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Community Week

Article Written for projecteducate
Introduction: Although going into an art store can be fun but it can also be overwhelming with so many brands, types, and prices to consider. Sometimes, a totally cheapo art supply can work better than an expensive brand. I am going to be sharing my personal favorites and experiences with you and hopefully, the next time you go into an art store, you can have an idea on what to buy and selecting the material which suits your needs.
I am dividing this article into sections so you can skip ahead to the area which you are interested in.
Disclaimer: This article is extremely long due to the fact that I am covering almost every medium I have access to. Once again, please skip to the area you are interested in ^_^

Table Of Contents:
Things to Consider Every time
Paints
Brushes
Colored Pencils
Greyscale Drawing Materials
Markers
Paper
Digital
Other
Ending (^_^)
1) Things to consider every time( ) Is this a hobby or is this for commissions and professional work?
( ) Am I going to keep using this medium?
( ) Do I have the funds for it?
( ) Is the brand well known?
( ) Have I researched online from different websites on customer reviews?
( ) Do I understand that I won't necessarily get "better" just because I am buying this?
( ) Is there a cheaper alternative that is just as good?

2) PaintsAcrylic:
Acrylic is one of my favorite types of paint because it is super easy to work with and to layer. With acrylic paints, you really don't have to be too fussy with the quality depending on what type of look you are going for. Student grade acrylics work perfectly even for professionals. If you like the look of brush strokes and heavy oil paint like look, you might need to get an artist grade acrylic paint. My paints are from dollar store and I cannot tell the difference between the no name brand and some art store brands.

   If you are looking to just paint for fun, I recommend to check your local dollar store. Walmart sells 1-2 dollar paint bottles but I honestly don't really like them.
Dollar Store Paint that I use
   Another more expensive student brand is liquitex basics paint. They are one of my favorites but the down side is, they are around 5-8 dollars per tube (4 oz). It comes in a range of 48 colors plus some mixing mediums so you have plenty to choose from.
Liquitex Basics Paint
Okay, so if you want a rip off version of the liquitex basics paint, I would recommend the artist's loft version. I don't see that big of a difference but the consistency isn't as... beautiful (? LOL) as the liquitex version. This around 3-5 dollars per tube (4oz)
Arist's Loft Acrylic Paint
   If you are looking for a heavy, and textured painterly look, I would recommend the Liquitex Heavy Body Paints. (yes I love liquitex okay ) I don't own these but my art teacher has them and they work wonders when you want to apply a thick layer of paint. These however cost 10-15 dollars per tube. (4 oz). It comes in a range of 100 colors plus some mixing mediums so you have a bigger selection if the basics don't carry some colors in the basics line.
Liquitex Heavy Body Paint

Watercolor:
EEEE I love watercolors :3 So, there are two types of watercolor paint; cake and tube form. The cakes are the little circles in the plastic pans and the tubes are... well, tubes of paint.
There really isn't much difference except the pan form may be a bit harder to mix new colors. Most of the time, tubed paint is much more pigmented and the opacity is a bit higher. (ofc depending on how much water you mix in)
An advantage to the pan form is that it is much easier to travel with and to clean up. You really don't need to wash anything except for your brushes.
I think for watercolors, it is extremely important to have a good quality paint. When you buy a pan of watercolors from dollar store, the end result will be very chalky and uneven. I used dollar store watercolor for years and last year, I finally got another set from Michael's and ahhh it's so much better! The colors are much more vibrant and the finished texture is nice and smooth. This pan of 36 colors was only 7 dollars at my Michael's. (CAD prices)
Artist Loft Watercolor Paint
If you prefer to mix your own colors and you just like tubed watercolors, here is a brand that I love. It is winsor and newton watercolors. Yes these are artist level but this brand is absolutely amazing. I don't own these but I have used this in my art class. There are 96 colors to choose from which is crazy since watercolors blend so easily but you can get your desirable color very easily. These tubes cost from 9-13 dollars which is quite expensive but they last a looong time since you only need a little tab of color in watercolor painting.
Winsor and Newton Watercolors

