What’s YOUR favorite cheap art supply? 😍 The next best thing to “cheap” is “free”, so if you enjoy coloring, check out my *free* 10-page printable coloring book! I’ll also send you 1 free printable sent to your inbox every month for an entire year! Get the goodies here ➡ www.art-is-fun.com/free-adult-coloring-pages 💖
Thank you very much for the colouring pages 🙂 My favourite cheap art supplies are my watercolours I made myself from rocks I collected and Pigments I bought 🤣. I'm from Europe and that's why it can be a little different. My top cheap art supplies from stores are: Paper Pallets with 40 sheets in them ca 3€, a decoration store chain that exist all over Europe called Sostrene Grene, have them. I use it mainly for watercolours and gouache and use it several times. It has evolved into a book with different thematic palettes😂 Talents Art Creation acrylic paints are cheap but have a high quality, I found them at Action a Dutch discount store chain, I have heard that they are even higher than other competitors. It's 5x 75ml primary set or 12x 12ml it costs 4,95€ each. Watercolour paints in tubes are usually OK for colouring in sketches. The ones from 12x 12ml about 6€ Sostrene Grene are great, although a bit muted, there is a lot of colour left in the palette after drying, others consist largely of water. Sostrene Grene and Tedi a 1€ shop chain have very good watercolour paper for its price. DinA3 4€ 16 sheets 300g fine grain at Ted and DinA3 6€ 280g 10 sheets at Sostrene Grene it has a strange morse code texture on the front, but the back is a mixture between cold and hot press similar to cloudy Fontaine Watercolour Paper from Clairfontaine. I love the brown kraft paper block from Tedi with DinA4 50 Sheets for 4€, it's my favourite sketching paper. There are also these pads with white, brown and black paper. They are cheaper, but I usually only need the brown paper. I Love Art Watercolour brushes from Great Art/Kreativ.de I have the No 12 for ca 3€ it's imitation squirrel hair that can't imitate it, instead, it's a very good imitation of Sable. They have a set with No 1, 5 and 10 for 6€. It's not really a kind of supply, but I use a cheap picture frame with glass as a palette for oil paints and a ceramic hob scraper to clean it up again.
No, this was not a waste of time at all. I used to think that in order to make good art, I had to have the best art supplies. WRONG! I ended up spending way too much money on supplies, and being afraid to make art with them. Or, if I did, I was restricted by the feeling that the art had to be perfect HOGWASH! So, I worked backward. I bought some inexpensive art supplies that had good RU-vid reviews and started really experimenting. In doing so, I made the best art I have ever made. I donated many of my more expensive art supplies that I didn't like or wasn't going to use. Best move I ever made. Now I never have that feeling of dread when I am about to make art. I really enjoy it now.😊
Thanks for your comment! I can totally relate! 😊 It's great that you found what works for you, and that doing so has made you so much more happy, comfortable and confident with your art practice. That's awesome!! 😃🎨🖍
I agree, cheap art supplies are good for those times that you just feel like playing and being creative, but aren’t worried about displaying your work.
Imo, that's not always true - I definitely recommend browsing around on YT for ballpoint pen drawings. Some people have been using them to draw professionally - ballpoint pens aren't usually archival quality in the long term like micron pens or other fineliners so it probably originally wasn't part of the professional art world for a while, but it's different now since a lot of artists have been able to save their artwork online/scan them digitally. Nowadays, there's a lot of great ballpoint pen drawings around (and I like to use them often for drawing myself)! ^^
I think it’s important to both use cheap art supplies and expensive art supplies to mess around. Messing around with expensive ones are easier said than done, but you need to in order to learn the supply itself.
Okay that’s some great art. Cheap supplies are great also if you’re trying to figure out your medium, cause trying all the different expensive supplies might feel too wasteful (unless you’re made of money). Thanks for sharing this! ❤
Thank you so much, I'm happy that you like my crayon drawings! 💖 I definitely agree that starting out with cheaper art supplies can help you find your medium! 😃🎨
Love this. I definitely agree about getting hung up on expensive art supplies and therefore the cheap supplies give you the freedom to play without worrying that you're wasting expensive supplies.
