Tools

A big lesson I’ve learned this year was the supplies you use do matter. Before taking Painting II, I bought the cheapest paint and the best deal I could find on Amazon. I was trying to save money and get through with what I had. My professor took a look at my supplies and said I needed to find premium paints. The brushes I used were too small in length, and the paint I was using holds me back. At first, I was discouraged and upset but took her words wisely and went to my local A.C Moore store. I picked up Galleria paints and brush sets to try out along with a few canvases. Once I tried out the colors, my world was changed! I could see a massive difference between the paints I was using then the premium paints I bought made my artwork glow in colors. My professor always recommends carrying a sketchbook around wherever we go. She wants us to draw and paint from observation and break out of drawing from photos. Photo reference can be helpful when you aren’t near the object, but you can’t entirely depend on it without your painting looking flat. Plexiglass makes top pallets! They’re cheap, and you can paint over and over them. Wood boards and regular pallet work as well, but plexiglass is easy to clean. You can flip them over and see all the exciting colors on the back. Baby food jars. Yes, you read that correctly! If you finished painting and you have untouched paint on your pallet Baby food jars store your makeup and keep it fresh. It saves paint and money! They’re small and easy to carry around, and you can also store more than one color in them. Reuse a plastic jug. Really! It is environmentally friendly, and it better than using a red solo cup. They last for a long time and hold a lot of water, so you’re not continually making trips back and forth to the sink.