wow, I loved the honesty of "the supply is perfectly fine, it is just me who does not like to use it". Tons of people blame the supplies as if their taste had nothing to do with it.
I love videos that show items people do NOT like. It makes me feel better about the supplies I’ve bought and haven’t liked 😂 (and helps avoid questionable purchases if I’m on the fence about an item). I think my first year (or two) of watching UA-cam artists was the worst for “spur-of-the-moment-do-not-need-it” purchases, that ultimately resulted in things that were not me. Gradually I learned just to enjoy someone else’s excitement over supplies that are lovely for them, but not my cup of tea (soft pastels, acrylic markers, fancy fountain pens to name a few things). Now it seems that I’m most tempted when I see someone use a supply that I already have (and love), but perhaps there are new colours released or a new format… then I’m tempted. I enjoy watching a few specific artists who rarely showcase new products (I won’t name anyone because I might forget a favourite 😊); they tend to use the same colours/brands somewhat consistently. I find it really, really inspiring to see what they are able to do and the variety they can produce with such a core set of supplies. I also enjoy channels that don’t just share a haul video, but they let you know if they actually liked/used the supply after a period of time has passed. I find that type of review more interesting than the haul.
You're right, every time I bought something I regretted was because I saw someone else use it in THEIR style. I like the IDEA of gouache. So I bought the cheap gouache, and thought that was the problem. Then the more expensive, and thought it was the problem. Then the most expensive, just to realize... this is not how I paint. I knew that's not how I paint. But a lot of watercolor artists ALSO use gouache because they are "so similar." THEY ARE NOT (to me). There is this idea in art that if you want to get better, you have paint things and use supplies which you normally wouldn't, so that you become more well rounded and better at the things you do like. How does that make sense?? You don't learn to build the perfect chair that is sturdy, durable, and lasts a long time by learning how to sail or planting a garden. But that is the perception we are given, so I think that's part of the reason artists push themselves toward supplies and styles not for them. I don't do that anymore, it was a huge waste of time and money. I now focus all my love and decication toward supplies and subjects I enjoy, even if I paint it 30 times in a row. If I naturally progress to something else? Wonderful. If not? Also wonderful. Never again will I waste time pushing myself away from the things that actually spark joy.
This was actually very helpful to hear another artist's perspective on why they DON'T like an art supply. I sometimes fall into the same trap of wanting to try everything but then when it comes time to draw... there's too much to choose from. I'm taking on a similar approach of trying to find the ones I love best and sticking with those.
It's very rarely been the medium I regret buying - usually it's the speed. If I buy something the moment I think I might want it, it almost certainly will only get used once or twice. It'll get difficult, because I'm not very good yet, or it'll lose the shiny alure of novelty...and there's nothing to motivate me to push past that. But if I let things simmer by not buying something right away, it builds up enthusiasm I need to get through the hump of tackling a new medium. I'll decide I want to try something, and then I'll spend weeks or months pondering it. It gives me enough time to think carefully about colors I want to get first, what kind of scenes I want to depict, or maybe decide it doesn't make sense for me after all. That daydreaming period is so crucial for me. I now know that if I haven't daydreamt about it long enough, I simply won't cherish it. And if I don't cherish it, I don't reach for it.
Love this! I daydream about art supplies all the time, but if I keep dreaming about one specific brand or item for a long time, I know I really want/need it, and will use it!
I do something similar as well!! If I get over it after day dreaming, researching, watching others use it in various ways...or comparing it to something I already own, and I just don't rush out and get it, then ultimately I know I'm really just not in need of it and getting caught up in FOMO.
@@stephanie_smith I agree. Having been seduced watching artists use various medium am now convinced that palette water colours and Caran D'ache watercolour pencils suit my simple way of making art.
I absolutely get that! It's why I just terminated my Amazon Prime account. It was just too easy/tempting to buy something the moment it appealed to me. And putting that same self-restraint, and shift from a consumer mindset, into practice in the rest of my life too. It's SO freeing - and a whole LOT cheaper too! :)
Oh Thank you I do so enjoy your honesty and non judgement Alness regarding your collecting hobby. I am a knitter….and I live in a tiny house and I just love wool…the Colors textures…if I find some in thrift shops ot for sale…I just can t help myself…I’m 67 and I’m sure even if I knit until I die there will still be enough wool to fill my coffin. There is joy in collecting. And life is all about joy so let’s collect and share and recollect ❤
Sara - like you I live in a tiny house and I have an abundance of wool, and fabric - this year I'm going to try to resist the urge to buy anything new and make things from the materials I have. For me I think its all about the anticipation and imagination - when I see a gorgeous colour or texture I start to have ideas and I look forward to the possibilities of what I might make - but alas - that's often as far as it goes - maybe lack of time - maybe other pursuits holding my attention - I don't know. I'm also going to try to resist buying any more painting supplies this year - unless I really really need them!!
Thank you!!!!!❤ Regret:dip pens; inexpensive watercolors & gouache. Favorites: A.Gallo watercolors; Blueberry & Greenleaf watercolors; Case for Making Watercolors; Arches Watercolor Paper Blocks; Sennelier Oil Pastels. Natasha, your thoughtful, immaculately, well organized, and succinct perspective on this pivotal topic (at least for me-who loves to buy art supplies that I do not necessarily need and/or are not a good fit for my style of work) hits the nail on the head-and in more ways than I can count!
I think there is something to be said for experimenting with new supplies if you can, to challenge yourself, or help define tour style, or even get out of art block. It's never a wasted experience.
I loved how you recognized the art you produce is your own and trying new things is great, but staying true to your heart/art is where its at. I am new to painting and all the shiny colors and paint sticks because I don't have a style yet. Experimentation is good if one doesn't go over the deep end. I appreciate your acknowledgment of knowing who you are as an artist...that is my journey💖
I know the feeling. I also have that curious magpie mentality with art supplies. Never mind hoarding for fear of running out. Sometimes I forget what I had planned to use something for when the package finally arrives. I now have a tube of white heavy body acrylic. I don't use acrylics in any meaningful sense of the word. Why did I buy it? I short: you're not alone!
I was going to say almost the same thing. There have been times a package has arrived and I have NO IDEA why I bought the product! Sometimes I have no memory of even ordering it 😂
@@kristinaviolette5081 YES! What is this? Did I order it? Did they put somebody else's stuff on here? Is it a freebie? Let me check the invoice... Blimey, I DID order it. Right... Yep, I know that one as well. 🤣
@@NatashaNewtonArt Limited editions are the worst. I am considering no longer buying limited edition stuff, but that idea doesn't play nicely with the curious magpie. I'm doomed...
I've heard that the watercolor sticks work great as pan watercolor, just cut off a piece and push it into a half or full pan! They are cheaper than buying tubes and drying your own, apparently.
Using them in pans is the sole reason I buy them. The value you get is extremely hard to beat. Colour selection is limited but they are staples of a watercolour palette, colours you’ll use up. So getting 3 pans of DS for less than 4€ a pan is great. Also you can SHARE with your artists friends ! Buy a variety and cut each in as many pieces as you like. This way if you’re not sure you’ll enjoy the colour you still get to try it in a satisfactory way. My roommate also uses watercolour and we share some of the sticks depending on our preferences.
I so appreciate your honesty about those art supplies - I don't like messy supplies either but have several charcoal pencils and pastels that (like you) I'm sure I bought in my sleep ;) And I can hardly wait until Patreon re-opens in February! Saw you took the month off - good for you - but figured I would join anyway and catch up on the past several months' worth of content. Unfortunately, it won't allow me to do that while you are in vacation mode so I'm counting the days until February 1st!
There are times when I’m grateful to be able to go to my art supply stash and pull out something I’ve found a new use for. There are no *real* art supply stores within 3-4 hours drive of my rural New York State home. Shipping costs and delivery times are inspiration killers for me.
I’m glad I’m broke when I watch other artists using specific art materials because I would be in the same situation that you have stated - not knowing where to start and what to do with them. LOL. Other artists make such wonderful pieces of art with their chosen materials, that as makers / crafters / artists ourselves we get caught up in the newness and excitement, especially if we are in a creative block or slump, and want to give it a go.
Thanks for this 😊 I think we can all relate when u talked about "collecting" art supplies, as its a hobby all on its own! I had to laugh when u said u didn't like charcoal as its messy, I was the same until I done a course last yr (which was amazing!). I embraced it as an experience as I was in a studio and not my own environment as I'm usually a fairly neat worker. I actually prefer charcoal sticks now to drawing with graphite. I love filling in a page of dark smudged charcoal and erasing out the highlights and building from there. Done my best work that way! ❤ have a fab week!
So much of this resonated - my mistakes have always been after seeing someone, without a completely different style or approach, using them. I love the idea of releasing these and leaning into your strengths. I really want to reduce what I have as having things that you don't use weighs very heavily!
