Recommended Art Supplies

In-Person Weekly Art Class Families - all art supplies are provided during in-person art classes. If your child needs to finish up an art lesson at home, the art supplies below are what we use in class. They make great gifts and are wonderful to have on hand for inspired moments!

Virtual Weekly Art Class Families - although your child can use whatever art supplies you have at home to finish his/her drawing each week, the list below shows you what I recommend. The variety of materials we use to finish our drawings adds a lot of value to the experience.

All Weekly Art Class Families - the exact brand and quantity shown is not required, at any time. The list below shows you the art supplies I have used and found to be appropriate for kids, over the last 20+ years. They are usually found at places like Walmart, Target, Michaels, Staples or Office Max.

Media Demo Videos - these are short, fun and free! Subscribe to my ArtzHub NC YouTube Channel and gain access to dozens of media demo videos that show kids and parents how to use the art supplies I recommend! These videos provide an up close look and a sneak peek at the art lessons. :-)

9X12 inch Acid Free White Art Paper

Acid free paper won’t turn yellow and crumble like ordinary paper does. Mixed media paper, such as the one pictured here, is a good “all purpose” paper that is sturdy enough for all the different art supplies we will use over the course of an 8-week session of classes. Alternatively, watercolor paper is equally sturdy and versatile, but usually more expensive. Or, acid free card stock printer paper will work, in a pinch.

You can purchase acid free white art paper at places like Michael’s, Target or Walmart. If you prefer to shop online, Blick and Jerry’s Artarama are good options.

Markers

There are A LOT of markers out there but Crayola does a fantastic job with color choices. You can buy separate sets of classic, tropical, bold and bright but this set of 64 colors has it all.

Well, not quite all because we still recommend that you purchase a set of multicultural markers. These offer various skin tone shades and are a marvelous addition to a colorful collection, useful for many subjects.

Store brands are OK but they definitely have less ink in them and dry up faster.

Oil Pastels

Oil pastels are made with oil which allows layering, blending and shading.

Crayola oil pastels are nice for kids because they are pliable but not too soft. They have rich, vibrant non-toxic colors and blend beautifully. This particular set of 28 comes with silver and gold, which kids LOVE. And, because they are designed for children, they wash off creative fingers easily with warm water and a drop of dish soap.

More expensive brands designed for professional artists are readily available but they are not always kid-friendly. These are usually too soft for beginners which makes them more difficult to use, and a lot messier! Keep a keen eye out for the non-toxic symbol, if you opt for these, as they are not designed for children and may not always be 100% safe.

Pentel is a good alternative to Crayola, though they don’t include silver and gold pastels.

Manual Pencil Sharpener

These come in all shapes and sizes and some can also sharpen crayons. The exact one you choose does not matter but definitely DO get a manual pencil sharpener because colored pencils will ruin an electric pencil sharpener.

Colored pencils are made with wax. Although it will work initially, the wax will fill in the teeth on the sharpening mechanism inside an electric pencil sharpener and render it useless.

These manual sharpeners are usually about $1.

If you want a fancy titanium electric colored pencil sharpener, they do exist, and are a marvel if you need to sharpen hundreds of colored pencils.

Colored Pencils

There are a lot of colored pencil brands that are good for kids. Among them, Crayola does a super job by providing wax colored pencils that are “just right” for kids (like their oil pastels). This set of 100 colors is a great option.

We recommend that you purchase a set of Colors Of The World colored pencils. These offer various skin tone shades and are a marvelous addition to a colorful collection, useful for many subjects.

Store brand colored pencils use a harder wax and are therefore brittle. They scratch the paper more than color it and leave a lot to be desired in terms of color quality.

Chalk Pastel

(AKA - Soft Pastels or Artist Pastels or French Pastels)

I’m not sure why chalk pastels go by a variety of names but they do and it is cause for much confusion. Chalk pastels are made with a dry material such as kaolin clay to bind the pigment into a stick. They are not to be confused with sidewalk chalk or blackboard chalk.

This brand of chalk pastel is what I have used with my students for over a decade. The cost is very reasonable for the colors, quality and quantity provided in this set. I used to buy it at AC Moore but they closed permanently in 2020 and so this specific product is now available on Amazon.

Michaels carries a comparable set of 24 colors for about $10 more.

Kids LOVE using chalk pastel. I have a few tips & techniques that help make it less messy.

Watercolor Paint

Again, Crayola does a great job with color quality and overall quantity. This set of 24 has lovely, rich colors, will last a long time and is washable.

That said, there are many great options for kid-friendly watercolor paint and any will do.

The paint brush included in most sets of watercolor paint is strangely not that great. Crayola makes a set of 5 paint brushes that are affordable, much better quality and a variety of sizes.

Store brand versions of watercolor paint are disappointing. The color saturation is not good.

Crayons

By now, you may have noticed a trend in my art supply recommendations. :-) Yes, Crayola. No, I do not receive anything for promoting them. I just really like their products for kids.

Crayons are made with wax. This set offers 64 colors and the highly prized crayon sharpener.

And, of course, you should get a set of Colors Of The World crayons, too. These offer various skin tone shades and are a marvelous addition to a colorful collection, useful for many subjects.

We use crayons in our wax resist art projects which combine the use of crayons and watercolor paint.

I also like this set of 96 Cra-Z-art Crayons, too. It also has the crayon sharpener.

Uncoated paper Plates

These are cheap and simple and absolutely wonderful for just about everything art related.

The humble uncoated paper plate keeps art supplies from rolling away, provides an excellent surface for testing colors, is recyclable and most of all, it is essential for reducing the messiness of chalk pastels.

This package of 100 uncoated paper plates is less than $3 and will last a long time.

Cotton Balls

Super jumbo are the cotton balls I recommend but really any old cotton ball will work.

We use these in combination with uncoated paper plates to reduce the mess of chalk pastel.

The technique is called “chalk rub”. The cotton ball is used to apply the chalk to the paper. It prevents excessive chalk dust and provides amazing blending qualities, all while keeping fingers relatively clean.

We won’t use chalk pastel more than once (or maybe twice) in a session of 8 classes but it is a beautiful medium that produces stunning results. Kids find it kind of magical and truly love it!

Hairspray

We use hairspray as a fixative to prevent chalk pastel from smudging when the artwork is complete.

There are many options, as you might guess, but this one - Aussie Headstrong Volume Hair Spray Maximum Hold - is the only one that actually smells good. Or, rather, it does not reek.

Older kids can spray their own artwork but I recommend that an adult sprays the work of younger children.

Hold the can approximately 10-12 inches from the artwork and spray with a sweeping motion over it a few times to get an even coat. Avoid up close spot spraying, which will create soggy areas on the paper and not properly “fix” all of the chalk pastel. This is a product designed to be used indoors, but adequate ventilation is key, so if you don’t have a big open space indoors, spraying artwork outside is a good idea.

Hairspray does NOT work for oil pastel. The alcohol in the hairspray binds with the oil in the pastel and some sort of chemical reaction makes it turn nasty and goopy.

Modpodge is what I recommend as a fixative for oil pastel artwork, if you want to use something to prevent it from smudging. It comes in a variety of finishes (matte/glossy). It should be applied gently in thin layers with a foam brush. This stuff goes on white but dries clear. And, full disclosure, modpodge has a very strong odor (until it dries) so be sure to apply it only in a space with proper ventilation.