PURGE Your Art Supplies? | The BIG Business of Art Supplies 

There is a ‘creative reuse’ store near me -basically a goodwill style thrift store for art supplies. It is my favorite place buy and donate art supplies. The one downside of buying previously loved art supplies for pennies on the dollar is falling in love with a supply only to discover they stopped making it decades ago when I try to complete the set of something bought via thrift.

Things that don’t hold up to storage: - Gelatin sized papers: they don’t do well in humid storage. It can be fixed with warm water but it takes off some of the sizing. Sizing going bad doesn’t really affect drawing, only watercolor. Hot press is more prone to this. Cheap paper sized with starch are also prone to this. -White India ink: the pigment separates from the binder. Varies in brands and colors. Black is generally safe. -Masking fluid: always store it upside down because the rubber always hardens. -Markers, they always dry up - Gouache and Watercolor tubes: some brands are too dry but you can always pour them on a pan. Holbein Gouache is too dry for storage. Also never grab paint directly from the tube to the brush as you can contaminate your tube with mold spores from the water in your brush. If you have a stay wet palette and don’t use it then add a few drops of alcohol or any fungicide. -Acrylic tubes: They always dry up but you can get a plastic bag and use it as a seal in the cap. You can store in a sealed environment. Soft body acrylics last more. -Some natural brushes can be eaten by a moth, so if you need to store them first harden them with gum Arabic or seal them in a box. -Cans of paint or ink (oil or water based). Unlike a tube, they store more air and will make your paint dry. Oil only develops a skin but some brands bring a plastic skin to put in top of your oil based ink.

Great points, Mark. And the bottom line: we only really get better by sitting down and spending time with our art. New supplies can't help us make the quantum leap. For me, the most important time I spend is with a pencil and paper, period.

Super valuable & sobering info here. Agree with all of it, though I didn't realize the financial numbers/stakes were so high! Even more relieved I never hopped on the sponsored supplies reviews trends myself. Thanks for posting this for more people to understand, Mark. As usual, your channel is a gem.

"Shop from my shelves" is my motto for 2024. Your video gave me more arguments to stick to it and reminded me of more ways to look at my inventory. I really liked your illustration as well. Thanks, Mark!

I don't want to purge as I couldn't afford art supplies my entire life until into my 60s. I always loved art but couldn't afford to do it except graphite. So I'm just keeping my stuff even if I can't use it all before I die. I'll let my family know to donate it all when I'm gone though. I'm not going to spend the time I have left feeling guilty and stupid for owning stuff I don't use up. Nice drawing and I love those Kuretake paints, I use them a lot, glad for you that you finally broke them out. What I will purge is 3/4 of the yt channels I subbed to as most of them are now useless because so many have become haulers the last couple of years. I have learned a lot of techniques from yt though, there's some really great people sharing their time and expertise, you just have to do a lot of weeding out. Those haul videos are annoying as heck.

how dare you call out my 7 year old bottle of masking fluid that i have indeed never used! 🤣🤣🤣

The openning statement is soooo true. I have more watercolor supplies than our small town art store. I have several pads of paper that I just can’t find the time to even start, let alone use up. I try to paint and draw regularly, and most of my supplies can’t go bad, but I also have loads of stuff that can go bad.

having painted for 20 some years, i too have a surplus of supplies. My grandkids receive alot of my extras as do my students (i supply all materials for the 3 week beginning watercolor class, that way they haven't wasted money on a hobby they don't persue after the class). Our town has a swap shop at the local transfer station (aka 'dump'), great place to donate as well as find useful stuff for free. As to the urge to buy, buy, buy, i have stopped watching almost all 'art haul' and review videos. The only reviewer i watch is 'frugalcrafter', i find her very honest and she always compares the new with her older products. The Chinese manufacturers are amazing at packaging, its hard to resist those colored pencils of a few years ago that came in 5 gorgeous chinese dragon decorated boxes. thanks for another well done and relevant video and love your drawing as usual!

😅 Wow, this video is almost having the opposite effect on me. I never thought the Gansai Tambi were worth a 2nd glance until I saw those orchid, mint & golden hues. Everything I buy is highly intentional as I'm disabled, homebound & on a very limited income. I'm so glad to hear Rin from Drawing WiffWaffles is made that much. She's disabled & hasn't been able to work outside the home in years. She hasn't posted in a year due to serious health issues. I hope her income is able to get her the care she desperately needs.

Boy, you hit the nail right on the head, sir. It's inferiorating that " Professional" artists do this. Yet readers ask influencers to compare junk to junk, and they do. I'm not an artist by any means but am a believer in having a small selection of artist grade(Derwent, Faber Castell etc.) than a set of 100 Amazon for 19.99 products.

I do agree with most of what you said. I have to leave my art supplies out in the open or I will completely forget about them. I’m trying to use what I have before I buy anything else. Like a sketchbook I have been using on and off since 1997. 😅 Out of all artists to get money, Rin from DrawingWiffWaffles absolutely deserves it. She really changed the way I look at my art. I use to pick apart my art but Rin is like you should be proud of what you make and I’m like yea…why not, right? It made me more positive when it comes to my art. I don’t even consider her an influencer because she’s always more focused on making art with the products, mostly from art subscription boxes, than selling the products themselves. Plus, she hasn’t posted anything in over a year because of her health issues. She’s a good kid and I hope she’s doing better.