I really liked your video - today I found you, so my first video of yours- and yes, I've used 'cheap art supplies' only, though Crayola isn't the cheapest art supplies you can get...but as a child, what made Christmas for me was a brand new box of 64 Crayola crayons of my very own. I'm the oldest of 8 children. We shared most everything, and younger siblings wanted my 'good stuff' so before the year ended (sometimes before Christmas week ended!) they got a hold of my Crayolas and broke or lost some. Every year until my mom passed (I was 25) I got a new box. No, Crayola crayons are not museum quality, but they hold a place in my heart and yes, I will use them always! Blessings.
That's a lovely story ~ how precious that you got a brand-new box of crayons every year for Christmas. 💖 Thank you for sharing your Crayola crayon memories and how meaningful they are to you. 💕 Thank you also for your kind words about my video. I'm so glad you liked it! 😃🖍
rlly glad this video popped up on my recommendations. was having art block but i couldn’t figure out why, video made me realize i just had “what if it doesn’t turn out good, it’ll be a waste of my art supplies” mentality without realizing it. but ty it was rlly refreshing to draw and color with crayons after years of them being untouched
I'm glad my video was helpful to you in uncovering the reason for your art block! 💖 It is amazing how common it is for artists to have that thought, “what if it doesn’t turn out good, it’ll be a waste of my art supplies”... But once you realize those thoughts are holding you back, that's the first step to overcoming that thought pattern and just making art. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. Happy Art-Making!! 😃🖍✨
Awesome video, super inspiring, love the resulting critters 😍 Alternatively... And this advice is specifically towards fellow art supply hoarders!... Use what you already have, as if it is cheap. Because the cheapest thing is not going out and spending any more money! And you know what the biggest waste of money is? EXPIRED art supplies! Thats right, some art supplies can and DO EXPIRE!!!! i found out the hard way that washi tape expires, it can become nearly impossible to pull from the roll once it gets too old!!! Do an art supply no buy for a month, 3 months, 6 months... A whole year if you're feeling really brave! And make it your goal to USE UP as MANY art supplies as you own as you can in that time!! You will be amazed at the results, if you put your whole heart into the effort ❤
Thanks so much, I'm so happy that you like my cute critters! 🥰 I totally agree with you about using art supplies before they expire!! I made the same discovery about washi tape. 😭 And stickers can lose their stickiness... Plus, paints can dry out or get moldy, so yeah... it's always best to use up those art supplies while they're still good! I love the idea of not buying anything new for awhile and just using up the art supplies that you have. Thanks for sharing!! 😃💖🎨
I use both. My budget tends to the cheaper side anyway but so many of you youtubers have made recs for good quality supplies at a lower cost. I love what you have done with the crayons....adorable!! I am 76 and now I MUST revisit my once beloved Crayola Crayon childhood. Thank you!!
Thanks so much for your comment! 💖 I'm happy you liked the art I created with these Crayola crayons. They're definitely worth exploring and playing around with! You'll feel like a kid again, plus with the benefit of all the art knowledge you've acquired over the years, using crayons is even more fun! 😊🖍
Thanks so much!! 🥰 I've seen the scraping technique but didn't think to use it for these animals. I'll keep it in mind for experimenting with next time! Thanks for mentioning it! 😍
I stressed myself out today attempting to make a 3D Model in Blender that I thought would be easy, and it turned out more difficult than complex models. It's nice to hear your relaxing voice. I like soothing conversations. Your voice is a good way to unwind.
