What art supplies have you bought recently?

[Aspenman]

I just purchased 12 gallery wrapped canvas. 12x16 & several tubes of So Ho acrylic paint

 

[snoball]

I got a small wood lathe for xmas and a couple 24 x 36 canvas'.

But you're famous for tiny paintings, what are you going to do with 24 X 36 canvases? And welcome to the forum!

 

[ZenDruid]

A two-pack of Pentel Twist-Erase III Mechanical Pencils, 0.5mm, No.2. made in Japan. At Staples, about $13USD. Hardly worth mentioning, except the erasers on these are really, really, really good. So good that the 2-pack comes with two extra replaceable erasers. Those could be used independently of the pencil body. I'm using smooth paper and I can remove my messes with almost no trace. I've got four more different erasers, you all know them, but the Pentel is now my go-to. The lead is also good, a suitably rich graphite black.

Previously I had been using a Zebra Z-Grip, same type, and it was fine until the lead tip-guide fell out of the barrel onto a pile rug. Seems that's a chronic problem for the Z. Amazingly I found it, after I bought the Pentels. Reset it with a dab of glue, works fine, but now I like the Pentel better.

 

[Jaka]

But you're famous for tiny paintings, what are you going to do with 24 X 36 canvases? And welcome to the forum!

It's gonna feel like I'm painting a boat sail! It's nice to see some familiar names again and I hope the website grows.

 

[laika]

I found a 9x12 1/2 inch clipboard with a very smooth top surface and a hellaciously good clip at a thrift store Saturday. Also, a daylight developing tank for photo film - a complete set in its original box with instructions. (Basically a Jobo knock-off if any film photographer sees this.) I got out for slightly less than 4USD, very pleased with my new/old purchases

 

[classic]

I bought recently a set of cheap painting knives and some canvas panels, 18x24 cm and 24x30 cm.
I'm looking for paper for acrylics and for oils. This will take a smaller place than canvas panels or boards. I'm just beginner with acrylics.

 

[Aspenman]

I bought recently a set of cheap painting knives and some canvas panels, 18x24 cm and 24x30 cm.
I'm looking for paper for acrylics and for oils. This will take a smaller place than canvas panels or boards. I'm just beginner with acrylics.

Classic - I have been painting on paper with acrylic paint for at least 7 years - I use Strathmore 400. It is 246lb paper with a Linen Texture. I do not use a lot of water in my acrylic paintings - I mostly paint in a dry brush technique. With my style, there is very little buckle to the paper. I get mine from Jerrysartarama.com--- it comes in pads of various sizes - I get the 18x24 size, 10 sheets to a pad, in this way I can cut them into different sizes, depending on my needs. As I say, I've been using this paper for the past 7 years and have never had a problem. Both sides are gessoed and ready for paint. Only one side has the linen Texture. Hoping this helps you.

Aspenman

 

[classic]

Hoping this helps you.

Thank you very much

 

[laika]

I wasn't looking for art supplies, but while killing time as my sister shopped elsewhere, I came across a 4USD "Calligraphy Set" that consisted of four little fountain pens with very fine nibs and 20 cartridges of "ink" at the Five Below store. There doesn't seem to be any difference between the four tiny nibs, and the blue color that I tried was a nice dark blue that dissipated into near nothingness when gone over with a water brush. I intend to put a proper cartridge of black fountain pen ink in one tonight and see how it goes. The blue "ink" flowed from the pen smoothly enough on my sketchbook/journal multimedia paper, so, while far from what I would classify as a calligraphy pen, I think I have four short, thin-walled aluminum-barreled little oddities that I hope might last for a while with gentle use.

 

[classic]

a nice dark blue that dissipated into near nothingness when gone over with a water brush

I think these inks are made to be easily cleaned from children's clothes

 

[pcj]

I recently bought Derwent Tinted Charcoal pencils . I'd never
seen them before and was curious. I used them in this month's
animal and wildlife challenge . Has anyone else used them ?
Cheers,
Patricia

 

[laika]

I think these inks are made to be easily cleaned from children's clothes

Ahhh, thanks! That makes sense, but I imagine that the inks are fugitive, too, so I'll be sure to digitize if I draw anything worth keeping Great little drawing pen thus far.

