On a Budget Art Products

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Hello! Here are some products I recommend for beginner artists or hobbyists. If you are barely starting out and don’t want to spend a fortune on art supplies, these would be a great place to start!

WATERCOLOR

Sakura XCNW-12H XNCW-12H, 12 Assorted Watercolors Field Sketch Set with Brush

I used the 24 count of the Koi watercolors, but this one is a little cheaper. What’s great about this set is that it has a water brush which is perfect for when you’re on the go. Despite only having 12 colors, you can mix a variety of them. There’s also a built in dabbing sponge you use to clean your brush, and you can mix your paints on the back of the lid when you have your palette opened.

Prang Half Pan Watercolor Paint set 8 Assorted Colors

I have used this brand when teaching students how to use watercolor, and I honestly prefer this brand over Crayola’s watercolor set. It also has a decent watercolor brush compared to those cheap brown bristle brushes found in kid’s paint sets. The colors are vibrant, and blend really well. I definitely recommend this set for students to use at school or at home.

Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor Paper Pad, 9x12 inches, 24 Sheets (140lb/300g) - Artist Paper for Adults and Students - Watercolors, Mixed Media, Markers...

Strathmore is a go to brand for artist’s paper. I had this paper for watercolor painting a few years ago. It has 24 sheets for around $10. It’s cold press paper, so the texture of the paper is bumpy. The thickness of this paper is 140lb or 300g, which is a good starting point. Anything thinner is bound to warp as you add water to the paper.

Oil Pastels

Pentel Arts Oil Pastels

These are a great selection to start off with for less than $10 for 50 colors. They are easy to blend and small enough to make smaller details. The texture of these are smoother than regular crayons, but thick enough where you don’t need a lot of product to blend. A great beginner set for anyone to start off with.

Acrylic Paints & Markers

Apple Barrel Vibrant Spectrum Collection Acrylic Craft Paint 2 Fl 16 count matte colors

Apple Barrell paints are fun to use for painting on canvases and even painting different craft projects. You get an assortment of colors for about $16 dollars. If you are interested in learning to paint, I would start with this set to get an idea of how acrylic paints work.

Guangna Acrylic Paint Markers Brush Tip, 24 Vivid Colors with Direct-Liquid Ink Control System, Professional-Grade Paint Pen for Rock Painting, Canvas,...

This is a good set to start off with under $20. They are easy to work with and work on different surfaces. The paint is a little transparent, but you can build up layers with the colors for a more solid color.

Brushes

Acrylic Paint Brush Set, 4 Packs / 40 pcs Nylon Hair Brushes | All Purpose Oil Watercolor Painting Artist Professional Kits

I have used this set for paint night events with family and friends. I like this set because you get an assortment of brushes for less than $10, and there are 4 sets of them. These brushes can be used with watercolors, oils, & acrylics.

Pens, Pencils, and Alcohol Markers

SAKURA Pigma Micron Fineliner Pens, Black, Assorted Points, 6 Pack

I love using Micron pens to outline my art. I has different sizes for finer details. This 6 pack set is for about $12.

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Soft Core, Assorted Colors, 12 Count

One of my favorite color pencil brands is Prismacolor. They blend very well, have high quality pigments, and they work great for mixed media. I like using these combined with alcohol markers. These pencils are soft, so you don’t have to use a lot of pressure with them.

Ohuhu Alcohol Markers for Beginners 48 Colors Fine& Chisel Great Value Pack

I love the brand Ohuhu! Their markers are great quality, and have beautiful colors. I normally go for the markers with a brush nib, but that set is more on the high price range. This set is less than $20. They are dual tip with fine line and chisel nibs. One thing to note about alcohol markers is that they can bleed through thin paper. This set does not come with a plastic sheet to place under your paper to prevent bleeding, but you can still put a paper under the page you’re drawing on to catch any bleeding from the ink.

Paper

Canson XL Series Bristol Paper

I use this paper with different mediums. So far, I like how acrylic markers, alcohol markers, and color pencils work with this paper.