Thank you for this. I've felt myself heading toward the cliff of overconsumption of different art supplies, when I know I only use a few core ones. I hate how we are targeted and artists are swayed by free products and ad revenue.

"art supplies from high school"....... umm....I am working on revamping an art studio in my house. This is NOT my first house! I have moved more than anyone I know except for military families!! Anyway.... I am 60+ and the other day as I was getting rid of some old art supplies, I ran across my high school set of oil pastels!!!!! LOL And no, I didn't throw them away!!! LOL Love all your videos and artwork!!!

i think that you've covered so much ground , Mark , with this video .. Even though your thoughts are related to just art supplies, I do believe we are all quite seduced into just buying stuff cause it's a rush .. we justify it in all kinds of ways .." i need this.. i deserve this.. treating myself , etc etc "... whether it's art supplies, clothing , office supplies or home goods , most of us want immediate gratification with that new thing .. I've been trying to downsize , with clothing mostly , and it's insane what I've accumulated !! anyway , this was so much food for thought .. thank you , Mark .. Norakag, here 😊

Well said! Especially with the watercolors 😅 I have a lot of sets, and even that I paint with them nearly daily, I have to hold myself back from buying more. I have such a problem with sketchbooks too, I got into sketchbook making and it's addictive, but I can't use them up as easily as I make them. I wish I could give more to my artist friends but they don't draw that much sadly. Buying art supplies is such a thing that gets easily out of control.

We have a thrift store specifically for art supplies. It's a place where good intentions of starting a hobby land and get a new life

Thank you so much for the acknowledgement i was not expecting it. I love watching your perspective on art on your artistic decisions. I agree on over buying art supplies argument. Now that i am in a serious no buy i realize i dont really need to keep up with trends and just explore art supplies i have. Thank you, stay safe and bless

I do love to watch all kind of haul videos and have been spurred to purchase some of the stuff they show. I'm getting better lately about NOT feeling so tempted. But it takes some self-discipline and reminding myself of what I already have. I was gobsmacked when some months back I saw a Jazza video (very talented graphic artist in Australia or New Zealand?) where he was almost in tears bc he was going to have to begin using Patreon memberships as a way to charge people for his more in-depth content. This is a guy, at the time, who had over 5 million subs and large viewership numbers. I don't follow him regularly...don't do graphic art, but enjoy watching him sometimes and he's very funny too. But he said his income from YT had been really fluctuating up and down...and I guess more down and he was not getting the income from viewers that used to be more steady. He and his wife and child had obviously come to rely on what I assumed was pretty high income. But in the ensuing years he had also built a studio, then a bigger studio and has at least two employees. I guess he's doing ok now and has grown to add another million+ subs. He seems to be a genuinely nice & caring person and I hope he can continue making fun, entertaining and helpful tutorials for many more years. But it just goes to show you, you can never rely 100% on the income from videos, even with millions of subscribers.

Thankfully I have an easy way to purge my supplies after about a year and a half. I have grandkids and two of them really enjoy making art and they are teenagers. Now those are my daughters stepdaughters however they're still my grandkids and I seem to be the only grandparent that supportive of their art supplies. Anything else other than supplies that they will use I have a wonderful 10-year-old grandson who enjoys doing art even though he's not particularly good at it yet he has fun with it and so I encouraged him whenever he spends time with us which is usually during the Summers.

Your mentioning of DrawingWiffWaffles makes me think of her again. I hope she's doing okay with her illness. She hasn't posted in around a year. I think she drew viewers because of her talent more than her reviews. People would send her products and she'd say, "look they sent me this and here I am drawing with it" really with no opinion offered. She was very much neutral about the supplies she used. And she came from the DeviantArt world and developed a major following of her peers. Her peers were in the advertising sweet spot so she was well-promoted. One thing that You Tube artists offer here is legacy. And it's a bit of a grief process when some of them aren't active here anymore. I will be so glad to "see" her again, if we do. I think the reason I tend to buy so many supplies is because of fear of inflation and extinction. I've got many items that I can't find in store anymore or that are so cost prohibitive now that I wouldn't even want them. I'm glad I grabbed them while I could. When I see something I know I'll love, I stock up, even at the risk that it'll go bad. Of course, some of the things I buy are just to try out of curiosity. I think of them as "experiences" and am fine if I only use them once as an exploration. But definitely some of these need to be passed along. Bottom line is the only thing precious in this art equation is the artist. People who stock up and then don't use their supplies should stop doing that. The supplies will be used, either by the artist or the person who buys them at their estate sale....or by the carbon cycle when they have to be thrown away. Choose wisely in this equation. I think some of the "free product" is probably valuable to review, just because it brings hits...although I think artists get more hits from Temu and Dollar Tree hauls than from Artistro white labels. I'm a curious student of internet sociology and tend to pay attention to what draws people to certain channels. I pretty much take every review with a grain of salt. I can almost hear the subtext of, "I won't say anything bad or they won't send me more free product". I will admit that this also stems from having been gullible and burned a few times. Thankfully, those burns weren't worth that much.

