Journey Art Supplies Blog
Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and inspiration from across the art spectrum.
Acrylic Gouache or Watercolor Gouache? What's t...
Are you just beginning your incredible journey in art? Welcome aboard to a beautiful new world! There's so much to learn and many ways to express yourself, and we're excited to have you with us! However, one thing you might be experiencing as a novice painter is trouble understanding what the different mediums are. No doubt you've heard of oil and watercolors, but what about gouache? What is that stuff, anyway? Also, how in the world do you pronounce it?First, the easy part! Gouache rhymes with squash but with a G, so it sounds like "gwash." The word gouache comes from the Italian word "guazzo," meaning water paint, or paints suspended in water. It can also refer to the technique of applying oil paint over tempera or a gouache underpainting. Gouache painting has been around for over a thousand years, and in that time, artists used this media to create historically significant, dynamic pieces of art. What is Gouache? Gouache paint consists of a mix of natural or synthetic pigments, water, and gum Arabic (sometimes yellow dextrin) that acts as a binding agent to hold the paint together. Occasionally, chalk may be used to give the paint extra heft or body, and some varieties add propylene glycol. Traditional gouache tends to become brittle when it dries, so additional additives attract water to help the paint layers stay more flexible over the long term. The most common types of gouache today are acrylic gouache and watercolor gouache. What's the Difference Between Gouache and Watercolor? On the surface, gouache and watercolor are made of the same basic materials but differ in other, more specific ways.Watercolors use tiny particle sizes so the paint can be spread thin enough to be near-transparent. Gouache has larger particles and more body to look heavier, denser, and opaquer after it dries. Like watercolor, gouache can be re-wetted and bound to the paper it is on, but gouache paints can't be watered down to look more translucent. Gouache doesn't build layers of color as well as watercolor. While gouache can be reactivated with water, it is essential to note that too much can turn it into a powder on the surface that easily rubs or crumbles away. What's the Difference Between Acrylic Gouache and Watercolor Gouache? You'll see the terms watercolor gouache and acrylic gouache and may wonder if there's anything that separates the two. Acrylic gouache is made out of acrylic paint, which dries down to a matte finish, behaves the same way as watercolor gouache, covers well, and is opaque. The key that separates acrylic from watercolor gouache is that acrylic gouache is permanent when it dries. You can attempt to lift the paint a bit, but it does not behave or react like watercolor. Additionally, acrylic gouache does not flow or spread like watercolors. Once you place acrylic gouache paint down and it dries, you can't move it. Where Can I Get Acrylic Gouache? There are two prominent creators of acrylic gouache, and Cheap Joe's is proud to be able to provide them for artists like you to create and use. Holbein Acrylic gouache and Chroma's Jo Sonja Artists' Colors. Both have excellent, creamy consistencies that can be thinned with water, and many artists adore using these for creating murals. The permanent nature of these acrylic gouache paints, high covering power, and durability, being lightfast and drying to a velvety matte finish that reflects light naturally make them highly desirable to artists around the globe. We hope when it comes time for you to experiment with gouache that we've been able to help you choose whichever suits you best, watercolor or acrylic gouache. Make sure to bookmark and visit Cheap Joe's Art Stuff Blog for helpful tips, tricks, thoughts, and advice on all sorts of artistic endeavors to help inspire and inform!
Acrylic Gouache or Watercolor Gouache? What's t...
Are you just beginning your incredible journey in art? Welcome aboard to a beautiful new world! There's so much to learn and many ways to express yourself, and we're excited...
Encaustic Painting: What is it and where did it...
