I’ve checked out each of these recipes and all of them can be made with ingredients you probably already have in your home, and all ingredients are kid-safe (many are also taste-safe)!
Creative DIY Home Art Supplies
There’s a lot around the house that students can experiment with and incorporate into art projects. Here are some of our favorites.
Paint materials • Drawing tools • 3D • Collage
Paint materials
Flower Petals
Most colored flower petals can be rubbed into paper to make lovely patches of color.
Turmeric
Mix turmeric with a bit of water and you’ll create am earthy yellow ochre.
Matcha Powder
Dissolve matcha powder in water to get a subtle pale green wash.
Hair Dye
Hair dye has bright, vibrant colors that are great for painting!
Dandelions
Rub dandelion flowers onto paper and you’ll get a brilliant yellow color!
Tulip Leaves
The leaves of a tulip make luscious colors when rubbed onto paper.
Japanese Maple Leaves
The deep maroon color of Japanese Maple leaves makes a rich patch of red when rubbed onto paper.
Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid dissolves fast in water and gets bold colors similar to liquid watercolors.
Balsamic Vinegar
You’ll get beautiful brown wash with a touch of red with balsamic vinegar!
Sprinkles
Sprinkles produce lovely soft colors and dissolve easily in water.
Maple Leaves
Maple leaves rub easily onto paper to create a bright, saturated green tone.
Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate juice produces a deep red that has a lovely touch of purple.
“My aim was to use the soy sauce like watercolors, I reduced the soy sauce with water to do the lighter and mid tones and pure soy sauce for the darker tones.
The toothpaste was for the white highlights, which if I was to do it again I would probably change for some other item. Using these household items has really sparked some new ideas, which is always great.
Chloe O’Sullivan
“I took a reflection photo of a self portrait, then printed and highlighted my reflection with the beet and turmeric color.
The turmeric was used literally as a crayon. I drew a face with pencil and added a butterfly colored with beet and turmeric diluted in alcohol drops.”
Milagros Santos
“I really enjoyed working with the coffee and vinegar! I typically use watercolor and the coffee behaved very similarly.
I revisited the list on the site and noticed the balsamic vinegar which turned out to be the perfect color for the darker areas – it worked really well with the lighter washes and gave me the depth I was looking for.”
Simple Triskell
Saffron
Let some saffron threads soak in water and you’ll get a soft yellow ink great for light washes.
Foundation
Foundation makeup is very smooth and spreads beautifully with a brush.
Violets
Rubbing the petals of violets produces a beautiful patch of blue!
Lilac Flowers
You can create a lovely subtle greyish lavender color when rubbing lilac flowers onto paper.
Eye Shadow
Eye shadow blends well and can be rubbed with your fingers to get soft, painterly patches of color.
Icing Colors
Icing colors can be used exactly like watercolor cakes, and have intense colors.
Tea
Tea makes a lovely soft ink wash that is delicate and subtle!
Grape Kool-Aid
Apparently Grape Kool-aid looks like a grey India ink!
Jello
Jello can be like watercolor; just be sure to heat the water so the jello dissolves.
Kool-Aid Powder
Rub your wet fingers into Kool-Aid powder to create dry and patchy marks!
Mustard
You’ll get a soft yellow tone similar to Naples Yellow with mustard.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste spreads easily, is translucent, and sometimes sparkly!
“I put all my home art supplies on the kitchen counter and tested mustard and paprika with a basting brush.
Surprised to capture an idea of home, I set the slip of paper in the window to give it a little light. Then I snapped a shot when the sun rose over my neighbor’s house.”
Sally Webster
“I would never have considered using coffee to paint with if I had not seen other artists get such a cool effect. For thi
s sketchbook page, I tried using instant coffee granules and water with different dilutions.
The coffee blooms and flows when applied wet-on-wet like watercolors, and a thicker mixture lets the brush texture show.”
Rowenn Beth Kalman
The turmeric was selected to be the background, and the two other samples were cut up into shapes to collage.
I quickly glued down some shapes and cropped the image to highlight the toothbrush brush strokes.”
Sally Webster
Show us what you make!
- Post in our Discord.
- Tag us on Instagram with #artprofshare.
Cocoa
Cocoa powder creates a warm brown ink wash!
Beets
Cut a beet slice, dip your brush in water, and massage your brush on the beet slice like a watercolor cake! Boil the beets to make liquid ink.
Paprika
Mix paprika with water and you’ll get a light wash similar to burnt sienna.
Soy Sauce
You’ll get a soft subtle brown ink from soy sauce, similar to Walnut ink.
Food Coloring
Intense and bold colors are what you’ll get from food coloring, add water to create a range of gradients.
Blush
Blush lets you make a soft blend of colors that is light and airy.
Nail Polish
With all the colors, shine, and sparkle, you’ve got all the painting tools you need with nail polish.
