The Art Supplies I Use in My Studio

Over the years I have worked with many different mediums and materials, and learned that the right art supply can completely change the way an idea develops.

I rarely think of materials as separate from one another. I layer them, draw over them, cover them, scratch into them and sometimes completely change direction. Much of my work grows through this process of experimentation.

Here are some of the materials I return to again and again in my studio. These are not rules or a definitive list of what an artist needs. They are simply some of my favourite tools for exploring an idea and letting a painting evolve.

Acrylic Paints

I use different types of acrylic paint depending on the kind of mark, texture and movement I want to create.

• Heavy Body Acrylics
  Thick and buttery, these are wonderful for expressive brushwork, texture and areas of strong, saturated colour. Here is what I use
  Heavy Body Acrylics: https://link.amazon/B00N4IPaA
• Soft Body Acrylics
  Smoother and more fluid than heavy body acrylics, they are perfect for blending, layering and creating an even painted surface. Here is what I use
  Soft Body Acrylics: https://link.amazon/B0b1BiOHZ
• Fluid Acrylics
  With a thinner consistency and intense pigment, fluid acrylics are beautiful for washes, fine details and building transparent layers of colour. Here is what I use
  Fluid Acrylics: https://link.amazon/B08Cj0jt7
  
• High Flow Acrylics
  These have the consistency of ink and allow me to draw, drip, splatter and create fine lines while still giving me the permanence of acrylic paint. Here is what I use
  High Flow Acrylics: https://link.amazon/B0harmFaT
  

Watercolours

I love watercolour for its transparency and spontaneity. I often use it as an early layer, allowing washes of colour to sit underneath drawing and other materials and become part of the history of the piece.
Watercolors:
https://link.amazon/B08EHNg99
https://link.amazon/B0fJ8Qi9D
https://link.amazon/B0b6775q
https://link.amazon/B0icnOjgd

Acrylic Paint Markers

Acrylic paint markers give me the freedom to draw with paint and add crisp lines, details and unexpected marks over other layers. I love using them when I want to bring a bold graphic element into a piece or make a mark that feels spontaneous and immediate.

Posca Acrylic markers: 
https://link.amazon/B0a7ZRcO8
https://link.amazon/B08ZeWcGq
https://link.amazon/B0iML67f1

Paint Storage Jars with Lids

I use a lot of paint in my paintings so i prefer to mix & store them in deep containers with air-tight lids. Paints stay fresh and usable 2 weeks - 8 weeks this way. These containers are washable & reusable. Here are some containers with lids that I use.

Glass containers with lids:
https://link.amazon/B05zXxFPU
https://link.amazon/B084hqcxJ

Plastic containers with lids: 
https://link.amazon/B0hFVsjKu

Oil Pastels

Oil pastels bring a completely different physical quality to my work. Their richness & softness allow me to draw, block in colour & add expressive marks that can sit beautifully against more delicate transparent layers. I us the following:
https://link.amazon/B0cQdzAYR

Oil pastels:
https://link.amazon/B0byk94hS

Coloured Pencils

Coloured pencils are wonderful for detail and for building colour slowly. I use them to draw into painted surfaces, strengthen lines and add small areas of colour that bring another level of complexity to a mixed media piece. I use the following:

Posca Color Pencils: 
https://link.amazon/B0bsvL0tx
Prisma color
https://link.amazon/B0ajpezlI
https://link.amazon/B09uP31zW

Solid Paint Sticks

I love the immediacy of paint sticks. They let me draw with paint itself, creating broad marks, strong lines and blocks of colour without the formality of a brush. They are especially useful when I want a painting to feel spontaneous and physical.
I use these paint sticks:
https://link.amazon/B0eULwiO6
https://link.amazon/B04YeN97M
https://link.amazon/B0dWwVhDS
https://link.amazon/B0hS0NKgy

Professional Charcoal Pencils

Charcoal is one of my favourite ways to bring drawing into a painting. It gives me deep blacks, soft transitions and expressive marks that can remain visible through the layers or become partially hidden as the work develops.
Charcoal pencils: https://link.amazon/B0hBwDZ4w
Colored Charcoal pencils: https://link.amazon/B0aM6B23s

Professional Brushes

My brushes are the tools that allow me to move between precision and freedom. Different shapes and sizes give me completely different marks, from delicate lines and details to broad washes and sweeping gestures.
Acrylic brushes: https://link.amazon/B069NoSkp
Liner brushes: https://link.amazon/B0bxrNLuF
Watercolor brushes: https://link.amazon/B08Uk8Bqk

Masking Tape

Masking tape may seem like a simple studio essential, but I use it as part of the creative process. It helps me create unexpected edges, preserve areas of a composition and introduce geometric shapes and clean spaces that contrast with more spontaneous marks.
Masking Tape: https://link.amazon/B0cgI0mbC
https://link.amazon/B05Nn0KMm

Sketchbooks

My sketchbooks are where many ideas begin before they ever become paintings. I use them to draw, make colour studies, write down thoughts, experiment with compositions and work through ideas without worrying about whether they are good enough.

Artist sketchbook:
https://link.amazon/B0hYk5OE0

Watercolor sketchbook: 
https://link.amazon/B0gyPQ9PQ

Arches Watercolour Paper

Good paper makes a real difference when I am experimenting with wet and dry materials. I particularly enjoy working on Arches because it gives me a strong surface that can withstand washes, drawing and repeated layers while still allowing the character of the paper to become part of the work.

Arches watercolour paper: https://link.amazon/B02SH8lCA
https://link.amazon/B05lL1UOo
https://link.amazon/B072lkkTG

Graphite Pencils

Graphite is often where a drawing begins. I use it for quick studies, structural lines and working out ideas before adding colour and other materials. Sometimes those first pencil marks remain visible in the finished work, which I love.

Graphite Pencils: https://link.amazon/B0gkGKB3z

Erasers

I think of an eraser as another drawing tool rather than simply something used to correct mistakes. Lifting graphite or charcoal can create light, texture and movement and sometimes the marks created by taking something away are just as important as the marks I put down.

Eraser: https://link.amazon/B0i4WNkXG
https://link.amazon/B08OXPcnI

More Materials I Experiment With

My studio is always evolving, and I am constantly trying different papers, drawing tools, paints, pastels, inks and found materials. For me, mixed media is a really about curiosity 

I don't want every layer to behave perfectly. I want materials to react with one another, leave traces of what came before and create something I could not have planned at the beginning.
That is often where the most interesting paintings begin

A Few of My Favourite Supplies

I have linked some of the products I personally use in each section. If you are experimenting with mixed media yourself, you don't need everything on this list. Start with a few materials you are drawn to and give yourself permission to experiment.

There is no single right way to make art. Sometimes the best discoveries happen when you put two materials together simply to see what happens.

Curious to know my Studio Setup Supplies? See it here

Some of the links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my studio and my work.