Oil Paint:
I have mixed feelings about oil paints but they are still one of my favorites. They dry slower which can be a good thing because you can work with them more but the bad side is; you can layer as much. Keep in mind, oil paint in general is expensive because it is a more advanced type of painting and I guess the oil in oil paints makes the paint much more valuable?
If you are just starting out with oil painting, you should either get a small tube set of maybe 5-10 or, you can get the primaWary colors (plus black and white). Depending on the brand and size you are getting, the price will be around the same for both. For the set, I have the 10 set from a brand called Daler Rowney. It is in their Simply line so it is basically for beginners.
Daler Rowney Simply Oil Paints (10 set)
More interested in buying your own colors? No probs! These are my favorites when it comes to single tubes. They are also from Artist's Loft (keep in mind I am talking about student grade right now) and they are around 6-9 dollars per tube (2oz) (The link I gave you is only for the white)
Artist's Loft Oil Paint
Annnd if you are looking for an artist grade brand, I would once again, recommend Windsor and Newton Oil Paints. These are pretty expensive being 15-18 dollars per tube O.O They do come in lots of different colors so you can go cray cray with color :3
Windsor and Newton Oil Paints

3) Brushes   To have a decent quality brush is really important and you also need to make sure that the size fits what you are painting. There are usually sets of brushes for different types of paint. Best part is, they are all around 7-12 dollars per set and they are super good quality. Another thing is that I like to use acrylic brushes for oil painting as well. (I have a different set for each medium) They both work fine but I just prefer using my acrylic brushes.
Watercolor Brush Set (10 brushes)
Acrylic Brush Set (10 brushes)
Oil Brush Set (5 Brushes)

4)Colored Pencils So I wrote another article of projecteducate awhile ago talking about prismacolor pencils Prismacolor 101Community Week

*SEE BOTTOM OF JOURNAL FOR HELPFUL VIDEOS.*
As traditional artists, you probably have heard of prismacolor premier softcore color pencils (such a long name :O ) Just like any other brand, there are some cons that I will go over. I will also be briefly comparing prismas to faber castell polychromos. I hope this “guide” will help you with deciding whether or not to get prismas :la:Which set to buy?
I think everyone debates on this topic. Should I buy this set? What if it’s not enough? Maybe I don’t need all the colors? I personally debated with myself (LOL) for 1-2 months. There is the original 12, 24, 48
Go check out that article if you are deciding whether to buy them or not ^_^
My 3 personal favorite brands are faber castell polychromos, prismacolor premier, and crayola O.o I've used crayola for years and I still use them even if I have artist grade pencils. A tip for you? DO NOT buy erasable colored pencils. They are the worst. Yes it's tempting to think that if you make a mistake with these pencils, you can erase them but they are horrible. The lead is chunky and the layer of color would be uneven. (not to mention it doesn't even erase very well )
If you were to buy crayola, don't buy it online =_= I guarantee you'll find it in your target or walmart.
Crayola Colored Pencils
Go read the article I put above where I explain pros and cons of prismas and faber castell ^_^ I have a lot of links there for you to see but I'll quickly list a few here. (keep in mind I did not list the cheapest deal. Please go to my 'official' journal to see where to get le cheapest and best deal)
A big downside to Faber Castell is that you may not be able to find it easily or, the shipping is hella expensive. It is a very good product so if you have the budget for it and if you can find it, I highly recommend splurging on a set.
Prismacolor Premier Pencils
Insert Faber Castell Link Here

5) Greyscale Drawing Materials When starting out, we usually just use a normal pencil and eraser but as you get more advanced in your drawings, you may need artist quality tools. Pencils are usually not that expensive to get and I say buying it in a set would probably be the best deal. Sometimes, the sets even come with erasers and tortillions.
My favorite brand for pencils would be staedtler. (They are the ones with le blue barrels :3 ) At my local walmart, they are around 14 dollars for a set of 10-17. (LOL I forgot the number but it's a really good deal)
Staedtler Pencils
This Faber Castell sketch set comes with 6 pencils, a sharpener and an eraser. It can range from 12-14 dollars depending where you get them.
Faber Castell Sketch Set
Also, a retractable stick eraser would be super duper useful if you want to erase precise lines. This one from Staedtler is around 3-5 dollars. (you can also buy refills for them and save lots of money.)
Staedtler Retractable Eraser
Then another must is a kneaded eraser. This stuff is heaven O.O You can erase without leaving any marks or shavings and you can pick up the pigment instead of smudging it. You can create subtle or intense highlights and you can mold it into any shape you like. (Or you can just play with it in class ) You really do not knead (get it? knead? need? ...) an expensive one. This huge block from artist's loft only costs 2 dollars. (and they last for a long time.)
Artist's Loft XL Kneaded Eraser