I can't afford to get rid any of my favorite art supplies. Due to Inflation the cost of art supplies have skyrocketed. Where I live we only have Michael's and Hobby Lobby and they are not stocking there shelves with name brand products. It's 80% of their cheap brands made in China and they are junk so I'm forced to shop on line for name brands if the price is right.

This is very timely, I am in the middle of reevaluating and assessing my current art supply stash. Having access to every type of art supply imaginable has catapulted my progress in art, and really refined my taste for specific types of supplies. I have quickly discovered what I like, and do not like by trying and comparing different brands. I never could afford or even had access to a lot of these when I was young. I enjoy art , more now than ever. I have a local consignment store that buys and sells used items. I like the fact that I can take things there get some store credit and make accessible good art supplies to other people who may not have access to, or the ability to afford them. Great video :-) everyone needs a reminder now and then about being grateful for what we have, and being mindful of what we use.

I had to laugh at one point in the video. Yeah, when I was able to start selling the odd piece of art I thought 'great, I am making money on my art!" Then I realized that what I was doing with said money was buying more, better, new supplies so I could make more art! 😁 I agree, you do have to purge occasionally, and I try to give it to some art program at the local school, senior center, etc, so I know it will go to good use. I am currently in the midst of trying to get all of my supplies together in one place, so I can see what all I have got, and then start making cuts. I think I tend to buy too much because, living in a rural area it is necessary to order them and I tend to try and get everything I 'think I might need" while I am placing the order. Thank you, once again, for an informative and thought provoking video.

Great review of the state of things in art supplies. Over the last four months I've had a real purge of my art materials. It's very cathartic but it does help concentrate the mind on actually using what you've got!

Really thoughtful video. I think of the woodworkers out there. The woodworking guys that are into epoxy work use huge amounts of colored pencils for wood turning and making cool table tops. For their purposes, old hardened colored pencils wouldn't be a problem for them.

Nope. Not going to purge my art supplies. Now that I'm retired, I buy less and am using what I have. Whatever is left when I am gone can be donated. Till then, I am keeping and using it, especially those items which I love but are now discontinued. Disappointed in your mention of Rin at DWW too.

The art you are making is so appropriate for this topic

I've reselling low use art supplies as I've already expirenced things going bad and why I'm doing it much more quickly and also less likely to buy more things. Funny though, I've gone back to more traditonal materials because of AI so it makes me want to step away from using the PC

awesome video. i just got a great art toolkit pallett from someone who was downsizing what they did not use. it is now my go to travel pallett!

Thanks so much for this. I really needed to hear this.

I’m guilty as charged on all counts! 😂

Spectracolor! I started with the 48 color set in 1978 (the max at the time) and bought open stock as they added hues - full set syndrome. Some aren't even sharpened all these decades later.

You always get us thinking Mark thank you for another great video.😊

I've found that you don't really need a great deal of supplies anyway - I bought some Winsor and Newton ink for Inktober in 2022 and only used a small fraction of it. Even if you do art regularly, you need less than you think, and it's terrible if you have bought something, barely used it (or not used it at all) and it's gone bad before you start using it. It's not good for your finances or the environment and I regularly see art room tour videos on youtube where the artist will never use most of the stuff. I have also noticed the phenomenon of youtube influencers and product reviews - a couple of years ago, it was quite useful for me because up until then I had been struggling with using low quality art supplies from discount shops (I didn't know that a lot of the other products and brands, particularly professional quality brands existed.) It helped me find things that I wanted to try, but on the other hand, it also caused me a lot of disappointment because I didn't have the money to spend on a lot of the things I wanted. I also got frustrated with some influencers because they went through some good brands which I enjoyed finding out about, but then I noticed that some of them started reviewing obscure things from sites like Ali Express and then last year, the dreaded Temu. I stopped paying attention to the ones that were just buy this, buy that... and which were gimmicky (there are ones worse than Drawing with Waffles) and started watching ones that were more focused on creating art. There are a lot of good ones out there that do watercolour tutorials and coloured pencils. Buying new supplies is great, but creating your own art with them is better and more satisfying.

Thanks for this explanation. There is much that I was unaware of, and it will help,me purge my supplies and be more careful what I purchase. I have definitely been swayed by the influencers who show off their shiny bright new patettes!

I planned nearly 10 years, before retirement, to puchase art/craft supplies. I'm glad I did and restrain myself purchasing more than the basics... not so easy! It's like buying cookbooks when we just want a cook... or to be them. Laughter. I live in a very, very rural area... retired here. My slow purging, as figure out what I really enjoy most, has been taken to the local post office where people leave books, sometimes food, and small misc things. I love that the bags of misc art/craft things disappear into this 'miles to your neighbor) community.

