Art Supplies ?

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I have some of the art supplies that I need for next year. But I'm just wondering which brand you all like for:

markers

crayons

colored pencils

watercolors

 

This will be for K and a pre-K tagging along. Thanks!

 

Oh, and are there any colored pencils which have lead inside that doesn't break when dropped? That has been a huge problem this year.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Lisa in the UP of MI

[Rainbows]

we usually just stick with Crayola. My kids aren't the most gentle with supplies and they are still young, so I don't buy the really nice stuff at this point

[Closeacademy]

markers--Crayola is fine

 

crayons--Stockmar block style (epensive but my box is over 6 years old and I have heard that last 10+)

 

colored pencils--crayola until the child is ready for serious artwork then my favorite is prismacolor

 

watercolors--any kind really.

 

Hope this helps.:001_smile:

[Chris in VA]

Markers--Crayola

Crayons--Crayola or Stockmar (have both blocks and sticks)

Colored pencils--Crayola is fine until they can take care of them, then Prismacolor (as another poster said)

Watercolors--liquid watercolors over the pan kind.

 

I also like tempra cakes, which we used kinda like watercolor pans.

[Sherri in MI]

markers - Crayola or Rose Art

crayons - Crayola

colored pencils - Crayola or Rose Art

watercolors - no preference

[HSMom2One]

markers--Crayola is fine

 

crayons--Stockmar block style (epensive but my box is over 6 years old and I have heard that last 10+)

 

colored pencils--crayola until the child is ready for serious artwork then my favorite is prismacolor

 

watercolors--any kind really.

 

Hope this helps.:001_smile:

 

I agree with all suggestions here, except for the watercolor. I am an art teacher at a private classical school and also teach privately -- so I have about 135 students total. Hands down the best paints I've found for students are Yarka paints. They are made in Russia and are excellent. The sets come with a little paintbrush, which is totally worthless though. Throw away the brush and just use the paints! We use these paints and they hold up beautifully even with shared use by many students, and they truly out-perform other brands.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[ABQmom]

I agree with all suggestions here, except for the watercolor. I am an art teacher at a private classical school and also teach privately -- so I have about 135 students total. Hands down the best paints I've found for students are Yarka paints. They are made in Russia and are excellent. The sets come with a little paintbrush, which is totally worthless though. Throw away the brush and just use the paints! We use these paints and they hold up beautifully even with shared use by many students, and they truly out-perform other brands.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

Thanks for the watercolor recommendation.

 

We like Crayola the best for most supplies. I do like Prang for colored pencils for little ones.

[Rainbows]

I agree with all suggestions here, except for the watercolor. I am an art teacher at a private classical school and also teach privately -- so I have about 135 students total. Hands down the best paints I've found for students are Yarka paints. They are made in Russia and are excellent. The sets come with a little paintbrush, which is totally worthless though. Throw away the brush and just use the paints! We use these paints and they hold up beautifully even with shared use by many students, and they truly out-perform other brands.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

thanks for the suggestion....those look good

 

I forgot that we have the Stockmar block crayons...I think my kids didn't like them as much as the regularly shaped crayons (which is why I forgot about them)

 

I use Prismacolor colored pencils when I do crafts, but my little boys still use Crayola (kids said that the Roseart ones didnt work as well)

[HSMom2One]

I do think that for little ones especially, Crayola is still a wonderful product. And I stock Crayola watercolor pencils for my students to use all the way up to 8th grade too. For the quality and price, Crayola is a great value.

 

For older students though, using a quality of materials that helps produce really good results gets them excited about making art. (BTW, I shared about this on another thread so I don't want to repeat myself too much.) Basically, upgrading papers (especially watercolor paper and some drawing papers), and using nicer paints and pastels will make a huge difference in the whole art experience for your child. I have some recommendations for a number of art supplies if you'd like me to post them or pm you.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Jayne J]

Lucinda--post them please!! (or point me to the other thread if they are already listed there) I am always looking for the best quality supplies that hit the mark without going overboard--my ds looooves artmaking and good supplies are key, but it seems that there must be a balance between good enough and "oh my goodness, I'd have to sell the house to afford those!!"

 

Thanks!

[Kareni]

For colored pencils, we're big fans of the Lyra Super Ferby and Giants. Here's one location that sells them. We usually try to find them locally at an art store where we can use a coupon.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[s.z.ichigo]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is my absolute favorite art supply for kids. Crayola maked Twisp-up crayons which are crayons inside a rigid plastic housing that you twist to extend. I spent my entire childhood coloring and drawing, and nothing is quite as lame as a bucketfull of broken, wrapperless, sad little crayon stubs. For me, anyway. The twisty crayons last an eternity and you always have a nice big housing to hold that won't snap if gripped too tightly.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I do think that for little ones especially, Crayola is still a wonderful product. And I stock Crayola watercolor pencils for my students to use all the way up to 8th grade too. For the quality and price, Crayola is a great value.