I'm glad my relaxing voice helped you unwind! 😊 I appreciate your comment and hope your next attempt at the 3D Blender model goes well. I've been wanting to learn Blender for years now but haven't gotten around to it yet. One of these days!! 😍
Love this video. You're making me want to break out my Crayola crayons I bought 2 years ago and use them. I also like using cheep art supplies to just have fun and let loose.
i think thats really good advice. plus sometimes its fun and nice just to just do something silly/fun. and for some it might feel wasteful to use a expensive art supply for something silly and fun. i have some expensive ish art supplies. but as ive been making art, i learned i like to make silly fun doodles. and only once in awhile do i try to do something more serious. and buying cheaper allows one to buy more variety as in different kinds of supplies vs buying more expensive. for me personally i like having variety. not just different colors but other supplies like markers, paint like watercolor, acrylic, color pencils. so ive liked having different supplies to doodle with and test out.
Loved the video! I agree that expensive art supplies can stifle creativity. I appreciated the tip about warming up with inexpensive supplies. It’s common sense but I never thought about warming up first. Thank you for the colouring pages.
It's the best thing you can do to promote care free practice and no time waste. The more time and motivation to practice, the better. 🙂 Clearly more expensive materials behave differently, but it's not like you have to start from scratch, things like composition, light and shadow, values, line art, anatomy, colour theory and so on are things that you can also learn with cheap materials. This knowledge can be taken with you to the next materials.
Yes to all of that! 😊 It's all a learning process, so the important thing is to just make art! And everything you learn you will help you with your future artworks. That's such a great perspective. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🎨🖍
I absolutely love your freedom with color. I'm trying to teach myself art (in my mid to late 30s) and I think color is somewhere I struggle. This was a great video, thanks for putting it together for us!
Thanks so much! I'm so happy that you enjoyed my video! 😃 I love exploring the possibilities of color. You sparked an idea - maybe one of these days I should do a video about the color wheel and color theory for beginners! 😍🎨🖍
Your art is very inspiring I can’t believe the cute illustration you made with just crayons! Great job! Btw I love your coloring books my fave part of them are the colored examples in the beginning of the books and the example color palettes
Thank you so much! I'm so happy that you like my cute crayon illustrations. 🥰 It's also really awesome to hear that you love my coloring books, especially the colored examples and color palettes! That means a lot to me! Happy Coloring!! 😃🎨🖍
I just loved this video, Thaneeya. I had no idea that Crayons could produce such beautiful artwork that you did in this video. I loved what you created. So cute & colourful. Xx🙂👍👏👏
I love colored pencils! I have all the prismas and I still use crayola for practice and base sketching under my pieces! I highly recommend doing that to avoid muddying your colors. I’m also asking for super tips for doodling and color blocking!
I color almost everyday, I use Crayola pencils and Crayola markers, I use Sharpies. I do have supplies that are a little bit more pricey but I like using my inexpensive supplies on a daily basis. .....Subbed 😊
My saying is "every art supply is an art lesson". You get different kinds of lessons from cheap and expensive supplies, but if you buy it, you should definitely try taking the lesson, and then you'll know if it'll help to use something expensive next time. Most of the classic art supplies - the things that aren't pre-mixed or put into plastic - are pretty cheap and you can mix them to get what you need when you need it. The expensive art supply that IS worth getting is paper since there are some things you get from heavier or specially prepared paper surfaces that bring out new qualities in all your other art supplies. The art supply I've been playing with most recently is a "coke pen" (petcoke) I found at Daiso for a dollar(Daiso is a dollar store chain, but focused on Japanese goods). It's one of those "pencils you never have to sharpen" things and I kind of like using it for rough sketching. Daiso has some good paper, pens, markers, drafting tools, and various other art supplies, and a studio that only had one of each of their items would still be well-rounded and have a lot of creative options.
When I saw the thumbnail I thought it was done with color pencils it was so smooth. Very beautiful, my favorite was the owl cat. That rounded body with those ears 😄. I also liked the color mix as well as design. I believe cheap supplies are important for practice and skill and creativity practice. I have cheap supplies from years ago and requested a large number in a set for my Birthday so I could practice color shading and highlighting 🤗❤️👍🏽💯
Thank you so much! 🥰 I'm happy that you liked my little creatures and the colors I used! I love your take on using cheap art supplies for practice and creative exploration! 💖
I just discovered your channel. I just bought the big set of crayons the other day. Because they were on sale where i work and I wanted to play with them. I didn't know they could look this good! Thanks ever so much for the coloring pages!
