What art supplies have you bought recently?

[Bongo]

I bought a new Mabef M23 backpack easel -- even though I already had one You only live twice.

My old one is over 30 years old (I bought it used) still works perfectly. The new one amazingly in 2023 still built to the same high quality and specifications. They've made a few improvements, but is otherwise a carbon copy of the older one.

In action:

 

[Artyczar]

You only live twice.

Good for you!

I still haven't pulled the trigger on buying my "massive" Santa Fe easel because the award money I've been expecting has been delayed. So much for counting chickens and all that. I've all but literally spent the entire check already on the easel, a few other art supplies, and tuning up my old jalopy (fixing the car was the first priority, of course). The easel is actually dependent on how much the car is going to cost. There's a fancy new table involved too, which I can give up instead of the easel if the car costs too much.

But that's neither here nor there if I never get the check! It's already been delayed for months! What a tease. But it wasn't money I'd ever be expecting in the first place, so I can't complain. ...yet, here I am.

 

[Terri]

I bought a new Mabef M23 backpack easel -- even though I already had one You only live twice.

View attachment 34826
My old one is over 30 years old (I bought it used) still works perfectly. The new one amazingly in 2023 still built to the same high quality and specifications. They've made a few improvements, but is otherwise a carbon copy of the older one.

In action:
View attachment 34827

Looks good, Bongo. I'd like to have some kind of lightweight stand-alone easel myself. My precious little kitty has taken to jumping up on the drafting table whenever she spies me at it, and flopping everywhere while my tabletop easel is up. I've had to pick out a LOT of cat hair, and that's after wiping clean before I even get going!

A lightweight setup like this looks great.

 

[Bongo]

Looks good, Bongo. I'd like to have some kind of lightweight stand-alone easel myself. My precious little kitty has taken to jumping up on the drafting table whenever she spies me at it, and flopping everywhere while my tabletop easel is up. I've had to pick out a LOT of cat hair, and that's after wiping clean before I even get going!

A lightweight setup like this looks great.

A lot of people use French Easels as their studio easel. They like the structural look, and they are practical. But, there are other alternatives that might be better suited for you. For example a convertible easel. https://www.jerrysartarama.com/da-vinci-multimedia-easel. I used one for years. Folds up out of the way when you need space.

 

[Bongo]

But that's neither here nor there if I never get the check! It's already been delayed for months! What a tease. But it wasn't money I'd ever be expecting in the first place, so I can't complain. ...yet, here I am.

 

[Terri]

A lot of people use French Easels as their studio easel. They like the structural look, and they are practical. But, there are other alternatives that might be better suited for you. For example a convertible easel. https://www.jerrysartarama.com/da-vinci-multimedia-easel. I used one for years. Folds up out of the way when you need space.

Thank you for this suggestion! I love my tabletop one, but definitely could use something the kitty can't jump onto. This one looks really nice. Thanks!

 

[Artyczar]

A lot of people use French Easels as their studio easel. They like the structural look, and they are practical. But, there are other alternatives that might be better suited for you. For example a convertible easel. https://www.jerrysartarama.com/da-vinci-multimedia-easel. I used one for years. Folds up out of the way when you need space.

I had this very same one for a while, Terri, and it was nice. Plus, your kitty can lay on the little shelf below while you're working!

 

[Terri]

I had this very same one for a while, Terri, and it was nice. Plus, your kitty can lay on the little shelf below while you're working!

Great idea, Ayin, but she's never happy unless she knows her tail can flick things right off the table. I think it's her goal.

Kidding aside, I'm glad to know you can also vouch for this one!

 

[Artyczar]

Cat's goals...so mysterious and ludicrous at the same time.

 

[Bongo]

From Dick Blick:

I'm hooked on paper palettes. I have an 18"x175ft roll of freezer paper that I've been cutting palettes out of - but it's a hassle. I use 12"x16" palettes for Studio, Plein Air, and acrylic. So I bought a pad for oil, and a pad for acrylic.

The Utrecht 209 series Chungking brush has been highly recommended. So I bought one brush to see for myself. It's fantastic, holds a ton of paint, makes a "natural" looking mark. I will be buying more.

I use W&N underpainting white exclusively now instead of Titanium white. Super fast drying, behaves better in mixes No more Titanium white.

I've found Ultramarine Violet mixed with Chromatic Black works great for city asphalt streets.

Perylene Black - which has green undertones is my go-to for those "black glass" windows and structures you see in the city.

Gamvar satin - for someday when I get around to varnishing my paintings.

And a black polychrome pencil and Phtalo Blue GS to restock my supply

 

[Marc]

150ml tube of cobalt blue. Think it might be the largest colour tube I've ever bought. Plenty of whites this size and vaguely double size colour tubes. Doesn't look that large for all that.

 

[Bongo]

that is one expensive tube of paint, no? Might want to keep it in a safety deposit box.

 

[Marc]

One of my life's lessons, though this might well only apply to myself, is if you're afraid to use something, make sure you have a surfeit of it. This removes my fear of holding it too precious. A vinyl record I love so much I'm afraid of scratching it or wearing it out. Just buy another copy. A favourite pair of shoes? Buy two pairs. A highly desired colour, two tubes, or in this case a much larger one. It helps if you're over discerning though. This colour and not that, that, that or that one. If one was tending towards cosmophilia it could lead to an overcrowding madness.

 

[Artyczar]

Bongo, I also use W&N underpainting white, but I use it for underpainting. Ha ha. Usually, I use it when I am scratching the overpaint and want the underpaint to show through. It's perfect for that. It does dry very fast, and if you mix it with another color, it makes that color dry quickly too. Hope you have fun with it. It smells crazy toxic, so be careful.

 

[stlukesguild]

Well... I haven't bought any new art materials lately... but I know what I need to buy. When I began my most recent big painting I used a projector to rapidly transfer the reference sketches to the large scale. At that time, I purchased a new digital projector because I could not find the power cable for my old projector thanks to having recently moved. Now I find... believe it or not... I can't find the power cord for this new projector. I'm going to first see if I can find a power cord using the same coupling... but if not... I'll be buying yet another one. Crap!

 

[Bongo]

Saint - do you need a power cord -- or a power supply? A lot of those projectors have a transformer at the end of the cord. If it's just a cord you need - that should be easy to find.

 

[Marksmomagain]

I found some great deals lately at an art store clearance, a private sale and a couple thrift stores:

Lots of Ampersand Panels-
Twelve 8"x8" Gessobords flat for $1.50ea.
Eight 16"x20" Aquabords 7/8" cradled for $10ea.
Three 12"x24" Claybords 3/4" cradled for $10ea.
Four 4oz jars of Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground barely used for $3ea. Two buff, one pearl white and one black.
A New Wave Ugo tripod new, but w/ no box or bag for $80.
A New Wave Ugo 11"x14.5" pochade box w two side trays for $85.
Six 20"×30"×1/2" foam core boards for $2.50ea.
A fairly newer pair of Cabelas Gore-tex winter pants for cold weather plein aire for $18.
A Fiskars rotary cutter and five spare blades for $10.
A Pampered Chef stoneware crock to use for holding paint brushes for $3.

 

[Bongo]

Nice haul.
SCORE - on the Ugo pochade box fantastic deal..

 

[Artyczar]

WOW!!! You cleaned house!

 

[Marksmomagain]

Thank you... I saw them sitting there and was very lucky to be able to get them. Awhile back, I had also acquired the little 6x8 Ugo for $25 and I love that one (so stinking cute, too lol). I have a few other pochades, and they all get used.