6)Markers Okay, not going to lie, I don't have that much experience with markers. I have used it here and there at school but it's not my main medium. So we probably all heard of copics? They are super expensive but they do wonders. Depending on where you live, copics can cost anywhere from 4-9 dollars. PER MARKER! lol yeah... ain't nobody got money for dat A better way would be to buy the sets but they are still extremely expensive If you would like to enter the marker world, you will have to splurge. I have not found any markers which are cheaper and work the same. I just put 2 examples of a 6 piece set and it costs 55 dollars ;-; plus tax... Can you imagine buying a 72 set?
Copic Sketch 6 set (Primary)
Copic Sketch 6 set (Skin Tones)
Prismacolor also carry their own line of markers and I heard they don't blend as well and that the brush tips aren't as... flowy and free as the copic nibs. But hey, if you are interested, here are some links. The 12 set is 50 dollars and the 24 set is 150 dollars O.O (LOL that makes no sense)
Prismacolor Markers 12 set (Greyscale)
Prismacolor Markers 24 set

7) Paper Paper is crucial for a good end product. If you have cheap paper which rips every time you try to erase, no no. Paper tend to be on the expensive side so check your local dollar store to see if they have any drawing paper. I know my dollar store sells a set of 24 toned paper for 2 bucks and it works perfectly.
Artist's Loft Watercolor Paper (25 sheets)
Strathmore 400 series watercolor paper (12 sheets)
Sketch paper
Sketch book

8) Digital
Program If you are looking into digital art, do not start with Paint =_= (I heard Mac's version of paint is a little better) Gimp is probably the best program to start with. It is free, simple, and straight forward. Then after that, you may want to try Photoshop CS2. It is also free and you can download it online. With ps cs2, it can get a bit confusing because a lot of the tools are more professional so you might need to do some adjusting to layout, tools etc. If you would like to venture out, you can get Paint Tool Sai (LUV IT!), PS CS ___ (whatever the newest one is), manga studio, sketchbook pro, etc.

Tablet vs. Mouse vs. touchpad I personally hate the mouse and I started digital art with my touch pad. (the thingy on your laptop) It is really your preference. Once you are 100% sure you want to continue digital art, you can look into getting a tablet. I'm not saying you can't be good if you use the mouse or touchpad! I know a lot of amazing artists out there who don't use the tablet. Here is my first few digital drawings using Gimp and my touch pad ^_^

btw, aren't they fabulous?

Tablets are one of those materials which if you get it, you can improve a lot. I'm not saying you'll instantly become a professional but it can help speed up your improvement. I have the Wacom intuous tablet and eeeee I love it Professionals usually use the Wacom Cintiq (it's basically a screen) but I am perfectly fine with my small tablet.
This is the one I have: (80 dollars)
Intuous Pen Small
And this would be the one professionals use: (2000 dollars)
Cintiq Companion Tablet

9) OtherClay
Premo Sculpey Polymer Clay
Sculpey III polymer Clay 30 color set
Sculpey Bake and Bond
Sculpey Basic Modeling Tool set
Sculpey Clay Softener
Sculpey Mini Metal Shape Cutters
Sculpey Glaze/Gloss

Canvases
Artist's Loft 5 pack 16" by 20"
Artist's Loft 10 pack 8" by 10"
Artist's Loft Back Stapled Canvases (multiple sizes)

Crafts
DIY Tshirt
Tulip Slick Fabric Paint
Short Sleeve White Tshirt
Tshirt Iron On (dark)

10) Ending
I want to say thank you so much for reading this article and I hope this helped you with choosing your art materials. In no way am I saying you will like them but they are my personal faves and I lub dem <3

