A Gift Guide for Artists Big and Small, Serious and Dabblers — Part 4
For those who need to try something new
Hope you had a nice holiday yesterday! Here is post one of a few that contain some of my favorite products. This post isn’t sponsored and has no affiliate links; it’s just a list of items I’ve used and liked! If you can, please support your local art supply store, especially on Black Friday. I’ve included links to some of my favorite shops that offer a great selection of quality items!
For the serious artist who wants to switch it up
We all get bored sometimes. I’ve personally found that even just swapping out a tool or changing the format can be the right launching ground to something new.
Round Watercolor Paper, 100% Cotton — Round is actually a rather challenging format to work in, which is why it’s a good one to play with!
Hahnemühle The ZigZag Book | BLICK Art Materials — The love for concertina books was given to me by Karen Stamper (who also offers some great online courses!) because of the dynamic flexibility. Louise Fletcher, another wonderful artist and student of Karen, demonstrates some of that here.
Kakimori Pen — This is something still on my wishlist, but I am dying to try it. The variety of marks it can make looks so interesting!
Fountain Pen Ink
I first learned about this wildly versatile medium from Nick Stewart who posted on Doodlewash several years ago. Since then I’ve collected so many small bottles of ink to play with and swatch with so much delight and discovery! It’s also a favorite of mine to bust out during creative mentoring sessions for people who feel stuck. It behaves so unexpectedly in water that you just can’t help to marvel and mess around. Nick has done much of the heavy lifting, so definitely check out his site deep in reviews and techniques (plus an online class!).
These are a few of my favorite inks in sample sizes, plus a few that I think would be fun to work with:
Shameless Plug
I also teach individual classes and creative mentorship to artists looking to expand their practice into new possibilities. Colleagues and clients have often praised my deep collection of mediums, techniques, and resources to help delve deeper into new areas they didn’t know existed! (Thanks, ADHD hyperfixation!) Whether you’re curious about textiles or finding that perfect hue of blue, I can help! I also offer gift cards if you’d like to give someone the gift of time for some guided exploration. More info here.