Cheap supplies doesn’t mean cheap

Someone asked me, while I was shopping in an art supply store, which brand of paints I felt would be best to purchase. The sales person told her she should get the best brand on the shelf. Now, I understand that a good name brand is better than some standard brands because the name brand may have more of what makes it good. Examples would be pigments, velocity, texture, smooth or rough, etc. However, don’t feel buying those expensive name brand will somehow magically make your artwork better.

No matter what you use, good artist create good art. You can either buy charcoal from your locale art store, or create it with the end of a burnt wood stick. How you apply that medium to your idea is the most important part of creation. I don’t want to lead you in the wrong idea that it’s all the same product. I will tell you now it’s not. Some brands do spend a lot of time making their product the best it can be. For example: oils are made in different ways. You have the basic “linseed oil” which most companies use. They will clean the linseed to a point with it will work just as well as any other oil. However this oil over time will darken for some brands. Some company will use “walnut oil”. This oil is one of the old school mediums used back in the time where painting was the only method for pictures. In my opinion walnut oil is better than linseed. It doesn’t darken over time, like linseed and in same cases it will do the opposite. These factors might be very important if you are creating a very light or very dark piece. If you are a beginner then you shouldn’t spend time worrying about what will happen to your artwork 300 years for now. Let those who collect your work, spend the money to preserve your artwork.

Sometimes when times get tough, you have to do what you have to do to create something new. Instead of buying the best high quality watercolors, make it your self. Go finds items that you can mash into medium to create the colors you need, such as flowers, or colored food products even that old makeup kit you can’t find any need for may work. Then get or create a kind of filler. For example: Gum Arabic is a main medium for some watercolors. This medium controls the flow of the color and allow for an even coat across the paper. It’s also an ingredient in some of your favorite juices. It is basically a sugar of some kind. One of the best watercolor companies, “Holland” uses honey in its best watercolor choice. Honey was once the main medium of watercolor creation. If you have honey, great! But if you don’t have honey, you can create a concentrated sugar medium. Sugar doesn’t spoil so it fine for what you would need it for. The point is “Think out side of the box!”

Don’t let others tell you what you can or can’t use when creating what could be the best artwork in you life. Find ways to create the supplies if you can’t buy them, and when you can, buy them cheap. Use the limitations the cheaper products have and see how far you can get with them.

Here is a link I found that has a list on how to make your own art supplies: Creating your own art supplies

I find that this company has the most affordable art supplies from my dealings with them: Reeves Website

For your opinion on this topic and to possibly have your views added to the column, please email us with the details.
Tell us about it! Send Email: info@anucompany.com