Stare — Description

Community Week

Article Written for projecteducate
Introduction: Although going into an art store can be fun but it can also be overwhelming with so many brands, types, and prices to consider. Sometimes, a totally cheapo art supply can work better than an expensive brand. I am going to be sharing my personal favorites and experiences with you and hopefully, the next time you go into an art store, you can have an idea on what to buy and selecting the material which suits your needs.
I am dividing this article into sections so you can skip ahead to the area which you are interested in.
Disclaimer: This article is extremely long due to the fact that I am covering almost every medium I have access to. Once again, please skip to the area you are interested in ^_^

Table Of Contents:
Things to Consider Every time
Paints
Brushes
Colored Pencils
Greyscale Drawing Materials
Markers
Paper
Digital
Other
Ending (^_^)
1) Things to consider every time( ) Is this a hobby or is this for commissions and professional work?
( ) Am I going to keep using this medium?
( ) Do I have the funds for it?
( ) Is the brand well known?
( ) Have I researched online from different websites on customer reviews?
( ) Do I understand that I won't necessarily get "better" just because I am buying this?
( ) Is there a cheaper alternative that is just as good?

2) PaintsAcrylic:
Acrylic is one of my favorite types of paint because it is super easy to work with and to layer. With acrylic paints, you really don't have to be too fussy with the quality depending on what type of look you are going for. Student grade acrylics work perfectly even for professionals. If you like the look of brush strokes and heavy oil paint like look, you might need to get an artist grade acrylic paint. My paints are from dollar store and I cannot tell the difference between the no name brand and some art store brands.

   If you are looking to just paint for fun, I recommend to check your local dollar store. Walmart sells 1-2 dollar paint bottles but I honestly don't really like them.
Dollar Store Paint that I use
   Another more expensive student brand is liquitex basics paint. They are one of my favorites but the down side is, they are around 5-8 dollars per tube (4 oz). It comes in a range of 48 colors plus some mixing mediums so you have plenty to choose from.
Liquitex Basics Paint
Okay, so if you want a rip off version of the liquitex basics paint, I would recommend the artist's loft version. I don't see that big of a difference but the consistency isn't as... beautiful (? LOL) as the liquitex version. This around 3-5 dollars per tube (4oz)
Arist's Loft Acrylic Paint
   If you are looking for a heavy, and textured painterly look, I would recommend the Liquitex Heavy Body Paints. (yes I love liquitex okay ) I don't own these but my art teacher has them and they work wonders when you want to apply a thick layer of paint. These however cost 10-15 dollars per tube. (4 oz). It comes in a range of 100 colors plus some mixing mediums so you have a bigger selection if the basics don't carry some colors in the basics line.
Liquitex Heavy Body Paint

Watercolor:
EEEE I love watercolors :3 So, there are two types of watercolor paint; cake and tube form. The cakes are the little circles in the plastic pans and the tubes are... well, tubes of paint.
There really isn't much difference except the pan form may be a bit harder to mix new colors. Most of the time, tubed paint is much more pigmented and the opacity is a bit higher. (ofc depending on how much water you mix in)
An advantage to the pan form is that it is much easier to travel with and to clean up. You really don't need to wash anything except for your brushes.
I think for watercolors, it is extremely important to have a good quality paint. When you buy a pan of watercolors from dollar store, the end result will be very chalky and uneven. I used dollar store watercolor for years and last year, I finally got another set from Michael's and ahhh it's so much better! The colors are much more vibrant and the finished texture is nice and smooth. This pan of 36 colors was only 7 dollars at my Michael's. (CAD prices)
Artist Loft Watercolor Paint
If you prefer to mix your own colors and you just like tubed watercolors, here is a brand that I love. It is winsor and newton watercolors. Yes these are artist level but this brand is absolutely amazing. I don't own these but I have used this in my art class. There are 96 colors to choose from which is crazy since watercolors blend so easily but you can get your desirable color very easily. These tubes cost from 9-13 dollars which is quite expensive but they last a looong time since you only need a little tab of color in watercolor painting.
Winsor and Newton Watercolors

