My Favorite Art Supplies

If you are just getting started on your art journey, you'll need to equip yourself with a few basic supplies. Of course, a plain old pencil and/or ball point pen and a piece of printer paper are enough to get you started, but if you are interested in taking the next step read on. I have a LOT of supplies, but the items listed below are the materials I use the most often and would highly recommend.

Pentel GraphGear 500

Mechanical pencils are fantastic if, like me, you hate having to stop constantly to sharpen your pencil. I have 4 of these because I love them so much and want to make sure I always have one available (I keep one in my travel sketchbook kit, one in my van, one in my studio and one "floater").  They offer a few different lead size options, but my preference is the 0.5mm. They are pre-loaded with HB lead, but I've filled mine with 2B lead (linked below).

Pentel® Super Hi-Polymer® Leads, 0.5 mm, 2B, 12 Leads Per Tube, Pack Of 3 Tubes

This is the 2B lead I use in my mechanical pencils because I prefer a softer, darker lead than the standard HB type.

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils

There are a lot of colored pencil options to choose from but these are what I use and they are an extremely highly rated product on Amazon.

Caran D'Ache Luminance Colored Pencil Set of 20

This is another great option for colored pencils and they have a reputation as being one of the best.

Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Charcoal, Fine Nib

This is one of my favorite fountain pens (I love them all, how can I choose just one?). You can purchase filled ink cartridges to get you started, but keep in mind the ink in those cartridges is most likely not waterproof so use it only as a final step if you are using it with water-based mediums. If you want to be able to use watercolor on top of your ink sketches, I'd strongly recommend purchasing a converter to go with this pen, which will allow you to fill it with the ink of your choice.

Platinum Carbon Ink Bottle 60ml - Black

It feels like I've tried them all and this is my all time favorite waterproof black ink for filling my fountain pens.

Uni Ball Signo Um-153 Gel Impact Pen Open Stock, White, 10 Pens Per Pack

My favorite white pen. It's very opaque and water soluble, so I like to apply this as one of the final steps when working on top of watercolor or gouache. One benefit is that it can be blended, softened or even lifted after it's applied.

Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Paint Compact Set, Set of 14, Half Pans

Winsor & Newton's Cotman brand is their entry-level line of paints but I think this little set is a great, budget-friendly way to start. It's compact size makes it convenient to take everywhere and it has all the colors you'll need to get started.  Plus if you decide to move up to artist-grade paint, you can always replenish the empty pans (as you use them up) with tube watercolors.

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml

My current favorite artist-grade tube watercolor brand. This introductory set will get you started, but I would recommend supplementing it with two of my favorite colors, Payne's Gray and Burnt Sienna.

Holbein Artists Gouache Set of 12, Ｇ702 ,5ml tubes

Gouache is basically opaque watercolor. I find it nice for more graphical style art, for those who like art with distinct areas of even color. This set is water-based so it does reactivate when layering (as opposed to Acrylic gouache, which is more permanent once dry). But the nice part is that it won't completely ruin your brushes if you accidentally allow it to dry on them (although I definitely wouldn't recommend that with any medium) so in my opinion it's better for a travel kit. And this version does allow you to blend and rework areas a bit which is a nice feature.

Dr. Ph. Martin's Pen-White Ink Bottle, 1 Fl Oz 

A nice opaque white ink that can be applied with a dip pen or a brush. Great for adding highlights (as a final step because it does reactivate with water).

Kuretake ZIG CLEAN COLOR Real Brush 6 colors set"Smoky Colors"

These markers are a new addition to my kit. They are great for loose, whimsical art and for times when I want to add a quick bit of color or texture without getting out my regular watercolor supplies. The brush tip offers line weight variation and  they can be blended with water.

Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Softcover Sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5", 270 gsm (Extra Heavyweight), White Paper, Smooth Surface

My current favorite off-the-shelf sketchbook. This one has a nice square format (for a single page) but also allows me to paint a nice landscape across the 2 page spread. The smooth paper works well for a smoother drawing experience and the "extra heavyweight" paper (this Zeta series version) resists buckling when working with heavier washes. The tradeoff is that you get fewer pages for a similar price as compared to the Alpha series ("heavyweight" paper) linked below.

