Art supplies are always a need for any artist. But what are the basic ones artists need? There is a wide range of art supplies on the market. Below is a brief description of individual accessories, a kind of “toolbox” materials for the artist.
There are different types of easels
Three-legged easels are used for outdoor painting. They are light and quite stable, their height is adjustable, and they have a mechanism for stabilizing the upper part of the pattern. Plus, they are foldable for easy transport. Studio easels are mainly used for studio work. They are more massive than outdoor easels and more stable. Studio easels have the ability to adjust both height and angle. There are also easels with a built-in drawer that can be used to store paints, brushes, etc. Small tabletop easels are designed for small image formats. It is recommended for an artist to buy wholesale art supplies, as you get extra material and at a better price too.
Paper
When it comes to paper, there is a huge choice of colors and types, depending on the technique used. Paper is characterized by varying degrees of graininess and absorbency. For watercolor painting and other water-based technologies, special papers have been developed, such as those from the Fabriano series, available as individual sheets or as whole blocks. For oil and acrylic painting, primed linen canvas is most often used, as well as primed fibreboard, cardboard, plywood, etc. Paper is less commonly used as it can cause the paint to crack. For drawing with charcoal, sanguine, and pencils, you can use a sketchbook, and we can also choose from a wide range of types of cardboard. For paintings made in the dry pastel technique, velour paper is recommended.
Brushes and spatula
There is a very large selection of brushes, both natural and artificial. Their sizes and shapes are also varied: the most popular are round, flat, and in the shape of a cat’s tongues. Strong and flexible hog bristle brushes are suitable for working with oil. But with more subtle drawings in the same technique, we can also use squirrel or marten fur brushes. Marten and squirrel bristles, as well as cheaper cow hair brushes, work very well with delicate paints, tempera, watercolors, and acrylics. Artificial bristle brushes are also of good quality. It is also worth mentioning spatulas. They can have a classic spatula shape or be quite narrow. Applying paint with a spatula allows you to get interesting textures, in addition, with a spatula we can mix paints.
Pencil, charcoal, sanguine
Pencils are divided into hard ones (marked with an H), which give a light and crisp line, commonly used in technical drawings; pencils marked B – soft with a thick dark line – used mainly in artistic graphics and semi-hard with markings F and HB. H and B pencils also have a number next to the letter indicating the level of hardness (in H) or softness (in B): the higher the value, the softer or harder the pencil. The graphite insert for the pencil is encased in wood, but there are also pure graphite sticks on the market.
In addition, charcoal is used for drawing. It is available both in the form of sticks and pencils – sanguine and chalk pencils of different colors.
Conclusion
Art supplies can be endless and depending upon the requirement of the artist, these can be arranged accordingly. But there are basic ones that are listed and help fulfill the basic needs of any artist. But choosing the right one with the right budget is what we all need. So, hopefully, you can make the right decision based on this guide.
