How To Buy Good Art Supplies
If you are thinking about purchasing some art supplies this could save you some aggravation and money!
Buying Art Supplies
The moment comes in every young artist’s life at which they need art supplies. If you are already set in your ways and know your favorite art materials then your task is simple. Replace the old supplies with new replacements. What if you are learning to draw or paint? What if you are an art student and not sure what to buy? Buying art supplies if you’re a beginner artist can be a confusing and downright stressful task.
How To Buy Good Art Materials
It’s always nice to be able to try out art supplies before you buy them. Before you drop some hard earned money on brand new artist materials see if anyone you know is using the desired materials. Maybe you could try out the materials first, especially big ticket items like easels or potter’s wheels? If you don’t have free access to try out the art supplies in question your next best bet is to hop online and read reviews. I buy most of my art supplies in person from an actual art store. I am very fortunate to have both a Blick’s and Jerry’s Artarama less than 20 minutes away from my home. Yes I do realize how fortunate I am! Even though I might be purchasing my drawing and painting supplies from a store I still hop online and read reviews. I’ll visit a few websites that sell the exact materials I’m thinking about and read what customers have to say about the art tools in question.
You Get What You Pay For
At first glance, quality art supplies appear to be expensive. $10 for a single tube of paint! Art surely must be a rich man’s sport! Why would I pay $1.50 for a single pencil when I could go to the dollar store and by 12 pencils for 99 cents? Why? The reason I never compromise on quality when it comes to art supplies is this: I value my time and artwork equally as much as my money.
This discussion of quality vs. quantity always reminds me of this funny Kevin James skit on buying underwear!
Unfortunately you are not going to find superb art supplies at dollar store prices. It’s hard to create good art with inadequate art materials. You’ll spend your energy fighting the materials instead of creating beautiful artwork.
You wouldn’t expect to get good at basketball if you practiced in a $1 pair of flip flops from Old Navy and a 20 year old deflated ball. Buy the best art supplies you can afford and just make sure you take extremely good care of them.
You’ll be surprised by how much you get in return from your art supplies. Need some more convincing? Put this example into perspective: That $10 tube of paint could last you for many years while that $25 dinner at that restaurant is gone forever. The next time you need to purchase new art supplies, make sure you research what you’re about to purchase and then buy quality materials with confidence.
I list all my favorite art supplies here, but if you ever have any questions please ask below and I’ll do my best to help!