What art supplies have you bought recently?

[Marksmomagain]

Yes Hobby Lobby is not the greatest... but they do carry some of the better quality sheet papers and graphites, etc. For some reason, a couple years ago, they clearanced all their name brand pad papers (kept the good single sheet stock) and replaced everything w their store brand. They were hella bargains, 75% to 90% off, even the Arches blocks. I bought stacks of them, among other goodies...

I agree; overall, the artist quality of their stock is really fading. I have a Michaels, Hobby Lobby and a JoAnne all within a half mile of each other, and none are really very good. Just a few things here and there. I only swing through once a week to check the clearance racks. Of the three, the best clearance prices are always Hobby Lobby.

I have two very nice independent art stores near me. One is forty minutes, the other ninety ish minutes. I would love to have a Blick or Jerry's, etc. Closest Blick to me is Cleveland (3 hours) and then Columbus (5 hours). I went to both for the first time last summer.. that was a fun little road trip, but the weather was terribly hot...

 

[stlukesguild]

I had to pick up some materials for teaching online from the storage unit where most of my stuff is currently stored. While there I organized a few things and picked up some art materials so I can draw a bit in the hotel we are currently staying in. I found a box with my electric pencil sharpener and a bunch of the earth-tone color pencils (and some Conte) that I had bought back in July. I didn't find my pastels... but those would have been beyond messy under the current circumstances to say the least.

I also found some erasers and a few other drawing tools. On the way home I picked up a couple of sketchbooks, a few brushes, and some watercolors.

I suspect drawing again after 6 months... and on this small scale after working so large for so long... is going to feel quite awkward.

 

[P. Barrie]

Today I ordered two 40ml tubes of Rembrandt, Permanent Yellow Lemon (PY 184 Bismuth Yellow) from Jacksons. I’m looking for an opaque replacement for Cad Yellow Lemon, one that is not toxic.

FYI, For some reason Jacksons has the lowest price on Rembrandt oils and very reasonable shipping charges.

We had a local Hobby Lobby but they closed up. Only things I ever got there were on clearance as they do substantially mark down for clearance.
Our local Michaels is still open but I don’t bother with them any more as all I can find are low quality supplies or inflated prices for any decent brands.

 

[laika]

One dozen fresh eggs from local, free-roaming hens. Two of the eggs were the color of Verona Green Earth! (Store-bought eggs just never compare in terms of the strength of the yolk sac.) I'm sure I'll fry up some of them, but the rest will become paint

 

[AES]

One dozen fresh eggs from local, free-roaming hens. Two of the eggs were the color of Verona Green Earth!

Pictures please!

Now all I can think of is green eggs and ham lol. Or more accurately, a basil pesto omelette with bacon bits and feta mmmm...

 

[Hawkmoth]

Just used a gift voucher to order a set of Pro Arte Sablene (synthetic alternative to sable) watercolour brushes, and some Langton watercolour paper. I've never used either of these products before, so I will enjoy trying them out.

 

[Artyczar]

I loved Green Eggs and Ham as a kid and made a babysitter read it to me almost every single night.

I have only purchased some little plastic containers with tight locking tops in order to save mixed oil paint colors for when I need to take a few days off, so they don't totally dry out. So far, I haven't needed them. I got them because of things I learned on this site about putting water over the paint and sticking them in the freezer.

 

[laika]

Pictures please!

Now all I can think of is green eggs and ham lol. Or more accurately, a basil pesto omelette with bacon bits and feta mmmm...

Blurry pic (low light), but as requested, a picture of the green eggshell beside the green earth pigment

 

[ZenDruid]

From Hobby Lobby, a 5-pack of 16x20 stretched canvas supports. I'm cheap and these were cheaper than a 3-pack of 16x20 canvas boards. I've used the stretched canvas before, they can be tightened if necessary and I prime them pretty heavily. Of course they're not as bulletproof stiff as a canvas board, but that's not a practical criteria. I did buy some 9x12 canvas boards, I like their portability.
Also bought a 8.5x11 spiral sketch book, to go along with my four other sketchbooks that are barely started to be filled, but hey it's a new year. I liked it because the spiral binding lets me lay it flat.
We also have Michael's and a Staples within a mile radius of HL. Staples office supplies has a surprisingly good art supplies section - canvas, paper, brushes, pencils, oil and acrylics - Winsor & Newton which the other two don't carry. Happy New Year

 

[AES]

Blurry pic (low light), but as requested, a picture of the green eggshell beside the green earth pigment
View attachment 16604

it really is green! had no idea they came that color, out of a chicken at least. I'd be afraid to eat it lol.

 

[Marksmomagain]

AES We had Ameracauna chickens (among others), which lay green eggs. Totally safe to eat, although they were a little bit smaller.

 

[laika]

AES We had Ameracauna chickens (among others), which lay green eggs. Totally safe to eat, although they were a little bit smaller.

I will ask about the breed on my next visit, Marksmomagain. But yeah, the green ones are a little smaller than the other brown ones in the dozen.

it really is green! had no idea they came that color, out of a chicken at least.

Who knew? Yeah, they're a very even shade of green

 

[Enyaw]

Green eggs. That is just plain old weird. Must have crossed a robin and a hen.

 

[Mississippi Hippie]

Dollar store brushes...

 

[Artyczar]

That's a lot of smokes! I just quit recently (again!), after having not smoked in some time.

 

[Joy]

Yeah, I didn't want to comment on the butts , as I am quite the fitness enthusiast. At least they weren't part of the Dollar Store purchase! One can get a lot of really cheap items there. Our Dollar Tree even has small sketchbooks (for pencil drawings,etc.) for a buck.

