4 Essential Products for All Artists 🎨

Written by Holly Curreli

Jan 9, 2021

It has been said that art can help to boost confidence and make us feel more engaged as well as alleviates anxiety, depression, and stress. Whether you have been thinking of picking up a paintbrush or pencil, or you have been a long-term artist, there are 4 key-items that any artist needs.

This list consists of the following hand-picked items that I have tried or use on a daily basis 🥰:

Sketchbooks, pads, and canvases
Coloring pencils and markers
Paints
Fineliner pens

1. Sketchbooks, pads, and canvases

Whether your chosen medium is watercolor, colored pencils, acrylic paint, or anything in between. The most important product for everyone is to have the right paper, pad, or canvas to create your masterpieces in/on.

There are so many different kinds and styles to choose from, including various sizes (A3, A4, etc) and textures.

To eliminate the task of you having to spend hours trying to find a book or canvas that fits your needs, here are a few that we have trialed, tested, and highly recommend:

Professional grade

Arteza Watercolor Pads

The pages of the Arteza watercolor pads are professional, thick, and heavy, so they can withstand many layers of paint and water before they bleed through or bend. This is fantastic for artists wanting to try different techniques, build up color, or use multiple mediums (such as a fine liner pen) on top of their watercolor picture.

Another fantastic element of these pads is that they are 100% acid-free, meaning that the color vibrancy and details of your works will not deteriorate or fade over time, which can often be a problem with watercolor pads of lesser quality. Additionally, these pads actually come in a pack of three, so the value for money on this item is incredible. You will never want to go back to another brand after you try Arteza, just check out its many 5 star reviews if you’re not convinced!

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Professional grade

Castle Sketchbooks – 9″ x 12″, 200 Sheets

Castle is an excellent, well known brand for artists on a budget to grab some high quality materials. The brand lives up to its reputation with these sketchbooks, as they have 100 acid-free, PH neutral, thick pages in each book- and there are 2 books in each pack!

These pads are perfect for many dry mediums, such as pencils, charcoal, crayon, and pastels, and are therefore fantastic for any artist, whether you are just beginning your creative journey or are well-versed in your artistic passions.

The pages are also easy to rip out since the books have ring binding, so if you are experimenting and end up not liking the piece or want to share your work with someone else, you can do it in seconds. These 9×12 inch books will quickly become a key part of anyone’s go-to art supplies kit.

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Professional grade

Glokers Paint Canvas Panels Set – 24 Primed Art Canvases for Painting

For the acrylic paint lovers out there, we’ve got you covered. These canvases are simply amazing, as they are non-toxic, eco-friendly, and acid-free and are suitable for any type of paint.

These are also pre-primed, so they are ready to be painted on straight out of the box, no sanding or priming needed! In this outstanding canvas set, you receive 24 canvases in a total of various sizes ranging upwards from 5x7inch.

You will always have the perfect size canvas for any artistic idea you imagine once purchasing this set, and you will have enough canvas to create tons of wonderful works.

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2. Coloring Pencils, Markers, and upkeep for these items.

Professional grade

Castle Art Supplies 72 Premium Colored Pencils Set

This Castle pencil set is just absolutely beautiful; it has so many vibrant colors, every shade you could ever want, and the ‘Soft Touch’ of the pencils make them glide smoothly on the paper and make blending effortless.

The centered colored cores are surrounded by premium quality, reliable Basswood, so the classic frustration of pencil breakages is eradicated and you will have to spend less valuable time sharpening these pencils.

These pencils also come with a step-by-step tutorial for emerging artists on how to recreate the artwork on the front of the pencil tin, so this pack literally has everything and is such a joy to work with.

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Professional grade

Diapin 81 Aclohol Marker Set

This marker set is simply fantastic. The ink is alcohol based and permanent, meaning there is no odor, it is non-toxic, smudge-proof, and has waterproof qualities. The fast-drying ink formula goes smoothly and evenly onto paper.

The dual-sided tips of these marker pens allow you to work with both thick and thin lines too, so versatile and for your every need. The broadside is a bold 6mm while the small side is just 1mm, perfect for finer and more dainty work.