Thanks for your comment! 💖 I was so pleasantly surprised to discover that crayons are so fun to work with, and that they can create such cool art! 😍 Hope you have a lot of fun with your big set! Enjoy the coloring pages! 🖍😃
I love using cheap art supplies, probably more than expensive art supplies. And I find that I can create the most beautiful art pieces with cheap art supplies and I don’t need the expensive stuff for that. And this video made me want to buy another box of Crayola crayons. Your drawings with them were so beautiful! Also, you have a very calming voice and I love your aesthetic
Thanks so much! I'm so happy that you like my crayon drawings, as well as my voice and aesthetic! 🥰 Thanks also for sharing your thoughts about using cheap art supplies! 🖍💕
I agree. I have had the prismacolor premiers and the Faber Castell Polychromos. I liked them but was afraid to use them up. I am very much not an artist. I just color for stress relief. Still enjoy Crayola crayons
I have a lot of crayons but don't use them much except occasionally in coloring books but this is inspiring to try to use them differently. Like sketching and experimenting. I'm good at abstract art. This is a nice video 👍
The video was very inspiring. A great jump start to any hesitant would be creative. It gives permission to take the goal of perfection away, and just create. Also a great way to free yourself to find your own personal style! Brilliant concept! Thank you for sharing. 😊
Thank you so much ~ that means a lot to me! 💖 I'll definitely make more videos using Crayola crayons. I'm happy that you like the idea and want to see more! 🥰🖍
I love this so much! I don't have your skill... but I'm working on it!😃 I just love how colorful and whimsical your cat combinations came out, plus I loved the rainbow worm as well. I'm already subbed, but I definitely liked! You mentioned 30 or 40 years? You don't look that old at all! I thought you were in your 20s! You look fantastic!
Thanks so much for your kind words!! I'm so happy that you love my whimsical creatures! 😃 I had fun playing around with these different animal combos... I think I'll do more of them! 😍 Thank you also for the compliment ~ the beret covers up my gray hairs! 😁💖
Hi, I stopped drawing, writing and being creative many years ago. Feeling depressed and stressed all the time due to familiy issues (sickness, death etc.). A couple of days ago, I started watching some art videos on youtube, but your video inspired me by far the most! It was so calming to watch you giving cheap supplies a chance and the drawings turned out amazing! I adore your style and the mix of colors you chose! Wonderful! Thank you for sharing this video with us and for motivating me to rediscover my creativity ❤
Thank you so much for your comment! 💖 I really appreciate all your kind words, and I'm delighted that you adore my artwork! That means a lot to me, especially hearing that my video has inspired you so much. It's AWESOME that you're on the path to rediscovering your creativity. Go for it!! 😃🖍🎨
Hey can you make a tutorial on how to draw and colour skin with alcohol markers please! The people I draw constantly look flat and boring, and I'm struggling to figure out how to use cool colours to add demention and shadows. And I absolutely love your work!
That's so weird, I got the exact same sketchbook at Goodwill about a month ago! I find all of my sketchbooks at the thrift store and can find name brand ones too time to time. Pretty worth it!
That is SO funny that you also found this sketchbook at Goodwill! 😁 I've also found brand-name ones there too! It's always so exciting when that happens, LOL! 🎨🖍✨
My wallet definitely tells me I never need expensive art supplies and always screams at me to use coupons. Oh and to search the clearance in places you wouldn’t think off like office supply stores. Bought several jars of water proof ink for $0.25 each plus a coupon so even less at Staples, plus Prismacolor pencils for so little.
Thank you for a new approach to coloring. Your cat/owl/caterpillar drawings are beautiful. You make it look so easy. I do think the paper makes a big difference. I get better results when I buy your coloring books than when I copy the pictures on my computer. This slick paper doe s not provide the same effects.