Answering our phones and emails is a lot like opening a box of chocolates: we never know what we will get! We get all kinds of excellent questions here, and one of them was about encaustic painting. What is Encaustic Painting? Encaustic painting is an art form painted with pigmented wax on a substrate, such as a wood panel, and is fused or burned in through a heat source like a heat gun or propane torch. Color mixing is achieved through the application of heat to the substrate itself or a hot palette. Encaustic is a Greek word (enkaustikos) meaning "to heat or to burn." Encaustic painting is an ancient technique used by the Greeks, who used wax to caulk ship hulls. It is estimated that the style of art was also used by the Egyptians as early as 100 AD.Encaustic paint consists of natural bee wax and dammar resin (crystallized tree sap). Pigmenting the bee's wax gave rise to the decoration of warships, and the use of encaustic on panels rivaled the use of tempera in the earliest known portable easel paintings. Modern Encaustic Painting Today, you don't need a wood surface to create encaustic paintings, as heavyweight paper mounted to a hardboard works just as well, but the option to still use wood as a surface remains. Ampersand Claybord is another surface that is suggested for those interested in encaustic painting. It's a kaolin clay-covered hardboard that's absorbent and comes in a smooth or textured finish. Tools for Modern Encaustic Painting What sort of tools can you use today to try encaustic painting? At Cheap Joe's, you'll find that we have a wealth of tools and supplies specifically designed for modern encaustic painting. A few examples of them are: • Encaustic Paint Sets• Encaustic Mediums• Encaustic Waxes• Encaustic Paints or Hot Cakes Paint Sets• Encaustic Starter Kits• Natural Bristle Chip Brush sets, Painting, and Palette Knives• Metal palettes• Heat guns Beginner Tips for Encaustic Painting • You can't paint with beeswax alone. It's not durable enough, so it's essential to use beeswax with damar resin. • It's vital that if you use brushes, you use natural bristles. Synthetic brushes will melt.• As encaustic mediums do not deteriorate your brush, and the wax can always be remelted, you can leave your brushes without cleaning them if you want. Though if you're going to clean a brush, dip them in melted paraffin or soy wax to clear off the color, then clean them of wax by leaving them on a hot surface and wiping them clean when the wax is melted. • Encaustic is an expensive medium, so take some time to consider your budget before you begin. If you're ready to jump all in, a complete kit or starter kit is a great way to get everything in one go. • You'll need a griddle or hot plate to melt your medium; the most important aspect is to make sure it heats evenly, whichever you choose. • You will need fusing tools. When encaustic painting, you will be fusing layers of wax applied in layers. Fusing merges these layers. You'll need a tool to use heat that allows each layer to soften enough to merge with previous layers. • Choose flat bottom metal tins for melting and adding pigments to your medium. • Your ideal substrates for encaustic painting should be absorbent, rigid, and heat resistant. Substrates like: wood, untampered Masonite, canvas or linen stretched over a panel, plywood, drywall or plaster, heavyweight paper, print-making paper, and even plexiglass should you wish. At Cheap Joe’s, every day, we are amazed and humbled to learn something new about art and art mediums. Thanks to customers and passionate artists like you, we're always seeking new ways to express, create, and provide them to you! Is there a medium or technique you'd love to learn more about? Please, feel free to leave us a comment or get in touch with us. Your question might inspire our next informative blog post to encourage artists all over the globe wanting to try a new style of art!
Encaustic Painting: What is it and where did it...
Answering our phones and emails is a lot like opening a box of chocolates: we never know what we will get! We get all kinds of excellent questions here, and...