Stillman & Birn Beta Series Softcover Sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5", 270 gsm (Extra Heavyweight), White Paper, Cold Press Surface

Almost identical to the Zeta series above, except this one comes with cold press (textured) watercolor paper. So if you prefer a little texture on your paper, this is the way to go.

Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Softcover Sketchbook, 7.5" x 7.5", 150 gsm (Heavyweight), White Paper, Medium Grain Surface

Almost identical to the Zeta series above, except this one comes with a lighter weight 150gsm mixed media paper and more pages. So you should expect a bit of warping when using wet media in this. If you're okay with that in exchange for more paper, this is the way to go.

Strathmore 400 Series Visual Watercolor Journal, 140 LB Cold Press, 5.5x8

This little spiral bound sketchbook has 22 sheets of cold press (textured) 140 lb paper. It holds up well to wet media and it would probably be my favorite if it wasn't for the spiral binding. I prefer being able to paint across the center for a two page spread, which is what stitch bound sketchbooks (like the Stillman & Birn sketchbooks above) allow, but that is just a personal preference. Strathmore does offer a 500 series bound sketchbook that has a lot of promise,  so I will include that below too.

Strathmore 500 Series Hardbound Mixed Media Art Journal, 5.5" x 8.5", White, 32 Count

This hardbound sketchbook has 32 sheets of mixed media (smooth) 90 lb paper. It's the only sketchbook I include here that has a hard cover and has 100% cotton paper. I can't recommend it firsthand just yet because I currently have my first one on order. However, it has amazing reviews and has some great features so I am very hopeful. I tend to lean toward soft covers, but I choose a hard cover this time to give it a try. The extra bulk may be worth it because it will provide more protection in my sketch bag, and it will offer more support when I am working in it without a work surface (on my lap). It's stitch bound so I don't need to deal with the spiral rings in the center of a spread. And it has a smooth surface which is great for smooth line work. Lastly while it's only 90lb/190gsm paper, it is 100% cotton paper with internal sizing, so it should be great for water-based media too.

Spiral Bound Mixed Media Sketchbook - 3pk of 30 Sheets 5.5x8.5" - 90 Total 140lb/300gsm - Smooth Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper 

If you are on a strict budget when it comes to your art supplies, this is a great sketchbook option.  The paper is a nice weight, the book is a convenient size, and the best part is the budget-friendly price will make you feel free to play and explore in it without the fear and guilt of "wasting your expensive paper" (by the way, it's NEVER a waste if you enjoy the experience and learn something new).

Escoda Perla Series Artist Watercolor 3 Brush Travel Set

Okay I have to admit, this set is a major splurge for me. It's probably overkill if you are just taking a quick trip to paint at your local park. But it's a dream to be able to have a professional quality set of travel brushes that I can take with me on my longer trips when I can spend more time and put more effort into each piece.

Pentel Aquash Water Brush (Fine Point Large)

This water brush is a great addition to your travel sketch kit. It does take a little practice if you're not used to using water brushes but it's well worth the convenience of having the built-in water reservoir when you are on the go.

Princeton Velvetouch, Series 3950, Paint Brush, Round, 10

If you want to start with one all around brush for your watercolor or gouache at a decent price point, this is the one. The number 10 round is big enough to keep your washes loose, but its springy and has a nice point so it's nice for adding loose details too. Its only downfall is that this one is not designed for travel (it doesn't have a cap and it's a bit too long to be fully protected for travel in a pencil roll) but if that's not a priority, I'd highly recommend this and the entire Princeton Velvetouch series.

Mijello Airtight Watercolor 18-Well Blue Palette

This palette is not only a great addition to your travel sketch kit, it's great for your art desk at home too. If you have the room in your pack, the extra mixing space makes it a bit easier to use than the super small compact travel set.

Faber-Castell Erasers - Drawing Art kneaded Erasers, Large size Grey - 4 Pack

Kneaded erasers are great for use on watercolor paper because they allow you to lift graphite pencil marks gently without damaging the paper surface.

Pencil Wrap

This pencil wrap is made of a nice quality canvas and is great for storing regular and colored pencils, gel pens and even watercolor paint brushes.

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