Great discussion! It's true that a few art influencers make it big, but for each one making money, there are thousands of tiny ones buying tons of supplies and doing reviews, trying to get the algorithm to bless them. As I'm sure you know reviews are much more promoted than tutorials, and there's a reason for that! I assume all those small creators account for a lot of the increase in the art supply market. This is not just true for art -- but also makeup, nail polish, clothing... and probably many other realms too. There's also the problem of subscription boxes and reviewing those. That is a way to end up with way too many art supplies very quickly, many of them questionable quality, a strange selection of colors (often the ones that didn't sell), duplicates and ones the recipients will never use because they don't favor that media.

Thanks Mark for the wounderful video and yes the discussion is enjoyable. Actually, it is all about the child inside us. I remember your previous video on the big mistakes Artest doing and over purchase was on of them. You stated some advices like pay in cash not in your bank card, shop alone not with others. I like all the ideas in this videos, but the problem is inside us. We could not prevent ourselves from purchasing art supplies. We have unlimited reasons. This pen is great, this sketchbook is extraordinary....etc. then we came to one of wounderful video about what you can do with your old sketchbooks. Actually, to be honest having the arts supplies are pert of our fun, entertaining and educational activities. Mark again thank you very much for this video and happy to see the drawing you made during the video. Thank yiu

Hi Mark, thanks for the shoutout! The message in your video is strong and necessary. I was guilty to not purge, but also not use the paper quickly enough. Which I do now with those that did not go bad yet. :) But I too feel like it's getting out of hand and most content isn't about art anymore, but more advertisements. Especially those reviews, where companies approach people and give them supplies in return for a positive one. Sadly it often shows, that the supplies do not behave as promised. That's really awful and I now trust only a few people, who truly will tell how the supplies are without praising too much. In the end it's also very personal. Oftentimes supplies can appear tempting while I know I will not use them anytime soon just because the other artist is incredibly skilled. I must admit with the database my drawers filled with paints quicker than I have ever thought. But I'm using them now for color theory now. And your words are just true. It's a very materialistic world we live in. It's more fun though to not think of it too much and just paint. Your painting is amazing btw. It's awesome how you make them fit the theme you talk about. I wonder now, what do you do with them after the videos? Have a wonderful day and stay safe! Lana

If people wanted to donate art supplies may i recommed to call their local fostercaresocial services or domestic abuse shelters or even veterans associates..or local schools.. many people know they wont be professional artist but just like to draw paint or craft it helps with anxiety or depression and many people dont have money to buy art supplies..thank to all who donate and chose art to make thevworld more beautiful..🎨✍

Hahahahaha! Just found your site, and loved this video. I was just discussing this topic with a woman in the art store yesterday as I was picking up a new pad of Arches. Every artist I know has at least a few more art supplies than they need. My theory is that when we sometimes feel a bit blocked and the creative juices aren't flowing, a trip to the art store can be a great spark to get going again. It's still the dead of winter here in Canada, and the winter doldrums have certainly sapped my creativity lately. I have watched a few of those influencers who focus heavily on their weekly "hauls". I doubt that most people immediately rush to Amazon to shop for all that stuff - ya gotta "Art Responsibly" after all hahaha. In truth, most artists on RU-vid don't suggest art supplies, they just generously share great knowledge and instruction, like you. RU-vid offers a whole world of artists teaching in whatever style you want to learn. Personally, I have learned more from artists on RU-vid than I have ever been able to absorb from taking expensive classes and I'm very grateful for that.

I also like to purge every so often! I recently donated a ton of stuff to the art department at the college I went to. It's nice to see them go to a place where they will get used and to help other people out. I know what it's like to be a broke art student, lol. Side note, I have that same set of Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors that I bought forever ago, and I haven't ever used it either! This was a great reminder and wake-up call!

Brilliant! Thank you.

I am a big fan of this. We have a FB page for our town and I have both gotten and given away art supplies here - I had to find out that things like oil paints and oil pastels are really NOT my thing, so they are better of with someone else. I am automatically restricted with my art supplies as I don't have money for them :/ so when I can get some new ones it's always a very special day. Thank you for this video and your thoughts. PS that part about Arches 'falling apart' is scary. It's so hugely used in the watercolour community.

Hullo Mark, I have found a favorite saying by Lindsay Weirich, “The Frugal Crafter” she does a LOT of products and product reviews and she has a wonderful saying “Use what you got!” She might be using a high end brand or even a budget brand for her tutorial or review. She is constantly reminding us, the viewer, to use what you have! You are not required to buy this brand of paint, pencil, etc. just follow along at your best pace and use the quality of supply that you already own! I have even taken a Michael’s class and we know that they are simply doing this to sell products! Yet there is Lindsay saying if you have Derwent watercolor pencils great, but any brand will work! I am aware that I will never be able to use up my current art supplies, but I am sure gonna try! Now that I am “retired” and not doing work for clients, I can spend time on the projects I want to do. Learn about new to me mediums, like soft pastels and take as much time as it takes to get good enough to enjoy myself! Nice video Mark, keep the home fires burning as they say. Please continue to create your art while sharing your art journey with us. You sir are appreciated and I am thankful for you and your channel.

