Art Supplies I Couldn't Live Without, What Art Supplies Could You Not Live Without
Art Supplies I Couldn't Live Without, What Art Supplies Could You Not Live Without
I am often asked, what are the art supplies that I use for myself, I of course always using different art supplies for the purpose of a review and the same is true for art pieces I create, however, over the years I have grown to absolutely love a selection of art supplies, which I turn to every time I want to create art just for myself.
Ordinarily I have shied away from answering this question because I know and understand I am in a much more privilege situation than most, given the fact I have a lot of art supplies sent to me for the purpose of reviewing them. Also I didn’t want anyone to think that they have to get the same art supplies as me, just because perhaps you like the art I create or you just enjoy watching The Art Gear Guide videos etc.
The art supplies that I use, may not be right for you, they may simply not be fit for purpose due the genre of art you love to create. It took me years to gather this list of art supplies that I love and am totally comfortable with when drawing or painting. Going back to my privilege, I was able to test a lot more supplies than the average artist would be able to achieve. However I have decided to divulge my list, providing nobody puts undue pressure on themselves to purchase the same products. I have also reviewed most if not all of the supplies in this list to which I have added links for you to view if you are unsure about a particular supply.
The Itch
I don’t know about you guys, but when, turned to art as a form of therapy, to help me with depression and PTSD from my days in the Army, I obviously never in a million years years thought it would take me down this path, but I am so happy it did. That being said, when I sat in the living room or just having a coffee with my wife at a café, I sometimes get an actual urge to draw. I get an over whelming urge to grab my supplies and draw or paint and the longer I don’t fulfil that urge, the stronger the urge gets. Do you guys get the same thing?
Any hoo, this is the list of art supplies that I couldn’t live without, the supplies, for the most part that I can pick up in a moments notice and off I go, safe in the knowledge that should the urge grab hold of me, I can feed it. There is no particular order to this list, I don’t have a particular favourite, this is not like a top 5 list with number one being my most favourite, just a lot of art supplies I equally love and couldn’t live without.
Its so funny and strange for me, here I am talking about a list of art supplies I just couldn’t be without, however, when I was in the Army, I was an Infantry soldier in an Elite Regiment and I would have what we call webbing. This was a belt that would go round our waist and over our shoulders, the belt had lots of pouches which you could move about and add new ones if needed. We were always laying out the best equipment that would go into the pouches to help keep us alive or end an enemy combatant. Now at the grand old age of 50, 51 in a few weeks, I am doing a similar thing only with art supplies and I love it, I couldn’t think of a better transformation.
Caran d’Ache Aquarelle Palette
I have spoke about this art supply on so many occasions; I never used to be a huge fan of water soluble pencils or crayons. I didn’t like that you applied the pencil to the paper, dry mixed the pencils directly on the paper and hope that when you applied the water, you got the color or tone you were looking for.
But then I was introduced to this amazing Caran d’Ache Aquarelle Palette and it is such an incredibly simply design. The palette is a white rectangle of plexiglass so it is very ridged and strong, there is a hole at one end allowing the artist to place their thumb so that they can hold it just like a traditional palette and keep it steady.
One side of the palette has a rough texture and the opposite side is smooth; the rough side allows the artist to scrub pencil or crayon, leaving pigment on the palette surface and as many colors as the artist requires. You then mix the pigments with a wet brush, revealing the color or tone you are trying to get. If the color or tone isn't what the artist is after, simply add more pencils and continue mixing. This allows the artist to confidently achieve the color they are looking for rather than mixing on the paper, running the risk of mixing the wrong color and ruin the painting.
The other side of the palette smooth allowing the artist to mix supplies such as water soluble markers, to mix these on the rough side would only eventually destroy the brush or chisel nibs of the markers. This simple looking art product completely transforms your water-soluble pencils, crayons and markers, giving them the same mixing abilities you can get with watercolour pans or tubes.
Caran d’Ache Luminance 100 Set
Of all the colored pencils I have tested, demonstrated and reviewed, for me personally, I just love the Caran d’Ache Luminance. Don’t get me wrong, I also love pencils such as the Derwent Lightfast, Caran d’Ache Pablo, Faber Castell Polychromos, Prismacolor etc, but for me it has the be the Luminance.
