BASIC ART SUPPLY LIST
Many of you have been asking what type of art supplies I use in my art projects. Great question! To do most of my art lessons, you’ll need the following basics…
Paper
For general art projects (drawing, marker, tempera, pastel) Drawing Paper. The 12″ x 18″ paper comes in packs of 50. Order bulk in White and Black. Have a variety of other colors on-hand.
Order a good amount of 90-lb Watercolor Paper. I use Canson with nice results.
Tissue Paper in an assortment of colors. Here is a good brand and yes, expect bleeding.
Brushes A variety of brushes are important. Add to your collection when you can. Basically, you’ll need small, medium and large round watercolor brushes (for tempera projects as well), large wash (or mop) brush and stiff large brushes for large painted paper projects. For school kids, I’ve had great success with Big Kid Choice plastic handle all-purpose brushes.
Tempera Paint Crayola Paint, Sargent or Prang Tempera Paint (all the same). Make sure to have lots of White, Black, Red, Yellow and Blue
Watercolor Paint Liquid watercolor(10 bottle sets) Note: Once you’ve tried liquid watercolors, it’s hard to go back to regular pan style. For more information on Liquid watercolors, read this post.
Pan Watercolors: I like the 16-color set from Prang. You can’t refill the colors but a really good value for the quality.
Pastels A Classroom pack of Oil Pastels and Chalk Pastels. Stock up on extra black and white oil pastels.
Markers Classroom pack of Crayola Broad-tip Markers. I prefer class packs to individual packs as you can select certain colors and place on plastic trays. Kids love to organize the colors into their spaces after class.
Waterproof black Markers (Thick and thin. “Sharpie” or “Bic” brands are great).
Also…
– Mod-Podge (gallon size)
– Scissors
– Glue sticks
– White school glue
– Pencils
– Erasers
– Pencil sharpeners
– 6″ x 9″ hard plastic trays
– Recycled containers for water and paint (coffee cans, plastic pints, etc)
ADDITIONAL ART SUPPLY LIST
– Sponges on handles and scrapers for painted paper projects
– Metallic Pastels (gold and silver a must!)
– Glitter Paint (I’m still testing brands right now, as some glitter paint falls short of my expectations)
– Glitter in at least two colors
– Waterproof markers in colors other than black
– Woodless Colored Pencils (otherwise regular Crayola brand colored pencils are fine. Prismacolor pencil leads tend to break easily.)
– Foam sheets for print-making (recycle meat tray liners or any Styrofoam material)
– 9” x 12” Sulphite drawing paper in various colors
– Blunt tip brushes. These are great for painting straight lines for buildings, etc.
Art Supply Resources:
DOWNLOAD
Great art projects don’t require fancy art supplies. This is my list of must-haves and brands that I stock every year. The PDF contains descriptions on why and how I use some of the art supplies. Quick links and checklists are included for easy reference.
My list of art supplies:
Includes links and brands for paints, paper, colored pencils and pastels.
Download the Art Teacher’s Supply List for a free guide in helping you choose the best supplies for your classroom!