Natasha!!! Thank you for this! ❤❤❤ Your sentiments resonate deeply with me! 🤯 “Being true to yourself as an artist… rather than feeling pressured to use many different materials because other artists use and recommend them. Leaning into your strengths and having confidence in how you work… realizing that your work is uniquely yours and there’s no need to be like anyone else.” Thank you for this video and for sharing your thoughts. The last couple of years, I’ve struggled a bit with trying new materials, but I ALWAYS return to the watercolor pencils I love and enjoy… Wanting my sketches to have the energy of, and resemble, the art of all my favorite artists (including you!) and amassing supplies I barely use (and don’t have room for). I love experimenting and have found a couple of supplies and techniques that I have incorporated into my process and work for me. However, I need to balance experimenting with creating my work in a way I feel comfortable and confident about regularly. I love mixed media, and I do mix my media, but the base of my work is largely watercolor pencils (which are, to me, a mixed media tool because they are a dry media drawing tool and a wet media painting tool all-in-one). I also use a little wax-based colored pencil and a bit of acrylic pen. I had been feeling like this wasn't enough or good enough or something. Other media comes and goes. I think the energy I strive for in my work will best come from growing more confident in the materials I use and the techniques I practice, being more in the moment and finding my flow when I’m working instead of putting pressure on myself to emulate someone else’s work. ❤I’m very much looking forward to hearing about your process and practice this year!
An excellent video, and the bit about charcoal pencils made me laugh out loud! My regrets probably are the starter kit for Lino printing, I have had it a few years now and so far I have not found the time to perfect the technique - or even have much of a go with it apart from an initial burst of enthusiasm! Also I have an enlarging projector that I’ve never really used! 🫣 Art supplies I love: dip pens! I love the interesting inks (thank you for those!) and the rather archaic feeling ritual of using them. I also love all of the antique paraphernalia that can go with them! I also love my Moonster leather covered journal, which goes so well with the dip pens! Thanks again for sharing your regrets, and here’s to being true to ourselves with our art supply choices in the future! 🤗💖😘 xxx
That's so funny about the Lino printing set! What are we like?! 😂 So glad that you love your new dip pens and inks! That leather journal is beautiful. 💖😘 xxx
I loved this video, such honesty. I am an art material magpie and I am also easily influenced by other artists. I have a Gelli plate that has never been taken out of the packet. I have come to the realisation that I hate messy art too and after swatching my pan pastels for the first time recently, realised that they have been another expensive mistake. Like you, 2025 is going to be a year of sticking to what I love and refraining from buying anymore art materials. I’ve had fun testing out new art supplies but now I’m sticking to what I know and love. 🙏💜
Definitely some tempting items says the person who filled a huge box of Christmas crafts to give away because I have too much stuff. I do love the Daniel Smith sticks for cutting up to put in pans. I am truly terrible at pouring pans.
Thanks so much for Sharing, Natasha! I have several regret purchases from last year, but my biggest is several sets of acylic art kits I purchased on clearance. I just don't like working with acrylic paint even when the value is incredible. Definately something I need to pass on to someone else. My favorite art supply from 2024 would be a set of Caran Dache Museuem Aquararell Pencils that I was gifted for Christmas. They are lovely to work with.
I had to laugh, in the same boat as you, watching UA-cam videos and buying art supplies based on other artists and then not using them. I’m also in the process of downsizing my collection of shiny, new and unused art products. Plus learning not to buy the same item again 😂
Great video and reflections 😊. I counted my supplies in preparation of moving. The amount is shocking. I am with you, 2025 is the year to use up my supplies. I look forward to your video of making more art and your journey to use up ❤
I enjoy watching Art supply hauls, but they bring out the magpie in me!! 😅 So, I will limit or skip those types of videos first and just concentrate on the ones that talk about the artist’s process. Thank you for this and your previous video! They remind me of my goal for 2025, which is to focus on my own art, not get sidetracked by shiny, new things that do not suit my style, and just be confident and believe in my myself as an artist! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a great week ahead, Natasha! 😊
Colored pencils... I've purchased close to 300 of them in a year and a half... I was sucked in by other mixed media artists doing fabulous mark making with them... and I've figured out that they're just not my cup of tea... posca pens too... and Ecoline markers... 2025 is my year of going back to what I love, watercolors and gouche, and occasionally acrylics. I don't even want to think about the money I've spent 😕
I absolutely loved your honest narrative & could totally relate!! 😂🤪 I too have this magpie mentality & love of collecting art supplies ~ which quite honestly I don’t need or sometimes don’t remember why I got them in the first place!! 🥴 I’m looking forward to watching your 2025 videos going forward, using the supplies you regularly use & love… 😊💚😘
Have ypu tried using the watercolour sticks, by putting water on the pallette and then taking the dry stick rubbing it in the puddle of water? It creats a nice pool of watercolour? Easier on the brushes as well. And easy to travel with. Then i let them dry before putting them back into their cases. Easy peasy. 😊
I tend to buy things I don't need or normally use when inspiration is at a low point and my confidence in my abilities sinks...usually in the depths of a dark Canadian winter, which is where we are now, sigh! Then I find I watch other artists and get excited by what they're using, and think that maybe I just need to try something new and fresh to wake up my creativity... I'm always disappointed because the product doesn’t suit my style anyway.🤔 Hopefully I've now learned my lesson and won't repeat the buying madness 😄
really interesting video. I have several of the art supplies you mention and don't really use them either, but if there is one supply I seem to buy all the time and then get desperately dissapointed with it has to be metallics. mettalic paint, markers, pencils, powder, you name it and I probably have it! none of which ever look how I imagine they will.
The watercolor sticks you can cut off a chunk and put it in a pan and use it instead of using your tubes. That’s a beautiful part about the sticks and according to the frugal crafter UA-camr, you get a lot more paint with the sticks.
I am exclusively a watercolor artist, so I have a ton of paint. I love trying all the brands. Schmincke was my go to for years until I tried Roman Szmal. That is now my all time favorite. My main regrets over the years is buying cheap watercolor paper and cheap paint.
Thanks Natasha, I am fully aware of the products that I love and I now stop myself from buying on impulse. I love Winsor and Newton Designers gouache and couldn’t live without my Betty Hayways round brushes which I purchased on your recommendation.
It goes to show how different everyone is. I'd happily use all of the items you decluttered in this video and the last one, but I do a lot of mixed media and do not mind the mess.
Very much enjoyed these videos, Natasha. I also have the tendency to let myself be influenced by other artists. You are one of those, actually!! And I especially like the reminder to check if the art supplies suits your art practice. I mainly work with pencil, crayons and watercolor. You have influenced me with Deep deep light (which I just LOVE, I just received my 3rd order from them, Inreally think it’s the nicest paint ever) and Inktense pencils, which I also love. I also got markers once and those really do not suit me so they are used by my daughter. Besides that, I also love collecting art supplies and have a mindblowing collection of coloured pencils. They do all get used! 😊
I love A Gallo watercolors. And something I bought and probably won't use much are the Derwent Inktense blocks. Also, I'm still trying to figure out how I want to use the DS sticks, but I only purchased one set of five in colors I didn't already have. :) The urge to satisfy curiosity is a strong one but it's great to arrive at a place where you know who you are, what you want to say, how you want to say it, and what you need to say just that. I bet you your studio feels lighter and brighter with that shift of energy.
This won't be a popular reply regarding what art supplies I've regretted the most, but the honest answer is small batch "artisan" watercolors. Not all, mind you. Deep Deep Light has been a winner, for example (thanks to you, Kriskis and Lily Moon for introducing them). But by and large, I find I most commonly reach for my paints by Daniel Smith and Schmicke the most. Most times when I succumb to the temptation and purchase artisan paints - usually because I've seen a UA-camr promote them - I get them and tell myself, "STOP buying these! Never again!" Thanks for the post, Natasha!
I know what you mean! I have a few that I don't like as much (mainly because they're gritty and/or hard to rewet). I really LOVE the DDL paints which is why I jumped at the chance to become an ambassador when they asked me. Thanks for sharing, Jill! That was interesting.
@@NatashaNewtonArt Exactly the reasons I've been disappointed - gritty, hard to rewet, and often times not very pigmented...or at least not as much as I expected from the YT video or their website. And they're expensive...but that's relative because most good watercolor paints are. I need to just stick to the brands I know do great paint in colors I love.
I have a lot of art supplies but I stopped buying any more two years ago. I have given away some art supplies I would not use. The others I don’t like, I’m currently using up and won’t buy again. My number one favourite art supplies are my pan pastels, pastel pencils which I use on Pastelmat paper. I also love gouache and watercolour too. Oil pastels ❤️I started my UA-cam channel so make me use up my art supplies 😅
Thank you for this video. I’ve just sat down for a moment and viewed. I’m in the process of donating art supplies to our library art fair donations. It’s hard letting go and just gave me a boost. I found that I love my ink and wash, as well as, gouache. Also, drawing in graphite and charcoal. Everything else is going. Still not easy, but these donations are several times a year. THANK YOU!