Cheap Joe's Eco-Friendly Art Stuff and Giving Back
Preserving our planet for current and future generations of artists is near and dear to us here at Cheap Joe's. Each generation brings forth hard-working, talented, driven artists who can change how we look at art and inspire the next. Yet, for our future artists to thrive and capture the world around them, there must be a world around to encourage them.To show our commitment to our world and our fellow artists, we've ensured that our extensive inventory of art supplies provides as many green and eco-friendly art products as possible. What are some of our top eco-friendly art products? We're so glad you asked! Here are just a few examples of what you can find:• Canson XL Recycled Bristol, Sketch, and Drawing pads• EcoQua Pocket Notebook Sets, by Fabriano• SavvySoap Hand and Brush Cleaner by Marvelous Marianne• Strathmore Greener Options Hemp and Bamboo cards and envelopes• Strathmore Toned Gray and Tan Sketch Journals• Mulberry paper• Bee Premium Recycled Sketch pads• Shizen Professional Grade Watercolor Paper• Awagami Shin Inbe Paper Additionally, back in 2012, we joined many other North Carolina businesses working to improve the quality of life around the country and the globe by supporting environmental initiatives, including many renewable energy projects. We're proud to have been a 100% Offset Sponsor of NC GreenPower for over a decade. NC Green Power is an independent, non-profit organization that receives funding through individual and business contributions like ours. They support the generation of renewable electricity that can power more than 2,500 homes annually and subsidize more than 250 plus renewable energy projects. At Cheap Joe's Art Stuff, providing toxin-free, eco-friendly art supplies is an essential aspect of what we do. More and more art brands are turning toward creating earth-friendly paints, recycled paper products that help reduce deforestation, and so much more. We're so excited to be able to provide these eco-friendly art supplies to all our wonderful customers. Make sure to browse and look at our premium selection of eco-friendly art products at budget-friendly prices today!If you'd love to learn more about NC GreenPower and how you too can participate, please visit their website at https://www.ncgreenpower.org/ and help us save our planet for the next generation of amazing artists.
Cheap Joe's Eco-Friendly Art Stuff and Giving Back
Preserving our planet for current and future generations of artists is near and dear to us here at Cheap Joe's. Each generation brings forth hard-working, talented, driven artists who can...
Is a Cotton or Linen Canvas Best for Oil Painting?
Is there any difference in using cotton or linen for an oil painting canvas? What sort of canvas holds up well with oil paintings? Do you even have to use canvas, or can you use oil paints with other substrates, like paper, wood, or glass? If you're new to the art form, it can be difficult to pick out the best canvas material for oil painting and you may find yourself with a lot of questions. The answer is clear: a quality fabric canvas is a must for oil painting.Specialty oil painting canvas is the only material that will accept oil paints and not deteriorate over time. Oil paints are one of the art world's most challenging and limiting mediums. Oil-based products do not dry as easily as water-based products and therefore do not adhere to many surfaces. They can also bleed through when using alternative materials and damage surfaces that have not been properly prepared the way a specialty canvas is for oil painting.Now that we've determined that canvas is really the only material that can be used for oil painting, how do we choose the right kind of canvas? You’ll find many canvas material options are available—linen, cotton, jute, hemp, and poly/cotton blends. However, only two of these are truly suitable for oil painting: cotton and linen. Both are widely available at art supply stores in various size options. So, how do you choose between the two? Well, it comes down to what you prioritize as an artist. Comparing Cotton and Linen Canvas Cotton and linen canvases are differentiated by two factors: cost and durability. Canvases made from linen fibers are often the first choice for oil painters. Linen is the most durable fabric to paint on. The fibers' nature preserves the painting's integrity well because it is most receptive to oil paints and the sizing and priming processes that happen before the painting can be started. Linen may be the most durable material for oil painting, but even these fibers have to be protected from deterioration.Since linen retains its natural oils, this helps keep the fibers flexible and prevents the canvas from becoming brittle over time. So, for full-time oil artists, linen canvas is the obvious choice.The primary drawback of using linen canvas is the comparatively high cost. One linen canvas can cost twice as much as its cotton or hemp counterparts. For artists who need to take material cost into consideration, cotton fiber canvas is the way to go. It is not nearly as strong or durable as linen, but the material is still much more receptive to oil paints than other surfaces. If the canvas is properly prepared and sealed, then the painting shouldn't be in danger of deterioration in the future. How to Prepare Your Canvas for Oil Painting Before a canvas can be used, it must be properly prepared for oil paints in two ways: 1. Sizing – the application of a glue barrier that protects the linen fibers from the primer and the oil mediums. Sizing also prevents the canvas from cracking by keeping the fibers flexible. This will keep the piece safe from fluctuations in moisture. 