My Favorite Art Supplies, Books & Creative Tools | Welcome Wander

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Whether you're building a home art studio, taking your creative practice and supplies on the road, or looking for the books and tools that have genuinely improved my own creative practice, these are the products I reach for again and again.

I only recommend tools here I use and love. Shopping for someone else? Here's my current Gift Guide for Artists and Painters. Looking specifically for some things for artists this holiday? Here's a Christmas Gift Guide for Artists.

Art Supplies & Organization

These are the art supplies and organizational tools I reach for constantly. They've helped me spend less time hunting for supplies and more time actually making art.

Canvas bag for studio on the go - collect smaller projects in here for travel

Fave mini watercolor travel kit - art on-the-go requires practically sized tools. This kit has all you need

Fave sketchbooks - I love these for watercolor and acrylic (gessoed)

Fave pencil & pen holder - holds an amazing amount of colored pencils, pens, and markers in a carousel

Fave paint pens - so great for extra touches

Fave Deckling Edge - deckled edges allow your art to be attached to greeting cards and framed in shadowboxes. Deckling just looks cool!

Gloves in a Bottle - if you paint with gouache or acrylic, you need this stuff - it works like a charm if used before painting. The paint washes right off

Desktop document scanner - I love the ease of being able to scan right as I'm listing pieces to sell.

New to painting?

Studio Session Guide - For those times when you just need to get back in the studio but aren't sure how

Studio Session Planner - I use this Art Studio Session Sheet every time I paint, and keep my projects in focus and track my studio habit

Best Books for Creativity

These books changed how I think about creativity, consistency, and building an artistic habit. I recommend every one of them.

Art and Fear - if you have not read it, read it.

Art at the Speed of Life - one of the first books that got me started creating 'in the margins' of time and life

If You Can Doodle, You Can Paint - helps take those doodles you do and make them into cohesive pieces

Painting Imaginary Flowers - one of the first artists I followed; a signature course helping create structure from negative space

Wandering - creative newsletter from me...come wander with us!

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ACEO Supplies

Everything I use to create, package, sell, and mail ACEOs, including the paper, cutters, sleeves, labels, and mailers that have worked well for years.

Paper Rotary Cutter - I am probably due for a new one of these but this baby (18") has lasted over ten years

Rigid Letter-size Mailers - these ship with a First Class Stamp - you can also use a regular envelope and wrap the ACEO in thick paper for protection

Protector Sleeves - they also make rigid sleeves, I use the soft ones

Large Watercolor Pad - this one is my favorite, you can get 42 ACEOs out of one sheet. You can also paint on a smaller pad if preferred. I've always liked this paper's unusual cottony texture

Post Office Scale - great if you want to mail things from home