Natasha,I appreciate the honesty of these videos,sometimes the creative magpie within us as artists does get the better of us. But it's great that you now know the mediums you do love and will use going forward. For me it's paint pens,but in the end I stuck with the Molloto paint pens as they are refillable and I do use them,for me drawing inks I got them for an art challenge,but never did the challenge and never used the inks.(Matt) P s glad you sold the mediums you were not using to artists who will love them,I did the same.I can't live without handmade watercolours making that switch a couple of years ago was a good thing
I feel so inspired by these two latest videos to try and not buy anything new for a while and make the most of what I already have. Thank you! My biggest art supply regret are my lino printing supplies. I love the look of the prints and the practicality of having redoable prints for cards and gifts, but I realised the process doesn’t inspire me and the cutting is difficult bc of my achy hands.
It's lovely to know you've got sucked in as well. I love my watercolours and granulating colours. I took have had to stop spending. It's a no buy 2025. Make myself use what I have. I have too many palettes !
My most used materials are my Rosa Gallery Watercolor and my acrylic markers from Tooli Art. My least used are the Tinted Charcoal pencils from Derwent. And my 3 sets of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
I wholeheartedly agree with you! I have decided to do the same. I will work with what I have. My art is nowhere near as accomplished and beautiful like yours. But I’m still working on figuring out my style. Thank you for sharing and giving us such wonderful insights. 😊
How I laughed to myself watching this video. I have bought so many things I’ve never even opened. But, oh, the allure of paint and its accoutrements to the artist, professional or hobbyist! Thanks for revealing! Haha…
Definitely feel you with “buying art supplies somebody else loved but they have a totally different style.” Fortunately, I was able to return the truly gaudy paint palette that I bought. What was I thinking? I like muted tones. Glad to hear your supplies are on their way to new homes and looking forward to your new video direction in 2025.
Thank you for the video 🌹My biggest regrets are purchasing water based markers and purchasing quite a lot of gouache. I bought them for the same reason: I saw them being popular on social media. But neither of them fit my style and I never use them.
Thank goodness, I'm not the only one who buys supplies that aren't for me! I have FOMO, and when I see my favorite UA-camrs trying something new, I can't help myself. I have all of the top brands of watercolors, more than I, or anyone who gets my stuff, could use in a lifetime. (Fantasy Kelly wanted to have a YT channel, so I thought I needed variety; ) Then there are the acrylic supplies, numerous complete sets of colored pencils, all of the drawing supplies imaginable, calligraphy, and fountain supplies, not to mention my other hobbies like sewing and needlework. I've worn myself out listing just some of what I have collected. Add that to the fact that I have zero room to store everything, and you get a mess! I think I'll take your advice and sell or donate what I'm not using. But then my ADHD brain tells me not to get rid of anything because IT's sure I'm going to use it one day! It's a vicious circle, and I can't seem to get off the wheel! I love this video and the peek inside your brain! Keep up the excellent work, Natasha! Sorry for the long-winded comment!
Thank you. My resolution for this year is to use what I have. Any art supplies I do not use this year is going straight to a local art teacher. They can certainly use some of it.
I think it’s so neat that you’re leaning into to your work and what inspires you besides other people’s style and work process but instead have courage to grow in your own unique style and talents and to use what you love and already have that sparks that joy! Friend I do want to share that you are truly fearfully and wonderfully made by God and He loves you and everyone else who looks at this comment! He wants a relationship with you and with Him, He will grow you! ❤
Great video! It’s reassuring to know that even established artists like you fall for the same traps as the rest of us. I too ended up getting stuff influenced by other people only to confirm I know what I like. This encouraged me to sell some of my stock too. It’s good to be surrounded by things you like and use 🙂
The one reason I buy Daniel Smith watercolor sticks is that I believe certain Primatek colors are less expensive in this format than in tube form, and so they are a better deal. They don't draw nearly as well as watercolor pencils or Neocolor 2 sticks, so I don't use them that way. Instead I peel back the paper, cut off a chunk, stick it in a palette and use it like a regular paint. I have a lot of paint, but I enjoy their color and the fact that I can buy a stick of Piedmonte genuine for $12 instead of $24 for a tube. The sticks are more concentrated than a tube since they don't contain any water, and they are less than half a small, so it's a pretty good deal.
Thank you for sharing your process and know that you have sparked insipiration in me to do the same. "Lean into your strengths", is such a short phrase but so much impact!! Looking forward to seeing how you streamline your focus both in your work but I am sure your space now feels so much lighter and brighter post rehoming of all these other creative items also, lighter perhaps. I regret buying a bunch of super expensive bigger brushes. Similar to your Daniel Smith paint sticks, I also was wooed by someone else's style and thought buying those brushes might broaden my creative journey. NOPE! LOL I do not regret buying and good glittery paints!! For me Chromawatercolors off Etsy are glorious and my go-to now after trying so many other brands which were higher price yet not quite the same lovely quality as Chromawatercolors. Love her pricing and her gorgeous paints are just magical to me. 💕💖💗 Creating is so personal and tactile in what ever medium used. I had a bit of an epiphany after watching your video. Truly feel the feel of using a medium or specific style. If it doesn't ignite joy then that is OK! Not every art tool or medium will feed our creative souls. It is perfectly ok to let go of those that do not. Quick aside, when I am creating regularly I don't feel the need to buy a bunch of other art items. But when I am not regularly creating the "want monster" comes out and I end up buying more supplies that I really don't need. So for me another mantra that I repeat often and try to do is "Create with Wild Abandon". 😊😍
Hi Natasha I get everything you have said in this video. I love art supplies and have way too much that I don’t use. I think like you that if other artists use it, they must be good and I end up buying them when I don’t like them for me ; I’m going to stop being so influenced and buy only what I enjoy using. I love my sketchbooks, especially Pith sketchbooks, Clairefontaine goldline square sketchbooks are my favourite. And of course my favourite watercolours that I use most of the time are deep deep light watercolours as expensive as they are, they are the ones I have used the most so I could say they are worth it to me as I use these more than any others. I need a complete clear out of my supplies. Hope you are doing ok Natasha; sending lots of love your way xxx 🥰
I regret buying acrylic paints! I’m a watercolour person, I really don’t know what I was thinking…! Thanks for another video Natasha, I love seeing your uploads 😊
My favs are Oils, acrylic, gouache and i want to size down on colors to create a more limited palet. Microns and sharpies I use a lit. All the other fine markers I use up to make notes, sketches. I got a woodenbox (inheritage very generous) of Faber Castel color pencils and I am going to give it a try this year. I gave away clay tools, glass engraving tools, pastel pencils, pastel stick box. Lino tools. Art books I never look into (mostly 2nd hand but in very goid condition) all above went to friends who use those art supplies. Such a releave 😊
I really needed this video because I have been lusting over the Holbein Pastel colored pencil set of 50 because a favorite UA-camr uses them and they look so gorgeous when she does… but I am not a pastel color person AT ALL. I usually have a moody earthy palette much like yours 🤪 I need to accept these colored pencils aren’t for me before they become a very expensive regret
For a while there I would buy the new shiny paint that someone was using in a video. I have built up quite a collection. Many different brands. I know myself and having too many choices makes me flustered. I have put a “ no buy” on 2025. Instead, i have been watching swatching videos of my favorite you tubers and using my sketch book keep track of their color palette. I realized I know what paint i like, i just need to figure out MY colors. I am drawn to artists with similar color choices and styles. It is taking a while to get there. I do well with a limited palette. My favorite supplies are: Khadi sketch book because the paper feels so good and it is not “precious”. I can dig right in. I love Roman Szmal, A. Gallo, Essee & DDL. I wanted to like gouache but it is just not for me. Thank you for these videos. A great way to start the year 😊
Great video and I’m sure many of us resonated with you. It’s not just art supplies, we have so much we want but don’t need. I can’t wait to see more of your creations in 2025!
I don’t understand so many people have these confusion, and it’s literally in the description from Daniel Smith. Daniel Smith watercolour pigment sticks are literally in the shape for easy transport. You are not really meant to draw with them, although you can and then dissolve them you were meant to cut off a small piece and put it in a half pan and then use it exactly like you would a half pan of dried of watercolour
There are some good nuggets of shopping wisdom in this video! I have a handful of supplies I bought after I watched videos! I also agree about my Poscas-other than my white, I just don’t use them.
As a newer artist who likes to try a lot I find my biggest regret is the QUANTITY at which I buy stuff. I have no idea how much of an art supply I’ll use so when I catch them on sale I usually buy double what I need 😅.
I'm such a sucker for buying something new when I see another artist rave about it - going to take a leaf out of your book this year and stick to what I've got and what I'm familiar with. I would be utterly lost without my Roman Szmal watercolours and my Baohong paper and sketchbooks (and my portable painter filled with Shinhan gouache and unipin pens and my Art Toolkit palettes etc. etc. etc.)!
BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO!! I love your goal for 2025. It's meaningful and authentic. Art haul algorithm be damned. I chuckle because I too discovered I don't like messy art supplies...