 

For older students though, using a quality of materials that helps produce really good results gets them excited about making art. (BTW, I shared about this on another thread so I don't want to repeat myself too much.) Basically, upgrading papers (especially watercolor paper and some drawing papers), and using nicer paints and pastels will make a huge difference in the whole art experience for your child. I have some recommendations for a number of art supplies if you'd like me to post them or pm you.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

I would LOVE some recommendations for art supplies! Also, do you have a link to the other thread? I can't seem to find it.

 

Thanks for your input!!

[skaterbabs]

I keep a few nicer art supplies available for when we're actually doing art; otherwise I stock up on Elmer's & Crayola in July & August when they go on sale for 25 cents.

[Hsmomto4]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is my absolute favorite art supply for kids. Crayola maked Twisp-up crayons which are crayons inside a rigid plastic housing that you twist to extend. I spent my entire childhood coloring and drawing, and nothing is quite as lame as a bucketfull of broken, wrapperless, sad little crayon stubs. For me, anyway. The twisty crayons last an eternity and you always have a nice big housing to hold that won't snap if gripped too tightly.

 

I find this so funny because the first thing I was taught in art was to unwrap the crayons and break them :lol: We were always taught that smaller pieces were easier to work with and that by not having them covered you could use them in more detailed ways. I can remember sitting in class taking my new crayons and breaking them into about 3 different sizes... Of course now as a Mom I have to fight the normal feeling of getting upset when a new box is broken. So we have 2 sets. One that is peeled and broken for "art" and one that is nicely kept for things like map projects and history coloring pages.

[skaterbabs]

I find this so funny because the first thing I was taught in art was to unwrap the crayons and break them :lol: We were always taught that smaller pieces were easier to work with and that by not having them covered you could use them in more detailed ways. I can remember sitting in class taking my new crayons and breaking them into about 3 different sizes... Of course now as a Mom I have to fight the normal feeling of getting upset when a new box is broken. So we have 2 sets. One that is peeled and broken for "art" and one that is nicely kept for things like map projects and history coloring pages.

 

 

Because I typically start the school year with fifteen or twenty boxes of crayons, as they break we simply bring out a new box and drop the broken ones in a bin for art projects.

[*Inna*]

Don't buy a Walmart's brand of markers (Cra-Z-Art or something). It says "washable" on the box and it's a big fat lie. My 3yo colored herself all over with these markers and it took us 4 days to get rid of it.

 

Just so you know.:tongue_smilie:

[Brindee]

The Rose Art crayons are waxy and don't color well. We stick with Crayola for most of that stuff.

[kalanamak]

I really like these:

 

http://www.sargentart.com/pages/watermagic1.html

[HSMom2One]

I shared these recommendations recently with another mom and so I'll add it to the thread for the consideration of others. My list is based on extensive use in the classroom and my own personal use. Please feel free to contact me via pm if you have any questions.

 

Oil pastels - Excellent medium for students in elementary through middle school! You can achieve the look of painting without the mess and chemicals. (Note there will be some residue "crumbs" that will need special care, but it can be kept contained and controlled.) I would recommend Sakura brand, which is affordable and good quality. We use these at the school where I teach.

Tempera Paints - I do not have a favorite brand or recommendation for these, as I have found most to be acceptable, except for the washable kind which behaves very strangely and I really hate. (What point is it to the child if it is washable but the paint performs poorly?) We use tempera mostly for primary grades to teach basic painting skills and color mixing, or perhaps for theater backgrounds. If you use them for color mixing, be sure to choose "pure" primary colors that are, for instance, a true red, a true blue and a pure yellow. If you are not careful about this, the colors will not mix well and you will end up with strange versions of secondary and tertiary colors. If choosing tempera paints for these purposes, you can actually save money by purchasing red, blue, yellow, black and white and mixing them to achieve the colors and shades you desire.

 

Water Color Paint - Watercolor is a great medium for middle schoolers and primary grades as well. I can't recommend Yarka watercolor paints enough! We use them at school and they are excellent. They are a stickier, moist pan paint. These sets come with a little paintbrush, however, that is simply worthless. Throw away the brush and replace it with a nice round brush, a one-inch flat brush and a thin liner brush. My second choice for primary students would be Crayola brand watercolors.