Coffee
Coffee produces a subtle raw umber color that can be used to create the effects of ink wash.
Flower Petals
Lots of flower petals will produce patches of color when rubbed onto a sheet of paper.
Grape Hyacinths
You’ll get a beautiful vibrant blue when you rub grape hyacinth flowers into a surface!
“The beet root juice was so much fun to paint with and I loved the colour, but it got patchy at some point and I panicked, but it blended easily when I went over the edges. I would definitely try it again.”
Sara Boeisa
Drawing tools
Q-Tips
Q-tips are great for stippling and creating an impressionistic look.
Plastic Knife
The serrated edge of a plastic knife creates a beautiful texture reminiscent of cross-hatching. Works well with liquid inks and acrylic paint.
Bleach Pen
Get any dark colored fabric and draw with a bleach pen. Wash the fabric and you’ll have a lovely range of gradients in the fabric.
Mascara
Mascara has a thick intense black tone, and the applicator makes beautiful textured marks!
Beet Sticks
Cut up sticks of beets and draw! Dip the beet sticks in water to get the color to flow more.
Piper Cleaner
Pipe cleaners make terrific marks and textures!
Shoe Polish
Shoe polish feels painterly and slick. Gesso your surface to create a juicier, more luscious mark.
Feather
The soft edges of a feather create a smooth, fluid stroke with paint!
Plastic forks
Plastic forks create a beautiful set of marks that cover paper quickly, play with the speed of your marks! Works well with liquid inks and acrylic paint.
Toothbrush
An old toothbrush makes great textures for painting!
Twigs
The uneven tip of a twig produces a broad range of marks. Dip into any liquid ink to draw.
Comb
Dip a comb in paint and you’ll create lovely patterns that you can layer over each other!
Natural Charcoal
If you have a fireplace, you’ve got natural charcoal in it. Natural charcoal is more crumbly than manufactured charcoal, and is like vine charcoal.
Easy Homemade Paint Recipes
DIY Finger Paints from Red Ted Art, or these taste-safe finger paints from Fireflies and Mudpies
Glitter Paint from Simple Fun for Kids
Bubble Painting recipe (part of my 7 Ways to Play with Straws)
Homemade Crayons & Art Supplies
Homemade Glue from I Can Teach My Child
Homemade Play Doughs
We have a full collection of homemade play dough and play recipes, but here are a highlight of different play doughs from our site and around the web:
Art Supplies for Painting and Drawing – What Do I Need?
Ever wonder what exactly I use to create my artwork? Well I get that question a lot and so I’ve put together a comprehensive list of all the things I use and depend on to create my paintings.
About my supplies
The first thing you need to know is that my work space is continuously growing and evolving just as I do as an artist. These supplies are what I currently use and trust, but this does tend to change overtime. I’ll keep updating this list as I discover new supplies that I can vouch for. These links are affiliate links below.
Now, before going any further, one of the most common questions I get is about what lighting to paint under. You can have the best supplies, but if your lighting isn’t adequate, then it can make it extremely difficult to create quality artwork. So here is my recommendations for lighting set ups:
Professional lighting setups I recommend for artists:
Used with 48in Shop light fixture
My compact setup I use on the go:
The Supplies
Updated on: 07/21/2022
Jump to category:
My acrylic paints:
When it comes to acrylics, I personally don’t use them anymore, but that has nothing negative to do with this medium. I love acrylics and the possibilities with them. Some of my favorite artists continue to produce amazing work with them. So I’ve moved on to oils because of my curiosity for them and the love of the challenge, but here’s what I recommend for acrylics.
For one, these are professional or “artist” grade paints. I do not recommend any lesser quality paints. Quality is a must. Second, I use both fluids and soft body paints. Fluids are great for fine lines and detail work. They are also good for glazing as the thinner consistency allows them to be washed over large areas with ease. The soft body paints are great for blocking in as they cover very well. They can also be better for blending in some circumstances.
GOLDEN FLUID ACRYLICS:
Must haves –
LIQUITEX SOFT BODY ACRYLICS:
Must haves –
Primary cyan in golden is just phthalo blue (green shade) with a bit of white
Acrylic Mediums:
What Oil Paints I Use:
When it comes to oil paints I stick to one brand to remain consistent in my work. I have been using Gamblin brand oils for a long time, however I have recently switched to Michael Harding Oil Paints.
I must say, I believe I have a better range of possibilities when using the MH Paints over Gamblin. I also enjoy the creamier feel out of the tube and coverage I get with the MH Paints.
Below is a list of what Michael Harding Paints I use now as well as the list of Gamblin paints that I used. I still recommend Gamblin, but I do prefer the Michael Harding now.
