Julie's Favorite Art Supplies
Finally.. and all in one place. These are art supplies that I have purchased, used and loved.
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NEW GOLDEN COLORS: Grab the new fluids, Light Phthalo Blue, Light Magenta, Titan Mars Pale, Azo Gold.
ACRYLIC MEDIUMS
Secret sauce. Magic Juice. GLAZING LIQUID. Know this: NOT ALL GLAZING LIQUIDS ARE CREATED EQUALLY. This one is slow drying and I use it in EVERY painting I made. This is a JULIE MUST HAVE. Unlike the airbrush medium, the glazing liquid has a lower viscosity, so when you put it down or drop a few drops of it, it will not “run” unless you push it a long a little.
Designed to work with the OPEN paint line from Golden, this OPEN medium is great for further extending the working time of your paint. I like to spread it on the canvas as a base and then work paint on top of it. If you use this medium in conjunction with OPEN acrylic paint, the OPEN paint will give you even more working time than it does on its own. When used alone with traditional acrylic paint, you can get a boost of working time. I have not tested this with a stopwatch, but I feel that this medium stays workable longer than Acrylic Glazing liquid. I would not combine the two while painting.
I recently purchased this Airbrush Medium and I am in love! After only one experiment, my mind is spinning with possibilities I have not had before with my acrylics. Different than Glazing Medium, but I think I will use them both. The feel of Airbrush Medium under the brush is really really nice! This medium will flow a lot, like water. You will not be able to control the movement of it when you pour or place it.
A good texture medium to use that is archival, lightweight and STABLE is light molding paste. In this video here, I use this paste by Golden. The more dense and hard version of the paste in the same video is here. Use Light Molding paste to create an almost “airy” texture that is stable, or regular Molding Paste for a heavier, more solid texture. Crackle paste can be used to make a great “desert floor” look that you can float paint over. (Crackle paste works best in larger applications and DO NOT try to rush dry it. Follow the instructions on the tub.) Fiber paste is also fun…but if you rub it vigorously, sometimes the fibers come loose.. I would use this one if you are not planning on working too hard on top of it.
How to make acrylic skins: Shown Disposable palette sheets (Dick Blick), Golden Self Leveling Gel, and Barvotti scrapper tool. I’ve been buying these Fabriano cards for YEARS: The envelops shown in the video are linked here. The matching folded notes are linked here. To attach your skins as collage or as seals, I recommend a paste rather than a liquid. This Golden soft gel is great for attaching the skins.
Polymer Medium Gloss (Now called Gloss Medium) is great to extend your acrylic paint. You can create glazes and washes with it, you can pour it, but it does NOT dry slowly. I sometimes use this to add a gloss coat to little scrap paintings that I can pass out here and there. Matte Medium is the same consistency and provides the same purpose, only it dries matte. For a fun video description of the two, click here. I included a lot of info in the caption.
This Pastel Ground is GREAT for adding the texture you need to get pencils and crayon to really take hold on top of acrylic. I also use a little smear of it to help write my name on my art when I am finished. Can dry clear when applied thin- and it still creates tooth. Better than liquid gesso because it stays put (it’s a paste) AND you can build texture with it. Two products in one.
I have a popular reel (click here to see it) where I mention liquid glue and why I normally do not use it. I prefer a gel medium for adhesion because it stays put exactly where I put it and it can also be mixed with acrylic to create texture. This Golden Soft Gel is my most commonly used. You can cut out the gloss when you are done by applying varnish.. This matte gel is the same thing, but it will not dry 100% clear, so there is a limitation. I like to find multiple ways to use each of my supplies, so for me, regular gel is the most valuable. Soft gel has the consistency of yogurt. If you want to hold something other than paper, (like a metal object) OR of you want to create heavy peaks and have them hold, get this gel.
MARK MAKING
These artist crayons are water soluble. You’ve seen me use them a multitude of ways in my reels. They are densely pigmented and last a LONG time. Over the years I have collected every color. Do you obsess over getting something in every color, and would you love an amazing wooden storage box for these crayons? Click here for the mother of all sets. (You’re going to need fixative to work on TOP of these. See below.)
Check out these HUGE CHARCOAL blocks…they are really messy..but SUPER fun.
I love the look of a lipstick like consistency product on the TOP of my acrylic paintings.. Oil pastels take too long to cure and traditional oil sticks also take a long time..they are pricey too. Enter the Shiva Oil Sticks. These cure to a touchable hardness in a day or two depending on climate and how heavy you apply them..and I have not had any issues using acrylic varnish on top of them. I love these! If you see a smoothy mark in my paintings, I made it with these.
I have almost every color of these POSCA paint pens. This set is great if you like journaling or works on paper. This set is a little larger tip that also has gold and silver. There are some concerns with the red and orange colors in these pens and that they may fade quicker than the other colors. If you use these on art that will hang, be sure to use a UV protectant varnish.
