What art supplies have you bought recently?

[TK H-H]

Ah, I see we share the same issues with sketchbooks. Despite my original intention to use it for experimentation and a learning experience, self-imposed pressure to produce "something good" wins out every time.

What kind of books did you get? For watercolor, I got some cheap ones that were well rated, and the cellulose paper was a big mistake. All it did was frustrate me when I tried to work on it.

That's exactly how I feel. I get stuck feeling like it needs to be "perfect and presentable", even though there's zero intention of anyone else browsing it. I have so much trouble just loosening up and playing with ideas. I try to make them all finished artworks.

I just got some inexpensive sketchbooks from Michaels. The paper inside felt decent for sketching. It feels thick enough to maybe use my drawing pens without them bleeding through. Though I doubt it would take much wet media. But that's okay. I have other sketchbooks with much nicer papers that easily take washes if I ever want. They're mostly empty. Each one has maybe 5 works in it.

I thought having some inexpensive sketchbooks might help take the pressure off. When some drawings end up being a disaster, I won't feel like I wasted a good sheet of paper.

 

[Jade]

I got a mini zero eraser and white gelly roll pen this week.

My issue with sketchbooks is slightly different.. I treated myself to a d and s hahnemuhle one but haven't really liked the paper till now. Too soft for colour pencils and for graphite I'm discovering a pencil can't be too hard or too soft! But I'm doing a sketch in 2B atm that seems to work and is enjoyable!

 

[Artyczar]

I didn't mean to spend so much, but I needed oil paint colors and even some acrylic for some underpainting. I usually buy the 150ml tubes, but I couldn't this time because the colors were expensive, and I needed some cleaners, palette pads, new gum erasers, and special pencils. Now I need more artist's tape, but I'm waiting until I need more things before I order that.

 

[txomsy]

So.

I was frustrated last August when I visited Paris. I wanted to go to La Maison du Pastel, a must visit in the Marais, and maybe getting a set of pastels. They only open a couple of hours a week on Thursdays (14:00-18:00), and expend the rest of time hand crafting their pastels. But after waiting for Thursday, it so happened they were closed for Holidays the day I went. Anyway...

Fast forward to September, last Friday I was in Madrid and went to visit one of the traditional Art stores (Jeco --they also have a virtual shop) where I had found before Roman Szmal Aquarius starter sets (love them, have five full pans of vibrant primaries, red blue, yellow, a murky green great for vegetation and caput mortuum, great value for the money in my opinion), with the idea of grabbing two or three of them, but was to be frustrated too, seems they no longer carry the starter set. However...

On the way out they had these cute, limited edition, tin boxes of Conté Sketching Crayons for 4€. I've been looking for a similar box for a long time, so I jumped at the opportunity and grabbed a handful of them.

You can get a feeling for the size judging by the 1€ coin at its side. It fits easily in the palm of your hand or any pocket, is rather thin and being a tin box should be somewhat sturdy. The sketching crayons come well protected. The box is of a sliding kind, you push on one side and it comes out the other:

And as you see, when open, you find a rubber/foam sheet that protects the sticks, which are snugly fit into a protective foam:

As you can see, it comes with six assorted sticks, which I find great value for the price. Possibly getting a box with longer sticks might be better value, but I am always on the lookout for portable ways to carry supplies always with me, and these thin tin boxes are very handy, and less bulky than my current setup (a small pouch with five 5.6mm clutch pencils).

This is a view from the back: you can see how the two pieces slide and the rear label.

I haven't tried them yet, but these being Conté I don't expect them to let me down. I hope they will make a great pocket asset for every day carry. I wasn't aware of this limited edition until I saw it at the shop, but now I know, I see there seem to be several "limited editions" available out there (albeit ususally at a higher price).

These are the beauties (and wallet pains) of visiting physical shops.

BTW, I'll be going to Oslo in October. Anybody knows of any Art supplies shop worth visiting there? Although, considering the painful status of my finances, maybe I shouldn't...

Anyway, I thought I'd give a heads up in case anyone else might be interested.

 

[Nerys]

Spanish art supplies shop ships worldwide https://artemiranda.es site is also in english.

Very long ago travel several times to Norway but never see a art supplies shop. I did find a crafts hobby shop after much searching.
Same story for Denmark and Sweden. They must exist. Youtube has @skora-theoldguy he is on youtube the old guy paints , he is danish painter perhaps ask in comments of his newest video for Norway shop.Scandinavia prices of everything are high.

 

[txomsy]

Thanks, Nerys, that shop pops up frequently when I search for online shops, but I confess I've never ordered from them (I prefer to see, touch and feel items personally), still it is good to have a reference for when local shops fail (as with RS set).

As for Denmark, I remember having found a few shops in Copenhagen. Actually, in -I think- Tutein & Koch, I bought several charcoals and chalks. Actually I think it was in Stroget street there was one with lots of Faber-Castell and Fabriano materials. Among others. I'm sorry for not being more specific, I'm old school, remember places in relation to other places, rarely addresses or names.

 

[Nerys]

I fully depend on online shopping. My daughter lives, studies in USA so via her she bring me some items from Dick Blick like colorpencils Prismacolors and american Amazon had the Kalour cp surprisingly good cp for low price.
I like Fabriano papers but a lot is out of stock at online shop Gerstaecker. Then the glue finally is available waited very long time. I am busy with the to buy list for fall season. Trying to decide between the japanese gouache colors of the normal colors sap green etc.
Very old school here too.

 

[E.J.H.]

I bought a glass dip pen.

 

[E.J.H.]

 

[txomsy]

That's a nice piece. Makes me want to use mine (haven't used it in years).

 

[Hermes2020]

Those glass pens are beautiful, but the tips look so delicate that I would be too afraid to use it if I owned one.