Don’t Waste Your Money: The Art Supplies You Really Need

How do you paint like an artist without the proper tools and paint?

Well, I was asking myself the same question when I suddenly found myself in the art store, wondering which of my kidneys I’m going to sell to afford all the stuff I need to create art. Oh, you would rather not sell any of your kidneys? Then let’s go through the artists’ shopping list of absolute necessities together before you splurge in an art store for nothing. Again.

BRUSHES

Optional.

I’m not kidding.

To paint, you can use whatever you want. There are elephants out there who sell their trunk-painted art. Seriously, just look around your house for a second and try to imagine what effects would you get if you covered it in paint? You can use your fingers, sponges, and q-tips (and that’s only the beginning of the list).

I personally love to paint with brushes, as I aim to paint realistic-looking art, and it takes some accuracy and good tools. Nevertheless, I smudge the paint with my old makeup brushes. You know when you buy in bulk cheap ones and then end up using only on of 10? Well, you can now use the rest of 9 for your paintings. Thank me later!

CANVASES

Optional.

Really, no joke.

Canvas was always boring for me. Even limiting. I mostly paint on wooden or MDF plates. They have a nicer surface, and I have more control over my mediums. But they’re even more pricey than the canvases at the art store!? You may say. And that’s correct. But you also know what? Everything is more pricey in the art store. I know, mind-blowing. I source my wooden plates at the local “Bob the builder shop”. Somewhere in the furthest corner you’ll find an isle with wood, and in the most shops they’ll offer the rests of cut pieces for cheap. Yes, sometimes you’ll need to patch some spots and put a little more effort in the prepping process, but isn’t that meditative?

BUY MY ART HERE

Visit the art shop and get the original painting by Lorena Krüner.

Take me to the shop

PAINT

Not optional.

But it kind of is…

You’ll need at least some kind of paint to… paint. My medium of choice is oil at the moment. It’s the perfect medium for impatient people. Why, you ask? Because it takes so long to dry. It sounds quite the opposite of impatience, I know. The point is, you can always get back and perfect the piece, rather than stressing out about paint drying too quickly. You can leave the palette on the table overnight and come back to it tomorrow if you’ve hit the wall. You actually require more skill with acrylics than with oil, IMHO. And skills take time. Which the impatient ones don’t have lots of.

But why is paint optional? Well, I mean the professional art paint. You can always use up the rest of your wall paint that sits in the cupboard from the last time you’ve promised yourself that you’ll finish that DIY bathroom project. It will perfectly mix with the acrylics or act just as a base on your canvases. If you’re into textured art, you can mix it in your solution or just buy the coloring drops at the “Bob the builder shop”.

Furthermore, as long as you have a water-soluble base, you can mix in everything also water-soluble. Have you ever tried the cooked onion dye? Red beet? That’s your moment to shine!

HANDS

Can you guess?

Yeah, also optional.

That would’ve been the most important art tool if we hadn’t talked about the elephant trunk previously. It’s obvious that you can have the best medium on hand, but the result will still be 💩, if you don’t have control over your hands and what they do with the given medium. The distance between the picture in my imagination and what my hands are actually doing kills me every time.

So, what’s the solution? Read the part about brushes! You don’t know how to paint leaves? No problem. Fake them. Use an old makeup brush or real leaves to create the structures you need. I promise, you’ll discover even more new techniques in the process that might change how you see the art process in general. Watch some YouTube tutorials on how to make certain structures you’re looking for. Just believe, no artist can do it all.

TALENT

But you can’t buy talent at the store!

Wrong.

You can.

It’s not that you come buy and ask to pack you two times the talent of Vincent van Gogh with a red present bun on top. But what you can actually do is to buy books, tutorials or courses on how to paint. Yet what has it to do with the talent, you’ll ask me. Everything.

In the 70s, psychologists went on a mission to scientifically define what the talent actually is. And you know what they’ve found out? There’s no such thing as talent. It’s your compatibility to learn. Or how fast you can learn. So, take your time, get the information you need, practice more. Talent is gained.

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, it’s much more about the idea of the painting and the artist’s self than the technique or the quality of the materials. Sure, it is important if you want to sell your art for big money, Durability is one of the criteria. But let’s be honest, wouldn’t you repaint a picture if necessary? Yeah, I thought so. Master your skills with what you’ve got on hand. Peak your creativity. Just believe me, if you can do it with your makeup brushes, you’ll do it with anything!

The idea counts much more than the tools or pricey pigments. People buy art because of you, your identity as an artist, and the idea you bring to the discussion table. So, do more of what excites you and show it to the world. The art shop can and will wait until you can afford all the shiny stuff they’ve got.

Love you,
Lorena