The ink colors are brilliant, and they include a ‘colorless blend’ marker as the 81st of the set to make blending the colors easy- so genius! With all this also comes a storage bag for the marker pens so that you can always be organized and transport your art supplies anywhere you go. I am in love with this set and use it very frequently.

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Pencil sharpeners are a need when using coloring pencils, so it is fortunate that it is easy to get your hands on one (or a few!). For a basic, all-rounder sharpener, I would highly recommend this Mr. Pen Handheld Sharpener, which has a bigger and smaller size for all kinds of pencils and has a hardy metal exterior.

For someone wanting a more quick and efficient way to sharpen pencils, however, I would suggest the amazing Electric Pencil Sharpener that has a side to store the pencils you are currently using or that have recently been sharpened and an end that effectively sharpens pencils without its user having to put in any effort at all.

Lastly, if you are someone who enjoys having the cutest looking stationary around (I’m one of them! 😊), these adorable pencil sharpeners are just perfect for your needs:

3. Paints

Professional grade

Arteza Watercolour Paint Set

Arteza is back again on this list with yet another stunning product. Everything about this set is fabulous; the paint colors are rich and highly pigmented, they will effortlessly stand out on your watercolor paper and will not bleed.

The formula has also been approved and certified to be non-toxic, which is a major plus. The tubes containing the paint are also designed in a way that makes it very easy to squeeze out the exact amount of paint you need without any waste, meaning that the product will last longer and can be used more efficiently.

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Professional grade

Chalkola Acrylic Paint Set

This set is immaculate, as there are 64 bright and vibrant colors made with a certified non-toxic formula, they are all packed neatly in a sturdy box to be easily accessible and able to be transported, and they are workable for any surface, even unorthodox canvases such as rocks, wood, and glass!

What made this set stand out to me, though, was the fact that each tube of paint is clearly labeled with its content’s opacity, lightfastness, color name, and pigment code, so I always knew if a certain color would be a good fit for what I needed. I recommend these for anyone wanting a large variety of colors or looking to experiment with colors/mediums/unusual canvases.

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4. Fineliner Pens

Fineliners are often used in the artwork of multiple mediums. They can be used to outline, add color, complete the finer and more precise areas of an art piece, and more. This is why it is so important for both aspiring artists and regular creators to always have their trusty fineliner pens handy for whenever they need them.

Black fineliner pens

Black is the most popular type of fineliner pen and is definitely the most versatile too. I would highly recommend the Uni Pin Drawing Pens, as they are my favorite go-to fineliners whenever I am creating. The Uni Pins come in a pack of 6, containing various tip sizes. The differing tip sizes are so useful, especially when I need to work precisely, and the larger tip is much needed for shading bigger areas. You can buy them for an absolute bargain here.

Colored fineliner pens

Colored fineliner pens are needed too, and what is so amazing about them is that they can be used for more serious art projects and for simple, fun, time passing art such as using a coloring book. The Staedtler Colour Pen Set is a fantastic 36 piece set that I would greatly suggest to anyone looking for easy to use pens that do not bleed through paper and that have bright, shining colors.

Final thoughts
I hope this article helped you discover new must-have items that you’ll use and love. Practicing art is good for the mind. At the very least, it’s a wonderful distraction of news, phones and computers.

If you enjoyed this article, be sure to leave a comment below!

What's your must-have art supply?

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4 Essential Products for All Artists 🎨

1. Sketchbooks, pads, and canvases

Arteza Watercolor Pads

Castle Sketchbooks – 9″ x 12″, 200 Sheets

Glokers Paint Canvas Panels Set – 24 Primed Art Canvases for Painting

2. Coloring Pencils, Markers, and upkeep for these items.

Castle Art Supplies 72 Premium Colored Pencils Set

Diapin 81 Aclohol Marker Set

3. Paints

Arteza Watercolour Paint Set

Chalkola Acrylic Paint Set

4. Fineliner Pens

Black fineliner pens

Colored fineliner pens

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