A Few Of My Very Favorite Papers, Glues, And Sketchbooks For Art…

I thought I’d take a moment and share some of the foundation supplies I love to use when creating art. And by foundation supplies… I mean the papers, glues, and sketchbooks I reach for to begin. I have been creating like a busy little bee up in my studio lately… and have some new fun classes you might check out if you haven’t been over to my channel in a while on Skillshare… and of course, they are posted on the Art Workshops page here too!

When I’m just starting out and thinking up ideas, I tend to reach for less expensive papers to create on. I usually want to use a cold press watercolor paper, about 140lb. The consumer/student grade papers are less expensive because they are not 100% cotton. They usually contain wood pulp. They are not as fine to work on as all cotton papers, they tend to buckle faster when water is added, and rip when tape is ripped off.

That being said – they are just fine for fleshing out ideas and practicing. I would use a nicer paper if I planned on selling or gifting the final work. But for everything else – I might grab these to save a bit of money when working things out.

Canson XL and Strathmore are the 2 I tend to have access to readily, so that is the 2 I keep in my stash.

When I need a nicer paper for the art I am creating, I go for Arches and Canson Heritage papers. These are all cotton and have beautiful surfaces to work on. These papers are a bit more expensive than the Canson XL and the Strathmore… so I save these for when I have finished all my practice and I am ready to create archival art.

I would use these in a class I’m teaching, for art I’m gifting or selling, and for pieces I plan to frame and hang in my own house. I try to grab these when I see them go on sale and keep them in my paper stash for when I need them. I love all of the variety of Arches 140lb – cold press, hot press, and rough… and also the 300lb papers in cold press. I also keep the Canson Heritage in 140 lb cold press on hand. The texture is different than the Arches and you’d just have to experiment a bit with the papers to see which you prefer.

Sketchbooks are super fun to have and work in. I love starting here with new ideas and projects. Sketchbooks are low commitment, and relatively inexpensive compared to nice cotton paper pads of paper. That being said, sketchbooks can still get expensive, and the nicer the paper they use – the better your experience will be when working with them.

A few of the sketchbooks I like are usually 110 lb cold press watercolor paper – Moleskin, Strathmore, and Arteza. Depending on where you are – you may or may not have the same things available as I do. You’ll want to check out what your local art stores carry and experiment with them to see what ends up being best for what you like to create. I tend to grab sketchbooks when I see them on sale. I like using them and always want to have a few in my stash to work in.

There are lots of glues out there you can use when creating art and collages. I tend to want to use glues that will be archival, acid-free, and not turn yellow over time.

Yes Paste – this is my very favorite glue. It is a nice thickness and spreads like cake frosting. It is fantastic for collage work and gluing down heavier papers.

Matte medium – this is a go-to for many people doing work with glue in their art. It is great for lightweight papers in collages work. Matte medium comes in a variety of thicknesses from very liquidy to very thick. My rule of thumb on when to use which one is… the thicker the paper you are gluing… the thicker the glue needs to be.

Acid-free glue sticks – these are great for doing quick work in a sketchbook. I wouldn’t use these in important work I was creating, but it is fine for playing and experimenting.

I’d love to see you in class, and be sure to come back and share your projects! Check out the new classes I have up on skillshare or here on this site… and I’ll have a few more over the next several weeks – so keep your eyes open for those!

~Til next time… I’m wishing you all a very creative week! xoxo Denise

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