Oil Paint:
I have mixed feelings about oil paints but they are still one of my favorites. They dry slower which can be a good thing because you can work with them more but the bad side is; you can layer as much. Keep in mind, oil paint in general is expensive because it is a more advanced type of painting and I guess the oil in oil paints makes the paint much more valuable?
If you are just starting out with oil painting, you should either get a small tube set of maybe 5-10 or, you can get the primaWary colors (plus black and white). Depending on the brand and size you are getting, the price will be around the same for both. For the set, I have the 10 set from a brand called Daler Rowney. It is in their Simply line so it is basically for beginners.
Daler Rowney Simply Oil Paints (10 set)
More interested in buying your own colors? No probs! These are my favorites when it comes to single tubes. They are also from Artist's Loft (keep in mind I am talking about student grade right now) and they are around 6-9 dollars per tube (2oz) (The link I gave you is only for the white)
Artist's Loft Oil Paint
Annnd if you are looking for an artist grade brand, I would once again, recommend Windsor and Newton Oil Paints. These are pretty expensive being 15-18 dollars per tube O.O They do come in lots of different colors so you can go cray cray with color :3
Windsor and Newton Oil Paints

3) Brushes   To have a decent quality brush is really important and you also need to make sure that the size fits what you are painting. There are usually sets of brushes for different types of paint. Best part is, they are all around 7-12 dollars per set and they are super good quality. Another thing is that I like to use acrylic brushes for oil painting as well. (I have a different set for each medium) They both work fine but I just prefer using my acrylic brushes.
Watercolor Brush Set (10 brushes)
Acrylic Brush Set (10 brushes)
Oil Brush Set (5 Brushes)

4)Colored Pencils So I wrote another article of projecteducate awhile ago talking about prismacolor pencils Prismacolor 101Community Week

*SEE BOTTOM OF JOURNAL FOR HELPFUL VIDEOS.*
As traditional artists, you probably have heard of prismacolor premier softcore color pencils (such a long name :O ) Just like any other brand, there are some cons that I will go over. I will also be briefly comparing prismas to faber castell polychromos. I hope this “guide” will help you with deciding whether or not to get prismas :la:Which set to buy?
I think everyone debates on this topic. Should I buy this set? What if it’s not enough? Maybe I don’t need all the colors? I personally debated with myself (LOL) for 1-2 months. There is the original 12, 24, 48
Go check out that article if you are deciding whether to buy them or not ^_^
My 3 personal favorite brands are faber castell polychromos, prismacolor premier, and crayola O.o I've used crayola for years and I still use them even if I have artist grade pencils. A tip for you? DO NOT buy erasable colored pencils. They are the worst. Yes it's tempting to think that if you make a mistake with these pencils, you can erase them but they are horrible. The lead is chunky and the layer of color would be uneven. (not to mention it doesn't even erase very well )
If you were to buy crayola, don't buy it online =_= I guarantee you'll find it in your target or walmart.
Crayola Colored Pencils
Go read the article I put above where I explain pros and cons of prismas and faber castell ^_^ I have a lot of links there for you to see but I'll quickly list a few here. (keep in mind I did not list the cheapest deal. Please go to my 'official' journal to see where to get le cheapest and best deal)
A big downside to Faber Castell is that you may not be able to find it easily or, the shipping is hella expensive. It is a very good product so if you have the budget for it and if you can find it, I highly recommend splurging on a set.
Prismacolor Premier Pencils
Insert Faber Castell Link Here

5) Greyscale Drawing Materials When starting out, we usually just use a normal pencil and eraser but as you get more advanced in your drawings, you may need artist quality tools. Pencils are usually not that expensive to get and I say buying it in a set would probably be the best deal. Sometimes, the sets even come with erasers and tortillions.
My favorite brand for pencils would be staedtler. (They are the ones with le blue barrels :3 ) At my local walmart, they are around 14 dollars for a set of 10-17. (LOL I forgot the number but it's a really good deal)
Staedtler Pencils
This Faber Castell sketch set comes with 6 pencils, a sharpener and an eraser. It can range from 12-14 dollars depending where you get them.
Faber Castell Sketch Set
Also, a retractable stick eraser would be super duper useful if you want to erase precise lines. This one from Staedtler is around 3-5 dollars. (you can also buy refills for them and save lots of money.)
Staedtler Retractable Eraser
Then another must is a kneaded eraser. This stuff is heaven O.O You can erase without leaving any marks or shavings and you can pick up the pigment instead of smudging it. You can create subtle or intense highlights and you can mold it into any shape you like. (Or you can just play with it in class ) You really do not knead (get it? knead? need? ...) an expensive one. This huge block from artist's loft only costs 2 dollars. (and they last for a long time.)
Artist's Loft XL Kneaded Eraser