 

Brushes and Paper for Watercolor: There are so many types of paint brushes to choose from that I have a hard time narrowing it down for a recommendation. Just try to stay away from brushes that have loose hairs and are cheaply made. It is not fun to use a brush that leaves hairs behind when making brushstrokes! As much as I like Crayola brand supplies, they do NOT make good paint brushes. Synthetic hair is absolutely fine for students, so don't feel that sable or kolinsky brushes are required. The best thing to do is choose brushes in person and get some assistance from a store clerk if possible. Otherwise, here is a watercolor brush set that would work well for at least a couple of school years - maybe even longer if it is taken care of - for a student that is, say, 12 years old and up.

 

You will also need to have watercolor paper for this medium, and I would recommend something like this pad by Strathmore. A 9" x 12" pad is a really good size. You may want to order a couple of pads at a time because they only contain 12 sheets per pad.

 

Chalk Pastels - There are pastels and there are pastels. I am very choosy about these materials, probably because I used them a lot in college. (I even did my senior thesis in pastels.) I do not encourage students to use what is referred to as "chalk", or even what most stores carry that is labled "pastels". Most of these versions of pastels have mostly chalk filler and little to no color pigment at all. If your dc would like to explore the amazing, colorful world of pastel painting, then I would recommend another Yarka product: Yarka soft pastels. These sets are affordable and although I have not used them myself, I plan to purchase them this fall for my students based on the quality of Yarka watercolor paints. My suggestion would be to purchase an set of 12 or 24 of the assorted colors -- not the portrait or landscape sets.

 

Pastel and Oil Pastel Papers - Canson Mi Teintes papers are the standard "toothy" paper used for these mediums. They are meant to hold in the color and keep it there longer than smooth papers. You might consider buying one pad of this larger size, then cut the sheets into quarters. We use the fine art color assortment for students and they seem to really enjoy that selection.

 

Drawing Papers - I use this line of Strathmore paper for my students and it is very good. We have a standard size for all papers and that is 9" x 12", and these pads come in that size. You might also buy some of the Bristol paper we brought up in another thread (very smooth surface in a nice, heavy weight) in the same size. And I always like to have newsprint on hand for drawing, sketching or simply as a "placemat" under painting projects. I like to get this in a bigger size such as 11" x 17" for that reason.

 

Markers - Color markers are really more for the primary grades, unless you are into cartooning. If you want to give your dc more of a fine arts education, forgo the use of color markers. If you do purchase markers for little ones, Crayola brand is the very best around.

 

Every art supply cabinet should contain thin and medium tipped Sharpie pens in black. They are great drawing tools and come in handy for many projects.

 

Pencils - In my humble opinion, you don't need to get fancy sets of pencils for children. If anything, you might consider buying a couple of these Turquoise pencils - but most young students only need a couple of the 2B's and a couple of 6B's for the whole year. If you want to save money, just use #2 school pencils with the eraser cut off (don't ever use pink erasers for drawing) and then purchase the 6B's or what we call ebony pencils. These are very soft leaded pencils that work wonderfully for filling in dark, dark areas in a drawing and also for tracing and transferring.

 

NOTE: Also purchase a white plastic eraser for drawing use only. Never use caramel or pink erasers for art!

Colored Pencils - This is a very good medium for primary and secondary grades. I would recommend these Prisma Color pencils or even Crayola Brand water color colored pencils, which can also be used with water and a paint brush. (Just be sure to use paper that will support water if you add water with a brush.)

 

Have I forgotten anything?

 

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

Edited July 27, 2009 by HSMom2One

[tarana]

Crayons - Buy the twistable ones - Ours (24 colors) has lasted for 3 years and still going.

We also have a set of erasable twistable ones (12 colors) - good for math homework where children tend to make mistakes.

 

Color pencils - We have crayola water color & recently we bought the twistables (30 colors). Have not used it yet. As a backup I also have the 25cents Office Max 12 color pencil sets.

 

Water colors - Crayola

 

Markers - Crayola Washables

 

My kids hated the RoseArt crayons. The crayons are waxy & the color does not show up at all on paper.

[s.z.ichigo]

As an artist myself I also recommend using the white erasers. I use those for everything. My daughter uses a mechanical pencil with a white eraser in it for her schoolwork. They erase cleanly and don't rip the paper. I wouldn't get them for little kids, but for older kids who are serious about art, Prismacolor markers are a great transition to real artist-quality materials. Dick Blick is the best place to buy them, where they're only $2 each.

[maryhob]

When my kids were young we had good luck with the Crayola brand. If they are using colored pencils at this age I would use Crayola and switch to Prismacolor when they are older but I would recommend using a Prismacolor pencil sharpener at any age because you will not waste as much of the pencil.

[HFClassicalAcademy]

I love these suggestions!

