Hello, my name is Rikki and I am an Artist and art coach. A huge part of what I help my clients do is create space for their creativity. Today I am going to share with you my 4 must-have art supplies when setting up your art studio or creative space.
When it comes to your art journey, the hardest part is always starting.
So many times I hear people say they just don’t have the time to be creative, the truth is they do not make the time to be creative. This is easy to do, it is so easy to get wrapped up with everything else in our lives, things that don’t always benefit us, and it squeezes out any extra time we had for ourselves.
The first thing I always want my painters to do is to start making space, setting up your creative space is a great first step. You have to make it EASY to just jump in and create, I myself will lose my creative steam if it takes me too long to get set up, by then the creative bug may have flown away.
For those new to painting, knowing what you need to start can be daunting.
I have compiled this list of my 4 must-have art supplies to start building your creative space with:
My 4 MUST-HAVE art supplies for beginner artists
I love THIS easel because it packs down if you want to take it somewhere, it also moves easily (no pun intended) from table top to standing height and fits a wide variety of canvas sizes.
Easel – https://amzn.to/3mxKRdv
I recommend getting something to store some of your art supplies in, just so they don’t end up all over the floor (like mine do) while you are painting. This cart allows you to store your paints and even some small canvas underneath and I like to use the top tray to set up my rinse water and towels and palette. It also so rolls around so you can move it if needed while you create.
Rolling cart – https://amzn.to/3nVK6eC
Here is my best tip, unless you have a space that you don’t care if paint gets on the floor etc. Lay some of these drop cloths down all around your painting area. The last thing we want to be thinking of when we get in the zone is worrying if we are going to drip paint or if its going to run off the canvas onto the floor. Just prepare to get messy ahead of time and then enjoy the fun of it! I leave my dropcloths out in my creative space 24/7 and no matter which size you choose you can easily cut these up to cover your space.
Dropcloths – https://amzn.to/412NGCs
It is also super handy to have your brushes standing up and out where you can see them and grab them easily. I love to use these lids on different jars that I already have. The grid helps to keep your brushes seperated and easy to grab. It also keeps me from overstuffing the jar!
Jar lid organizers – https://amzn.to/3KQlOMh
How to set up an art studio with these 4 must-have art supplies
Have your creative space and supplies ready! This is one reason the Artvana paint club membership is so great because no matter what you will have one project ready for you during the month, you won’t need to think about WHAT to create you can just jump in and start creating. If you want to learn more about the Artvana Painting of the Month Club Click HERE
Aside from being able to sit and create whenever the bug might bite us, it is also an important part of building a practice to schedule creative time, even if this is just your paint club project each month, even if it’s just 20 minutes on Saturday morning before you go to yoga.
Keep in mind you don’t always need to be working on a project, just sit down and start doodling, start cutting paper, start mixing paint and see what happens. The more often you do this the easier and more natural it will become. You will feel less resistance each time you sit down at your easel.
I want you to enjoy creating as much as I do and I hope these tips will help you build your creative practice!
What are your 4 must-have art supplies? Share them in the comments!
Happy painting – Rikki
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