Art Supplies to Avoid: Lessons Learned from My Creative Misadventures
In my last blog, I discussed my current, favorite art supplies. (“Current” because my tastes are evolving as I continue to create). If you missed that, you can check it out here:
Artistic Allies: A Deep Dive Into My Preferred Supplies and Tools
As promised, today I will discuss some tools that I either don’t use at all because of some reason, or tools that I still use, but aren’t perfect.
Keep in mind that you may love a tool I’m not crazy about. Other artists make beautiful pieces with some of these tools. I’ve just found they aren’t my jam. I might also pop in a preferred supply or two that I forgot to mention last week.
I'll format this article the same way I did my previous one so that you can skim to the section of your preferred media if you choose.
Colored Pencil Supplies
Least Favorite Colored Pencil Brand- This pains me to say. I have previously told people to buy this pencil brand as a beginner colored pencil artist. I still stand with that recommendation because of the cheaper price point, BUT I have to say it. Prismacolor Premier colored pencils.
There. I did it. It feels like I’m stabbing them in the back, but the fact that the cores of these pencils break so often when you sharpen them is very annoying. I have had situations where I am trying to use a pencil (of course one that is an odd color that is hard to buy in a store), and when I try and sharpen it all of a sudden I have a nub. Not cool, Prisma. What happened is that Prismacolor shipped its manufacturing to Mexico in 2010. Artists everywhere have been complaining ever since. Some have even stopped using it as their preferred pencils like Lisa Clough, who is a phenomenal artist. Check her out if you never have before. She started her career with Prismas and eventually got so tired of the poor quality issues she no longer recommends them.
Here is my new recommendation for beginners- buy them if you are looking to dip your toe in colored pencils. Just be aware that it is normal for them to break when you sharpen. To lessen the breakage: try not to drop them on a hard floor (this can break the core inside the pencil), use a very sharp pencil sharpener (replace blades or disposable sharpeners frequently), and as a last resort you can use a heating mat or the sun in an attempt to remelt the core to save a damaged pencil.
The reason why I would recommend them at all is that they are vastly cheaper than Caran d’Ache Luminance colored pencils, which are the other very high quality wax-based pencils. So you can still do the same techniques with Prismas, but at maybe 1/2 of the price.
Two Papers That Aren’t My Favorite- I am not a fan of watercolors or watercolor paper. This is the one watercolor paper I have tried with colored pencils: Fabriano Artistico Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper. The hot pressed is smoother than the cold pressed, but I still don’t love it. It’s okay.
I don’t reach for it because it took me a lot of time to get rid of the grain of the paper when using colored pencils. Maybe it’s just that I haven’t gotten the technique down to make it work easier for me. Another drawback is that it’s not very forgiving. I don’t like unforgiving things.
The second paper that I wouldn’t even try again for colored pencils is Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper. It has no tooth. That means I can’t layer and get a depth of color to it. Maybe four years ago, I drew a portrait of my dog, Nessa, on this paper. I couldn’t get her as dark as I wanted. I’ll attach that picture below.
Again, some artists love this paper. I believe they use PanPastels first and then add colored pencils. I’ve never tried that technique, so if I do I’ll let you know how it turns out. Maybe that would change my mind, but until then I’m sticking to toothier papers.
If you’ve read my blogs before you know I am a Clairefontaine Pastelmat fan. I also like Grafix drafting film, although I haven’t used it for over a year.
Nessa, drawn with Prismacolors on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper, series 500 (background in pastels).
Blender That Isn’t My Favorite- I do like to blend layers with colored pencils. That’s part of the fun! I don’t like this blender: Prismacolor Premier Colorless Marker Blender. I just didn’t think it did much.
I used it for the Nessa drawing, above. The idea is that you put your layers down, and then use the blender to mix the pigments. It’s just a way of using alcohol as a solvent in a concentrated way via an applicator.
I prefer to use another wax-based pencil as a blender. If I’m going to do that, I like to use a color or a wax-based colorless blender. However, I find that using a white or lighter-colored pencil works better than colorless blenders.
If I want to go a step further for a sky, for example, I’ll use a solvent like Gamsol. I apply it sparingly with a paintbrush.
If you are curious about burnishing and using solvents, I wrote blogs on those topics as well. You can find them here:
2. Pastel Supplies
Paper Type- Admittedly, I have only tried three types of paper while using pastels so far: Pastelmat (you know how I feel about that), velour (I liked it, but I’ll have to work on it more), and Canson Mi-Teintes Board.
It’s the Canson Mi-Teintes Board I’m not wild about. I bought this from the Blick Art store before I took the time to learn about the best papers for pastel art. The store associate pointed it out to me but probably wasn’t a pastel artist. Anyway, the paper can only hold one or two layers of pastel. I drew a black cat on the paper, which was a fun exercise, but I won’t use the other paper again unless I want to do a white or gray charcoal study on it.
I’ve since learned that Canson makes a toothier paper for pastels called Canson Mi-Teintes Touch, which can hold many more layers. Lesson learned.
I’ll stick to Pastelmat and velour paper for now. In the future, I want to try UArt sanded paper and I also have a pad of Fabriano Ingres paper in my stockpile that I’ve never tried. After I give these a whirl, I’ll be sure to report back.
Pastel sticks- As I said, I am newer to pastels than I am to colored pencils, but I am diving straight in. So that means I’m trying to learn everything I can.
I’ve already figured out that there are brands of pastels that I don’t love. I am, however, going to withhold further judgment for pastels until I get some more experience under my belt. I’m currently learning from two pastel artists, and I want to see what I learn with them before reporting back.
I will say that I have inherited some cheap pastels from people over the years. I know they are cheap because when I Google the brands I can’t find any reference. So I would just say, what you probably already know is that you get what you pay for with art supplies. The quality is reflected in the price, so buy as nice of quality pastels as you can and your artwork will thank you for it.
3. Printer
This is the only tech supply I’ll add here and so I’ll give this printer its own category! I’m really doing this because I forgot to add my new printer in my last blog on favorite supplies.
Previously, we bought a Cannon Pixma printer for probably $50 at Walmart one day when we needed to print and scan some documents. This printer was very frustrating because it would eat ink super quickly.
I like to print out my reference photos for when I draw. I print them the same size that I want my finished piece to be. I do that so that I can make sure my proportions and sizing are correct. As a result, I print frequently.
It was a blessing when the Cannon died because then I researched and found the Epson Ecotank, which has refillable ink bottles. I love this printer. I have printed many color pictures since I bought it and the ink levels haven’t moved much at all. I highly recommend it!
Conclusion
As I reflect on these trials and triumphs, I'm reminded that artistry is not just about the finished piece but the journey taken to reach it. Each supply guides us toward mastery. So, as you embark on your creative odyssey, may you embrace the good, discern the not-so-great, and find beauty in every experiment you undertake.
Share your tales of supply woes and victories in the comments below so that we can learn and grow together.