6)Markers Okay, not going to lie, I don't have that much experience with markers. I have used it here and there at school but it's not my main medium. So we probably all heard of copics? They are super expensive but they do wonders. Depending on where you live, copics can cost anywhere from 4-9 dollars. PER MARKER! lol yeah... ain't nobody got money for dat A better way would be to buy the sets but they are still extremely expensive If you would like to enter the marker world, you will have to splurge. I have not found any markers which are cheaper and work the same. I just put 2 examples of a 6 piece set and it costs 55 dollars ;-; plus tax... Can you imagine buying a 72 set?
Copic Sketch 6 set (Primary)
Copic Sketch 6 set (Skin Tones)
Prismacolor also carry their own line of markers and I heard they don't blend as well and that the brush tips aren't as... flowy and free as the copic nibs. But hey, if you are interested, here are some links. The 12 set is 50 dollars and the 24 set is 150 dollars O.O (LOL that makes no sense)
Prismacolor Markers 12 set (Greyscale)
Prismacolor Markers 24 set

7) Paper Paper is crucial for a good end product. If you have cheap paper which rips every time you try to erase, no no. Paper tend to be on the expensive side so check your local dollar store to see if they have any drawing paper. I know my dollar store sells a set of 24 toned paper for 2 bucks and it works perfectly.
Artist's Loft Watercolor Paper (25 sheets)
Strathmore 400 series watercolor paper (12 sheets)
Sketch paper
Sketch book

8) Digital
Program If you are looking into digital art, do not start with Paint =_= (I heard Mac's version of paint is a little better) Gimp is probably the best program to start with. It is free, simple, and straight forward. Then after that, you may want to try Photoshop CS2. It is also free and you can download it online. With ps cs2, it can get a bit confusing because a lot of the tools are more professional so you might need to do some adjusting to layout, tools etc. If you would like to venture out, you can get Paint Tool Sai (LUV IT!), PS CS ___ (whatever the newest one is), manga studio, sketchbook pro, etc.

Tablet vs. Mouse vs. touchpad I personally hate the mouse and I started digital art with my touch pad. (the thingy on your laptop) It is really your preference. Once you are 100% sure you want to continue digital art, you can look into getting a tablet. I'm not saying you can't be good if you use the mouse or touchpad! I know a lot of amazing artists out there who don't use the tablet. Here is my first few digital drawings using Gimp and my touch pad ^_^

btw, aren't they fabulous?

Tablets are one of those materials which if you get it, you can improve a lot. I'm not saying you'll instantly become a professional but it can help speed up your improvement. I have the Wacom intuous tablet and eeeee I love it Professionals usually use the Wacom Cintiq (it's basically a screen) but I am perfectly fine with my small tablet.
This is the one I have: (80 dollars)
Intuous Pen Small
And this would be the one professionals use: (2000 dollars)
Cintiq Companion Tablet

9) OtherClay
Premo Sculpey Polymer Clay
Sculpey III polymer Clay 30 color set
Sculpey Bake and Bond
Sculpey Basic Modeling Tool set
Sculpey Clay Softener
Sculpey Mini Metal Shape Cutters
Sculpey Glaze/Gloss

Canvases
Artist's Loft 5 pack 16" by 20"
Artist's Loft 10 pack 8" by 10"
Artist's Loft Back Stapled Canvases (multiple sizes)

Crafts
DIY Tshirt
Tulip Slick Fabric Paint
Short Sleeve White Tshirt
Tshirt Iron On (dark)

10) Ending
I want to say thank you so much for reading this article and I hope this helped you with choosing your art materials. In no way am I saying you will like them but they are my personal faves and I lub dem <3