art supplies | Annie Mason 4/4

You can't have enough art supplies.

Annie Mason
3 min read

This

is an opinion.

My opinion.

The art supplies pictured here are my own. Many of the items link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate, earning from the reader's purchases here. I can comfortably say that I use all the products listed below, and I am confident that they are art supplies that you would enjoy at a beginner or professional level.

Let's start with basic supplies.

PAINTS

Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Kit - Watercolor Sets for Painting On the Go - 24 Color s

You can see that this set has been used. I bought this set in 2015, and it still serves me well. The link will bring you to a catalog of similar sets.

A Paint set which has 24 color pans along with a palette and a watercolor pen. — Sakura Koi 24 color Travel Set

Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Paint Set, 12 Half Pan

with Water Brush Pen and Mixing Palette

I use these Winsor & Newton© watercolours are rich with high pigmentation. You can see that this has had plenty of use since 2019 and still have plenty of color. Recognizing the colors was a little harder, so I cut a piece from the wrapping on each pan and glued it above each paint pan. This set has a water pen, and the lid opens to a palette.

Winsor & Newton watercolour paint set 12 half pans — Winsor & Newton 12 half pan watercolour set

WATERCOLOR PAPERS

Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor Paper Pad, 11x15 inches, 12 Sheets (140lb/300g)

Strathmore watercolor paper pad. bright yellow cover with a watercolor illustration 12 sheets — Strathmore Watercolor Pad

You can find more watercolor paper selections in the catalog search here.

BRUSHES

Sable Brushes Round Pointed Professional Watercolor Brushes

These are my go-to brushes, especially when using washes. Brushes come in 9 popular sizes—#0, #2, #4, #6, #8, #10, #12, #14, #16. This is an extremely versatile size range. It is perfect for professionals, artists, students, novices, beginners, and adults. Natural sable hairs have great liquid-holding ability, and soft and smooth blending gives you a perfect sable-like spring back and ability to hold its shape.

A picture of sable watercolor brushes — Sable Watercolor brushes in a range of sizes.

Transon 12pcs Small Detail Miniature Model Painting Brush Set

This set is perfect for details with your brush. I keep two sets so that I don't run out when a brush starts to wear down.

A picture of twelve small brushes for details. — Twelve watercolor brushes for small details.

Close up of small set of watercolor brushes. — Transon detail brushes (close up)

Royal and Langnickel Brushes

Despite the fancy-sounding name, these brushes are a Value Pack on Amazon. I use them for paintings, wear them out, and then buy another 12-piece pack for under $20. (Eight brushes are shown here.)

A picture of eight different artist paintbrushes — Royal and Langnickel artist brushes

US Art Supply Deluxe Brush Cleaner-Brush Washer with Wash Tank

You should clean your brushes! It keeps them healthy.

A Spiral Holder Suspends Brush Tips To Prevent Bending Or Deforming of The Bristles As They Hang To Dry Or Soak In Either Water Or Solvents. Great product.

DRAWING

General's Kimberly 24Pc.Watercolor Pencils

I LOVE these watercolor pencils. They allow me to add shadows or detail in areas where I can draw colors and contrast. I sharpen these down to the nub. Beautiful colors. * Note the holder. My daughter bought me the holder, which looks like the "spiral shaving" leftover from a pencil sharpener. Very clever. Get yours here Clive Roddy.

A picture of watercolor pencils in a "pencil shavings" holder — General's watercolor pencils in a "shavings" holder

SAKURA Pigma Micron Assorted Point Sizes - 6 Pack

A package of micron black pens from Sakura — Sakura micron pens - 6 pack

Professional Quality Small and Large Circle Templates Set with Erasing Shield

These are handy for drafting, but I love being able to trace perfect circles in any situation. The erasing shield also helps to erase unwanted lines close to each other.

A picture of two circle templates and an eraser shield — Two templates of a series of circles and an eraser shield

Speaking of erasing. I don't like to think about making mistakes...but I confess. I make them.

Faber-Castell Erasers - Drawing Art kneaded Erasers

A picture of a Faber-Castell kneaded eraser in a plastic case. — A Faber-Castell kneaded eraser in a plastic case.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Clicking the links

and making any purchase from this website will be an Amazon commission

for me but will have no cost to you.

Not necessarily needed, it's nice to have this equipment or these furniture items:

Table Easel

Adjustable 4' folding table

If you like to video your work-in-progress

or you like to do tutorials:

Gooseneck iPhone Holder

phone tripod with remote

Good lighting:

Verilux floor lamp Verilux table lamp

Keep your artwork safe:

Art Portfolio Presentation Book

I own all of the products listed above. If you are thinking about any of these for yourself, for a budding artist in your life, or for a crafter of any kind, click through to Amazon and drop a product in your cart. I thank you, as I do get a commission for your purchase after the item has been shown and delivered.

Please, Pin it! or scroll to comments.

A change of pace, and style.

Annie Mason
2 min read

Watercolor is my medium (check a recent blog post on this topic)... CREATE. Why? I have talked about how I love pen & ink with watercolor. It might not be much of "a change of pace," but it seems to be a HUGE change in style.

This idea began when the owner of Heather a Boutique in downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, had a quick chat with me while I visited her shop. Heather wondered whether some of the iconic sites in this historic district could be the subject of some of my greeting cards.

The thought stayed in my head for months, pushed back by the strange intervention of Covid-19. Heather's shop was one of so many in Fredericksburg that needed to shut its doors in mid-March and continued to do so into the summer months. Like many shop owners, she had to devise creative ways of selling her wares remotely, by phone, email, and appointment. It's been very hard on the independent shops.

Now to my revelation: Why not just pick a place, take a picture, pick a pen, and start?

The result is quite striking, at least to my eye. Architecture has never been my strong suit. The curves of flowers and birds keep my arm loose, and accidents can be quickly adapted with some paint to the affected boo-boo.

The straight, bold, perspective lines of buildings and facades are unforgiving. "Oops" cannot happen with a pen or ruler. Can I do this? Yes. Yes, I can.

First came the photographs. A foray down to Fredericksburg on a lovely day gave me at least three different places to dive into. I knew well enough not to do this on a Saturday afternoon. Even during the lockdown in March and April, people were bound to be out walking their dogs along the tree-lined sidewalks.

With my camera at the ready, I found parking spots (Fredericksburg is notoriously hard to park your car, and you had better beware: the local police might mark your tires and come back to boot that exact tire if you haven't moved in the allotted time frame).