2. Priming – this is often referred to as the ground or gesso. Gesso is an absorbent layer that encourages the oil paint to adhere to the surface of the canvas. Oil is inclined to bond with an oil-prepared canvas, so artists will have the best outcome when using canvases that have been specially prepared for oil paints. Now that we know what kind of canvas to use and how to make sure that it has been properly prepared for oil painting, the last step is to get started! Many art suppliers offer canvases that are already primed for oil painting and Cheap Joe's is happy to do the same for you. Make sure you check out the oil painting canvases we have to offer in every size from small 12" x12" frames all the way up to 60" x84"! If you need it, we've got it in stock. Every canvas is made from high-quality linen or cotton fabric and already sized and primed for easy use.As you’re selecting a canvas for your next oil painting project, consider the goal of the piece and what you value in a finished work. If you’re creating a painting to sell and want to ensure that the quality is long-lasting, then we recommend choosing a linen canvas. If the painting will be used for practice, as a chance to try out new techniques, if you’re unsure of the intent of the finished product, or if you simply can't afford high-end materials, then cotton is a perfectly suitable option for oil painting. While many artists have personal preferences here, there really is no right or wrong choice, as long as you know each material's characteristics and lifespan. Happy painting!
Is a Cotton or Linen Canvas Best for Oil Painting?
Is there any difference in using cotton or linen for an oil painting canvas? What sort of canvas holds up well with oil paintings? Do you even have to use...
Why You Should Use an Art Barrier Cream
Using an art barrier cream can be a wonderful alternative to wearing latex gloves when it comes to protecting yourself from potentially harmful art mediums. Wearing latex gloves while you're making art can be a hassle and sometimes just downright uncomfortable. Some artists don't like having to restrict their use of certain art mediums to protect their health, as it can hinder their personal expression or limit what they can create.That’s why we think the best solution is using art barrier cream! Barrier cream is the easiest, most convenient, and safest way to continue to use your pastels and oils. It protects you and it also makes it possible to work with a wider array of art supplies! Where Should You Apply an Art Barrier Cream? Barrier cream is a heavy lotion that should be applied to your hands and wrists before working with any pastels or oil paints. Artist hand creams, or barrier creams, serve as a protective layer or a “second skin” for your hands while you’re working with mediums like pastels and oil paints. You should re-apply throughout the day, especially after washing your hands. We recommend using Winsor and Newton Artguard Barrier Cream, which is available on our products page! This cream has a lightweight, non-greasy formula, and absorbs into your skin like a moisturizer. It won’t feel uncomfortable or sticky on your hands while you work. And at the end of the day, simply wash the cream off with soap and water. Using Artguard Barrier Cream is an easy and comfortable way to protect your hands and your health. What Does Art Barrier Cream Protect Against? Art barrier creams protect your skin against harmful toxins in art mediums in the same way sunscreen protects your skin against the absorption of harmful ultra-violet rays. They simply create a physical barrier to keep hazards away from the surface of your skin. No hobby comes without hazards, and art is no exception to that rule. Unfortunately, these risks are not widely known in the art community. This puts artists at risk of hurting themselves without even knowing it. Certain colors of pastels and oil paints are made with hazardous elements like cobalt, cadmium, and magnesium. If these toxins get absorbed into your skin, they can have a detrimental effect on your health. Protection in the form of artist hand cream works well as a barrier for your hands and skin. So keep your art barrier cream close and apply it often as you continue to create incredible works of art!
Why You Should Use an Art Barrier Cream
Using an art barrier cream can be a wonderful alternative to wearing latex gloves when it comes to protecting yourself from potentially harmful art mediums. Wearing latex gloves while you're...
A New Kind of Canvas: Shoes Were Made for Paint...
What’s the least-conventional thing you’ve ever painted on? A windowpane? Maybe a tree branch? What about shoes? Canvas is canvas, right? At least, that’s how I see it. For this project, I picked up a pair of plain, white shoes from a local thrift shop and gave them a brand new life using Golden High Flow Acrylics.