The Derwent Lightfast are almost identical to the Luminance with regard to lightfast ratings, skill level etc, both pencil, in my opinion are right at the top of the list when it comes to pencils being used for commissions. However for me the Caran d’Ache Luminance just has the edge over the Derwent Lightfast and it comes down to one thing.
The palette, the Caran d’Ache color selection right the way through the 100 range of pencils is perfect for my artistic needs. I love to create pet portraiture, botanical, I dabble in human portraiture and fan art. The luminance range seems to have brighter, more saturated colors which fit my needs for fan art. The Derwent Lightfast range to me seems best suited for landscape, botanical, animal portraiture and human portraiture, they just don’t seem to have those bright saturated colors for fan art and manga.
This is not to say that the Derwent Lightfast pencils are not good, far from it, the Derwent Lightfast pencils are exceptional, and I have no doubt in my mind, that if I didn’t enjoy fan art and didn’t need those slightly more saturated colors, the Derwent Lightfast pencils would be my go to pencils.
Staedtler Clutch Pencil
I absolutely love my Staedtler Clutch Pencil, it is important to note that there are many different brands of clutch pencils on the market, I just happen to prefer Staedtler especially when it comes to this particular genre.
A clutch pencil is slightly different to a mechanical pencil, with a mechanical pencil, you insert the graphite cores into the back of the pencil, pump the end of the pencils and with each pump, a little bt of graphite core will be exposed. There is no sharpening with mechanical pencils, they are always ready to go and you can get a few different cor sizes 0.3 is the thinest, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9. You can also get different core grades and mechanical pencils have their place, but for me it has to be the clutch.
Were a clutch differs from a mechanical pencil is that you insert the graphite core in to the front of the pencil, when you press the rear of the pencil, where the eraser sits, this opens the clutch, allowing you to drop in the core and once you release the back of the pencil the clutch closes. You then have to open the clutch again and placing your hand under it, tip the pencil up gently to a 45 degree angle, allowing the graphite core to slowly slide out, once you have enough exposed, release the clutch and this will tightly grab hold of the core.
Unlike a mechanical pencil, you have to sharpen the core of a clutch pencil, but not with a normal sharpener. Most clutch pencils have a little sharpener built into the rear of the pencil, normally the cover to the eraser, however Staedtler have a sharpener which is magnificent. Once you sharpen the clutch core, it is needle fine, much much sharper than a mechanical pencil as you can see from the images
Derwent Push Button Water Brushes
As we have been largely discussing water soluble art supplies thus far, I have to mention these Derwent Push Button Water Brushes. There are literally hundreds of different types of water brushes on the market, but for me the Derwent push button water brushes are the best.
The shape of the Derwent water brush is perfect, it is almost like you are writing with a really comfortable pencil or pen, the shape is excellent. So many water brushes require all manner of fancy tricks just to fill the reservoir with water, they all have the same principle in that the handle of the brush is where you fill the water and where it is kept. Some brushes have plunger where you place it into water and draw up the water with the plunger, others need you to squeeze the plastic handle, then fully submerge into water and once you release the water fills up.
The main issue with all of these is they never ever fill the handle fully, there is always a large area unfilled and when you use a water brush, you have to use the water sparingly. With the Derwent water brushes, when you split the handle in half, the neck of the Derwent handle is quite wide, allowing you to simply pour water directly into the handle and replace the remaining handle.
The Derwent water brushes also have a small push button on the side and this allows the artist to control the flow of water to the brushes much more accurately. With regard to the actual brushes, there doesn’t appear to be a huge amount of difference overall, they are very soft and if you purchase the set, you get four different sizes.
Caran d’Ache Supracolor II Soft 120 Set
With all these water soluble art supplies, I guess we should include my favourite water soluble pencils and don’t worry there are other supplies unrelated to water soluble art. The Caran d’Ache Supracolor Soft are my favourite water soluble pencils, the Museum Aquarelle pencils are the finest water soluble pencils you can buy, but for my need and again, due to the genre of art I like to create, The Supracolor Soft suit my needs perfectly.
although I am fortunate enough to own the full 120 set, when it comes to water soluble pencils, you can make do with 12 well selected colors. With the help of the Caran d’Ache Palette, those 12 colors turn into endless possible color combinations. When you look at a good water color artists palette they will only have about eight or nine, carefully selected, tubes of paint; those eight or nine colors when mixed will create every color an artist could need.