When I finally reached maximum frustration, I stopped using pastels and pastel pencils to make marks in my paintings. The pastels frequently changed color or disappeared when I used fixative and varnish. Rather than purchase expensive varnish that was not fool-proof, I started using colored pencils in my paintings instead. I use these pencils and am very happy with the color selection.
PAINT
NEW! Golden updated their mixing set to include some new colors. These packaged colors are a great starting off point for mixing a LOAD of really great colors. If you are looking to learn in my “Expanding on Color” online workshop, and you need paint, this is great set.
Here are the paints I frequently reach for when printing or making texture. These OPEN paints dry slowly..like they take a really long time to dry offering the artist a lot more flexibility than with traditional acrylic paint. This set will yield a load of mixing opportunities.
I would file these under ink or paint because they are versatile. The High Flow line from Golden is the consistency of ink. It can be filled into paint markers, or used with a brush. So why do you want these? If you want liquid paint, but don’t want to obliterate the vibrancy and pigment load you get with adding a load of water, these are for you. You can mix the SAME colors you do with paint with these, so they can match perfectly. So the Airbrush medium can also give you a nice consistency, but these are even easier. This the color mixing set of High Flow here.
PENS FOR JOURNALING
Add glitter sparkle anywhere. I use these on envelopes all the time. No mess! Write slowly over the ink on your paper and these outline so great. No smell either.
These Le Pen pens make me VERY happy. I use them in my planner. SUPER fun and nostalgic.
The Micron pens are fade proof and waterproof. I use these to sign the backs of my paper originals including Card Club. This size tip is fine and precise.
VARNISH & FIXATIVE
Another most frequently asked question: Which varnish do you use? Get the sister product to remove the varnish if you make a mistake or want to re-work your art: My favorite varnish. The remover. Before you varnish, you will need to “fix” anything that is on your art that is unstable. I use this fixative. Here is a really great varnish brush.
BRUSHES AND TOOLS
Use a gel plate for creating awesome prints on deli-wrap paper (paper at the bottom of my list here). I have had my gel plate for years and it is still as good as the day I opened it. I have heard home made gel plates do not hold up. In my opinion. this is a great tool to have access to when you need it.
October 12, 2023: I am using this large, rounded spatula to spread texture medium around in this reel I created for Instagram. I am using size large, #2.
Catalyst Wedge tools are nice and allow your hand to feel more connected to the art because there is not a handle. I use them for hte same things as my silicone scrappers. This grey wedge is a great multipurpose tool and this green wedge creates great texture.
These paint brushes are inexpensive and HOLD UP for several uses with heavy. “aggressive” painting. LOL I am not a delicate painter and these hold up even after sitting in my water bucket for a long time. I have been using them for years. Here is a great set of brushes that will get you cutting around shapes, blending and fine details in one.
BRAYER: I have a reel featuring a technique I use to apply paint irregularly to canvas. This is the video, and this is the brayer I am using in that video.
I don’t have a link to the long handled brush in my 5/23/23 reel, but the short handled version can give you the same results and is included in this set of rounds.
From the squeegee test video- tap the product image to be taken to the amazon link for each tool:
These are the largest squeegee I could find. They are inexpensive, you get 2 in a pack. These are thicker than the tools pictured below. With more pressure, you can get a super thin scrape of paint. You can get a wide application of texture medium as well.
Above, my favorite tools. I have purchased a lot of these. They work beautifully and you can apply the paint super duper thin or turn the tool so that it is flatter to the art and get a thick paint application. I think the key to these is to wipe the paint off while it is wet- if you have to scrub, you’ll damage the tip of the blade.
These are the most expensive of tools, but they are thicker than the tools with the wooden handle. The shape of these make them great for a lot of different types of product application because you can use all sides.
I filmed a reel that was pretty popular with these needle tip paint bottles. I initially purchased these to apply touch up paint to my car. Some users comment that the tips get clogged.. You can try washing them out when you are done painting and plugging the hole with a small pin. I felt like they were inexpensive enough to try here and there for adding thin lines of paint to your art. If you’re looking for something to put in the bottles, this set of hi-flow acrylic is awesome because it coordinates perfectly with your paint colors AND you can mix the colors in a watercolor palette just like you would mix acrylics!
I purchased several paper trimmers when I was making cards and enjoying rubber stamping. When I bought THIS TRIMMER, I never bought another. It stayed sharp.. I use this to trim EVERYTHING from labels to Card Club, to my mini’s…everything. I bought it in 2009! (No maintenance, no replacement blades….seriously- this is the gold standard if you need to make a card or trim paper for mini’s.) The explosion in popularity of Card Club had me buying a heavier trimmer that handles about 4 yardstick sheets at a time. This is my heavy duty trimmer.
CANVAS AND WOOD PANELS AND PAPER
This unstretched canvas is a good price if you have space to hold a roll of it. If you want the ability to paint on unstretched VERY GOOD quality canvas, or like me, if you have a painting you want to store, then stretch new canvas on the stretcher bars you have, this is great. I credit this canvas to my creativity burst because it feels SOOOO good to paint on.
