Best Art Supplies For Adults– The Ultimate Art Supply Guide for Adults

Best Art Supplies For Adults

Art supplies can be like special friends to artists. You don’t choose them on purpose; you find the ones you love while trying different ones. Some you’ll really like from the start, while others will sit forgotten in a drawer.

However, there are some essential supplies that every artist should always have.

Sketchbook or Drawing Paper

A sketchbook is a must-have for artists. It’s like a special book where you can draw, write down ideas, and try out new things. 

But if you plan to use paints or inks in your sketchbook, you need one made for that purpose. 

Look for a sketchbook with thicker paper; the number that tells you how thick it is should be high (like 190gsm or more) to handle wet stuff like paint. Watercolor paper comes in different textures:

• Hot Pressed (HP): Smooth, flat surface.
• Cold Pressed (NOT): Medium-textured, soft surface.
• Rough: Heavily textured surface.

Strathmore is a brand that makes really good sketchbooks. They have sketchbooks with different kinds of paper inside, like paper for drawing, watercolors, pastels, charcoal, and more. You can find these sketchbooks on Amazon.

Pencils, Rubbers, Sharpeners, and Rulers

Your art toolkit has four essential items: pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and rulers. Some say not to use rulers, but if it helps you, go ahead! Don’t let negativity affect your creativity.

For pencils, B and 2B grades are great for sketching. Also, try woodless graphite pencils for a unique feel and weight.

When choosing erasers, go for good-quality ones. Avoid plastic erasers, as they can smudge your art. Kneadable erasers are popular, but you might like the Derwent soft Art eraser.

I highly recommend Prismacolor Premier Kneaded, ArtGum, and Plastic Erasers – See at Blick.

For sharpening, invest in a quality sharpener. Remember, your art supplies should suit your preferences. So, build your toolkit based on what works best for you!

Watercolor Paints and Paper

Watercolor paints are awesome for artists, whether you’re starting or experienced. They create beautiful, see-through layers and are easy to clean up. 

It’s best to use good-quality watercolors like Winsor & Newton WATERCOLOR PAPER

Now, let’s talk about the paper. Watercolor paper can be smooth (hot press) or textured (cold press). Pick the one you like. Watercolor paper is also great for wet or heavy art materials like oil pastels and inks.

Watercolor Brushes

Next, brushes. Soft brushes work best for watercolors. Start with two round and two flat brushes in a medium size to figure out what you like.

You can use two kinds of paintbrushes for watercolor and acrylic paints: natural and synthetic bristle brushes.

Natural brushes may show brush marks on your painting, giving it a textured look.

Synthetic brushes, on the other hand, create smoother lines without visible marks.

If you’re unsure which one to pick, you can try both and see which you prefer. It’s all about what works best for you and your art! Check these brushes Da Vinci – See at Blick.

PALETTE

For watercolors, a plastic palette is handy. You can mix colors on it; even if they dry, you can still use them later. 

It’s easy to clean, too. Using tube watercolors, you can squeeze some onto the palette’s wells.

Color Wheel

A color wheel is a helpful tool for new artists. It tells you basic things about colors and shows which colors you can mix to make new ones.

You can get art supplies in two ways:

Colored Pencils and Its Supplies

Colored pencils are a great choice if you prefer drawing over painting. They let you use many colors in a neat and controlled way. 

You don’t need the largest set, but make sure you have enough different colors so you don’t feel limited. While you can mix colored pencils to some extent, it’s not as flexible as mixing paints.

It’s important not to use cheap colored pencils if you want good results. Colored pencils come in a range from low to high quality, with the best being quite expensive. 

For beginners, middle-quality colored pencils are usually fine and offer good results.

When sharpening colored pencils, don’t use a regular pencil sharpener. You need one that can give you a shorter tip, and it should be adjustable.

The type of paper you use with colored pencils matters. Colored pencils work better on paper with a bit of texture, but how much texture you prefer is a matter of personal choice. If you like a lot of texture, go for paper with more “tooth.”

The Prismacolor Quality Art Set is a set of art supplies on Amazon. It comes with 48 colored pencils, and these colored pencils have really vibrant and rich colors. It’s a great choice for artists and people who love to color.

Paint

Painting is a wonderful way to make art, and you don’t need lots of colors right away. Starting with just a few is actually easier, especially if you’re new to it.

No need to worry about having a big collection of colors. It’s okay to begin with a small set. Having too many colors can be confusing, especially for beginners, and make things feel overwhelming.

This advice works for all types of painting, like acrylics, oils, or watercolors. The key basic colors you’ll need are:

• Blue
• Red
• Brown
• Yellow
• You can pick different paints for each of these colors, but here’s a simple example of a basic set:
• Phthalo Blue
• Phthalo Green
• New Gamboge (yellow)
• Cadmium Red
• Alizarin Crimson
• Burnt Umber

With these best art supplies for adults, you can mix and create a lot of different colors for your paintings. So, don’t worry if you don’t have a huge array of colors to start with.