Thanks for the heads up on watercolor paper sizing; I had bought a few mixed media sketchbooks but resisted buying good blocks before paints and activities. The next few years will feature making sketchbooks more than an intention, focusing on dry materials on hand before upgrading color pencils and adding limited palettes of watercolor and gouache, building that gradually. I overstocked a third time over a decade ago (I'm 63) on artist acrylics (2D, 3D use) given the lack of a good workspace, and have mostly been prepping/ and customizing models during life events and a stalled renovation. I want to test a couple other brands to phase out another, but that will be gradual as well. I love an attractive convenience color, but at this point it has to fill a clear use/notion that justifies the amount of material/cost. Buy small sizes (oz/ml), see what you use. I avoid most sets unless lightfast, and chose individual colors accordingly.

I couldn’t agree enough with making an inventory. It is valuable and sobering. I think 2020 was the start of overspending for me. I usually went to art stores physically before that. Discovering that I could order from SO many places and signing up for their emails really caused an imbalance. I was in school as an are major 10+ years ago and I made several trips to the art store to pick up paper each semester (printmaking and painting)- but they were used in no time and then I’d go back. In recent times- it became more about sets- the pretty boxes they came in etc. I NEVER needed so many pigments- I didn’t even know 25% of the WC brands existed. I do now😂😂. I’ve been slowly selling the watercolor sets I collected (it grosses me out that I was “collecting”sets) and I’m trying to have only what I’ll use. I’ve been merciless with selling them with their beautiful tins/ boxes. I hope I can reach equilibrium soon. Thanks for this video.❤

I loved this video!! Such a much needed topic and you covered it so well. One thing I do is swap. So I have a couple painterly sisters and often we do this conversation which is simmilar to the go-fish card game. I ask one or two of them if they have a particular colour and if they do in a tube they can pour it for me or send me their half pan if they don't use it. It started out as a swap situation but now we don't keep track we just randomly send stuff around and it all ends up evening out in the was as they used to say. Also often if one buys a tube of a new paint they share around half pans, quarter pans or dots. This way we all benefit from the purchases of others. And share in return. It's an amazing way to get the feeling of purchasing something without purchasing anything. It's really a fun way to keep in contact as life gets busy and without an excuse to reach out sometimes we neglect some of our treasured friends. Thank you again for doing this video!!!! xoxo

For me it's not about how much I use certain supplies but having access to them for any given idea. Also if someone's supplies are deteriorating then I think there's a bigger problem with how they are being stored and cared for that should be addressed. Imagine spending hundreds of dollars on supplies just to don't take care of them, that to me seems crazy.

I don’t have too many art supplies. I had some financial goals I wanted to meet so that has kept me in check with my spending. I met a huge financial goal, now have a few others to tackle. Since I am long out of the habit of spending I think I will continue to be okay. 😊

I'm in the process of sorting out my art supplies. I have a box of supplies that will be sold at a garage sale. I'm also focusing on using the supplies that have been set aside and now I'm learning mixed media and having fun. Great insights, Mark. BTW: many of my supplies are thrifted from garage and estate sales, antique and re-sale stores and e bay. I love using vintage supplies in my sketchbooks .....I think I have a few of those spectracolor pencils you mentioned!

Try being a fiber artist who also has to make room for large equipment - like looms, sewing machines, spinning wheels, etc on top of all of the supplies! I'm currently in the middle of re-vamping and re-tooling my studio and it is taking AGES to get through everything. Great video - as usual - but sooo timely for me right now 🙂

Thanks Mark now I won’t be able to sleep tonight……….watercolor paper going bad, never heard of that before. Guess I am lucky here no big art stores here. Thanks for the video 😵‍💫🥸☺️🤔🤥😁

Has anyone else had this problem?: you contact local schools with offers of unused or "new old stock" art supplies that are in pristine condition but get turned down! Instead they say they would be happy to receive a "monetary donation" instead. Now I understand that a school art program may not want/need odd art supplies that don't fit what they normally use in class but you'd think they'd be happy to get free stuff that they DO use -- like watercolors, colored pencils, tempera, acrylics, markers, crayons, paper..the usual materials. But no. Yet if you do give them cash, that's exactly what they will buy! The only thing I can think to account for this is that those "big corporations" have them all sewn up in supply-contracts that don't allow them to source supplies from anyone else but them. Or maybe it's something else; I dunno. It's not like the old days when schools seemed happy to receive material donations. I've had slightly better luck with churches but they usually won't take anything but the simplest supplies. Who knew it would be so hard to re-home perfectly good art supplies!!!!

I just stumbled upon your channel...I enjoyed the content. I look forward to watching more.