Faber Castell Fountain Pen
Fan art is really where I first got started initially art and one of the things I loved and still love about a lot of fan art and manga is inking. Normally this is done with fine liners of which there are so many different brands on the market, however a few years ago I watched a fantastic artist ink with a fountain pen.
Around the same time I watched a watercolor artist add details to the painting using a fountain pen and the effect was beautiful. So why use a fountain pen over a fine liner? well, with fine liners, you are pretty much restricted to the line width of the fine liner nib size. With a fountain pen, when you apply a little bit of pressure to the pen, the nib splays open slightly, allowing more ink to flow, creating a wider line.
This was when I purchased this Faber Castell Fountain Pen, I have completed a review of the pen if you would like to know more about it. It is a little bit expensive but for me this was a one off purchase and with it being made by Faber Castell, it will last me a lifetime. However, you can pick up second hand fountain pens from eBay and the older the pen the better. More modern fountain pens have rigid nibs whereas the older fountain pens have much more flexible nibs allowing for so much line variation.
Faber Castell Kneaded Eraser
I know, what is there to write about a kneaded eraser? well, not much, however they are such a vital part to art. I can remember when I first got started in art, I can remember looking at the kneaded erasers on the shelves not knowing what they were for.
After buying one and watching other artist on YouTube, I soon got the measure of the kneaded eraser and realised just what an amazing product it is. With the kneaded eraser, you can shape it into a fine point and gently dab your artwork lifting off layer after layer until you achieve the look you are after. It can be shaped into a blade allowing you to lift thin lines of graphite. All in all the kneaded eraser is such a versatile art product no artist should be without one.
Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Matt Set
I love to draw with graphite, graphite is a very forgiving medium and is the perfect medium for new artists to learn the basics and fundamentals of art. One of the downside of graphite however is when a lot of layers have been applied, graphite can create a sheen, like a metallic shine, especially when viewed from a certain angle.
Of course to prevent such a metallic shine artists can also use charcoal, but so many people can’t stand the mess and texture charcoal produces. Faber Castell however, introduced a range of pencils with a graphite and carbon base, the Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Matt.
This provided artists with the best of both worlds from graphite and charcoal, with the Pitt Graphite Matt, there is no powder mess or dry texture that you get with charcoal, using the Pitt graphite matt is just like using traditional graphite pencils.
However, that is were the similarities end for the pitt graphite matt when it comes to graphite pencils, the biggest difference is of course getting rid of the metallic shine or screen. The Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Matt pencils provide the artist with a super dark, matt covering, no matter what angle the artwork is viewed from there is no sheen.
Etchr Fieldcase
I think a really important part of being an artist is the ability to grab your favourite art supplies at a moments notice and take them anywhere with you, without huge impediments. Having a selection of art supplies in a convenient yet compact case, providing the artist with the ability to draw or paint anywhere.
The Etchr Fieldcase fits that description perfectly, I have reviewed a few Etchr products and they are all incredibly well made, superb quality products and reasonably priced. But the Etchr Fieldcase is my absolute favourite and I just simply couldn’t be without it.
With the exception of the full Luminance and Supracolor Soft sets, I can carry everything in this list and more within the Etchr Field case. Not only can I carry everything I need in the Etchr Fieldcase, it looks fantastic, incredibly compact with no art supplies falling out and is made with high quality materials.
Obviously because of my spinal injury, I can’t get out and about a lot, so I personally don’t put the Fieldcase through its paces, but I have taken it on holiday with me to the Lake District, were it has been placed on wet grass, been rained on and fallen into river, fully sealed and still kept all the supplies dry as a bone.
