Marsha Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 What do you consider must-have that are good quality? Also, do you get a set of items for each child or share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 at the beginning of each year. BUT, as supplies are not put back the boxes get a bit "old". By Jan., all supplies go in drawers for all to share. I'm rethinking my "plan" to give each their own box for next year :) Anyway, what we have on hand: Crayola crayons (don't like any other brand), Crayola markers thick and thins (again, don't like the other brands), paint (watercolors, tempera, acrylics, finger paint for the littles...no specific brand), paint brushes of all sizes/shapes, smocks/coveralls, glue sticks, elmers glue (NOT the gel...can't stand it!), colored pencils (crayola works for the littles but I'd like to invest in a set of Prismacolor), misc. craft supplies like felt, string, yarn, pom-poms, googly eyes, etc., good quality contruction paper, colored card stock, white paper, poster board, glossy paint paper, clay is a must have around here (we get the self-hardening by the bucket and also love Sculpey). Hmmm...I'm sure I missed something, but that's a good start. We always have to get more clay every month or so (lots of kids!), markers last mostly all year as do crayons b/c I buy a TON when they are on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenJac1501 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Sent you a pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 For school art: Crayola watercolors cake--a set for each of us Da Vinci watercolors tube--1 have 1 each of red, yellow and blue that we share Prang colored pencils--1 set any brand will do tempera paints--1 of each color pre-mixed Elmers glue--3 liquids and 20-30 sticks each year clay--I have a tub that we share and I get the kind I can bake in the oven Stockmar block crayons--a set of 8 for them and a set of 24 for me Pastels--stick and pencil for me good drawing paper--for me watercolor paper We also have tubs of various supplies like craft sticks, glue gun, hot glue sticks, google eyes, yarn, felt, glitter, etc. I bring out these things for various projects. For them to play with: markers a huge box of broken crayons colored pencils stickers stencils stampers regular and scrapbooking scissors things to cut and glue glue sticks pens construction paper scrap paper white paper Not all of this is must haves. The must haves would be the paint, colored pencils, markers and some sort of clay even if it is only play-dough. I think the better the art supplies the nicer the results but sometimes it is better to go with cheaper stuff if you have kids whoe are wasteful or very young.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalltown mom Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Okay, so I'm using the Drawing With Children book (Mona Brookes) and kinda stuck on what kind of pens to get. I'm pretty ignorant about all things art. Can you use fine Sharpies for this? pencils? Where do you get the right type of pens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 We kinda started with that book too, I gathered all kinds of sharpies I had around the house in varying widths. I also went to the office store and got some black Prismacolor markers. Between them all we had our black markers set and ready to do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I shared these recommendations a while back with another mom and so I'll add it to the thread for your consideration. My list is based on extensive use in the classroom and my own personal use. (I currently teach 4th - 8th grade art at a private classical Christian school, and also have private students. I graduated from art school and make my own art.) Ideally, each student would have their own supplies, but it is not necessary. 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? 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smalltown mom Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Wow, thanks for the help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 For colored pencils, my family has been very impressed with the Lyra Super Ferby pencils. They're shown towards the middle of the page I linked. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I shared these recommendations a while back with another mom and so I'll add it to the thread for your consideration. My list is based on extensive use in the classroom and my own personal use. (I currently teach 4th - 8th grade art at a private classical Christian school, and also have private students. I graduated from art school and make my own art.) Ideally, each student would have their own supplies, but it is not necessary. 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? Nontoxic oil paint??? 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SonshineLearner Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Waldorfy type materials are good. We've had ours for 7+ yrs and they are still good. I think they're worth it....for most of the supplies. I haven't purchased all of them, but they are worth it.... http://www.blueberryforest.com/art_soul_art_supplies/stockmar-crayons-beeswax.htm Lots of places to purchase them... but here's what I'm talking about.. They are NOTHING like coloring with crayola or brands like that:-) Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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