Unlock Your Creativity: Must-Have Art Supplies Every Aspiring Painter Should Have

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh. If you were ever told or felt that you couldn’t get into painting, remember this quote by one of the most famous and influential painters in the history of art, Vincent Van Gogh.

Nobody is born an artist. It’s completely normal that some of your first artistic outputs will be less than perfect. However, by continuing to paint and developing discipline, you can unlock your creative potentials. That said, for starters, all you need is the desire to paint and the right art supplies.

To support you on your creative journey, we‘ve curated a list of essential art supplies every aspiring painter should have. From including the right palette of paints to choosing the right brushes suitable for your painting technique, each tool can give you valuable insights into the world of art and shape the outcome of your creative work.

Choose High-Quality Oil Paints

By choosing high-quality oil paints you can add depth and richness to your artwork and intensify the life of your art. Oil paints offer diverse ways to immerse yourself in different painting techniques suitable for both beginners and experienced painters.

Professional grade oil paints feature intense colours, higher pigment load and smoother consistency. This means they are less prone to fading over time in comparison to some other types of paint.

Various brands on the market such as Gambin, Winsor & Newton, and Michael Harding manufacture high-quality oil paints in a wide spectrum of colours. Professional brands can be quite expensive, therefore it’s best to choose oil paint for sale when there are seasonal promotions during specific times of the year. This can be especially beneficial if you want to supply yourself with paints from diverse brands and experiment with unique pigments at more affordable prices.

For instance, you can choose to buy oil paint for sale from the renowned brand Winsor and Newton across many art stores Australia-wide. This brand is considered one of the oldest and most popular in the world of art. It produces oil paints with high-quality pigments with excellent lightfastness that allow both beginner and experienced artists to create long-lasting and vibrant art pieces with professionalism.

By having a diverse range of oil colours at your hand, you can immerse yourself in various oil painting techniques. For instance, you can try out scumbling which refers to an oil painting technique that has been used by many famous painters in the art world. To master this style you need to apply a thin or transparent layer of paint over a dry surface to create a smooth finish. You can use this unique technique to highlight a specific area and add a layer of depth to your artwork.

Invest in a Good Easel

To make painting easier for you, get a quality and sturdy easel that provides stable support for your artwork. To do so, pay attention to the types of medium you will be using, the size of the artwork you plan to create and your unique painting style. Different types of easels can accommodate a wide range of canvas sizes.

For instance, the H-frame easel design features a horizontal bar that resembles the latter H- which provides solid support for bigger canvases. Most of these designs are made from hardwood and metal which makes them durable and stable. They are mostly suitable for acrylic and oil paintings and have adjustable features that allow you to customise the height and angle of your canvas to ensure comfort and accommodate your painting style.

If you feel inspired to paint outdoors, you may opt for portable and compact designs that are lightweight and easy to carry. The tripod and tabletop easel are popular choices as these are mostly suitable for working on small-sized surfaces and fold easily for storage when not in use.

Select Brushes that Suit Your Painting Style

Choosing the right types of brushes plays a crucial role in perfecting your painting movements and achieving the right precision when working on an art piece. High-quality brushes are usually made from natural hair or synthetic fibres that can accommodate a wide range of paints, including watercolour, acrylic, oil, etc. Different painting techniques require the use of various types type of brushes.

For instance, round brushes feature a pointed tip which is ideal when painting detailed artwork that involves a high level of precision and controlled movements of the brushstrokes. Compared to them flat brushes feature long or short hair bristles which make them suitable for covering large surfaces quickly. These brushes can accommodate a large amount of paint and are mostly used in Impasto painting which involves applying thick layers of paint to create textured and expressive three-dimensional effects.

Include the Right Palette Knife

While not as precise as brushes, palette knives are commonly used art tools for applying thick layers of paint and creating unique types of paintings by creating sharp edges and textured details. There are various shapes and sizes of palette knives, such as straight, trowel-shaped, diamond-shaped, etc. To find the right palette knife consider your painting style, and the size of your artwork and invest in high-quality knives from reputable brands.

For instance, you can use a palette knife instead of traditional brushes to explore the Ala Prima painting technique. If you don’t want to spend hours on a single piece of artwork this technique allows you to finish your art in a single sitting.

The Ala Prima technique refers to the wet-on-wet approach which involves applying wet oil paint on an already wet surface to blend colours and make the necessary adjustments without waiting for some parts to dry. This unique oil technique was favoured by many renowned painters, such as Monet, and Van Gogh who applied this particular style in their paintings.