Yesterday visited the only art store in my locale - a good 35-40 minute drive, door-to-door, finding it much depleted in stock; so many gaps in the displays. Used to be fully stocked but, as explained by the assistant, suppliers are no longer fulfilling shop orders unless over a certain amount (£s) which causes an ever decreasing circle. Suppliers aren't supplying therefore the shop has less to sell which equates to fewer customers/less income, consequently suppliers don't get orders ..... and so on. I was the only one in there during a half hour visit. Another physical loss to online buying. This state of affairs isn't helped by one of our local councils removing the "Free after Three" parking next to the art centre which used be a bustling community of students who'd chosen from a full catalogue of classes .... water colours/stained glass/stone carving/quilting/book binding/basket weaving and so much more. A catalogue is no longer produced so I looked on line for an art class - only four adult classes were offered - none were for art. Adding parking costs to class fees, car fuel and equipment needed, makes taking any class prohibitively expensive.
Oh, we've all been there, I suspect. I know I certainly have and as you say, it's generally a mismatch between an artist's style and materials rather than a supply actually being poor quality. I don't do pastels, goache or oils, for example but of course, it took buying and using all those things to figure that out. One thing I do now is keep a list of supplies on my phone. If I still want it in a few weeks, then I seriously consider it. It helps to cut down on those Instagram inspired purchases. Also I am NOT allowed to buy any more acrylic paint or crayons for a good long while - I do use both of those regularly but I have enough now! I sometimes think it's a good thing that my studio is on the small side because it keeps me in check slightly.
Im definitely a magpie with art supply addictions, i had to pull my head in 2024. I did drool over your gouache. Haha its on my wish list but has to wait.
As a relatively new artist, I too would buy art supplies recommended by other artists on UA-cam...you're included in that group. The one thing I especially never use are Posca pens. Everyone always raved about them and I simply never liked the look when I tried to use them. So yes I expect we all have purchases we discover are not for us. On the other hand I've also discovered some real gems like Turner Acryla gouache and Kuretaki watercolors. Thanks for sharing.
I bought a gelli plate when I was trying to get more abstract with my acrylic paints, like wise with stencils, bad idea ha, ha. My main addiction though is watercolour tubes, and wanting to make up brand palettes with colours I love. No way do I need that many paints, I am resisting the urge to collect more 🤦🏼♀️
OMG! This is so true 😢 I regret to buy the Koh-I-Noor woodless colored pencils and the Koh-I-Noor Polycolor, they are beautiful... but I don't like how it feels in the paper😢. I bought many cheaps watercolors pallet from China, and Marie's Gouache, OMG this last it's worst!😢
A while ago everyone was reviewing Himi Jelly Gouache and an artist I admired very much said it was her new favourite supply. After seeing several reviews, I got them too. I hated these. It was impossible to keep them from drying out and the container they came in wasn't air tight, and the colours got cross contaminated. Finally, they're not portable, they're not suitable for turning in to travel paints because they tend to crack when they dry in the pallet. That was how I learned my lesson. Now I watch new products and wonder if the artist is making it look good because they were sponsored, or if they genuinely like the product. A product that was recommended by just as many artists was Holbein Acrylic Gouache but they are actually excellent. I normally work with acrylic paint and watercolor but this gives you those matte vibrant colours you find in gouache only it dries and stays like acrylic. I saw results immediately. They're expensive but I caught a basic set of 12 on sale and did not regret it.
I've never liked the look of those (for me, personally), but I know lots of people love it! I agree with you about the Holbein Acrylic Gouache - it's one of my favourite paints ever. I love the beautiful matte texture when it dries.
I also have a bunch of charcoal pencils amassed when I was doing life drawing class. For some reason I felt the need to bulk buy 😅 needless to say I haven't touched them since the class ended! I do love the faber castle matt pencils tho, the 14b is my can't live without supply ❤️
Same problem here. But as I move often, I restrict myself now to five boxes of hobby material. I had to let go of my acrylics, oilcolor, pastels and markers. So difficult! I do not browse shops and online sites anymore, because I have the tendency to buy the nicest most expensive stuff. But it actually feels good, that everything I have I use (well, except the Holbein watercolor, on sale at Jackson's. Should have known better:)
I cut my DS watercolor sticks in pieces that perfectly fit in a half pan, so I put them in with my other pans, in a tin. I’ve been doing this for years.
I feel this video! I love hearing your train of thoughts and reasoning. An art supply that’s not for me: alcoholic markers. I should not talk myself into trying them, which is hard because I see people creating so much nice work, bright and colorful. I make bright and colorful pieces too, but have to remind myself there’s plenty of mediums that do work. I already gifted a full set of watercolour pencils and a full set of markers. The person who received them messaged me multiple times how happy she is, and how much she uses them.
Buying art supplies is a hobby in itself 😅 I fall for it all the time. I see something and I want it and then I fell like I will die if I don’t buy it. Then I buy it and it sits unused lol.
Thank you for sharing. I like a limited pallet as well. I also found out that I do not like gousche paints. I am donating them. I need to clean out my studio out as well. I look forward to watching your processing and wonderful works of art.😊
I loved this video...art supplies are seductive; but, in reality one only uses particular mediums of their own innate artwork style. I have a smaller but similar problem. I will pass those items off to a grandchild or two or simply donate them. My favorite medium is watercolor, but I too enjoy working in pencil and pen. 💌
The want monster makes me sleep buy.....LOLOLOLOL. Good question about which is my favorite: watercolor paint. 10 minutes to several hours a day I am lost in my process. Harmless escape. I like all the high end watercolor brands but love Fabriono paper. Love to start the morning in a scketchbook. Love to end on loose paper.
Oh oh metallic watercolours. I bought some really pretty handmade pans. I don’t know how to use them. I tried them and apart from using the gold one every now and then, I don’t use them. They are so beautiful though.
My favorite supplies for my casual art hobby are Pilot Precise V5 art deco rolling ball extra fine 0.5mm pens and (no-smell) Sharpie brush pens and Creative Markers (water based acrylic brush pens). I also collage with scraps of random paper. I regret a variety of graphite pencils, colored pencils, and a portrait-oriented sketchbook with a spiral binding at the top side and too-thick paper. And dollar-store acylic paints that turned out to be of such bad quality i just threw them out. I like Golden acrylics, but I'm glad I didn't buy more than the 3 tubes needed for a specific (now completed) project, because I've only used them twice and I'm very unlikely to paint because of the set up, clean up, and patience required. Grab a pen or brush marker -- not too thick! -- and I'll draw or "paint." Most expensive regret: COPIC alcohol markers. Most recent regret: water based dual-tipped dot markers with a dot head at one end and a brush at the other. They saturate too quickly, I quickly realized I'm not going to use the dot tips, and they're not as comfortable to use as my no-bleed Sharpies.
Lovely video. I’ve always tried to keep my art supplies to a minimum. Using a limited pallet and mixing colors from that. But my problem over the years has been purchasing studio furniture such as different types of easels, print racks, shelving etc. some of which I regret buying. Off topic, I would like to ask if you have ever painted with traditional gouache not acrylic and on wrapped canvas not canvas board and not paper. If so would you mind sharing how that went ?
I'm also guilty of buying way more paper than I can use up. I might need to plant a few trees to make up for it... I've thought about giving some away, but there is also paper among it that I haven't tried yet, and I'm rather curious about it. One day... Nice video! I enjoyed it, just like the previous one.
If you use up any materials, maybe you could do a "i used up...review" for us. Those are super useful.
wow, I loved the honesty of "the supply is perfectly fine, it is just me who does not like to use it". Tons of people blame the supplies as if their taste had nothing to do with it.
I love videos that show items people do NOT like. It makes me feel better about the supplies I’ve bought and haven’t liked 😂 (and helps avoid questionable purchases if I’m on the fence about an item). I think my first year (or two) of watching UA-cam artists was the worst for “spur-of-the-moment-do-not-need-it” purchases, that ultimately resulted in things that were not me. Gradually I learned just to enjoy someone else’s excitement over supplies that are lovely for them, but not my cup of tea (soft pastels, acrylic markers, fancy fountain pens to name a few things). Now it seems that I’m most tempted when I see someone use a supply that I already have (and love), but perhaps there are new colours released or a new format… then I’m tempted.
I enjoy watching a few specific artists who rarely showcase new products (I won’t name anyone because I might forget a favourite 😊); they tend to use the same colours/brands somewhat consistently. I find it really, really inspiring to see what they are able to do and the variety they can produce with such a core set of supplies. I also enjoy channels that don’t just share a haul video, but they let you know if they actually liked/used the supply after a period of time has passed. I find that type of review more interesting than the haul.
You're right, every time I bought something I regretted was because I saw someone else use it in THEIR style. I like the IDEA of gouache. So I bought the cheap gouache, and thought that was the problem. Then the more expensive, and thought it was the problem. Then the most expensive, just to realize... this is not how I paint. I knew that's not how I paint. But a lot of watercolor artists ALSO use gouache because they are "so similar." THEY ARE NOT (to me).