Ive recently started to gift away a lot of art supplies to friends, I have WAY too much piled up from when I was younger in school (didnt help that our school gave us a 40% off on stuff.. So I bought a lot of stuff just because it was cheap too for the future..), but im 27 now and I'm preeetty sure I like what I like now. Recently gave away all my qouache paints to a friends boyfriend who joined art school and hadnt tried it/didnt have the budget to buy it. Felt like the right thing to do, all it will do is go bad in my drawers after all since I myself despise painting with gouache 😂

I just prevented myself from buying another watercolor set. I actually have a harder time with buying the cheap supplies!! It's like I get my fix from the new supply even if they aren't that good. Instead of buying more I cleaned my other sets out and revived some himi gouache that was looking pretty sad.

This is really good information. When I was at university, there was a table in the hallway for swapping art supplies plus (I got a rad orange working fondue pot from the 60’s once - lol). Then I joined a printmaking cooperative where members often offered free odds/ends of art supplies and also sold excess paper. I got some unusual papers and some water color paper for a fabulous price. You mention less than transparent product reviews-I have had the experience of ordering a recommended book that I regretted and also watercolors once. I thought, oh well, personal opinion but now I wonder. I teach beginning watercolor and will recommend this to them. My students are lucky as I give them a sheet of recommended affordable watercolors, brushes, and paper as a handout as well as sources for affordable supplies.

I started watching water color and then mix media videos since the beginning of the pandemic. At first I was so fascinated with all the art hauls with fantastic new things, I started buying more and more. For a while now I came to realize how harmful art haul videos are and stopped watching them. I only watch art hauls if the artist does an actual art with the products in the same video. It is not only the new content creators, some of the established ones also constantly do art hauls and it’s only to gain from their affiliate links. Thank you for making this honest video. I love your illustration.

While I admire these mega home art studio tours, My art supply volume is very modest, and I USE them. I use my best stuff but own nothing with a huge price tag... (I never fund the big art companies anything but a few dollars). And often buy from other artists. = happy artist = happy artwork. (I just did a sort of survey. I've bought 15 Tim H. products, but bought the first one dated 2011, so, about one a year).

you know what?! thanks for that topic! =) I’ve started into watercolours just 1-2 years ago.. and my first few purchase were by shiny look (those gansai tambi colours were one of them) - but I had to research more and now I have a modest collection with which I’m not yet ready to part 😊 but once the time comes I will consider donation of the art supplies.

This is so interesting. Lately I’ve felt like RU-vid is just one huge infomercial. It’s a point of pride to display “art hauls” and to have the “complete set” of something, usually that product is incredibly expensive. The message is you too need this or that product. It’s not about using it, it’s about owning it. That is the accomplishment. The products can be good or not very good. Fads seem to sweep through RU-vid and everyone will be reviewing the same thing. It doesn’t even matter if the product gets a good or bad review. It’s all about exposure. I’ve stopped watching any video that has the word “haul in it. But, yeah, I’m susceptible. You’ve inspired me to some purging.

I know of a small gallery of associated artists where they regularly give away useful materials that have been donated by members either for their purging what they no longer need or never used. Art books and even artworks are in the same situation. Keeping Art that we don’t sell accumulates and becomes a hindrance to making more. Maybe we should have art and supplies swaps. You think?

Great video.

I collected a lot of free pigments, paints and professional grade paper for free or a small amount of money via classified ads. Most of it came after the lockdowns. I only purchase professional grade and cruelty free art materials, and plan ahead. You are right about making an inventory and moving materials on if they are no longer relevant. I also plan my purchases for sales and only invest in professional grade materials which I think are sustainable. I also mix my own oil and watercolour paints at home for my own use. So I save money and resources.

neon fabric markers from highschool 😂😂😂😂

I've resolved to use what I already have - mostly. I've bought so many art supplies in the past that I have a large stash. I've recently been revisiting supplies I haven't used for a long time and it's been just as gratifying as opening a box of new stuff ever was. I've been watching YT videos to learn new techniques for experimenting with the supplies I have. It's been a great way to expand my art making without spending money. Honestly, we can make art with very basic supplies, even by recycling packaging or old clothing to feed our creative juices. Unless you're a professional artist who is concerned about archival properties, student grade supplies are often a budget friendly way to fuel your creativity - and graphite is really cheap, widely available and yields endless possibilites. In the past, I've donated unwanted art supplies to creative reuse stores (art supply thrift shops) because I love the idea of someone else getting pleasure from something I no longer want. I had to laugh about your inventory system. I'm definitely not THAT organized, but as someone who has moved frequently, art supplies get pared down every time I move.

