
A Guide to the Essential Art Supplies
Since the beginning of time, humans have had a relationship with art in some way or another. It’ll continue to be an integral part of human life, regardless of ethnicity, political views, or social background. We can see this in prehistoric cave drawings and ancient artifacts. It’s human nature to love art and find a way to express ourselves through one form or another. It’s coded in our DNA and starts from early childhood. It may be why toddlers draw on walls, like music or play with their food in some way. Art can help us relieve stress and anxiety and works well for our mental health. Plus, it’s a great way to keep history recordings and remember important events with ease. If you’ve ever thought about diving into the art world, this is the right time to do it.
Paints

If you’re getting familiar with art just now, picking the appropriate fluid art supplies can be difficult. There are various sorts, each with its purpose and set of materials and techniques.
Acrylic
Acrylic paint is a popular choice with both experienced artists and novices. It’s adaptable, you can apply it to various surfaces, and it dries quickly. Because the paint’s colour pigments are water-based, they are less affected by humidity, lighting, and temperatures when they dry. Acrylic is one of the most smooth and long-lasting fluid painting supplies. However, make sure to always wash your brushes thoroughly after applying acrylic paint. This will keep them properly clean, and they won’t stiffen and harden.
Oil

The oil technique has been around since 650 AD. Since then, it has become a popular method of creating artwork. Some of the most famous paintings, such as The Mona Lisa, The Night Watch, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Whistler’s Mother and The Starry Night, are all oil paintings. Logically, these paints are based on oil, like sunflower, walnut or linseed oil. Applying it in thick layers may take some time to dry out, but it’ll be long-lasting. These paintings are sensitive to light, and they’ll lighten or darken according to the keeping conditions.
Watercolour
Watercolour is an opaque material you can use in school for illustration, floral and nature art, studies, and finished works of art. Colour pigments are spread in a solution that bonds the pigment and causes it to stick to the material once it’s dry. The most famous binders are natural gum Arabic and synthetic glycol. There are several types of pigment, such as:
- Natural inorganic;
- Synthetic inorganic;
- Natural organic;
- Synthetic organic.
Canvas

You can define canvas as a durable cloth strong enough to hold paints. Manufacturers use materials such as cotton, hemp or linen to make it. They first stretch it, then secure it to a frame made of wood and coat it with special primers so the paint can fold and the cloth won’t wear out. They first appeared in the 14th century and stayed up until this day as an essential art supply. Because of their lightness, they’re easy to transport, even though sometimes they can be very large.
Before buying your first canvas and fluid painting supplies, you have to consider the following:
- Fabric;
- Priming;
- Texture;
- Weight.
If you want to do detailed work and drawings, you should get a finely woven canvas or a rougher one if you do broad brush strokes. Depending on the density of the thread, the weight of the canvas can vary, but the ideal one would be between 340g-425g. If you’re a beginner, experts recommend getting an already stretched canvas. But, if you’ve already dealt with canvases, you can get just a cloth a stretch it out yourself. This is a budget-friendly option.
After gluing, canvases can get different treatments. The first one, oil canvas, uses linseed oil mixed with zinc white. It’s left to dry out completely, and manufacturers sand and coat it again with a layer made from titanium white. They let it air dry on its own. The second type is the absorbent canvas. This one has two layers of chalk primer bond that are water-based. It can be dried in an air-dry oven. And the last one is the universal canvas. The main primer is titanium white, and it also gets dried out in an oven.
Brushes
Brushes didn’t always look like the ones we have today. In the past, people used bones, sticks and branches to draw, and sometimes they found feathers, animal hair and leaves handy to do the job. Overall, there are four main categories of brushes you can find. Liner brushes are great for small details and when you’re painting small pieces of the canvas. You can also precisely do sharp and short lines. Round brushes can create lines of different sizes and colour large areas of the painting.
The angled brush is the right brush to create a sharp and clean angle. And if you want to paint textures and special effects, a fan brush will do the trick. One rule that every artist follows is to not let their brushes sit in a cup of water. This can lead to bending and damage. Instead, clean and store them after every use. Experts recommend replacing your brushes every six months and earlier if needed.
Easel
There are many different types and designs of easels, and deciding which one is best for you can be difficult. You’ll have to find the right one to fit your painting technique. When it comes to price, you can find some that are affordable and some that are incredibly expensive. So, choosing the right one has to be correct, not just for you but also for your budget. Except for your budget, you should consider the space you have available. The floor models may not work if you have a small studio.

Next, where will you be using it, indoors or outdoors? If you take it outside, it needs to be collapsible so you can transport it easily. And the last thing is the size of the canvas. No matter your needs and preferences, you’ll find an easel that’ll work for you. Here are some of your style choices:
- A-Framed;
- H-Framed;
- Single Mast;
- Tabletop;
- Convertible;
- French;
- Pochade;
- Bench;
- Taborets;
- Drawing desk.
In Summary
Art has been a part of this world since its beginnings, and people used it to express love, pleasure, disapproval and much more. It can be a great way to transfer your emotions and make a statement. These are just the essentials for beginners, but you can also add a palette, towels, apron, palette knife, scraping tools, sponge, etc. Take it to step by step, and we’re sure you’ll improve in no time.