I purchased cheap and cheerful canvas panels off Amazon and they were terrible. Paint resisted on the surface and I found the product to be very inconsistent. I then switched to these panels sold by Blick and they are night and day. I am linking to the size you see most of my reel videos.
This is a very close canvas if you would like to buy it pre-stretched. I always paint on one or the other of these two canvases.I buy back stapled, gallery profile.
Each of these papers are nor only BEAUTIFUL, but they hold up to my layering process once coated with a later of good gesso. I use Golden Gesso.
For larger works, this is beautiful. (Try a couple sheets then buy the roll here.)
Now.. I also use canvas sheets..which are NOT the same as Canvas Paper. The sheets require a matte and frame in order to hang, just like paper, but they are actually sheets of canvas in a pad. If storage is an issue for you, this is a great product.
These wood panels are REALLY great. You will need small grit sand paper. Before painting, I give light layer of GAC 100. Once dry, add a layer of gesso and sand it. Repeat until you have 3 layers of gesso and you will have an OUTSTANDING surface to work on. (Sand in a well ventilated area.)
Load this sanding block with your favorite sandpaper and it is comfortable to hold. When I sand my wood panels, I use this sandpaper.
OTHER
Cello Bags that hold an A7 card. I use these to pack up some information I send with my original paintings.
🖼️ 🖼️ These acrylic frames are great for framing small works on paper. I’ve purchased these in 5x7, 3.5x5 (CARD CLUB) and even 2.5x3..they are very impressive! Here is the blog post I made regarding these frames.
This is the book I use to record all of my paint recipes as shown in my “Expanding on Color” online workshop.
I use this planner to plan out my social media content.
This is the water bucket I use in my studio, you may have seen it in my videos.
This is my easel! I purchased this solid oak (HEAVY) easel in 2011. If you are going to work on large paintings OR if you want to work flat AND standing…AND if you need this to fold up, I think it is great. This link will take you to the Dick Blick website where you can view more info.
Full Disclosure, I do not own this tripod. However, I use one like it and this has good reviews. I prefer the floor standing tripods because I can place them across the room from me and not have to worry about having something for it to sit on over there. I also like the adjustable height. Tripod on Amazon. Check to make sure you can use it with your phone model before you order. This is a great phone holder that I use if you already have a tripod: click here. If you purchase that phone holder, and your stand or tripod does not have a “male” screw on the top, you will need a set of these standard tripod/camera screws.
Audio: Good audio is important. I have several different mics that I use. For my podcast, I use this mic. It is excellent straight out of the box. For my online workshops, I mic myself with these mics. Usually, for my quick videos, I use the mic that comes in these headphones.
I just bought one of these chic palettes to reduce waste and support the small business that makes them! Honestly, I thought using this palette was going to be a pain.. but it isn’t clean up is super easy and the 16x20” size is actually more manageable than the larger paper palettes I have been using. I really like it! I purchased “white”.
Deli-wrap. Can’t work without it. Great inexpensive choice for pulling prints, lifting paint, collage, masks. Everything. This is better than tracing paper. This is probably less expensive if you buy it at restaurant supply in your area BUT if you need it pronto, check Amazon Prime. 1000 sheets will last a long time.
For a less expensive route, this is the same type of paper, only the sheets are folded in half. A lot of the times, I cut my paper down anyway, so this is a nice alternative. Click here for inter folded deli wrap sheets.
✋Acrylic paint is TOXIC. Please don’t paint with your bare hands. I use these gloves if I need to put my hand in wet product. (Or when working with a charcoal stick.
Gold Leaf: I have been using this product for years. Paintings I created over 10 years ago have not discolored. Take care to protect wood panels for SID (blog post) and make sure you only apply this as directed once layers of acrylic paint are dry. Always seal acrylic paintings with varnish (tutorial here.)
When using 16x20” canvas sheets, it is handy to store your paintings in a clear sleeve with a backing board so that customers can look through these while shopping. The backing board will also keep the art flat should you want to pack it flat. Here is a link to 16x20 backing board, and here are clear sleeves for storage.
You’ve seen me hold up a journal in my videos. I use this book to record all of my color mixes and notes about every painting.
I always love rounding the corners on my cardstock. This is the punch I am using.
Sometimes I use these acetate sheets as an aid when painting. You can paint on them and hold them up to see if they “work” indoor composition, test marks on them or attach them into mixed media projects. This is ink jet acetate.
BOOKS
I co-wrote the book, “Acrylic Solutions” in 2013 and it is still available.
I also self-published the book “Caught Up in the Layers”, which you can purchase digitally or a paper copy by following this link.
I want to include this book in my list here…because I believe in it. I have honestly purchased more than 10 of these books for gifts. If you have pain or soreness, reading the first few chapters in this book may be a life changer for you. We have been lucky enough to attend the Egoscue clinic in San Diego too (my daughter and I for sports injuries). I always grab this book if my neck is sore or if my back is aching. The exercises are easy- just a lot of positioning yourself on the floor and hanging out a few minutes every day in said position. Click here to check it out.