Thank you so much, Barbara! 🥰 I'm happy that you like my cute crayon creatures! 💖 When you print coloring pages, you could try printing onto card stock. I've found that card stock is much better for art/coloring than regular computer printer paper. The brand I've used for years is "Neenah Exact Index 110lb Bright White Card Stock" and I highly recommend it! Happy coloring!! 😃🎨🖍
I love your cat-owl, owl-cat and cat-erpiller :) they're beautiful. I used to loved drawing as a kid (I suck at it nowadays but I've really wanted to get back into it...I never know *what* to draw though so I'm trying a 100 day challenge to "draw a circle...then make *something* out of that circle" Today was day 51 and I haven't missed a day. It is fun and everyday is something new...I draw something and then color it in with colored pencils but I think I'm going to also give this a try :)
Thanks so much for your kind words about my little creatures! 🥰 I'm glad you like them. Your 100-Day Challenge sounds awesome! I love the idea of drawing a circle and then making something out of that circle. I did something similar, but I made all the circles into different faces. My only rule was to make each face look as different from the other faces as possible. It's cool how these challenges can motivate us to make art. Keep on creating! 😃🎨🖍
You just... nailed everything that I felt about expensive art supplies. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Polychromos and Daniel Smith Watercolors, but I'd have to name Ohuhu Alcohol Markers as my current favorite. Not sure if they could as "Cheap", though. But your crayon work is absolutely STUNNING!!
Someone once told me that the only way to waste art supplies was not to use them. I definitely agree with all your points and now want to try crayola crayons again, ha! But I think working to lose the fear of expensive supplies is also worthwhile, since working with a good art supply can be really pleasant and freeing. I have the best of both worlds, because there is a used art supply store near me, that, if I'm lucky, has high quality paint for cheap! Thanks for the great video!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I'm happy you enjoyed my video! 💖 I've actually been thinking about making a video with tips on how to get over the fear of "wasting" art supplies, since it is such a common mental block for artists. It is SO true that the only way to "waste" them is to not use them! 😊🎨
@@thaneeya That would be a great companion video to this one! Yeah it's hard to get over, especially when you have a pan of beautiful new watercolors you don't want to mess up! Art supplies have such beautiful packaging sometimes.
Just discovered this today. Very fun video, and I do love cheap art supplies. Honestly, they're about the only thing I do use. I have tons of Crayola stuff. I even picked up more just the other day. One of the Dollar Stores near my work is going out of business. I was able to pick up some Crayola erasable colored pencils and trays of water color paints for .34 apiece. It got me motivated to start painting again. Anyway, I liked this video and I've subscribed. I look forward to seeing more.
I'm so happy you enjoyed my video! Thanks for letting me know! Wow, sounds like you got some awesome deals at your local Dollar Store. That's awesome! ENJOY!! 😃🎨🖍
I love ❤❤❤❤ this video! It’s so true! I have a full set of Neo Color ll’s and I haven’t used them because I don’t feel my drawing and coloring skills are good enough. I’ve never taken art lessons, but I ca follow tutorials. Without a tutorial I feel useless.
Aw thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed my video! 🥰 Funny you mentioned Neocolor II, because last week I bought Neocolors I and II for the first time (sets of 15 each). I swatched them and they seem really cool, but now I'm afraid to use them! 🤣 I'm sure I'll get over the hump, it's just interesting to observe that friction when it arises. 😊 (Editing my post to update that I got over the hump by drawing a rainbow gradient, like I did in this video. 🌈 It was a fun, low-pressure way to see what the materials are like. If you're feeling stuck, consider drawing a rainbow gradient to see how the colors can flow and overlap into one another. You can even make it into a cute little worm or caterpillar! 😁🐛)
I'd say there's a time and a place for all art materials. Cheap, expensive or in between. I usually use cheap stuff to build up confidence or for practicing. It just makes sence. It also depends on the result you are looking for. A thing might not be great for its intended use, but great for something else.