I rarely buy supplies. When I started watercolor painting twenty years ago (then took a lot of breaks) I purchased a lot of paper and paint at a discount. Long story short, I came from nothing and appreciate a bargain. The Artists' Magazine would have offers where one could send in a small payment and get a sample set of paints, so I have many, many tubes. I really don't want to be a "collector" of supplies, ordering things I rarely use. Although several months ago I got a few better brushes.

The first photo is some items I just got from Dick Blick yesterday. So many are talking positively about the toned paper and Graphitint pencils I decided to try something different. The tracing paper I so rarely use I am still using the end of a pad from the 70s, when I was a teenager! The "new" stuff is so much more transparent. If I trace (although I know many do), I'll never learn to draw. For animal painting, many YouTube artists love a bit of DS Lamp Black, so I decided to try that to make free shipping instead of mixing my own black. Some wax resist sticks were on back order, and I have never used them before.

I always wanted to get a travel palette, even if I just take it on my patio, instead of dragging out all of my stuff. Doing my typical "analysis paralysis", I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of reviews. Couldn't decide between the two portables, and then Amazon had a combo set for just a few dollars more than then one, and only a few left in stock. Same with the travel brushes, so I snapped them up. Brushes are now out of stock. Palettes are absolutely ingenious; I hope the inventor is doing really well with them.

 

[Hawkmoth]

Yeah, I didn't want to comment on the butts , as I am quite the fitness enthusiast. At least they weren't part of the Dollar Store purchase! One can get a lot of really cheap items there. Our Dollar Tree even has small sketchbooks (for pencil drawings,etc.) for a buck.

I rarely buy supplies. When I started watercolor painting twenty years ago (then took a lot of breaks) I purchased a lot of paper and paint at a discount. Long story short, I came from nothing and appreciate a bargain. The Artists' Magazine would have offers where one could send in a small payment and get a sample set of paints, so I have many, many tubes. I really don't want to be a "collector" of supplies, ordering things I rarely use. Although several months ago I got a few better brushes.

The first photo is some items I just got from Dick Blick yesterday. So many are talking positively about the toned paper and Graphitint pencils I decided to try something different. The tracing paper I so rarely use I am still using the end of a pad from the 70s, when I was a teenager! The "new" stuff is so much more transparent. If I trace (although I know many do), I'll never learn to draw. For animal painting, many YouTube artists love a bit of DS Lamp Black, so I decided to try that to make free shipping instead of mixing my own black. Some wax resist sticks were on back order, and I have never used them before.

I always wanted to get a travel palette, even if I just take it on my patio, instead of dragging out all of my stuff. Doing my typical "analysis paralysis", I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of reviews. Couldn't decide between the two portables, and then Amazon had a combo set for just a few dollars more than then one, and only a few left in stock. Same with the travel brushes, so I snapped them up. Brushes are now out of stock. Palettes are absolutely ingenious; I hope the inventor is doing really well with them.

Stroke of luck for me that you happened to mention this - I was just about to ask on the wildlife forum about a black watercolour for painting animals. I don't own any black paint (always used pencils for wildlife until now) but I am finding I do need it for animals. I've used a black Inktense pencil this month, but it does not look right when the rest of the painting is all watercolours.

This is a really nice selection of purchases. I hope you get lots of use out of them. Be careful with the Graphitint (for drawings you might want to keep) - it's the least colourfast product I've ever used. The graphite stays put but the added colour disappears, so you are left with just shades of slightly off-grey. I only bought 3 pencils so the problem may not apply to all colours, but just thought I'd mention it.

 

[Artyczar]

I love that you are frugal with your supplies Joy. I hope getting good brushes were beneficial though. I find splurging on certain materials/tools make a huge difference. Is "DS" Daniel Smith? I didn't know. How's that Hahnemühle paper? It looks nice!

I got these free paper palette paints from this company that you might like. They didn't really work for me (they are watercolors). They are very portable and are supposed to be. I am not using them and can send them to you if you would like to try them. I'm not using them.

 

[Joy]

Claudia, Thanks for the caveat about the Graphitint. The artists using them on YouTube stated the same, but recently that was supposed to have improved with a more recent formula change. They are just an experiment for me, as I rarely have anything I want o keep, and am have enough to learn with the watercolors. The only reason I got the 12 set is that it was only 2 USD more than the set of six. So, 17 vs 19 USD. Rachel Parker Varner discusses lamp black here. It is an older video, but she is always banging on about it recently. Although it is verboten to many artists, it has its place in animal painting. I just wouldn't mix it with bright hues to tone them down, as a complement would be best for that.

Ayin, The "better" brushes I got were not really costly, and they have better points and control. As usual, I did a lot of research on this. Of course, there is a lot of individual preference involved. I have heard of that paper palette company.

Thanks ever so much for the kind offer, but they aren't something I would need in addition to what I already bought. Some of the supplies I was not using (like oil pastels, acrylics that I won in some raffle, etc.) I donated to our local arts center. They are glad to get anything. Interesting, they also wanted the sample wall paints to test colors that you get at Home Depot, etc. I had quite a few of them collecting dust and was told students use them for poster/mural painting. I really hate discarding things or having them go to waste, so that worked out well.

 

[Marc]

Just had two metres of fine weave medium weight Belgian linen posted to me. Over 3.2 metres wide! They would have killed for linen that width back in the old master days.
It was a bit of a problem because their courier would take anything longer than 1.5 metres. So I requested it be folded and rolled along the width. as the 3.2 would still be too long even when halved.