Best Art Supplies Online for Beginners

If you’ve decided to get creative, then it is essential to know what kind of art supplies you might need to begin. At first, it is not necessary to purchase too much because you will see as you progress what is best or what you might want to add or change. There are many different sites to choose from when you are looking to buy art supplies online.

1. Sketchbook

The first thing is a sketchbook for your drawings. It should be the first thing you consider purchasing whether you’ll be drawing on your own or taking a class. A sketchbook is great for practising drawing different shapes, composition, shading, and other drawing techniques.

2. Graphite pencils

Next, you have to have something to create your drawings with, and you should choose some graphite pencils. You can purchase the graphite pencils separately or in sets. Sets are what beginners mostly look for because they include an assortment of pencil types used for both drawing and shading, The basic graphite pencil set includes six pencils a 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, and a 6B. The numbers refer to the hardness of the graphite. The softer pencils that make darker lines are with a B and the harder pencils making lighter lines are with an H.

3. Kneaded eraser

You’ll need a kneaded eraser that will remove unwanted pencil marks. This is a special kind of eraser that does not damage the paper or leave any streaks behind. It can be moulded into different shapes and used for erasing larger or smaller areas.

4. Pencil sharpener

You’ll want to keep the tips of your pencils in working order, so you need a pencil sharpener. Sharpeners which are hand-held metal ones are easy to use. They also let you see the tip of the pencil as you are sharpening it. This is a useful feature so that you do not continually keep breaking the pencil tip.

If you are going to do sketching, you should purchase an 8 mm single standard pencil size sharpener or a double sharpener with 8 mm and 10.5 mm holes to accommodate thicker pencils. Always remember that when the sharpener does not sharpen, replace the blade.

5. Ruler

Another necessary tool for drawing is a ruler, so you can quickly draw horizontal lines or any structure that requires straight lines. Choose a 12 or 18″ ruler with stainless steel or anodized aluminium. These kinds of rulers are best to keep clean.

6. Acrylic or watercolour paints

The two types of paints that are the best choices are either acrylic or watercolours when learning to paint. They are both water-based paints so you won’t need any paint thinner, Clean up is also simple, With these kinds of paints you can learn painting skills by taking classes, from books, or online videos.

Choosing watercolour paints, you should look for a transparent watercolour pan set that comes with eight or twelve colours.  The three types of watercolour paints are transparent, semi-opaque, and opaque.

If you have decided on using acrylic paints, you should purchase a set of heavy body acrylics that come in tubes. The heavy body paint shows brush strokes, but you can thin it with water, so the appearance is smoother. In the beginning, you can purchase a set with at least six colours – red, yellow, green, blue, black, and white. If you want to buy acrylic paint individually in tubes, ask the professional art dealer for suggestions.

7. Brushes

Finally, you’ll need brushes to get your painting on paper. There are many different types of brushes to choose from natural or synthetic, with short or long handles and various sizes. The best idea is to purchase a beginner brush set for either watercolours or acrylic paint. This will give you an assortment of brushes to practice different techniques.

Get good quality art supplies that are worth every penny from MES Arts and Crafts.