A New Kind of Canvas: Shoes Were Made for Paint...
What’s the least-conventional thing you’ve ever painted on? A windowpane? Maybe a tree branch? What about shoes? Canvas is canvas, right? At least, that’s how I see it. For this project, I...
Why Should You Try American Journey Acrylic Pai...
With the sheer volume of acrylic paints on the market, it can be frustrating and expensive to find the right paints for you. How do you know if the paint has a strong pigment or if it can blend well with other colors? Most of the time, you have to spend money on the paints before you know what the quality is truly like, which can result in you taking a risk of possibly wasting your money on a sub-par product.So, how do you choose the right acrylic paints? We think it’s best to rely on professionals for advice. At Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, our mission is to deliver you the best quality products for the best value. And we believe that American Journey Artists’ Acrylics are some of the best acrylic paints on the market today! American Journey products have been a staple at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff since 1998 for two very good reasons: Their quality never fails, and their value is unmatched. American Journey produces a wide variety of art supplies, including high-quality brushes, sketchbooks, watercolor sticks, palettes, mediums, and even studio furniture. But their Artists’ Acrylic paints are truly the showstoppers of the brand. Their vibrant, concentrated formulas deliver stunning pigments that don’t dull when color-mixing and perform beautifully on paper and canvas. +V373 Pigment Quality and Paint Characteristics The most important characteristic of acrylic paints is the quality and number of pigments used in the formula. Premium acrylic paints ideally contain only one pigment. The fewer pigments in a paint, the easier it will be to mix colors. If acrylics contain two or more pigments, mixing the paints can risk blending all three primary colors, creating a dull brown shade. Therefore, over half of the American Journey acrylics are single-pigment paints. This makes color-mixing simple and stress-free! The American Journey Acrylic Paint formula contains a unique blend of acrylic polymer emulsion, which gives the paint a high viscosity, leaving a flexible finish when dry. The pigments are finely-ground and “mill-strength,” which gives the acrylics an especially high tinting strength. This high-tinting strength means less paint is needed to cover a surface, and they will retain their vibrant color when mixed with white to lighten. All 60 shades come packaged in air-tight collapsible aluminum tubes and are available in 60 or 150 ml.Here are some noticeable qualities we found when working with the American Journey Artists’ Acrylics:1. The paints have a smooth, creamy texture when wet2. The acrylics dry fast and remain flexible when dry to prevent cracking3. The pure pigments create an easy mixing process4. The colors dry evenly5. The paints have a moderate sheen when used in full strength6. The sheen was reduced when mixed with Tint White7. Tint White is good for mixing; Titanium White is good for covering One of the best ways that we can demonstrate the quality of these acrylic paints is by creating a complete color swatch chart. Using all 60 American Journey colors, we created a color chart using the paints at their full strengths and then again at a 50% lightened version. Our eventual goal is to create such a chart for each of our paint lines, to be used as a visual tool for our customers. Having a color chart to reference when painting can be invaluable. Use the step-by-step instructions below to create your own color chart! Creating a Color Chart All paint brands use different formulas, so their paints will perform differently. Having a visual aid that displays each shade and its lightened version can be very helpful when trying out new paints or re-using old favorites. Here is an example of how to make a color chart using American Journey Artists’ Acrylics:Necessary Supplies:• 60 Tubes of American Journey Artists’ Acrylics• 18 x 24 Joe’s Prime Extra Fine Art Board• Joe Miller Signature Series Gesso• Richeson Grey Matters 12 x 16 Paper Palette• ½ Inch Flat American Journey Interlocked Synthetic Brush• #81 Cheap Joe’s Painting Knife• Yupo Watercolor Paper• X-Acto Gripster KnifePreparation: Apply three coats of the Signature Series Gesso to the Prime Extra Fine Art Board, letting each layer dry in between. Alternate directions of the coats to minimize brush strokes. To fit all 60 shades on the art board, they should be arranged in 12 rows of 5 colors each. To minimize pencil lines on the board, create a placement template out of Yupo Watercolor Paper using a ruler and an X-Acto Gripster Knife. The paper template should have five 2” long by 1” tall swatch areas cut out. There should be ½ inches between the rows. Painting: Begin squeezing small amounts of the American Journey Artists’ Acrylic Paints onto the Richeson Grey Matters Paper Palette. Only use a few colors at a time so they don’t dry out while you’re mixing. Use the 1/2-inch flat brush to swatch the true color on half of the swatch area. Then using the #81 Painting Knife, mix a 1:1 ratio of the color with Tint White to show the tinting strength of each color. Swatch the lightened mixture on the other half of the swatch area. Each swatch area should represent a single color: the true shade and a 50% lightened version. Continue mixing and painting swatches of each color until the board is filled. You can arrange the colors in any way that suits your style best. We used a typical color family sequence, similar to the color wheel, starting with bright yellow and ending with neutrals and black and whites. When you are finished with the swatches, let the paint dry completely. Then add names and item numbers to each swatch for reference. A swatch is only helpful if you know which color it is!