Often this is true with simple pieces and crafts, but if you’re using something like watercolor, you’re going to be held back immensely by poor paper or poor paints. Also, with pieces you’ve sold, lightfastness is important and shouldn’t be ignored. You wouldn’t want your painting to disappear after four years. Alcohol markers tho I always use the cheapest I can find.
I loooove crayons. Using them as well as looking at drawings! Also cheap art supplies are the best. Anything fancy and I never draw anything because I don't feel worthy of it. $2.50 cheap and nasty pencils have been a lifesaver honestly.
I think cheap supplies have their place and even be amazing. Unless they frustrate the artist. An example is painting miniatures. You can get by with student or craft paint starting out, but it takes expensive brushes. Cheap brush packs from all the favorite app or prime shipping outlets don't work, or not for long. The tips bend, fray or separate with little or no use. This has lead to frustrated beginners who think they're doing something wrong because it's impossible to paint details. On the other hand, I use Soucolor pencils for fun/practice. They're only $40 for 180 pencils. They have a nice blend and are perfect for what I'm doing. I'll save the $5 ea pencils for commissions.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 😃 Yes, cheap art supplies can definitely come with downsides. I've also noticed that cheap paintbrushes fray very quickly. With certain art supplies, it's worth it to spend a little more money to get better results and have a less frustrating experience. 😊 It's all about each artist finding the right balance for their needs. It's great that you found affordable colored pencils that you enjoy using for fun/practice! 💖
I recently got into adult coloring books. I ordered three books, a 50 pack of Crayola "smart tip" watercolor markers. a 12 pack of brush tip acrylic markers from Sharpie, and a 24 pack of Arrtx double ended acrylic markers (brush tip and bullet tip). The Crayola markers were by far the cheapest at $7.00, while the others were around $20.00 per pack. It turns out that the Crayola smart tips are more versatile and easier to control than the others, and the colors are more vibrant. The brush tips are the hardest to control so I'm using them less, when I thought I'd be using them more.
That all sounds like a pretty good haul! 😍 Brush tips can take some getting used to, so you might warm up to them eventually. Keep practicing and exploring and see what happens. The important thing is to just have fun and enjoy the creative process, so whichever supplies help you achieve that, GO FOR IT!! 😃🎨✨
As someone that doesn't have money for expensive supplies, it's good to use cheap stuff. I've bought arteza colored pencils that have lasted me for 4 years now, a cheap Walmart sketchbook that's 10 by 8 inches, it's got a lot of pages and it's hard cover, only cost $7.88 . And I cut out the packaging of containers to stick in it the pages😂
Funny how rather gifted street artists make amazing creations using a tattered box of 17 colored pencils from 6 different manufactures, a few graphite pencils and/ or a starter set of WCs used on card stock. Only then do I again realize the true meaning of art.
Check out Jeffrey Robert, the crayon artist who makes amazing artwork from Crayola Crayons! I think "cheap" art supplies are wonderful to use, especially for learning, experimenting, and brain storming. Absolutely nothing wrong with using them. I tend to use my "expensive" supplies for finished work that I want to last a long time, display, or possibly sell. In my sketchbook and when experimenting and playing I use my cheaper supplies. Great video, new sub here!
One time I've spend £150 on Chameleon Markers 52 set, to this day I still haven't use them because I know deep down, It's gonna get damaged or something happens to them. Now I tend to just buy cheaper markers, such as Ohuhu, or other cheaper ones in the market.
I suggest you give them a try and see what happens! 😃 At first it can be daunting to use expensive art supplies, but once you give them a whirl, you might find that you really like them! Once you get over that initial hump, using them will be fun. Markers will dry out eventually, so might as well try them while they're still good. Go for it! 😊🌟
When I was asked about cheap art supplies, I explained it as driving a car. If you never drove, there is no way, I’m giving you the keys to a super duper expensive car. I’ll be giving you keys to a car that is considered a clunker. You need to practise driving in harsh weather, parrel parking, everything. It will be at least a year before I will consider of handing you the keys to an expensive car. Using cheap supplies help you in building your talent up.
