I think most artists can talk about supplies alllllll day. Ok maybe that’s over the top, but there is just something so yummy about art supplies. Art supply stores are like the artist’s candy store. I want to give a little overview of the types of supplies I used in my last spread, and over time share more tips about what supplies I love, and how to save a little money here and there as well. My parents are both of Dutch descent, so I might have to do some special frugal Dutch posts! Stay tuned..

I think when you are art journaling for personal use, in a lined notebook, there is a whole lot of freedom to not use the “right” adhesives. You just need something that’s going to hold. My personal go-to is mod podge. It’s basically white school glue but a little less gloppy maybe? I buy a big jug of it and then use that to refill my small bottle because I like it’s portability and ease of use. I usually brush it onto my papers/surfaces with my finger, but I know that’s not for everyone. I also like it that it works as a varnish. I intended to use the glue stick for most of the paper collage items, but since I had first used a layer textured gesso, the glue stick wasn’t able to stick. So that’s another consideration. In my last post I mentioned that I had used clear gesso as a base layer, because I thought it would be fun to have the lines in the paper show through.

I have read and heard so much about spray inks, so I decided to finally try some. I had the white from Heidi Swapp for a while, but just recently picked up this 3 pack of Distress Oxide from Michaels (with a coupon.. of course!). The colours are Fired Brick, Picked Raspberry, and Abandoned Coral. I’m a big sucker for pink and coral and I like that these were all in the same colour family. They are so fun to use, and I’m excited to see all of their potential. The only downside is possible overspray, but they are definitely more user-friendly than aerosol spray paint. I like that they have a little marble inside to help with mixing. The white is a classic.. just something about white spatter.

I also love the little alphabet stamp set, (I love the type writer font) and I have this set as well as the capital letters. I had originally bought them for homeschool before the boys were able to print. I think they were only a couple dollars from Michaels.

Oil pastels have been a long neglected supply in my closet. But I had fresh motivation to pull them out, and I’m excited to see all of their artistic possibilities. The Mungyo brand has really good sized sticks, and vibrant colours for a reasonable price. The Pentels are a good value as well. I got a few packs, (a new one even!), for cheap at a thrift store. I just chose out my favourite colours and put them into a pencil bin so that I can see them all out on my desk at once.

For hand lettering, and their ability to write over rough terrain, I think Posca’s are the boss. They are a bit on the pricey side, but they are definitely a great paint pen. They are also nice for adding details and contrast. And the pastel pencil crayons are great for adding shading and for blending. You can also use soft pastels for this. They will likely need a fixative (as well as the oil pastels) if you don’t want smudging in your book.

I used a little scrap pack that I purchased online as inspiration for my design. I didn’t end up using these pieces pictured, but will probably use them in my next spread. I have a big thing for vintage botanicals. I will probably do a whole post devoted to papers for use in art journals because I have found a new passion.

So there’s a little taste of the supplies I used so far. I would definitely recommend not going out and buying a bunch of stuff, as I feel like the pure beauty of a personal art journal is that you can use whatever you have… old receipts, junk mail, tissue paper, paper towel.. anything! Anything can be painted on, stamped on, coloured or decorated. It can actually be a great way to try out supplies you’ve had sitting around for a while, or things you’ve been intimidated to try. And it’s the ultimate mixed media experience. So pull out those long-forgotten supplies and have fun!