Why Should You Try American Journey Acrylic Pai...
With the sheer volume of acrylic paints on the market, it can be frustrating and expensive to find the right paints for you. How do you know if the paint...
Decorative Tole Painting: A Modern Heritage
Tole painting is probably the most common and widely practiced arts of all among beginners and novice artists. The most beloved family objects tend to be high-quality utensils or furniture, painted freehand with favorite patterns, colors or flowers, humorous themes, family in-jokes, or illustrations of favorite or family stories.
Decorative Tole Painting: A Modern Heritage
Tole painting is probably the most common and widely practiced arts of all among beginners and novice artists. The most beloved family objects tend to be high-quality utensils or furniture,...
Five Unexpected Health Benefits of Being Creative
I must study politics and war, that our sons (and daughters) may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons (and daughters) ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.” From the Letters of John Adams, Addressed to His Wife - May 12, 1780
Five Unexpected Health Benefits of Being Creative
I must study politics and war, that our sons (and daughters) may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons (and daughters) ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography,...
Create Captivating Art by Understanding How You...
Understanding how to hold and direct your viewer’s attention is an important part of the design. When you’ve trained your eye to follow the visual forces in your painting, you can begin to design your paintings in a more creative way
Create Captivating Art by Understanding How You...
Understanding how to hold and direct your viewer’s attention is an important part of the design. When you’ve trained your eye to follow the visual forces in your painting, you...
A Portrait Sketch - Stepping outside your comfo...
"There's a lot of sinking feelings in art" - Joe Miller I set out this week to get out of my comfort zone and do something I don't typically. I'm a student of Architecture and I gravitate toward buildings, urban scenes, architectural details, etc. But definitely not towards people. Some may critique my artwork for the absence of life. I'm just scared of doing people. Especially when they're supposed to look like someone. So, this week, I stepped out of my comfort zone to draw a person. Myself. I felt "me" would be a better subject because I wouldn't have anyone see me and say, "You think I look like that?!?" (I'm looking in the direction of my wife). I'd done some drawings of past girlfriends earlier in my artistic career who's reactions instill fear even today. (The initial line drawing) Who in the world is that...?But when I began, I thought, there's no way this will ever look like me. It was terrible. (Adding more shadows to the portrait to create depth) Do I really look like Lurch?But, I kept at it. Then I'd get kinda happy with something, but it wasn't right -- cue the sinking feeling. So, I'd erase hoping that I could at least do that well again because if I did worse... then I'd never get what I had back. Another sinking feeling. (Pushing more shadows. More developed nose and eyes) Hey! I kinda recognize that guy! (I can draw!)Oh, but, the eyes are still off. And, the forehead... (Darkening the shadows. More layering) The forehead is better. Oh jeez, I've messed it up. The darks are too dark...I'm back..! Right? Or am I? In a lot of ways, art is about perseverance. I'm convinced of that. Erasing something for the 4th or 5th time hasn't worn me down. Or the paper. The drawing is getting better. I recognize "Me". There's still some work to be done and in portraits, maybe it's a game of millimeters. But how I've enjoyed the test of my artistic endurance. Maybe I can make something out of myself yet... Maybe... There's miles to go. More to come... -Brian
A Portrait Sketch - Stepping outside your comfo...
