Art supplies, crafts, and materials

Welcome to Artandlanguage.org. Our site is interested in conveying information about art supplies, crafts, and materials. Artandlanguage.org is purely informational and does not promote or endorse any particular product or method.

Our site is designed to educate about purchasing the necessary art supplies for an introductory education to art.

If you find yourself doodling during office meetings and you love taking trips to the museum, then you should consider taking a class in the visual arts. You can take classes at adult education centers or at a local university or community college. You can also find software and or a good book that can give you an introduction to art.

Once you have registered for a class you will need to make an additional investment in art supplies. Most beginners have usually drawn with only pens, markers and pencils. To get serious, invest in supplies that will allow for more expression on the canvas.

Consider taking a figure drawing class because it teaches the basic principles of shading, perspective and dimension. A class also offers the opportunity to draw the human figure which has inspired artists since antiquity.
Supplies for a figure drawing class are relatively inexpensive. You will need charcoal pencils, a large sketch pad, and chemical spray to preserve your drawings if you want to frame any of them and turn them into prints for decoration on the walls in your home.

Art supplies can be purchased in a number of locations. Any midsized to large city will have an art supplies store. Search the Internet or open your phone book to find a retail store near you. A large art supplies store such as the famous Pearl Street Art Supplies Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts near Harvard University and The Massachusetts Institute for Technology can be huge. (Pearl Street has three floors.) If you find yourself overwhelmed with all the choices at a store, ask a sales representative for help.

If you do not have a retail art supplies store in your neighborhood you have other options. A number of online sites now sell art supplies. Simply type in "art supplies" on an Internet search site such as Google or Yahoo and you will find a number of merchants.

The advantage to shopping at a retail location is that you can often try out display supplies. For example, often a retailer will display different types of charcoal pencils and you can get a feel for which one has a texture you prefer. However, shopping online has its advantages too. Because online stores have such large inventories, they are able to offer discounts and weekly specials. You will, however, have to pay for shipping unless you purchase a large enough amount to qualify for a shipping waiver. This is unlikely to happen though if you are trying an art class for the first time.

After you purchase your art supplies and materials, be sure to ask your instructor how to care for them. Sometimes it can be hard to decipher the arcane language that is printed in tiny letters on art supply packages, and you want to be sure you have the knowledge to keep your materials in excellent shape for as long as possible.

 

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