Supplies are so important when creating those masterpieces! Here are ten of my favorite supplies (and a few examples of lessons I use them in).
This page contains affiliate links and I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Everything on this page I have used and heartily recommend for teaching art.
This is a fun way to create bleeding color that is natural looking. Kind of a magic process for kids. See it in action here on my Jim Dine Heart Art lesson!
I love these and use them A LOT! They are so much easier to use than regular watercolors as the water is already mixed in! It allows the kids to paint faster and with more satisfaction. Also these are bright and vibrant colors when you use them at full strength (which I almost always do!).
These are the best brand of liquid watercolors out there that I have found. Some of the other brands have switched to a thicker gel formula that does not bleed the way these do and they also leave brush stroke marks when you paint. Check out how bright and colorful they are in my Jim Dine Brush lesson and the Paul Gauguin Palm Tree lesson.
This is the only watercolor paper I use. Right size and nice quality for student work.
A fun texture for chalk pastel work.
These write and doodle a nice bright white and are easy to use.
These are VERY forgiving brushes. I use the round green handled ones in 3 sizes and also the flat red handled ones in 3 sizes. I’ve used these for years. Here is a link to the big set I use for classes and a smaller set to start off with!
Most black construction paper looks kind of faded gray but not this one! It is a deep black color and by far the best black construction paper I have come across.
These are soft and lovely. A little pricey for a large group but worth the extra money in my mind. All chalk pastels are NOT created equal. You will be disappointed if you get a lesser quality as they don’t blend and smudge as well. Check out the #5 Demuth project to see how I used the black for outlining. This smaller size stick here is more cost efficient for big classes.
These are the best student grade oil pastels out there. Good coverage and they blend well for layering.
These are a harder soft pastel for doing lines when you want color that stays and is sharp.
Let me know if you use any of these in the comments below (or if you have other favorite art supplies for kids)!