There is this idea in art that if you want to get better, you have paint things and use supplies which you normally wouldn't, so that you become more well rounded and better at the things you do like. How does that make sense?? You don't learn to build the perfect chair that is sturdy, durable, and lasts a long time by learning how to sail or planting a garden. But that is the perception we are given, so I think that's part of the reason artists push themselves toward supplies and styles not for them.
I don't do that anymore, it was a huge waste of time and money. I now focus all my love and decication toward supplies and subjects I enjoy, even if I paint it 30 times in a row. If I naturally progress to something else? Wonderful. If not? Also wonderful. Never again will I waste time pushing myself away from the things that actually spark joy.
THANK YOU FOR THIS! (Round of applause)
Bravo!! To thine own self be true! 💕
This was actually very helpful to hear another artist's perspective on why they DON'T like an art supply. I sometimes fall into the same trap of wanting to try everything but then when it comes time to draw... there's too much to choose from. I'm taking on a similar approach of trying to find the ones I love best and sticking with those.
It's very rarely been the medium I regret buying - usually it's the speed. If I buy something the moment I think I might want it, it almost certainly will only get used once or twice. It'll get difficult, because I'm not very good yet, or it'll lose the shiny alure of novelty...and there's nothing to motivate me to push past that.
But if I let things simmer by not buying something right away, it builds up enthusiasm I need to get through the hump of tackling a new medium. I'll decide I want to try something, and then I'll spend weeks or months pondering it. It gives me enough time to think carefully about colors I want to get first, what kind of scenes I want to depict, or maybe decide it doesn't make sense for me after all.
That daydreaming period is so crucial for me. I now know that if I haven't daydreamt about it long enough, I simply won't cherish it. And if I don't cherish it, I don't reach for it.
Love this! I daydream about art supplies all the time, but if I keep dreaming about one specific brand or item for a long time, I know I really want/need it, and will use it!
I do something similar as well!! If I get over it after day dreaming, researching, watching others use it in various ways...or comparing it to something I already own, and I just don't rush out and get it, then ultimately I know I'm really just not in need of it and getting caught up in FOMO.
@@stephanie_smith I agree. Having been seduced watching artists use various medium am now convinced that palette water colours and Caran D'ache watercolour pencils suit my simple way of making art.
I absolutely get that! It's why I just terminated my Amazon Prime account. It was just too easy/tempting to buy something the moment it appealed to me. And putting that same self-restraint, and shift from a consumer mindset, into practice in the rest of my life too. It's SO freeing - and a whole LOT cheaper too! :)
You have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince.
Very true 😅❤
😂😅
Such an awesome metaphor 😅 I’ve certainly kissed a few too many frogs 🫠
Girls have a very twisted way of finding love 😂.
Oh Thank you I do so enjoy your honesty and non judgement Alness regarding your collecting hobby. I am a knitter….and I live in a tiny house and I just love wool…the Colors textures…if I find some in thrift shops ot for sale…I just can t help myself…I’m 67 and I’m sure even if I knit until I die there will still be enough wool to fill my coffin. There is joy in collecting. And life is all about joy so let’s collect and share and recollect ❤
Sara - like you I live in a tiny house and I have an abundance of wool, and fabric - this year I'm going to try to resist the urge to buy anything new and make things from the materials I have. For me I think its all about the anticipation and imagination - when I see a gorgeous colour or texture I start to have ideas and I look forward to the possibilities of what I might make - but alas - that's often as far as it goes - maybe lack of time - maybe other pursuits holding my attention - I don't know. I'm also going to try to resist buying any more painting supplies this year - unless I really really need them!!
Thank you!!!!!❤ Regret:dip pens; inexpensive watercolors & gouache. Favorites: A.Gallo watercolors; Blueberry & Greenleaf watercolors; Case for Making Watercolors; Arches Watercolor Paper Blocks; Sennelier Oil Pastels. Natasha, your thoughtful, immaculately, well organized, and succinct perspective on this pivotal topic (at least for me-who loves to buy art supplies that I do not necessarily need and/or are not a good fit for my style of work) hits the nail on the head-and in more ways than I can count!
OH! I just received my first A. Gallo set and ohhhhhh!
That's so kind, thank you! And thanks for sharing your favourites and regrets!
I think there is something to be said for experimenting with new supplies if you can, to challenge yourself, or help define tour style, or even get out of art block. It's never a wasted experience.
I loved how you recognized the art you produce is your own and trying new things is great, but staying true to your heart/art is where its at. I am new to painting and all the shiny colors and paint sticks because I don't have a style yet. Experimentation is good if one doesn't go over the deep end. I appreciate your acknowledgment of knowing who you are as an artist...that is my journey💖
I know the feeling. I also have that curious magpie mentality with art supplies. Never mind hoarding for fear of running out.
Sometimes I forget what I had planned to use something for when the package finally arrives. I now have a tube of white heavy body acrylic. I don't use acrylics in any meaningful sense of the word. Why did I buy it?
I short: you're not alone!
I was going to say almost the same thing. There have been times a package has arrived and I have NO IDEA why I bought the product! Sometimes I have no memory of even ordering it 😂
The hoarding for fear of running out is REAL!
@@kristinaviolette5081 YES! What is this? Did I order it? Did they put somebody else's stuff on here? Is it a freebie? Let me check the invoice... Blimey, I DID order it. Right...
Yep, I know that one as well. 🤣
@@NatashaNewtonArt Limited editions are the worst. I am considering no longer buying limited edition stuff, but that idea doesn't play nicely with the curious magpie. I'm doomed...
I've heard that the watercolor sticks work great as pan watercolor, just cut off a piece and push it into a half or full pan! They are cheaper than buying tubes and drying your own, apparently.
I heard this too - it's a great way of using them!
I use Daniel Smith paint sticks in pans. It works for me 😊!
Using them in pans is the sole reason I buy them. The value you get is extremely hard to beat. Colour selection is limited but they are staples of a watercolour palette, colours you’ll use up. So getting 3 pans of DS for less than 4€ a pan is great. Also you can SHARE with your artists friends ! Buy a variety and cut each in as many pieces as you like. This way if you’re not sure you’ll enjoy the colour you still get to try it in a satisfactory way. My roommate also uses watercolour and we share some of the sticks depending on our preferences.
That's how I use them. Economical and works great!
This is exactly what I do. I cut mine to fit the pan. So much more bang for your buck, and it's the exact same formulation.
I so appreciate your honesty about those art supplies - I don't like messy supplies either but have several charcoal pencils and pastels that (like you) I'm sure I bought in my sleep ;) And I can hardly wait until Patreon re-opens in February! Saw you took the month off - good for you - but figured I would join anyway and catch up on the past several months' worth of content. Unfortunately, it won't allow me to do that while you are in vacation mode so I'm counting the days until February 1st!
There are times when I’m grateful to be able to go to my art supply stash and pull out something I’ve found a new use for. There are no *real* art supply stores within 3-4 hours drive of my rural New York State home. Shipping costs and delivery times are inspiration killers for me.
I’m glad I’m broke when I watch other artists using specific art materials because I would be in the same situation that you have stated - not knowing where to start and what to do with them. LOL. Other artists make such wonderful pieces of art with their chosen materials, that as makers / crafters / artists ourselves we get caught up in the newness and excitement, especially if we are in a creative block or slump, and want to give it a go.
Being broke is my superpower.
Thanks for this 😊 I think we can all relate when u talked about "collecting" art supplies, as its a hobby all on its own!
I had to laugh when u said u didn't like charcoal as its messy, I was the same until I done a course last yr (which was amazing!). I embraced it as an experience as I was in a studio and not my own environment as I'm usually a fairly neat worker. I actually prefer charcoal sticks now to drawing with graphite. I love filling in a page of dark smudged charcoal and erasing out the highlights and building from there. Done my best work that way! ❤ have a fab week!
So much of this resonated - my mistakes have always been after seeing someone, without a completely different style or approach, using them. I love the idea of releasing these and leaning into your strengths. I really want to reduce what I have as having things that you don't use weighs very heavily!
I feel so much lighter since I edited it all down! I can see exactly what I have now, and I know that what I'm left with, I love. :)
Natasha!!! Thank you for this! ❤❤❤
Your sentiments resonate deeply with me! 🤯
“Being true to yourself as an artist… rather than feeling pressured to use many different materials because other artists use and recommend them. Leaning into your strengths and having confidence in how you work… realizing that your work is uniquely yours and there’s no need to be like anyone else.”
Thank you for this video and for sharing your thoughts. The last couple of years, I’ve struggled a bit with trying new materials, but I ALWAYS return to the watercolor pencils I love and enjoy… Wanting my sketches to have the energy of, and resemble, the art of all my favorite artists (including you!) and amassing supplies I barely use (and don’t have room for). I love experimenting and have found a couple of supplies and techniques that I have incorporated into my process and work for me. However, I need to balance experimenting with creating my work in a way I feel comfortable and confident about regularly.