Koh-I-Noor Pencil Eraser
Throughout the past eleven or so years, testing and reviewing art supplies, when I tell you I have tested unbelievable amounts of pencil erasers, I can safely say I never even knew that many pencil erasers existed. One thing I have noticed about many pencil erasers is that so many of them are really hard, which I guess is down to having to sharpen them, but the Koh-I-Noor is an exception to that rule.
The Koh-I-Noor pencil eraser has a perfectly balanced core, not too hard and not too soft, using the Koh-I-Noor pencil eraser never leaves dirty marks and lifts beautifully. When the pencil eraser is sharpened, it is the perfect art supply for helping to create human skin I with graphite pieces or even whiskers in animal portraiture.
Möbius and Ruppert Brass Sharpener (Handheld)
There is no doubt, if you have a lot of pencils, cooler pencils etc, you perhaps would prefer a electric sharpener or hand crank sharpener, which makes sense, however, the hand held sharpener that I use is just absolutely fantastic and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
M&R sharpeners are German made, but what makes the M&R Sharpener so amazing, is the blades; the M&R sharpeners have a pack of 9 replacement blades in a set, when you replace a blade for a new one and sharpen your pencil, it is like slicing through butter.
Etchr Watercolor Sketchbook
Obviously a sketchbook is needed if you are going to carry all these art supplies about with you in your Etchr Fieldcase, so for me, it has to be the Etchr Watercolor Sketchbook. Etchr do a signature range in their sketchbooks, they are not the sketchbooks I am referring to, as you can see in the images, the ones I love have the white canvas type cover over them.
The Etchr Sketchbooks can be purchased with either Hot Pressed or Cold Pressed paper textures, I personally love the cold pressed paper just for regular sketching and mix media art. But if I am going to have a sketchbook dedicated to watercolour painting I will buy one with rough paper.
The Etchr Sketchbooks also come in lots of different sizes, landscape as well as portrait, square, accordion and panoramic. However, if you wanted an even higher quality paper in your sketchbooks then you should try their signature range offering deckled edges.
Noodlers Waterproof Black Ink
If you are going to be using a fountain pen in your artwork, selecting the right ink is really important and decides on a few factors. If you just plan on sketching with your fountain pen, any ink will do and whatever color you prefer, however, if you planning on adding watercolour washes, you are going to need a waterproof ink, an ink that will not run into the watercolor and muddy up your washes.
Noodlers is a US based ink company and although I have not tried every ink on the market, I have tried a few, but for me, I continually came back to Noodlers. You need to check their range as they provide so many different colors and types of ink, but this gorgeous black waterproof ink from Noodlers is amazing.
White Posca Pen
Finally, for us colored pencil artists, we all know just how much of a pain it is trying to create highlights in your work. Even if you use the white of the paper for the highlight, other things throughout the drawing process tend to contaminate the paper.
For me the White Posca pens are perfect, the white water based paint is very opaque, the Posca pens can also be purchased in many different nib sizes, but I think for artists drawing with colored pencil or graphite, the brush nib delivers lots of variation.
For more precise detailed work, you should check out the nib size PC-1MR which is almost the same type of nib that a 0.5 or 0.8 fine liner nib would deliver. Alternatively PC-1MC is another detailed nib with a bit more variation. A lot of artists use the white gelly roll pens, but for me they clog up too easily and you spend more time cleaning the nib than actually drawing.
Conclusion
Please don’t forget, the art supplies I have listed took me years to get used to and select as my go to supplies, also, as I mentioned earlier, what works for me may not work for you. The best thing to do is check through the reviews that I have linked here and see if the supplies could work for you and the way you love to create.
Thank you so much for supporting The Art Gear Guide, for liking the videos, subscribing to the YouTube channel and leaving comments. As I have always said, you guys leaving comments on videos and written posts is the real value in any content I create. When you guys ask questions or just leave a comment, the information added to the content is amazing and it is your conversations that help to educate so many other artists stopping by the channel.
I often tell people how amazing the community is, that has formed around The Art Gear Guide YouTube channel and Website. I feel so honoured when I mention this to people, but of course, this is all down to you guys, for which I am eternally grateful. If you have any questions about the products in this list by all means ask in the comment section or alternatively you can email me direct at theartgearguide@gmail.com