Colors I use include: Phthalo Blue Lake, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Teal Blue Shade, Phthalo Green Yellow Shade, Bright Green Lake, Cad Yellow Lemon, Cad Yellow, Cad Yellow Deep, Indian Yellow, Cad Orange, Cad Reg, Transparent Red Oxide, Magenta, Crimson White, Titanium White 1. I also use Burnt Sienna for my sketch underpainting.
GAMBLIN ARTIST’S OILS:
Must haves –
I also really like Chromatic Black. This is a black mixed perfectly by using complimentary colors and no carbon. Works great for mixing or glazing on deep shadows.
Other favorites I use often –
Oil Mediums:
I use an alkyd-based medium which dries fairly quick in terms of oil paints. quickly. I used to use Galkyd and Liquin Original listed below, but mainly use a little bit of Liquin Impasto now and a touch of walnut oil if I need it.
I do not use larger than a 4oz bottle as larger bottles tend to harden up inside before it’s all used up.
The other brand of this medium is by Windsor & Newton.
I clean by brushes with Gamblin’s Gamsol odorless paint thinner.
Brushes:
**All brush links are correct, however some images on the actual product pages may differ. Check the product type below the image/description**
When it comes to my brushes, I’m not too picky. I find that I tent to wear out expensive brushes just as quickly as inexpensive brushes with the techniques that I use. I’m very hard on brushes. So this list is what I prefer based on low cost and great performance. You don’t need all of the kinds of brushes in each category, but a couple in each is certainly helpful.
Oil vs Acrylic? Actually, I use the same brushes for both types of paint. Just make sure that the brushes are thoroughly clean and dried prior to switching from one to the other.
Blender Brushes – these are the blender brushes I use and refer to often.
Detail Brushes – These are brushes I use for fine detail like fur, eye reflections, and finishing touches.
Filbert Brushes – These brushes I use for blocking in small to medium size areas as well as moderate detail work. They create beautiful soft blends or crisp edges.
Flat/Bright Brushes – These brushes I use to cover larger areas quickly and for blending larger objects such as clouds.
Fan Brushes – I don’t use fan brushes often, but when I do, I like this one
Sponges – I use these often for adding texture to rocks or similar objects.
Canvas/Panels:
When it comes to the surface I paint on, I like texture. I painted for years on gessobord/MSD panels and eventually moved away from them as I found them too smooth. I like the paint to be pulled off my brush easily and be able to work more efficiently which a bit of canvas texture can do wonders for.
Stretched Canvas – When I paint on anything typically smaller than 18×24″, I prefer stretched canvas with 1.5″ stretching bars.
Best Affordable choices:
These are fantastic canvases if you’re on a budget! I’ve used and liked both often throughout the years.
Highest Quality:
If quality and longevity matters to you, or if you plan on painting something large, then these high-end canvases fit the bill. The best part? They won’t break the bank!
Rolled Canvas – This canvas I use to make my canvas panels. I cut and mount the rolled canvas to a hardboard panel.
How to mount – I use a PH neutral glue and glue it to a piece of hardboard.
I will be posting a video on the steps I take to mount the canvas to board. In short, I thin the glue down with water, spread it out evenly to the board, place cut canvas on top, and smooth it out with a flat edge. To dry I place it on a flat board with another flat board on top with weight added to sandwich it until dry. To finish, I fold the edges around to the back and glue them down.
Gesso – The gesso I prefer to use when applying extra coats which I normally do to my store bought canvas.
If you want to know how I apply my gesso to my canvases then checkout my how to video here: youtu.be/_9lrRyr_zW8
Sprays/Sealants:
I spray my acrylic paintings with Krylon Crystal Clear spray prior to painting over the top with oils.
I spray my drawings with Krylon Workable Fixatif. This works also for sealing my initial drawings on canvas prior to painting over the top.
Plein Air Equipment:
My favorite plein air boxes are the Guerilla Painter boxes –
6×8″ Box
8×10″ Box (what I use)
9×12″ Box
Other Tools/Equipment:
The Easel I use –
Another I would recommend –
I use a palette knife for mixing paint often and various little tasks I can find.
Mixed-media Drawings:
If you’ve been following my work, you know that I also love to do my mixed media drawings on paper. I use Prismacolor brush markers along with the Golden Fluid Acrylics listed above to create these works of art. Here are the supplies I use for those drawings.
Paper – I create these drawings on a heavyweight mixed media paper by Strathmore.
PRISMACOLOR MARKERS:
My favorite colors list –
Nuetral gray set
True Blue
Sky Blue Light
Cerulean Blue Light
Canary Yellow
Goldenrod
Sunburst Yellow
Poppy Red
Carmine Red
Cool Gray 10%
Cool Gray 30%
Warm Gray 10%
Warm Gray 20%
Warm Gray 30%
Light Umber 20%
Light Umber 30%
Mocha Light
Mocha Dark
Sienna Brown
Cinnamon Toast
Cream
Deco Pink
Burnt Ochre