Greetings, I may help a few artists with something I discovered while purging my markers and micro pens. I had pulled the top of a marker off with my teeth. I was interrupted while still holding the top in my mouth. I discovered the top had tiny holes in it. No wonder they dried up so quickly-this is especially true of alcohol markers. Not all have holes. However, some holes are cleverly concealed under the clip. I decided to plug the holes. I tried hot glue and air dry clay. NOT a good idea. I finally settled on a very thin application of museum putty. It worked satisfactorily; but I’m still looking for something to apply quickly with little”fiddling.” The good news is my treated pens have served me longer than I ever expected. The new ones I treated three years ago and did not use are still “brand new!” I would most certainly be open to other suggestions for sealing the holes. One word of caution. Do not do this if you have infants or young children in your home. The holes are there to prevent the child from choking. I am I impressed with your delivery style. Most RU-vid channel presentations, I find, are either too fast, too slow, are unprepared, are peppered with too many “ums,” and eternally long pauses. It’s beyond me why many presenters spend half the video talking about their kids, animals, their health, or anything other than the titled subject. It is so refreshing to see a well-planed, logically delivered, and well-spoken RU-vid presentation. Thank you for the time you spent. Warm regards, Astrid

8:00 Honestly that's the same as me. I am constantly (even with my channel currently being quiet) getting emails throwing free product at me for a review. Like, stuff I've never heard of, never seen, just "here, you want this?!" No. I don't. Half the time I don't even use that type of product, which means this isn't a targeted promotion, it's just that I'm clearly an artist and might want free stuff for the low low price of my authenticity to my audience. I don't necessarily blame people, but I 100% won't click affiliate links, or buy things because I saw someone else "reviewing" it. I tend to keep my inventory similar to yours. If it's not being used, *why* is it not being used, and how long will it be viable if I don't use it.

I can't even afford supplies anymore so if I run out I just have to do without it. And I have even turned to scratch building because most of the stuff used to make the buildings is stuff that would normally get thrown away and other things is common stuff found around the house. That is basically my arts and crafts budget now.

I enjoyed this video. I have a little extra supplies but nothing close to that of anyone else I know. My only overflow fits in a $10 clear bin with a lid. I do have paper and paint stoage but its just one 12x12 3 drawer storage and one pull out 5x7 drawer of tubes. Thats it. I could fit everything I have in a small suitcase on wheels!

I enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing. I have lots of supplies that I donate to the local senior center if I don't use it. Great information in this video. :-)

This video is giving me ideas of purging my own supplies. I will try to let go of some of my supplies. I have a lovely lady that I am occasionally tutoring in watercolor. I will offer her some of my student supplies. And I will gift some of the student quality gouache to a kid I know who loves art. Those supplies I am thinking of letting go are decent student quality, but since I moved to artist grade supplies I am not using my student supplies at all.

two weeks ago we decided to have a combo house and art studio yard sale...just going through the many drawers and cabinets has made me realize why all the table tops are covered with 'stuff'! it is because i have begun painting using a different kind of paint...with one cabinet with drawers FULL of regular oils but meanwhile i have begun acquiring and painting with water-mixable oils ...so...where do i put them? On top of the table. And with acrylics, i began using the slow-drying 'Open' acrylics while i have another whole cabinet full of every kind of fast drying kind..and where do they go? On top of anothr table...so...no space and have to climb over things to actually work!! Out much is going to the YARD SALE in two weeks. Amazing.

Heheheh... Sooo, I have a bottle of masking fluid that has remained untouched for over a year. I feel so called out lol. Thanks for the video, M.D.

I went through a long phase of collecting art supplies over the past two years, as part of learning illustration, comics and cartoons. I don't plan to give up the hoard, but what I found out is that the basic supplies for that work are all 100 years old or more, and the newer things that work well - are office supplies. Ruled paper, index cards, Bic multipens, shape stencils, etc. are all things that work fine for developing imagery before taking it to the "good stuff". So on the one hand, that makes it seem simple: I could just doodle using Bics and subject notebooks forever. But there are things I learn by occasionally dipping into the hoard, because things do change a little with different papers or marker pens or crayons. And that's the context in which I buy this stuff - it teaches me something.

In May my local market town is holding an (outdoor) market for craft and art supplies, stalls restricted to users, no businesses allowed, and no finished work to be offered. My craft group has rented a stall for the day. I'm going through the club's stash and my craft room, purging both, some bits in the bin but most for the stall. It's a surprisingly satisfying activity. I do hope we have good weather and that people turn up with their wallets!

I have been looking into in-kind donation of some supplies to the public school art department locally. Guessing they can always use some additional supplies on hand for the students.

Imo one of the biggest issues is certain art supplies being waaaay too much... especially ink bottles, for instance. I also have two small bottles of gold paint, do I need them both? Yes (diff shades). But will I be able to finish them within 5 years? no, probably not... I actually think the supplies I have are not in excess (mostly), however some stuff... I can see last me ages bc they sell at bigger than desirable sizes. I've been thinking of buying a bottle of oxgall for watercolour painting, the lady that recommended it said the bottle lasts her years! I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted 10. I think certain supplies not being offered at smaller sizes is kinda shady... I also give away supplies I don't need when I can! Yes even if they are good... I once gave a decent skethcbook to my cousin bc I didn't have a use for it at the time, and also gave paints and pens to a friend.

Excellent video!!! You have encouraged me to do more art. You also said colored pencils oxidize, something I didn't know, and then you said you've had some for 35 years and you will keep them and use them. How long does it take a colored pencil to go bad then? If it's over 35 years, I'm not worried, because I don't have that many years left in me.😂

I am cleaning my space. So much stuff . I posted a video on TikTok about it.

