art journaling supplies list

Below is a list of my favorite art journaling supplies, as well as a detailed video! You can use these suggestions for all my art journaling classes. Clicking on the product images will take you to the Amazon shop for your country where applicable (affiliate links).


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Choose your next art journaling journey here:
 
 
 
 

important

My classes are all about growing your wings and making art that is true to YOU, so use the tools and supplies that you already love and that you feel comfortable with. My advice is to buy only the supplies you think you absolutely need, plus maybe a few that you really feel attracted to, but don't let the shopping fever get you just yet: there will be plenty of time to buy more supplies as you go!

Whenever possible, I'm listing a variety of options so you can use whatever you already own, and I really encourage you to go on a scavenger hunt and collect any tools and materials that you can (safely!) experiment with, or that you could use as substitutes for the ones I use in the tutorials. It's the beauty of mixed media and it is exactly how it all started for me, and how I came up with some of my favorite personal techniques!

Please note: for The Artist & the Journal class, you will also need a stretched canvas or a wood panel (in the size of your choice).

 

your art journal

The best art journal will take all kinds of media really well and open flat from the first page to the last:

  • You can make your own with a large pad of watercolor paper and THIS TUTORIAL

  • The Dylusions journal is a good ready-made option

 

Watercolor pad

Art journal

 
 

set up your space
 

  • A palette (or a simple white plate). Nowadays I often use a whole lot of small, round, stackable ceramic palettes. As an alternative you can use white or transparent plastic lids. Petri dishes are another good option and often have a lid to prevent paint leftovers from drying.

  • Parchment or wax paper to protect your pages

  • Paper clips to keep your pages flat

  • Water & a rag

  • Something to protect your surface (old towel, table-cloth…)

  • Something to protect your clothes (apron, old shirt...)

  • Scissors

Optional but handy

  • Craft heat gun (embossing tool) to speed up drying

  • Spray bottle

  • Large pencil case / make-up case with see-through pockets (great for traveling and if you have limited space)

 

Heat Gun

 

Masking tape

 

Ceramic palettes

 

Paper Clips

 

Spray Bottle

 

Pencil Case (for traveling with your journal!)

 
 

Painting tools

  • Your fingers!

  • Your choice of paintbrushes, including a medium-sized flat brush for collage

  • An old plastic card (credit card, key card...) and/or palette knives

Optional but fun

  • A small brayer

Plastic Palette Knives

Assorted Paintbrushes

Small Brayer

 

Painting materials

  • White Gesso

  • Acrylic paints and inks: your choice of colors (the ones you already love!) + including Titanium White.

You'll find some of my favorite colors below. NB: These are some colors I really like. They are really part of my "personal palette" and I really advise you to take the time to explore YOUR palette, the color combinations that resonate with you the most.

White Gesso

Acrylic paint: Titanium White

 

Acrylic paints (some favorites)

Raw Umber

Paynes Grey

Sap green

Gold

Turquoise Green

Titan Buff

 

Acrylic inks (some favorites)

Titanium White

Raw Umber

Magenta

Turquoise

Paynes Grey

Yellow Orange

 

Alcohol inks

(for fun finishing touches)

A Light pastel set

Distress inks

(great for shading portraits)

Tattered Rose

Walnut Stain

Antique Linen

 

Collage Materials

  • All sorts of papers (ask around!): magazines, book pages (preferably from books that inspire you!), sewing pattern tissue, colored and neutral tissue paper, mulberry paper, packing paper, wrapping paper, sheet music, dried, empty tea bags etc.

  • Matte acrylic gel medium

  • Flat brush

 

Flat Brush

Matte Gel Medium by Liquitex

 
 
 

Drawing and mark-making

Just like with color, you don't need everything on the list! Just use your favorites & the ones you already have. Gather a variety of materials to stamp and make marks with: bubble-wrap, shelf-liner, plastic mesh, corrugated cardboard, feathers, wood skewers and coffee stirrers... Look around and use your imagination!

 

Pens, pencils, pastels etc.

Black & White:

  • A regular graphite pencil (HB to 4B is great)

  • A piece of charcoal

  • Black watersoluble pencil or crayon (Stabilo All, Derwent Inktense, Neocolor 2...)

  • Black & White fine tip Posca pens

  • Fine-tip correction pen ("white-out")

  • Large White Posca pen

  • Ball-point pen

Color

  • Brush-tip Pitt Artist Pens in colors you love (great for adding touches of color or shading a portrait, perfect to replace bottles of ink when traveling)

  • Neocolor 2 watersoluble wax pastels (these are some of my absolute favorite supplies and again, great to replace paint when traveling)

Stabilo All Black Pencil

Charcoal

Black and White Posca Set

Neocolor 2 set

Pitt Artist pens Flesh Tones

Pitt Artist pens Assorted Tones

 

stamps & Stencils