I love mixed media, and I do mix my media, but the base of my work is largely watercolor pencils (which are, to me, a mixed media tool because they are a dry media drawing tool and a wet media painting tool all-in-one). I also use a little wax-based colored pencil and a bit of acrylic pen. I had been feeling like this wasn't enough or good enough or something.
Other media comes and goes. I think the energy I strive for in my work will best come from growing more confident in the materials I use and the techniques I practice, being more in the moment and finding my flow when I’m working instead of putting pressure on myself to emulate someone else’s work.
❤I’m very much looking forward to hearing about your process and practice this year!
An excellent video, and the bit about charcoal pencils made me laugh out loud!
My regrets probably are the starter kit for Lino printing, I have had it a few years now and so far I have not found the time to perfect the technique - or even have much of a go with it apart from an initial burst of enthusiasm! Also I have an enlarging projector that I’ve never really used! 🫣
Art supplies I love: dip pens! I love the interesting inks (thank you for those!) and the rather archaic feeling ritual of using them. I also love all of the antique paraphernalia that can go with them! I also love my Moonster leather covered journal, which goes so well with the dip pens! Thanks again for sharing your regrets, and here’s to being true to ourselves with our art supply choices in the future! 🤗💖😘 xxx
That's so funny about the Lino printing set! What are we like?! 😂 So glad that you love your new dip pens and inks! That leather journal is beautiful. 💖😘 xxx
I loved this video, such honesty. I am an art material magpie and I am also easily influenced by other artists. I have a Gelli plate that has never been taken out of the packet. I have come to the realisation that I hate messy art too and after swatching my pan pastels for the first time recently, realised that they have been another expensive mistake. Like you, 2025 is going to be a year of sticking to what I love and refraining from buying anymore art materials. I’ve had fun testing out new art supplies but now I’m sticking to what I know and love. 🙏💜
We can do this! ;)
Definitely some tempting items says the person who filled a huge box of Christmas crafts to give away because I have too much stuff. I do love the Daniel Smith sticks for cutting up to put in pans. I am truly terrible at pouring pans.
Thanks so much for Sharing, Natasha! I have several regret purchases from last year, but my biggest is several sets of acylic art kits I purchased on clearance. I just don't like working with acrylic paint even when the value is incredible. Definately something I need to pass on to someone else. My favorite art supply from 2024 would be a set of Caran Dache Museuem Aquararell Pencils that I was gifted for Christmas. They are lovely to work with.
I had to laugh, in the same boat as you, watching UA-cam videos and buying art supplies based on other artists and then not using them. I’m also in the process of downsizing my collection of shiny, new and unused art products. Plus learning not to buy the same item again 😂
Great video and reflections 😊. I counted my supplies in preparation of moving. The amount is shocking. I am with you, 2025 is the year to use up my supplies. I look forward to your video of making more art and your journey to use up ❤
I enjoy watching Art supply hauls, but they bring out the magpie in me!! 😅 So, I will limit or skip those types of videos first and just concentrate on the ones that talk about the artist’s process. Thank you for this and your previous video! They remind me of my goal for 2025, which is to focus on my own art, not get sidetracked by shiny, new things that do not suit my style, and just be confident and believe in my myself as an artist! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a great week ahead, Natasha! 😊
That sounds great to me! You have a good (and creative) week too!
Colored pencils... I've purchased close to 300 of them in a year and a half... I was sucked in by other mixed media artists doing fabulous mark making with them... and I've figured out that they're just not my cup of tea... posca pens too... and Ecoline markers... 2025 is my year of going back to what I love, watercolors and gouche, and occasionally acrylics. I don't even want to think about the money I've spent 😕
This winter I counted up all my colored pencils. Made me a bit sick to think about. This year I’m buying no pencils and using what i have.
I've gone a bit crazy with the coloured pencils too, but I do love them!
Try to resell them
I absolutely loved your honest narrative & could totally relate!! 😂🤪 I too have this magpie mentality & love of collecting art supplies ~ which quite honestly I don’t need or sometimes don’t remember why I got them in the first place!! 🥴 I’m looking forward to watching your 2025 videos going forward, using the supplies you regularly use & love… 😊💚😘
I think it is true for all of us, l just try to use up what l have and it usually works. The paints are a good quality so try and simply use them
Have ypu tried using the watercolour sticks, by putting water on the pallette and then taking the dry stick rubbing it in the puddle of water? It creats a nice pool of watercolour? Easier on the brushes as well. And easy to travel with. Then i let them dry before putting them back into their cases. Easy peasy. 😊
I tend to buy things I don't need or normally use when inspiration is at a low point and my confidence in my abilities sinks...usually in the depths of a dark Canadian winter, which is where we are now, sigh! Then I find I watch other artists and get excited by what they're using, and think that maybe I just need to try something new and fresh to wake up my creativity... I'm always disappointed because the product doesn’t suit my style anyway.🤔 Hopefully I've now learned my lesson and won't repeat the buying madness 😄
Spring will be on its way before we know it! I feel your pain. The dark winter is getting me down this year too.
Great video. Looking forward to this year. Less shopping and more art. I’m going to use what I have.
Let's do it!
really interesting video. I have several of the art supplies you mention and don't really use them either, but if there is one supply I seem to buy all the time and then get desperately dissapointed with it has to be metallics. mettalic paint, markers, pencils, powder, you name it and I probably have it! none of which ever look how I imagine they will.
The watercolor sticks you can cut off a chunk and put it in a pan and use it instead of using your tubes. That’s a beautiful part about the sticks and according to the frugal crafter UA-camr, you get a lot more paint with the sticks.
I am exclusively a watercolor artist, so I have a ton of paint. I love trying all the brands. Schmincke was my go to for years until I tried Roman Szmal. That is now my all time favorite. My main regrets over the years is buying cheap watercolor paper and cheap paint.
Thanks Natasha, I am fully aware of the products that I love and I now stop myself from buying on impulse. I love Winsor and Newton Designers gouache and couldn’t live without my Betty Hayways round brushes which I purchased on your recommendation.
You have a very distinct color palette when you buy supplies. Earth tones, earth yellow, and lots of greens.
It goes to show how different everyone is. I'd happily use all of the items you decluttered in this video and the last one, but I do a lot of mixed media and do not mind the mess.
OHHHH Not the notebooks! LOL Thank you for being honest. I am doing the same.
Great & most helpful video….also, now I don’t feel so bad !
Very much enjoyed these videos, Natasha. I also have the tendency to let myself be influenced by other artists. You are one of those, actually!! And I especially like the reminder to check if the art supplies suits your art practice. I mainly work with pencil, crayons and watercolor. You have influenced me with Deep deep light (which I just LOVE, I just received my 3rd order from them, Inreally think it’s the nicest paint ever) and Inktense pencils, which I also love. I also got markers once and those really do not suit me so they are used by my daughter.
Besides that, I also love collecting art supplies and have a mindblowing collection of coloured pencils. They do all get used! 😊
I love A Gallo watercolors. And something I bought and probably won't use much are the Derwent Inktense blocks. Also, I'm still trying to figure out how I want to use the DS sticks, but I only purchased one set of five in colors I didn't already have. :) The urge to satisfy curiosity is a strong one but it's great to arrive at a place where you know who you are, what you want to say, how you want to say it, and what you need to say just that. I bet you your studio feels lighter and brighter with that shift of energy.
Thank you so much for these videos. You are helping us not only to avoid over spending but also to reflect more about our views on art supplies ❤
This won't be a popular reply regarding what art supplies I've regretted the most, but the honest answer is small batch "artisan" watercolors. Not all, mind you. Deep Deep Light has been a winner, for example (thanks to you, Kriskis and Lily Moon for introducing them). But by and large, I find I most commonly reach for my paints by Daniel Smith and Schmicke the most. Most times when I succumb to the temptation and purchase artisan paints - usually because I've seen a UA-camr promote them - I get them and tell myself, "STOP buying these! Never again!" Thanks for the post, Natasha!
I know what you mean! I have a few that I don't like as much (mainly because they're gritty and/or hard to rewet). I really LOVE the DDL paints which is why I jumped at the chance to become an ambassador when they asked me. Thanks for sharing, Jill! That was interesting.
@@NatashaNewtonArt Exactly the reasons I've been disappointed - gritty, hard to rewet, and often times not very pigmented...or at least not as much as I expected from the YT video or their website. And they're expensive...but that's relative because most good watercolor paints are. I need to just stick to the brands I know do great paint in colors I love.
I have a lot of art supplies but I stopped buying any more two years ago. I have given away some art supplies I would not use. The others I don’t like, I’m currently using up and won’t buy again. My number one favourite art supplies are my pan pastels, pastel pencils which I use on Pastelmat paper. I also love gouache and watercolour too. Oil pastels ❤️I started my UA-cam channel so make me use up my art supplies 😅
Thank you for this video. I’ve just sat down for a moment and viewed. I’m in the process of donating art supplies to our library art fair donations. It’s hard letting go and just gave me a boost. I found that I love my ink and wash, as well as, gouache. Also, drawing in graphite and charcoal. Everything else is going. Still not easy, but these donations are several times a year. THANK YOU!