 

[laika]

I scored at Thriftlandia again recently: the upper half of a lightly used stainless steel double-boiler (bain-marie?) for 2.99USD. It fits atop a pot that I already owned, and will make the process of making traditional hide glue gesso much smoother (my previous improvised double-boiler of three pots involved a pot that floated, which made stirring a challenge). I'll be coating 2 or 3 panels outside when the weather stabilizes.

 

[Sue]

I recently bought Derwent Tinted Charcoal pencils . I'd never
seen them before and was curious. I used them in this month's
animal and wildlife challenge . Has anyone else used them ?
Cheers,
Patricia

View attachment 19354


View attachment 19353

I've a set that I was given at Christmas but not really tried them out yet apart from a few rough sketches to look at the tints - loving your pooch done in them, very effective. What did you think of them after using them for this?

 

[E.J.H.]

I made a new art supply, does that count?
Made a small pan of water soluble graphite. Graphite is never really water-soluble, but in small particles it can be suspended in water, basically using it as pigment in watercolour. The stuff you can buy is rather expensive, not really worth it imo. But I had some woodless pencils laying around (basically graphite sticks), and a little bottle of gum Arabic. So I grinded down some of the graphite, mixed in about a teaspoon of gum Arabic, and a few drops of sugar syrup. The recipe also called for glycerol, but as I don´t have that on the shelve I skipped it. I tried to use it as it was still in paste form, and it was terrible. I thought I botched it, but put it in my "pan" (plastic bottle cap) anyway and let it dry.
Couple of days later I remembered it, and tried it again, works fine. The result looks excactly the same as in soluble graphite demo's.

 

[Triduana]

I made a new art supply, does that count?

It definitely counts!

Thanks for explaining your process too. Water soluble graphite is something I'd like to try. I still think graphite is my favourite medium, despite all the paint and ink pens that I own!

 

[Aspenman]

I just bought some SoHo canvas panels - I tried a couple out b4 buying and really liked them. I got a dozen 11x14 's - half dozen 12x16's. They have a special core which will not buckle or warp. I also got several large tubes of SoHo acrylic ( 250 ml ) paint.

 

[classic]

I recently bought two blocks of 'Winton' paper for oils and acrylics (Winsor & Newton) in clearance at a local shop. One of them is 355x255mm (14x10in), the other is 405x305mm (16x12in). The paper is acid free, canvas-like textured; not really heavy, 230 g/m2 (108lbs). I've seen newer acrylics papers to be 300 g/m2. However I hope it works, given that it comes from a rather good brand.

Furthermore, I bought a charcoal paper pad 35x50cm and a box of medium size charcoals. In the past I tried to sketch with charcoals on usual paper hot pressed or 'satiné' with no success, because the charcoal didn't stay well on the paper surface. This one has more tooth, so I hope it works better. I doubt it is acid free, nevertheless I think it is good to start with charcoal. My previous experience comes just from graphite.

 

[Marksmomagain]

Some things I recently aquired from thrift stores, an estate sale and the clearance rack:

Two rectangular white ceramic egg trays (6 wells and weigh over one pound apiece). $2ea.
One large orange Vlchek Art Bin in excellent condition (matches one I bought 30yrs ago). $8.
Two 16oz Golden Matte Medium both unopened $5ea.
Eight 138ml tubes of Liquitex Acrylics cadmium colors all unopened $5ea.
A very nice metal rack to store some of my art books on. $25.
A basically new child's easel (future Christmas present). $6.

More later... gotta feed critters....

 

[Marksmomagain]

From Hobby Lobby clearance:
Eighteen 22x30 sheets of Canson Aquarelle Heritage 140lb wc paper at $1.19 each.
Twelve 22x30 sheets of Canson Aquarelle Heritage 300lb wc paper at $2.84 each.
Fourteen sheets of 22x30 Bockingford wc 140lb wc paper for $.74 each.
Six sheets of 19x25 Canson Mi-Tientes paper $.52 each.