Art Supplies

Whether you are a student or an emerging artist, there are savings to be made by investing in a smaller quantity of artist grade supplies, as opposed to a larger quantity of student grade – a saving on your time and frustration levels. It will take three coats of poor-quality paint to get the desired finish you want, compared to one of a higher quality. It’s unbelievably frustrating to be at the mercy of what your cheap materials will allow you to achieve, and when learning, this can put you off advancing and enjoying the process. The learning curve from using artist-quality materials will be far steeper and more rapid and be of greater enjoyment than that of using inferior products.

Beginners often purchase inexpensive, off-brand sets of markers or coloured pencils, intending to upgrade once they learn. But cheap art materials make learning harder. They are difficult to use well and frustration leads many students to quit.

If a talented professional artist with national recognition and awards can’t get good results from student-grade colours, how is a beginner supposed to learn with them?

If you haven't been blessed with talent or if you're a complete beginner facing a steep learning curve, why would you add more hurdles to the learning process?

Student-grade paints, pencils, and markers are cheap because they have a low pigment load. Pigments are the expensive part of the recipe, so if a manufacturer can sneak in extra fillers at the factory, they can retail the product for less. A very top grade oil paint can contain up to 80% pure pigment. The rest will be made up with the oil added to bind the pigment. In contrast, cheap oil paint can contain as little as 23% pigment. Student-grade paint ranges will not only use a lower percentage of pigment in each tube but will also create their colours from cheaper pigments.

When you work with intense pigment-loaded inks and paints, your work will be more vibrant, complex, and sophisticated. Your layers will look much cleaner when you use coloured pencils that aren’t loaded with filler. Making beautiful lines, textures, and forms will be easier when you work with paper designed to match your medium.

Always purchase the best quality product your budget will allow, even if that means buying fewer colours.

With new advancements in technology, artist-grade mediums and paints are safer than the cheaper ones.

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It’s hard enough to learn but even harder to learn when you’re in a constant battle with your art supplies!