I want to give you an overview of a basic art kit. So these are some of my favorite products which I’ve been using for years and years and years.
Let’s start with the big things first, a cutting mat. Mine is from Utrechts, but it doesn’t really matter what brand it is. 12 x 18 inches is a pretty good size – It gives you a lot of room to work with and it’s still portable, for the artist on the go. What I like to do with my cutting mats, since I have like three or four now, is to reserve couple of them just for messy projects, like cutting really rough cardboard. But I keep one mat, just nice paper, where I want a really clean cut and I don’t want it getting stuck on hot glue or almost dry paint.
I recommend keeping one really clean cutting mat, for your really precise projects, and then a messier mat for all the other random stuff.
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Next up is a hair dryer. A hair dryer is great for drying glue and paint when you’re working on a project which needs to be done in the next five hours and you can’t just sit there waiting for paint to dry for an hour. So you just hit it with a hair dryer and things will dry so much faster…
Up next you need colored pencils and markers. First, colored pencils, my favorite brand is Prismacolor. They’re kind of expensive, so you might not want to get all the colors available, but start with a smaller assortment of say, 24. Prismacolor is the standard for colored pencils they’re so pigmented. Just keep expanding your collection.
And speaking of coloring utensils, Prismacolor markers are also the standard for art supplies. If you’re doing a lot of illustration work, these will be your best friends. Add to your collection as you can afford to.
Another important basic art tool is the ruler and I suggest you have two rulers to start out with. Get one metal ruler with a cork backing, 18 inches long. You might want a longer one, but this length serves me well for most things. When you need to do a really straight line with an X-Acto knife having a metal ruler can give you such a nice clean line. The cork backing keeps it from moving around all over the place.
Your other ruler should be a clear one with the grid in the inside, 12 inches long and two inches wide. You can get them in all kinds of different sizes, of course. These are really useful for measuring out precise right angles, and those times when you need to be able to see through to what you’re trying to measure.
Next up, you want a nice pair of scissors. I have a titanium pair made by Scotch. I also recommend you buy a larger cutting tool from a hardware store for cutting wire, thin dowels, and anything too heavy-duty that might ruin your scissors.
As I am on the subject of cutting… another basic art tool is the X-Acto knife. Actually, I recommend having two different knives. One should be a box cutter, like those used in warehouses. This is nice for cutting through cardboard or really thick museum board.
But then when you need a really precise cut, out comes an X-Acto knife. They come with different shaped blades that can be switched out. Stock up on your favorite or most useful styles. It is really frustrating when you have to complete something now, but you are stuck with a dull blade…
Now, let’s talk about awls. This is an awl, a-w-l, and it’s just like a really pointy tool that you can use to poke holes in things such as paper or cardboard, or if you’re making a book, you can poke the holes in it to thread the book together. I first used an awl to put another hole in a leather belt. Pro-tip, if you don’t want to poke yourself on an awl, grab an old wine cork and just stick it on the pointy end.
An interesting item to add to your basic art kit is a bone folder. This is a piece of plastic, about 5inches long like and shaped like a thick rounded tongue depressor with one pointy end. They used to be made out of bone, and you use it to sharpen creases or to fold like construction paper or whatever something along the edge. There are all kinds of uses for this guy and they are pretty cheap. Pick one up.
Now let’s talk about paint and, specifically, a paint mixer. This is a little metal tool with a handle which looks like a tiny trowel. And it is used to mix paints together to get a specific color on a palate or even the canvas. This is a very durable painting tool.
In terms of storing your paint, I have two solutions. One is a reusable porcelain dish which looks like a daisy with small sections, so you can mix a bunch of different colors at once. Then wash the dish to get it ready for the next time,
The other idea is still get a bunch of small round soft plastic bottle with lids about the size of pill boxes or larger – you can use each one for a specific mixed color that you going to use over and over on a project. With the lid on the paint will stay fresh and you won’t have to mix a new batch each time you are ready to paint. You can buy them at art supply stores. You can get them in all kinds of different size. I like little ones… you can just throw your paint in them, close it up and then it will be good to go, the next time you need to use that color.
Here are some items I think are pretty self-explanatory: Get a good glue gun with extra glue sticks. Scotch tape and double sided scotch tape are always useful. These are useful with collages and posters and wherever your imagination takes you. You can also get Artist’s Tape. It’s a white tape typically, although it comes in a bunch of different colors, and widths, too. Because it is a low adhesive tape, you can stick the paper that you’re drawing on to your drawing board with this tape. And then when you’re done, you can just take the tape off and it won’t rip your paper.
And I think this is a good place to stop. Of course there are paints and brushes and other items you will want to have, but these artist’s tools will come in handy no matter what kind of art you are producing now and into the future.
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