> Buying Painting Supplies

Recommended Painting DVDs (12) Online Art Stores (24) Recommended Painting Books (59)

How to Decide What Paint to Use
This Q&A help you decide between the most commonly used paints: oils, acrylics, watercolours, and pastels.

Assessing a New Brand of Acrylic or Oil Paint
Tips on what to you look for when trying out a new paint brand and how to decide if it's likely to be money well spent.

Gifts Ideas for Artists
Looking for a gift for the artist in your life or an artist friend? Here's a collection of ideas for art and painting-related gifts.

Gifts Ideas for Artists: Stocking Fillers and Small Art Gifts
Want to buy a small and inexpensive for an artist in your life? Here's a collection of gift ideas suitable as Christmas stocking fillers, birthdays, workshop presents, or any occasion you want to say "thank you" to an artist.

Gifts for Artists: When Money's No Object
Want to buy something extraordinary for the artist in your life? Here's a collection of gift ideas, whether it's for a birthday, a special occasion, Christmas, or simply a "I love the fact that you're an artist" present.

An Introduction to Art Paint Brushes
An introduction to the different types of art paint brushes that you can use for painting.

Before You Buy A Painting Easel
There's nothing to beat an easel for keeping a painting in place while you're working on it. Here are some tips on choosing the one that's right for you.

Painting Easel: A Plein Air Easel
An easel you use for painting outdoors, or plein air, needs to be portable, easy to set up, and not blow away in the wind.

Acrylic Paint Review: Atelier Interactive Artist's Acrylics
A review of Atelier Interactive Artist's Acrylics, which can be rehydrated to give a longer working time than normal.

Best Brands of Watercolor Paint
With watercolor paints, there's not only a choice of brands, but also whether you buy it in tube or pan form. This is a list of my personal favorites when it comes to watercolor paints.

Best Water-Soluble Pencils and Crayons
Water-soluble pencils are versatile cross-over between drawing and painting. There are numerous brands available, so which is the best?

Which Brand of Acrylic Paint is Best?
Which is the best brand of acrylic paint on the market? Here's my choice of my favorite acrylic paints.

Tips on Buying Acrylic Painting Supplies
Acrylics have the advantage of drying faster than oil paints and being water soluble. Find out what you need to get started in acrylics and the things you should consider before you buy acrylic painting materials.

Acrylic Paint Review: M. Graham & Co. Acrylics
What are the acrylic paints made by M. Graham & Co. like? Find out in this review.

Acrylic Paint Review: Matisse Structure Formula Acrylic
A review of the Matisse structure formula acrylic paint, produced by the Derivan Matisse paint company in Australia.

Video: Matisse Derivan Paint Factory Tour
Get a look behind the scenes at how paint is made with this factory tour.

Acrylic Paint Review: Atelier Interactive Artist's Acrylics
A review of Atelier Interactive Artist's Acrylics, which can be rehydrated to give a longer working time.

Acrylic Paint Review: Winsor & Newton Galeria Flow Formula Acrylics
A review of the Galeria Flow Formula brand of affordable or student's quality acrylic paint produced by Winsor and Newton.

Brands of Pastels. Which Pastels are Best?
Which is the best brand of pastels on the market? Here's a personal selection (and reasons why).

Tips on Buying Pastel Art Supplies
Pastels are sticks of ground pigment mixed with chalk and gum or oil, then shaped into 'drawing sticks'. Pastels cannot be mixed on a palette like paints, but are mixed on the paper by overlaying or blending. Find out what you should consider when buying pastels and pastel paper.

Can I Use Hairspray to Fix Pastel?
Finally, a scientific answer to the debate about whether it's okay to hairspray to fix pastel instead of artist's fixative.

Tips on Buying Oil Painting Supplies
Oil paints are very popular because they dry slowly, enabling you to work with the paint for quite a while after you've applied it to a canvas or board. Find out what you need to start painting in oils and what to consider before you buy oil painting supplies.

Tips on Buying Watercolour Painting Supplies
If you're about to start painting with watercolours, you'll need to get a basic set of good-quality paints, a range of papers, and a few brushes. Find out what you need to consider before you buy.

Winsor & Newton Artist's Water Colour Large Pans
A review of Winsor & Newton's large pans in their artist's water color range, which come in a ceramic dish.

How to Make Paper
Step-by-step instructions on how to make paper from scrap or leftover paper. It's a great way to recycle old or rejected paintings done on paper.

How Do I Make My Own Charcoal?
Ever wondered how you'd go about making your own charcoal? Find out here.

Know Your Painting Brushes: Hairs and Bristles
What types of hairs and bristles are used in painting brushes and which are the best?

Product Review: Acrylic Gloss Varnish
A look at Winsor and Newton’s acrylic gloss varnish. It's definitely not cheap, but is it worth the money?

What is a Camera Lucida and How Does it Work?
A camera lucida can't teach you how to paint or draw, but will help you get the perspective accurate very quickly

Pastel Art Supplies: Review of Fabriano Tiziano Pastel Paper
This paper from Fabriano is a good, acid-free paper suitable for not only pastels, but also pencil, graphite, charcoal, and tempera.

Liquid Pencil
A review of Liquid Pencil, which as the name implies is a medium you use you would paint, except it dries to look like graphite pencil.

The Pencil Gets Reinvented
An innovative new design reinvents the ordinary pencil.

Photo Gallery: Inside Artists' Studios
Take a peek inside the studios of various painters in this photo gallery of artist's studios.

10 Essential Art Supplies for the Traditional Animator
If you're looking for a gift to buy someone who's a traditional animator, this list from About's Animation Guide Adrien-Luc Sanders will give you ideas, from paint to non-photo blue pencils.

How to Build Your Own Floor-Standing Artist's Easel
Detailed instructions on how to build your own floor-standing easel for painting.