Non-porous surfaces are your best bet for beginners using acrylic paint, but the rules generally stop there. You can choose paper specially designed for use with acrylics, canvas or wood. Do consider that your surface shouldn’t break the bank – it’s your first go after all.
8 Essential Art Supplies Every New Painter Needs
So you’ve decided to take up painting. Good for you! Painting is an amazing relaxation exercise that serves as a great creative output. Accessible and interesting, you can simply pick up a brush for 30 minutes, or while away several hours if you have the time.
Painting comes with it a wealth of benefits, from increased creativity and memory to improved communication skills, problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence. Painting enhances the senses, gives you greater mobility, reduces stress, and makes you become more aware of the little details in life.
In other words, you’ve done the right thing by deciding you want to start painting. Now… where to begin?
At Discount Art N Craft Warehouse, we know that every painting journey starts with the right equipment. So what essential materials should you have in your toolkit when you get started? Let’s take a look at the art supplies you need.
Item #1: Paint (of course!)
For starting out, we recommend acrylic paint, one of the easiest paints to work with. To start painting, you really just need a warm and cool version of each primary colour (red, yellow and blue) plus a few others that strike your fancy. Refrain from buying them all – you can add to your palette when necessary. Consider colours like:
- White
- Cool yellow
- Warm yellow
- Cool red
- Warm red
- Cool blue
- Warm blue
- Black
If this all seems too hard and you’re not too sure about picking your own colours, consider a beginner’s set, which should contain all the colours you need to create your first ever masterpiece.
Item #2: Brushes
The best paint brushes to start with are natural bristle brushes, namely hog brushes, hogs’ hair brushes, and bristle brushes. Bristles should be long and should have a bit of spring. Your brush should hold a good lot of paint, have a good strong handle (longer is better) and should retain its edge and shape after repeated use. Quality is key here – cheap brushes rarely retain their shape and can splay after use.
Synthetic brushes are fine when working with acrylics, so long as they are quality. In fact, synthetics tend to be softer, making them good for glazing and subtle blending. Just bear in mind that you won’t be concentrating on this when you first start out.
Now, the thing about a good brush is that there’s more to think about than simply what it’s made of. There’s also shape and size.
For acrylics, there are 8 main shapes of paint brushes, each suited to different techniques. As this can be confusing, try to break them into two groups: flat or regular and round or pointed.
Flat and regular brushes have a square, flexible end and hold a lot of paint. When used flat, they make long strokes and are good for blending and painting in large areas. Tips and sides can be used to create delicate lines and touches.
Your round and pointed brushes have a large belly that tapers to a fine point. They are great for creating bold strokes that cover large areas, however, can also render fine lines and details.
In terms of size, start off with mid-size brushes (size 6-8) and then branch out according to the needs of your painting style and budget. If you want to, you can pick up a house paint brush, which will be good for preparing your surface with gesso.
Art Supplies for Beginners
These are amazing, easy and a mess free way to paint. Although not an alternative for regular ole painting with a brush, we love the flexibility these paint sticks offer with vibrant, bold marks.
Faber-Castell makes a high quality oil pastel for an easy entry price of around $5 at our local toy store. You can also find this set on Amazon if not locally. Crayola’s neon oil pastels also make a long lasting set.
Watercolor paint
A good set of pan watercolors can last quite a long time. These appropriate for pre-k on up. If you’re looking for a toddler, we recommend starting with liquid watercolors, which are more age appropriate.
I like Pacon paper, but Melissa & Doug have a great roll + paper holder option available. If you have an IKEA nearby, we use their budget paper roll quite often. (You can also purchase a paper holder to pair together.) Roll it out big on the floor, hang a big piece of paper on the back of a door. Or spread out on your table.
Plastilina Clay
Modeling clay is one of my kids’ top favorite art supplies. It’s pretty cheap, neverdries out and can be used for SO many sculpting projects. I truly can’t imagine art life without it! (Appropriate for ages 3+.) All the above art supplies are long lasting and versatile––giving you the flexibility to set up a myriad of art activities with them. Along with these, you likely have lots of recycled materials around your own home such as cardboard boxes, cereal boxes and brown packing paper that can be used as canvases for your kids art. How about you? What would add to the short list of art supplies kids can’t live without? Be sure to visit The Artful Parent’s Amazon shop for the best art supplies for beginners and creative gifts for kids! MORE Art Supplies for Beginners
- The Best Art Supplies for 2023
- The Best Paints for Kids
- The Best Tools & Art Supplies for Kids
- How to Talk to Kids About Their Art
- 6 Art Room Ideas for Kids
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Acrylic Painting Beginner – what you need – checklist
-Bare Bones-
Paints
Brushes
Surface to paint on
Pallette to mix on
Water container
Rags or paper towel
Carryall for your kit
-Optional Extras-
Pallette-knife
Apron – keep clean
Portfolio – carry work
Seat – Be comfortable
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