Not All Pencils are Created Equal!

If you like the samples I make for my blog, Pinterest, and product photos, here are some of my favorite art supplies.

First I print on cardstock.  It's smoother than regular copy paper and seems to work really well for texture rubbings.  It also stays flatter for photographing. 

When I work on blank paper, especially for painting, I prefer 90lb drawing paper. It's amazing how much better it is than 70lb paper!

Colored Crayola Markers are nice for outlining and also when you want the color to bleed.

Woodless Colored Pencils (Crayola has some as well that I haven't tried) are great for texture rubbings.

Prismacolor Colored Pencils are my favorite but are expensive ... but SO smooth for blending colors.

When I was teaching, I spent a big part of my budget on Lyra colored pencils.  I loved them because they were so thick and didn't need to be sharpened as often.

It's best to have students use a hand sharpener for colored pencils. I put a sharpener in a small dish at each table.  

For watercolor painting, I like Prang best.  I took the strip of paint out of the box which made it dry faster and also made it easier to refill by popping out the oval of paint.

Another favorite for painting is Alphacolor Biggie cakes.  The colors are intense and prepping is so much easier.  To clean off the paints, let them dry first, then quickly rinse under the faucet.



This post contains some (not all) affiliate links that don't cost you a dime but give me a small amount ... hey, a girl has to buy art supplies, right?!  The only products I recommend are those I use and find helpful.