 

We started Prismacolor pencils last year and now my kids refuse to use any other kind of colored pencil. (I donated 2 boxes of Rose Art colored pencils as well as Crayola pencils...my kids hate them! Even the preschooler!!).

 

For markers, we still use Crayola for fun and scribbles. If we are doing art projects or drawing, etc....we have the Fibracolor markers (we like them because of the range of colors) and the Staedtler Mars markers.

 

We use Prismacolor's water color pencils as well and have Stockmar block crayons (although we have plenty of Crayola colors as well).

 

I recently also bought my kids the Junior Artist oil pastels by Cray-Pas (Sakura). We haven't used them yet, but I figured we'd give them a try as an introduction to oil pastels.

 

Liz in NC

[s.z.ichigo]

Just a note, Prismacolor pencils come in two varieties. There are hard pencils (Verithin) and softer pencils (Premier) that come in tins. I wouldn't get the softer ones for kids. They're pretty expensive and probably break a lot easier. Crayola colored pencils are probably fine for kids. Don't go any cheaper than that though. RoseArt is pretty cruddy for pencils and crayons.

[Guest nikko112]

Markers--Crayola

Crayons--Crayola or Stockmar (have both blocks and sticks)

Colored pencils--Crayola is fine until they can take care of them, then Prismacolor (as another poster said)

Watercolors--liquid watercolors over the pan kind.

[corbie]

My 2 cents:

I was also an art teacher in the past. Now I'm a full time Mom/ Home teacher with kids who want to do "art" all the time!

 

- I love oil pastels. They are rich and fun. If they are really oil pastels ( not water based), they won't mix with water, which makes for fun projects with acrylic or watercolor. ( oil and water don't mix...)

 

- I will have to try the suggested pan watercolors, for I have never found one that works. So far, I have preferred the tubes, but I will try the one suggested, for price alone!

 

- Another thing not mentioned yet rubber cement (glue). It comes in a metal jar with a brush. One of my kids loves collage. We keep lots of magazines and printed paper and colored paper on hand. She cuts and pastes to her heart's content on Bristol Board ( another great thing to have on hand - thicker than posterboard).

 

- I let the girls use student quality acrylic paint, the thick stuff in tubes. The cheap stuff meant for elementary is a joke.

 

- Watercolor paper is great for multiple media

 

- Bulk scrapbook paper is great for collage. Basic construction paper is junk. I only use it for disposable projects. If you want to save it, use scrapbook paper. They sell it in solid sets of a variety of colors. I let the little ones use normal constuction paper from Costco.

 

- Check local paint/wall paper stores for scrap wall paper. It is great for collage.

 

- As far as basic stuff (crayons, markers) goes, get the best. Crayola is fine for a lot of stuff. There is better, but it costs way more.

- For older kids, charcoal, newsprint, higher weight paper, canvases, etc...

 

- Slightly off topic - We just got Creativity Express software and love it. I was a scholarship art major, so I am a bit picky about art programs. My kids beg to do it. They are learning art history and are inspired to do projects on their own.

 

- One more, Sculpey - it's pricey but fun. We've used it for History, Science, etc... If I had a kiln, we'd use the real thing.

 

One last thought - Most of this stuff is messy. Some of it can ruin your furiniture. I say this after my 2 yr old took dry erase markers to my chamois yellow couch! That being said, my general thought is - They're only young once. They won't remember the pristine couch or the unmarked dining table. Have fun, make a mess, and smile at the results.:001_smile:

[TCoppock]

We bought a nice large set of Prismacolor pencils last Christmas. The price made my heart jump a little. Before that it was always Crayola EVERYTHING! :) My son was so excited to have REAL colored pencils.

 

I am now drooling over all of the suggestions! Crayons that can last up to 10 years.:001_huh: Do they sell these at Micheals? If so I will be will be looking for my 50% off coupon in the next paper.

Edited July 30, 2009 by TCoppock

[tinkgumby]

- One more, Sculpey - it's pricey but fun. We've used it for History, Science, etc...

 

I'll second this! My 7.5 ds is a perfectionist, and generally doesn't like drawing because it doesn't turn out the way he wants it to. However, when I bought a pound of multi-colored Sculpey from Rainbow Resource along with a little booklet of projects he could do, he took off! He's currently doing an entire house (man, woman, cat, couch, chair, table, lamp, etc.) of nothing but things he has sculpted! :001_smile:

[Hsmomto4]

One last thought - Most of this stuff is messy. Some of it can ruin your furiniture. I say this after my 2 yr old took dry erase markers to my chamois yellow couch! That being said, my general thought is - They're only young once. They won't remember the pristine couch or the unmarked dining table. Have fun, make a mess, and smile at the results.:001_smile:

AMEN! Worth repeating!