My Favorite Things 2020 Edition!
It’s No Surprise, Art Supplies Are Some of My Favorite Things EVERY YEAR!
I couldn’t do my illustrative work with out these pens!
It’s been awhile since I compiled a list of my favorite things so I thought I’d do some ‘window shopping’ in my art studio and share with you some of the things I’ve been loving over the last year (and more).
Perhaps you will find something you want to try or rediscover an old favorite. Some of these links do flow to my partner affiliates but all have been tried and tested by me and are part of my art supply ‘arsenal’. Some items I use more for my own enjoyment than what I share on a regular basis.
Watercolors are among those supplies I use for projects that I hold more close to home (at least right now). *A purchase using my links will not add a fee to your overall shopping cart but a small commission will be received by me.
Here’s Some of my Favorite Things-2020 Edition
It goes without saying, every mixed media artist should have one or four or heck a thousand white paint & gel pens in their art supply drawer. I use white paint pens a ton for a variety of mark making in my art. Posca paint pens are one of my favorite brands and I was thrilled to find this variety pack to play with.
2. If I had a dime for all the times I have been asked what pen I used for my illustrative work, I’d have a million dimes. Haha…or at lease a few hundred. Faber Castell PITT artist pens have been a long time favorite of mine. While I mostly use the XS and S size, this 8 pack is a bargain if you wanted to give them a try.
3. One of my ‘vows’ for 2020 was to use things I had or revisit supplies that I hadn’t loved on in awhile. Out of all the supplies I gave a whirl again, Derwent Inktense pencils were amongst my favorites. I found them to do a great job adding colored lines to my abstract work AND for shading. They sell separately or in sets. The 24 pack is a great starter set if you are in the mood to sample these colorful gems.
4. I tried Tombow pencils a few years back at a trade show, and have loved them ever since. Smooth to use and well made for all sorts of pencil drawing projects. Here’s a great set for those interested in drawing and sketching.
6. If you are going to have drawing tools, well you best have a work horse pencil sharpener in your toolbox, too! This Faber Castell sharpener is one of the only sharpeners that work on thicker pencils (not Stabilo Woodies unfortunately), but pencils with a slightly bigger barrel, such as pastel pencils, Jerry’s Jumbo Jet pencil, and regular pencils.
7. Whether you are trying to sketch on the go and want to add a bit of darkness or quick dry/wet sketch application in your drawing or in my case, Zen Paintings, Stabilo Marks All pencil in black is a must have.
8. I was fortunate to attend an event several years ago that Daniel Smith (watercolor) paints sponsored. We all received a sampler dot card of their colors and a few tubes to share (score!) and because of that, I was hooked on their water colors and paints. This set of ten paints PLUS a 238 dot sampler card is a great way to try before you buy. Go ahead and make a color chart of your own until your heart’s content and then shop till you drop!
9. If you decide you love the Daniel Smith brand of watercolors, this set curated by Jean Hines is a delicious add on to your basic colors.
I could practically eat these hues!!!
10. While I mostly paint with acrylics, I do use oil paint for my cold wax series of abstract (and sometimes whimsical) work. You can find a lot of different brands that are ‘student’ grade but they lack the pigment load that you find in professional grade paint. If you are looking for a good beginner brand of oil paints-try the 1980 Gamblin series. I always mix colors with a touch of neutral gray, titanium white, or titanium buff which tames down the color and adds a bit of opacity where needed.
11. If you look at my brush collection, you’ll se there are a lot of brands that I’ve purchased over the years that I use on a regular basis. The Princeton Catalyst brand is by far my favorite for both acrylic and some of my oil paintings. They are sturdy yet pliable when wet. They stand up to lots of scrubbing and abuse that I subject them to when I’m on a painting frenzy. If you haven’t tried them yet, give them a shot and see what you think.
12. Speaking of Princeton, their collection of mark making tools is among the best in the industry! I find myself using this 04 blade for mixing paint, mark making, ‘palette’ knife work and more. It’s definitely a must have in my tool box of tricks.
13. With all this painting you are going to do, you need a good water bucket and cleaning tool to assist you in painting longer and changing water less. I’ve used this bucket for years and find the size perfect and the 3 well system an efficient way to keep my brushes clean and me painting with less interruptions.
14. Many of you know that I use Golden High Flow paints for several lines of work that I create in (Zen Painting, Zen Houses, and Abstracts on Yupo). They have three sets to choose that will get you a nice range of colors at a discounted price (or of course you can buy each color individually).
Featured above is the Drawing set, but they also have an opaque set, and a transparent set.
15. A great artistic practice for both writers and painters is to incorporate journal work into a daily routine. For me, I like to do both in my journal (write and paint). The journal that has stood up to tons of paint, collage and other mixed media work is the Dylusions journal. I think I have about 10 of them now in all different sizes. The pages are sturdy, the covers are hearty and they have plenty of sizes and shapes to suit everyone’s needs.
16. I use gessobords for a variety of work that I do in my artistic practice. Primarily for my Zen Painting genre, but also for pencil work, acrylic paint, and collage. Ampersand is the leader in the industry and their craftmanship is second to none. That also means they are pricier than second tier brands of gessobord. This pack of (4) 6x6 flat panels are priced right and a perfect way to test the product before investing in larger panels. You will see the difference in quality if you have used other brands.
17. For those of you who have taken my Zen painting class and enjoy using Golden’s High Flow paint, another surface that I love to use with high flow is Yupo paper. I use it in my Abstracts on Yupo courses and absolutely love the variety of marks and depth of color you can achieve with this surface. It comes in a couple of weights just like most paper does. If you are going to do larger pieces or incorporate a lot of layers of paint, use the medium to heavy paper. I prefer the white surface over the translucent.
18. While I do love painting on canvas, more often than not, I prefer hard surfaces because of my aggressive painting style and the amount of gel medium or collage I use in my work. You can’t beat Dick Blick wood panels for the price.
20. The Filming tri-pod I have is no longer available but this is the replacement tripod from the same company. The center column comes out so you can have multiple angles including overhead. It is a bit of an investment but if you are looking to create online classes or do any sort of film work, it’s worth it to have a tripod that is sturdy, stable, and versatile. Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AT Aluminum Tripod with Multi-Angle Center Column.
21. Last but not least—my book has been an inspiration to thousands around the world who are looking to jump into the Abstract painting waters. In this publication you’ll find 22 exercises meant for you to explore different surfaces, mediums, and techniques to jump start your work as you explore abstract painting. If you haven’t already purchased a copy, you can pick up one HERE.
That’s a Wrap!
Have a creative New Year!
Thank you for stopping by and checking out some of my top favorite things in my studio that I’m using and loving. I hope that it inspires you to try something new or revisit one of these items you might already have in your studio.
If you are interested in courses I teach or art I create, be sure to check out my workshop website or my Etsy shop.
Live to create, create to live. Jodi Ohl
A Favorite Service…
I love to listen to audio books while working in my studio. Over the last couple of years I’ve ‘read’ more books than I have in ten years. Creating space to read traditionally just hasn’t worked for me because quite frankly, I work too much. Audible has made all the difference and highly recommend trying it out! *Purchases made through affiliates do net commissions for us in support of this blog and my creative work.