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Art Supplies
When I first started painting again around 2009 I mostly worked with cheap canvas and oils and brushes. I couldn't afford much and I recall not even having framed canvasses at first. Someone fell for me and send me larger unframed canvas to use so I could at least paint.
So when I got my first framed canvasses I was over the moon in spite of them being cheap ones. I barely dared use them, suddenly it felt real, and with that a bit scary to mess it up, hihi.
After a number of years I got better, learnt more technique etc. and with that came the wish to paint on better quality canvas and with better quality paints.
So in spite of still not having much money I began to buy them. Not top quality as that's simply not affordable for me, but studio quality at least.
With that the certainty that my work would last a long time, frames would stay straight instead of bend like the cheap ones tend to do over time etc. etc.
The wooden frame of the better ones is wider, and no way will these ever bend. So it's more than just better quality canvas which is much nicer & easier to paint. It's also the frame itself.
Last year I made the change-over from water soluble oils to acrylics. I like it so much that I doubt I will go back anytime soon. But it did mean investing in more paints, new and more colours as my supply of acrylics was very limited since I'd always invested in my oils.
Then there's the brushes... I mostly have real cheap ones, the sets a la Dollar Store. Over here the Action store is equivalent to that I think.
I don't use these because they're cheap but because they work miraculously well for me. I once bought very expensive ones specifically designed for water soluble oils, didn't work for me at all. I use the backs to stir my Gesso, the brush to clean out my keyboard or PC. Total waste of money.
Then I got brushes from Bob Ross in. 2", 1", fan and liner brush. I love 'em!
Use them a lot too except for the fan as I cannot work with fan brushes.
Then last week I came across another painter on YouTube, Michael James Smith. His work looks like photographs?! I was stunned!
He uses brushes he had designed and sells in his store. One he uses for texture, foliage etc. piqued my interest!! The bristles aren't all in the same direction but various directions which creates this marvelous effect.
I wanted one!!
Unfortunately it was rather expensive and shipment from the US as well.
Hmmffff...
I couldn't find any like that in The Netherlands. I even phoned 2 large art supply shops. They just don't have it?!
Then I found another brand, Tony something. But cheaper and on sale. I decided to sod it and go for it.
I bought a L & S trees & texture brush and a Merlin brush. The later is similar but works slightly different.
Can't wait for them to arrive and to put them to the test! They've already left the UK, shouldn't take too long :)
Quite a beautiful process over the years, going from painting on paper to my first canvas and advancing from there :)
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