Natasha,I appreciate the honesty of these videos,sometimes the creative magpie within us as artists does get the better of us. But it's great that you now know the mediums you do love and will use going forward. For me it's paint pens,but in the end I stuck with the Molloto paint pens as they are refillable and I do use them,for me drawing inks I got them for an art challenge,but never did the challenge and never used the inks.(Matt) P s glad you sold the mediums you were not using to artists who will love them,I did the same.I can't live without handmade watercolours making that switch a couple of years ago was a good thing
I feel so inspired by these two latest videos to try and not buy anything new for a while and make the most of what I already have. Thank you! My biggest art supply regret are my lino printing supplies. I love the look of the prints and the practicality of having redoable prints for cards and gifts, but I realised the process doesn’t inspire me and the cutting is difficult bc of my achy hands.
I love your Magpie analogy 😂
I have a ridiculous number of watercolor paint brushes! But some of my favorites are Silver Black Velvet😊
It's lovely to know you've got sucked in as well. I love my watercolours and granulating colours. I took have had to stop spending. It's a no buy 2025. Make myself use what I have. I have too many palettes !
My most used materials are my Rosa Gallery Watercolor and my acrylic markers from Tooli Art. My least used are the Tinted Charcoal pencils from Derwent. And my 3 sets of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Pencils. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
I wholeheartedly agree with you! I have decided to do the same. I will work with what I have. My art is nowhere near as accomplished and beautiful like yours. But I’m still working on figuring out my style. Thank you for sharing and giving us such wonderful insights. 😊
I can relate to buying too many art materials! But videos like this remind me to limit them to things I’ll really use!
How I laughed to myself watching this video. I have bought so many things I’ve never even opened. But, oh, the allure of paint and its accoutrements to the artist, professional or hobbyist! Thanks for revealing! Haha…
I feel pretty vulnerable making these videos!
Definitely feel you with “buying art supplies somebody else loved but they have a totally different style.” Fortunately, I was able to return the truly gaudy paint palette that I bought. What was I thinking? I like muted tones. Glad to hear your supplies are on their way to new homes and looking forward to your new video direction in 2025.
Thank you for the video 🌹My biggest regrets are purchasing water based markers and purchasing quite a lot of gouache. I bought them for the same reason: I saw them being popular on social media. But neither of them fit my style and I never use them.
Thank goodness, I'm not the only one who buys supplies that aren't for me! I have FOMO, and when I see my favorite UA-camrs trying something new, I can't help myself. I have all of the top brands of watercolors, more than I, or anyone who gets my stuff, could use in a lifetime. (Fantasy Kelly wanted to have a YT channel, so I thought I needed variety; ) Then there are the acrylic supplies, numerous complete sets of colored pencils, all of the drawing supplies imaginable, calligraphy, and fountain supplies, not to mention my other hobbies like sewing and needlework. I've worn myself out listing just some of what I have collected.
Add that to the fact that I have zero room to store everything, and you get a mess! I think I'll take your advice and sell or donate what I'm not using. But then my ADHD brain tells me not to get rid of anything because IT's sure I'm going to use it one day! It's a vicious circle, and I can't seem to get off the wheel! I love this video and the peek inside your brain! Keep up the excellent work, Natasha!
Sorry for the long-winded comment!
Thank you. My resolution for this year is to use what I have. Any art supplies I do not use this year is going straight to a local art teacher. They can certainly use some of it.
I think it’s so neat that you’re leaning into to your work and what inspires you besides other people’s style and work process but instead have courage to grow in your own unique style and talents and to use what you love and already have that sparks that joy! Friend I do want to share that you are truly fearfully and wonderfully made by God and He loves you and everyone else who looks at this comment! He wants a relationship with you and with Him, He will grow you! ❤
Great video! It’s reassuring to know that even established artists like you fall for the same traps as the rest of us. I too ended up getting stuff influenced by other people only to confirm I know what I like. This encouraged me to sell some of my stock too. It’s good to be surrounded by things you like and use 🙂
The one reason I buy Daniel Smith watercolor sticks is that I believe certain Primatek colors are less expensive in this format than in tube form, and so they are a better deal. They don't draw nearly as well as watercolor pencils or Neocolor 2 sticks, so I don't use them that way. Instead I peel back the paper, cut off a chunk, stick it in a palette and use it like a regular paint. I have a lot of paint, but I enjoy their color and the fact that I can buy a stick of Piedmonte genuine for $12 instead of $24 for a tube. The sticks are more concentrated than a tube since they don't contain any water, and they are less than half a small, so it's a pretty good deal.
Thank you for sharing your process and know that you have sparked insipiration in me to do the same. "Lean into your strengths", is such a short phrase but so much impact!! Looking forward to seeing how you streamline your focus both in your work but I am sure your space now feels so much lighter and brighter post rehoming of all these other creative items also, lighter perhaps. I regret buying a bunch of super expensive bigger brushes. Similar to your Daniel Smith paint sticks, I also was wooed by someone else's style and thought buying those brushes might broaden my creative journey. NOPE! LOL
I do not regret buying and good glittery paints!! For me Chromawatercolors off Etsy are glorious and my go-to now after trying so many other brands which were higher price yet not quite the same lovely quality as Chromawatercolors. Love her pricing and her gorgeous paints are just magical to me. 💕💖💗
Creating is so personal and tactile in what ever medium used. I had a bit of an epiphany after watching your video. Truly feel the feel of using a medium or specific style. If it doesn't ignite joy then that is OK! Not every art tool or medium will feed our creative souls. It is perfectly ok to let go of those that do not.
Quick aside, when I am creating regularly I don't feel the need to buy a bunch of other art items. But when I am not regularly creating the "want monster" comes out and I end up buying more supplies that I really don't need. So for me another mantra that I repeat often and try to do is "Create with Wild Abandon". 😊😍
Hi Natasha I get everything you have said in this video. I love art supplies and have way too much that I don’t use. I think like you that if other artists use it, they must be good and I end up buying them when I don’t like them for me ; I’m going to stop being so influenced and buy only what I enjoy using. I love my sketchbooks, especially Pith sketchbooks, Clairefontaine goldline square sketchbooks are my favourite. And of course my favourite watercolours that I use most of the time are deep deep light watercolours as expensive as they are, they are the ones I have used the most so I could say they are worth it to me as I use these more than any others. I need a complete clear out of my supplies. Hope you are doing ok Natasha; sending lots of love your way xxx 🥰
I regret buying acrylic paints! I’m a watercolour person, I really don’t know what I was thinking…! Thanks for another video Natasha, I love seeing your uploads 😊
Thank you so much!
My favs are Oils, acrylic, gouache and i want to size down on colors to create a more limited palet. Microns and sharpies I use a lit.
All the other fine markers I use up to make notes, sketches.
I got a woodenbox (inheritage very generous) of Faber Castel color pencils and I am going to give it a try this year.
I gave away clay tools, glass engraving tools, pastel pencils, pastel stick box. Lino tools.
Art books I never look into (mostly 2nd hand but in very goid condition)
all above went to friends who use those art supplies.
Such a releave 😊
I really needed this video because I have been lusting over the Holbein Pastel colored pencil set of 50 because a favorite UA-camr uses them and they look so gorgeous when she does… but I am not a pastel color person AT ALL. I usually have a moody earthy palette much like yours 🤪 I need to accept these colored pencils aren’t for me before they become a very expensive regret
For a while there I would buy the new shiny paint that someone was using in a video. I have built up quite a collection. Many different brands. I know myself and having too many choices makes me flustered. I have put a “ no buy” on 2025. Instead, i have been watching swatching videos of my favorite you tubers and using my sketch book keep track of their color palette. I realized I know what paint i like, i just need to figure out MY colors. I am drawn to artists with similar color choices and styles. It is taking a while to get there. I do well with a limited palette. My favorite supplies are: Khadi sketch book because the paper feels so good and it is not “precious”. I can dig right in. I love Roman Szmal, A. Gallo, Essee & DDL. I wanted to like gouache but it is just not for me. Thank you for these videos. A great way to start the year 😊
Great video and I’m sure many of us resonated with you. It’s not just art supplies, we have so much we want but don’t need. I can’t wait to see more of your creations in 2025!
I don’t understand so many people have these confusion, and it’s literally in the description from Daniel Smith. Daniel Smith watercolour pigment sticks are literally in the shape for easy transport. You are not really meant to draw with them, although you can and then dissolve them you were meant to cut off a small piece and put it in a half pan and then use it exactly like you would a half pan of dried of watercolour
WOAH YOUR ACRYLIC GOUACHE COLLECTION IS CRAZY 😮
I flippin' well know! 😅
There are some good nuggets of shopping wisdom in this video! I have a handful of supplies I bought after I watched videos! I also agree about my Poscas-other than my white, I just don’t use them.
Very true. I need to pass along the things I don't use.
As a newer artist who likes to try a lot I find my biggest regret is the QUANTITY at which I buy stuff. I have no idea how much of an art supply I’ll use so when I catch them on sale I usually buy double what I need 😅.