OMG, Great video. One exception and you addressed this: I have Eagle, Berol and whatever that other brand of prismacolor pencils is and they are as good as the day I bought them. In fact, I stopped using them as I get back into art and now that I see they're "vintage" stock. Please do a video about art instructors who sell you a bit of information on youtube and then get you to join their artilier or lessons, etc. There are tons of people out there. In fact, one guy says that you can only learn from one instructor and of course, he offers a drawing course. As an experienced artist getting back into it, it's easy to fall into all of the money traps only to learn that I'm doing value scales and cubes I did a hundred times over in art school and that's pretty much all that these courses offer with the exception of watching the guy do his thing. There is no hand holding in those courses!

it's unfortunate that person's watercolor paper went bad. I have arches that's 20 years old (huge sheets) my parents got me when I was learning that are still good today. I think it might be how well it's stored/taken care of maybe?

Wow! I didn't know watercolor paper sizing could wear down and colored pencils oxidize. It definitely makes me wonder how many old art materials I have laying around in different places.

I find that the watercolor paper going bad, since it's supposed to be archival, to be quite disturbing. This means it's not museum quality at all, not that my works will end up in a museum, but what about for our buyers and collectors? They expect quality, not a painting to delaminate in under ten years! I'm off to check my watercolor paper stash now, thanks for the heads up!

More of a worry is how to purge my old art and sketchbooks. Like I can’t keep ALL of it, but so hard to decide what to throw/ paint over

Individual sheets of watercolor paper has a shipping sizing on the surface and should be removed before use, per manufacturer recommendation. This may not mean the paper is bad or expired.

From 2020 onwards I've been on a downhill spiral thanks to Amazon and finding channels like DrawingWiffWafflez... This video is a huge eye-opener for me. I have art supplies sitting around my room taking up space.😩 I think it's time to declutter a bit more seriously.

I love my art supplies

I cracked up when reading on an art chat that going into an art supply store to artists was like going into a porn store. Some of the same emotions occur: desire, being excited and thrilled - and the like. It's also well documented that the brain loves colours. Dopamine, oxytocine and similar neuro chemicals that enduce happiness are triggered by colours. Art supply manufactors and retailers know all this. So no wonder it is a huge business area. Thanks for addressing this. 👍❤

Excellent video, Mark. I was amazed by the whole 'Zentangle' thing of monetarising and attempting to gatekeep doodling 😂 The most recent wave of consumer excess has been driven by the Chinese art manufacturers and importers. Many of these have very questionable environmental and ethical labour issues. It's ironic that artists who painstakingly expend creative effort are inadvertently making the lives of workers on the other side of the world shorter and harder. Creativity is supposed to make lives better, surely?

Well said. I'm lucky to have won the battle with the inner art supply Want Monster as I simply just don't have the room. If the monster starts rearing it's ugly head again I just think "my home is a living and creative space, not a storage space"

I bought a big sheet of Arches paper at Hobby Lobby that I cut pieces from. Recently there were splotches after I did a wash, as if bits of paper eroded away. So... it's old?

In my city, there is a thrift store where you can bring any item, and everybody is allowed to take any item for free. It's called the 'free exchange store'. Items change hands with no money at all. But the most important to me is that what I bring, will be eventually be used by someone else (I hope). Greetings, Paula.

Boy, do I feel personally attacked. Lol. Haven't had anything go bad yet, and I do have stuff I haven't quite got to trying out yet, but I'm itching to. I'm moving house, so my storage, access to said items, and space to paint will make it a lot easier. Then I'll have a purge. I've already given away the craft stuff I used with the kids recently - youngest is 23, but then I wanted something from it to do something. Ugghhh... I think I'll fail.

Ok purge we get it. Are you trying to hypnotize us throw away your junk buy new buy new buy new buy new.

For content creators taking supplies is also symbionic. The creator gets something that is valuable and the company gets recognition. However; I would feel used getting something for "free" and that company makes millions off of my video. Yes, I would get ad content money, but not millions. A lot of retail stores have gone to off brand labels with inferior quality leaving themselves open to failure. Hobby Lobby and Michaels used to carry a lot of quality products and it was fun to wander isles. My nearest art supply of value is over an hour away. Even then, a lot of high end companies have dropped their quality and raised their prices leaving art retail stores with huge losses. I keep everything. I paid way too much to just give it away or sell it and most places like schools don't want the donations anyway.

I'm a whistleblower federal investigator blasting all Big Businesses consumer frauds. I am also an artist. Professional, street & amateur/student artists usually get sponsored & don't have to purchase many of their supplies. I am seeing many now getting used by the industry as influencers to get many others to purchase the products. I appreciate the reviews as a self-taught autistic prodigy who has zero time for art institute. I am learning about paper, inks, lightfast & student grade paints. However, many channels are straight up capitalist money grabbing.

Caran d'ache, etchr, w&n, posca etc...these are some brands that have definitely paid influencers well...sure the products are good but no pencil is worth $5 / a marker $15 / a 5ml tube of watercolor $15 / a sketchbook $110 (cdn prices)...when you put it into perspective it's quite ridiculous! Appreciate the video!