Watercolor sets are hands-down my favorite brand of watercolors. With their compact, travel-sized kit and vibrant colors, they are the best watercolors I own! They come with a refillable water brush, but I choose to purchase professional watercolor brushes instead, as I find them to be higher quality and easier to use than the water brush. (You can find tons of artist-grade paint brushes at your local art store!) The Koi watercolor set also comes with a little sponge, which is helpful for adding texture. These watercolors come in an array of sets of different sizes and colors. One of my favorites is the Creative Art Colors set, which consists of a variety of gorgeous glitter and neon-colored watercolors. I like to use that set in addition to the regular set to add more vibrancy and sparkle to my paintings.
Prismacolor Colored Pencils, Design by Lea Byrnes Art
I have all three of the sets that are linked below:
For a bit of a higher price, you can also get this set, which contains all of the regular colors in addition to the neon and glitter colors:
Golden Brand Fluid Acrylics - set of 10
Unlike heavy body acrylics, which are linked above, fluid acrylics are much lighter and thinner, with a more watery or fluid consistency. Fluid acrylics are great for underpainting and covering large areas of a canvas quickly. I often find myself having to water down my heavy body acrylics quite a bit, but with fluid acrylics, they require almost no mixing with water. Fluid paint shows less of a brushstroke, whereas heavy body paints are better for bold brushstrokes and texture. I highly recommend exploring both types to see what works best for your personal painting style! Either way, with the unbeatable quality and vibrancy, Golden brand is the way to go!
Prismacolor Colored Pencils
Prismacolor colored pencils are by far my favorite colored pencils! With their smooth, buttery texture and bright, saturated colors, they are perfect for all types of drawings. They blend together beautifully, allowing you to achieve a high level of realism in your artworks. I recommend starting with at least the 36-count. I have the 72-count, which I feel gives me the best range of color for my work. Here’s those packs:
Prismacolor Markers- set of 12
Like the colored pencils, Prismacolor markers are my favorite brand of marker. They blend beautifully and are super vibrant! I especially love the ones that are dual-ended, with both a fine-tip and thick chisel tip for each color. This 12-set dual-tipped pack includes all the colors of the rainbow.
Gelly Roll White Gel Pen, Design by Lea Byrnes Art
SAKURA Gelly Roll White Gel Pen - 6-pack
The Gelly Roll white gel pen has become an irreplaceable staple in my art kit! This fine-point ink pen comes in many sizes, ranging from very thin to thick. It is perfect for adding white details and highlights to your drawings and paintings. I love watching my work come to life when I add the finishing touches with this gel pen! I find that the 08 size works best for my work, but this 6-pack comes with an array of sizes.
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics
Golden brand acrylics are my favorite brand of professional, artist-grade acrylic paints. This is an area you really don’t want to cheap out on. Cheaper, student-grade acrylics are a lot thinner, and therefore require tons of layers in order to build up a completely opaque color. When I switched to the Golden brand, I found that the paint had much more pigment, making the painting process so much easier and less time-consuming.
Pro-Tip: To save money, an awesome art hack is to just purchase artist-grade brands (such as Golden) of white and black paint, and then use those to mix with your cheaper student-grade colors. This will thicken your colors, giving you the opacity you are looking for. Mixing colors with a little bit of white is a great idea anyway, as it creates more natural-looking hues. This is a great way to save money on colors while still achieving a high-quality finished product.
Watercolor Journal - 8” x 5.5”
Watercolor journals are an amazing idea for any on-the-go artist! They are also perfect for creating an art journal or collage book, because the pages are so thick and durable. My favorite brand of watercolor journal is Strathmore, and I particularly love the 8” x 5.5” size.
FolkArt Glitterific Glitter Paint, Design by Lea Byrnes Art
FolkArt Glitterific Paint - 5-pack
Glitter has become one of my favorite art supplies, but loose glitter is such a mess! That is why I prefer to use glitter glue or glitter paint, such as FolkArt Glitterific products. This “paint” is more like glitter glue, and can be used as such. This particular brand has big flakes of iridescent glitter in it, which I think is very pretty. You can also find these for individual sale at Michael’s in tons of different colors. I love to use them on top of my drawings, paintings, and collages.
Washi Tape - 18 rolls
Washi tape is one of my favorite art hacks ever! This decorative tape comes in an array of colors and patterns, and is commonly used in scrapbooking and other crafts. The difference between washi tape and regular tape is that washi tape has much weaker adhesion, allowing you to remove it from a piece of paper without ripping or tearing the paper. Since it can easily be removed, it is perfect for creating a white border on your paintings and drawings. However, washi tape is so pretty that you may just want to leave it on! It comes in endless different designs. I really like the floral ones.
Vintage Scrapbook Paper- 400 sheets
Lately, I have been loving using scrapbook paper in my art journal and collages! It adds such beautiful texture and dimension to any work of art. Scrapbook paper comes in every color and pattern imaginable, and can be found at nearly any art or craft store. Here’s my recommendation for a beautiful set of vintage scrapbook paper.
Gouache Paint- set of 12
Gouache paint is an incredibly fun and unique type of paint! It is almost like a cross between acrylic and watercolor. It creates flat, opaque colors that can be layered in a similar fashion to acrylic paint, although they are applied more like watercolors. Gouache paints, like other paints, are available in both cheaper student-grade brands and more expensive artist-grade brands. I’ve found that student-grade brands still work well, but this professional artist brand’s set of 12 is what I like to use.
Golden Brand Iridescent Gold Fluid Acrylic, Design by Lea Byrnes Art
Golden Brand Iridescent Gold Fluid Acrylic
One of my favorite and most-used paints of all time is this iridescent gold fluid acrylic by Golden. It comes in a couple variations, including bronze and silver, but my favorite is this one called the “Iridescent Gold Deep (Fine)”. It looks like real melted gold, and it sparkles and shimmers! I love adding it to my acrylic and watercolor paintings, as well as my drawings. Whether you’re painting some jewelry or adding some fanciful lettering, this paint provides beautiful golden detail to any work of art!
Posca Paint Markers - set of 8
Posca paint markers are beautiful, highly pigmented, water-based paint markers that can be used on virtually any surface! They are easy and fun to use on any craft or project. These pens, which come in both thin and thick tips, are perfect for adding detail to your acrylic paintings. This set includes 8 bright colors with reversible tips. Posca paint markers come in a lot of different sets and colors, which can be found at most art stores. I especially like this pastel-colored kit.
Gamvar Gloss Varnish - 16.9oz
Varnishing acrylic or oil paintings is a very important step for any professional artist looking to preserve and protect their work. I like to use a large, flat brush to apply my varnish to a completely dry painting. For oil paintings, it is recommended to wait around 6 months until you varnish your painting. On acrylics, however, you may varnish as soon as your painting is dry to the touch. Varnish adds a beautiful sheen to your work, and increases the vibrancy and saturation of your colors. Gamvar Gloss Varnish is a beautiful varnish that has worked really well for both my acrylic and oil paintings.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list and been able to find some great deals on some awesome products for your next art piece. My biggest advice to all beginner artists is simply this: Don’t give up! Never underestimate the power of practice and patience when it comes to your art. Keep trying new mediums until you find your favorites! Remember, no two artists are the same, and the world desperately needs your unique creativity.
Good luck, and happy creating!