I'm such a sucker for buying something new when I see another artist rave about it - going to take a leaf out of your book this year and stick to what I've got and what I'm familiar with. I would be utterly lost without my Roman Szmal watercolours and my Baohong paper and sketchbooks (and my portable painter filled with Shinhan gouache and unipin pens and my Art Toolkit palettes etc. etc. etc.)!
My regret was/is both the Holbein & the Turner acrylic gouache. They both dry far too fast, at least for my preference. Thanks Natasha ❤
BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO!!
I love your goal for 2025. It's meaningful and authentic. Art haul algorithm be damned.
I chuckle because I too discovered I don't like messy art supplies...
Yesterday visited the only art store in my locale - a good 35-40 minute drive, door-to-door, finding it much depleted in stock; so many gaps in the displays. Used to be fully stocked but, as explained by the assistant, suppliers are no longer fulfilling shop orders unless over a certain amount (£s) which causes an ever decreasing circle. Suppliers aren't supplying therefore the shop has less to sell which equates to fewer customers/less income, consequently suppliers don't get orders ..... and so on. I was the only one in there during a half hour visit. Another physical loss to online buying.
This state of affairs isn't helped by one of our local councils removing the "Free after Three" parking next to the art centre which used be a bustling community of students who'd chosen from a full catalogue of classes .... water colours/stained glass/stone carving/quilting/book binding/basket weaving and so much more. A catalogue is no longer produced so I looked on line for an art class - only four adult classes were offered - none were for art. Adding parking costs to class fees, car fuel and equipment needed, makes taking any class prohibitively expensive.
Oh, we've all been there, I suspect. I know I certainly have and as you say, it's generally a mismatch between an artist's style and materials rather than a supply actually being poor quality. I don't do pastels, goache or oils, for example but of course, it took buying and using all those things to figure that out. One thing I do now is keep a list of supplies on my phone. If I still want it in a few weeks, then I seriously consider it. It helps to cut down on those Instagram inspired purchases. Also I am NOT allowed to buy any more acrylic paint or crayons for a good long while - I do use both of those regularly but I have enough now! I sometimes think it's a good thing that my studio is on the small side because it keeps me in check slightly.
Im definitely a magpie with art supply addictions, i had to pull my head in 2024. I did drool over your gouache. Haha its on my wish list but has to wait.
As a relatively new artist, I too would buy art supplies recommended by other artists on UA-cam...you're included in that group. The one thing I especially never use are Posca pens. Everyone always raved about them and I simply never liked the look when I tried to use them. So yes I expect we all have purchases we discover are not for us. On the other hand I've also discovered some real gems like Turner Acryla gouache and Kuretaki watercolors. Thanks for sharing.
I bought a gelli plate when I was trying to get more abstract with my acrylic paints, like wise with stencils, bad idea ha, ha. My main addiction though is watercolour tubes, and wanting to make up brand palettes with colours I love. No way do I need that many paints, I am resisting the urge to collect more 🤦🏼♀️
Why dont you cut the daniel smith sticks and put them into pans to use as normal? 🤔
Because I have so many pan and tube watercolours already - including some of those exact colours! But it's a good way to use them. :)
Love this video. So refreshing . Thank you for your honesty!
Thank you so much!
OMG! This is so true 😢 I regret to buy the Koh-I-Noor woodless colored pencils and the Koh-I-Noor Polycolor, they are beautiful... but I don't like how it feels in the paper😢. I bought many cheaps watercolors pallet from China, and Marie's Gouache, OMG this last it's worst!😢
A while ago everyone was reviewing Himi Jelly Gouache and an artist I admired very much said it was her new favourite supply. After seeing several reviews, I got them too. I hated these. It was impossible to keep them from drying out and the container they came in wasn't air tight, and the colours got cross contaminated. Finally, they're not portable, they're not suitable for turning in to travel paints because they tend to crack when they dry in the pallet. That was how I learned my lesson. Now I watch new products and wonder if the artist is making it look good because they were sponsored, or if they genuinely like the product. A product that was recommended by just as many artists was Holbein Acrylic Gouache but they are actually excellent. I normally work with acrylic paint and watercolor but this gives you those matte vibrant colours you find in gouache only it dries and stays like acrylic. I saw results immediately. They're expensive but I caught a basic set of 12 on sale and did not regret it.
I've never liked the look of those (for me, personally), but I know lots of people love it! I agree with you about the Holbein Acrylic Gouache - it's one of my favourite paints ever. I love the beautiful matte texture when it dries.
I also have a bunch of charcoal pencils amassed when I was doing life drawing class. For some reason I felt the need to bulk buy 😅 needless to say I haven't touched them since the class ended! I do love the faber castle matt pencils tho, the 14b is my can't live without supply ❤️
That FC 14B is my jam. I bought it a month ago and have used it everyday since.
Same problem here. But as I move often, I restrict myself now to five boxes of hobby material. I had to let go of my acrylics, oilcolor, pastels and markers. So difficult! I do not browse shops and online sites anymore, because I have the tendency to buy the nicest most expensive stuff. But it actually feels good, that everything I have I use (well, except the Holbein watercolor, on sale at Jackson's. Should have known better:)
I must have had my gelli plate for between 10 and 15 years, but likewise it is still not used. I do hope to give it a go one day 😂 x
There's still time! ;)
I cut my DS watercolor sticks in pieces that perfectly fit in a half pan, so I put them in with my other pans, in a tin. I’ve been doing this for years.
I feel this video! I love hearing your train of thoughts and reasoning. An art supply that’s not for me: alcoholic markers. I should not talk myself into trying them, which is hard because I see people creating so much nice work, bright and colorful. I make bright and colorful pieces too, but have to remind myself there’s plenty of mediums that do work.
I already gifted a full set of watercolour pencils and a full set of markers. The person who received them messaged me multiple times how happy she is, and how much she uses them.
I'm with you on the alcohol markers - personally, I can't stand the smell! I love the look of them though.
Buying art supplies is a hobby in itself 😅 I fall for it all the time. I see something and I want it and then I fell like I will die if I don’t buy it. Then I buy it and it sits unused lol.
Thank you for sharing. I like a limited pallet as well. I also found out that I do not like gousche paints. I am donating them. I need to clean out my studio out as well. I look forward to watching your processing and wonderful works of art.😊
Thank you so much!
Had to look up who snagged the Gelli plate and OH YES this will be so great, can’t wait to see what they will do with it! :]
I can't wait to see what she creates!
I loved this video...art supplies are seductive; but, in reality one only uses particular mediums of their own innate artwork style. I have a smaller but similar problem. I will pass those items off to a grandchild or two or simply donate them. My favorite medium is watercolor, but I too enjoy working in pencil and pen. 💌
The want monster makes me sleep buy.....LOLOLOLOL. Good question about which is my favorite: watercolor paint. 10 minutes to several hours a day I am lost in my process. Harmless escape. I like all the high end watercolor brands but love Fabriono paper. Love to start the morning in a scketchbook. Love to end on loose paper.
Fabriano paper is one of my faves too!
Oh oh metallic watercolours. I bought some really pretty handmade pans. I don’t know how to use them. I tried them and apart from using the gold one every now and then, I don’t use them. They are so beautiful though.
I keep buying metallic things and not using them. 😅
My favorite supplies for my casual art hobby are Pilot Precise V5 art deco rolling ball extra fine 0.5mm pens and (no-smell) Sharpie brush pens and Creative Markers (water based acrylic brush pens). I also collage with scraps of random paper.
I regret a variety of graphite pencils, colored pencils, and a portrait-oriented sketchbook with a spiral binding at the top side and too-thick paper. And dollar-store acylic paints that turned out to be of such bad quality i just threw them out.
I like Golden acrylics, but I'm glad I didn't buy more than the 3 tubes needed for a specific (now completed) project, because I've only used them twice and I'm very unlikely to paint because of the set up, clean up, and patience required. Grab a pen or brush marker -- not too thick! -- and I'll draw or "paint."
Most expensive regret: COPIC alcohol markers.
Most recent regret: water based dual-tipped dot markers with a dot head at one end and a brush at the other. They saturate too quickly, I quickly realized I'm not going to use the dot tips, and they're not as comfortable to use as my no-bleed Sharpies.
That was fan to watch Natasha , great content.
Thanks Marianna!
Lovely video. I’ve always tried to keep my art supplies to a minimum. Using a limited pallet and mixing colors from that. But my problem over the years has been purchasing studio furniture such as different types of easels, print racks, shelving etc. some of which I regret buying. Off topic, I would like to ask if you have ever painted with traditional gouache not acrylic and on wrapped canvas not canvas board and not paper. If so would you mind sharing how that went ?
Can you ‘chop up’ watercolor sticks and put them in pans?
I'm also guilty of buying way more paper than I can use up. I might need to plant a few trees to make up for it... I've thought about giving some away, but there is also paper among it that I haven't tried yet, and I'm rather curious about it. One day...
Nice video! I enjoyed it, just like the previous one.