"There's a lot of sinking feelings in art" - Joe Miller I set out this week to get out of my comfort zone and do something I don't typically. I'm...
Create a Mobile Art Studio with Scaled Down Sup...
It's almost effortless for us as artists, beginners or experienced, to begin to collect art supplies that we never end up using, forget we have, or hold onto "just in case." I am often guilty of indulging myself with art supplies, which may make my art studio appear impressive but quickly turns into something overwhelming when it comes time to try and find something or clean up.When my son was born, I lost my studio space to make room for the new addition to our family, and while I have no complaints there, that meant I had so many supplies with very little space to put them. I had to ask myself, "How can I still create art without having my entire studio in storage?"The question I asked myself forced me to take a long look at what I thought defined an art "studio" and whether or not I truly needed my own space. At the time, my son was 18 months old, and I admit that I was never genuinely great at organizing, and it was more difficult now with my son here, but I needed to learn how to purge myself of the too-long list of requirements I thought I needed to make art. But how? People say that one of the most complex skills to learn and put into practice is understanding how to keep things simple, but I hear that it's also one of the most rewarding once conquered. I loved the idea of being able to carry an entire art studio wherever I chose to paint, but that didn't sound so simple at first.I recalled that many master watercolor artists tend to create the basis of their paintings with watercolor instead of carrying a set of pencils about, and that seemed like a good place to start for less baggage. I knew I needed to fit my new "mobile art studio" into as tiny of a space as possible, and I wanted something I could tuck into my car door, possibly my pocket, or on a table next to my favorite chair.I began with my favorite American Journey Voyager set. However, as I carried that around, I occasionally found it to be a bit too much. Later, when I studied my Voyager set, I noticed that I hit some specific color pans more than others: red, yellow, blue, flesh tone, quinacridone gold, and black. Since I typically used just these six colors most often, and since the Voyager set was three-quarters of a pound, I realized I was carrying around a lot of extra weight that wasn't even being used. So the next question I posed to myself was: "Can I make my palette even smaller?" With this question in mind and the goal of de-cluttering and reducing the scale of my everyday art supplies, I found that I could! I only truly needed a few items to have the perfect assortment of uncluttered art supplies for a portable studio. What I Ended Up Keeping for my Scaled Down Portable Art StudioSmaller Palettes and Empty Watercolor PansI purchased and began using Cheap Joe's American Journey Nomad Tins. These tins are great for creating your own palette. Depending on the pans, you can fit up to 3 empty American Journey full pans or six empty American Journey half pans, which was perfect for me. You could also buy magnetic strips to use with the recommended American Journey Nomad or Voyager tins. Using the half pans allowed me to fill the empty compartments with the colors I use most and carry the palette virtually anywhere. Magnetic Tape In addition to the small Nomad Tin, I made sure to get some magnetic tape. Magnetic tape allows me to switch out my palette in seconds with any other color I might want to take with me.Travel Sized ToolsI have a single travel-sized pencil for sketching and a single travel-sized watercolor brush in my preferred size.All together, everything in my new mobile art studio could be placed in a briefcase or carried in one hand wherever I needed to go—and I still had the same art supplies I reached for as if I were in my old studio at home. If you find yourself overwhelmed with the cycle of too many supplies and no space, I hope my findings and suggestions help give you peace of mind on your journey to de-clutter.
Create a Mobile Art Studio with Scaled Down Sup...
It's almost effortless for us as artists, beginners or experienced, to begin to collect art supplies that we never end up using, forget we have, or hold onto "just in...
