ART SUPPLIES

Below is a list of supplies I love using. Everything mentioned is based on my own personal opinions.
I am always trying new products so this list will change over time and I will update it as I can.

- Last updated February 2023

PAINTS

Gouache

Artist grade:

Student grade:

I have listed all the brands of gouache I’ve tried and have enjoyed using. The brand you decide to buy will be determined by your budget, art goals and accessibility. My overall advice after trying many different brands is, if your budget allows, I would invest in a few tubes of artist grade paints, over a large set of cheaper student grade paints.

Artist grade gouache is more expensive, but it is of higher quality as it has more pigment and less filler. This means the gouache has a more creamy, velvety consistency and will dry to a flat, smooth, non-streaky finish.

The Miya Himi jelly gouache is student grade so it’s great for beginners on a budget. Though if you do have the budget for a bit more I would recommend getting a limited range of colours in an artist grade brand. I enjoy using the Himi gouache for practice and making tutorials with.

Acryla Gouache

  • Holbein Acryla gouache - colours I have are: lemon yellow, primary magenta, cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, primary black, titanium white

You can think of acryla gouache as a hybrid between acrylic and gouache. Just like traditional gouache it dries matte, can be thinned down and worked in thin washes or in an opaque consistency. But once it’s dry it can’t be reactivated with water, just like acrylic.

Watercolour

Poster colour

I bought these because they are the same paints used by Studio Ghibli to paint backgrounds. I really like using them but I can’t tell a difference between them and gouache in terms of use and results. So to me they are pretty much the same as gouache and I use it in the same way.

Acrylic

These are all artist quality paints. I prefer the fluidity of the fluid/soft body acrylics. I do also have various student grade brands that I use to practice with.

BRUSHES


Gouache

I’m a huge fan of Princeton brushes because they make amazing, high quality 100% synthetic brushes. The Princeton Neptune range is synthetic squirrel which means the hairs are softer and has less ‘snap’. The Princeton Aqua Elite range is synthetic kolinsky so it has more of a snap to it and retains its shape when you paint with it. I like both kinds of brushes.

I am quite picky when it comes to gouache brushes. I like round brushes that come to a very pointy tip so that I can paint fine details and thin grass-like strokes. The two round ones I listed do fit that requirement so I really like them. I enjoy investing in good brushes for gouache/watercolour because I find they are quite easy to take care of so a good brush can last me a really long time.

I also designed my own set of limited edition brushes with Craftamo which are now available for purchase. They are a set of brushes that I truly love. Find out more about them in my unboxing video here.

Watercolour

Gouache and watercolour brushes are interchangeable, although I do have preferences for each. I mainly use round brushes for watercolour as they are extremely versatile. The ones I’ve listed are all synthetic, as I support cruelty free brushes.

PAPER

Gouache

I’m not too picky when it comes to the kind of paper I use for gouache. I like using the Canson papers for practicing on. I prefer the paper texture of the watercolour paper as opposed to the mix media paper, however since I use it just for practice it’s not a huge deal. I will use both sides of the paper to get the most out of it. The Art Spectrum watercolour pads are higher quality and the paper remains more flat after I finish a painting. I prefer to paint on this for finished pieces.

Watercolour

I only like to use 100% cotton paper for watercolour. The most affordable 100% cotton paper I’ve used so far is the Baohong academy watercolour paper. I bought it in China where it’s about one-third of the price here.

SKETCHBOOKS

Gouache

I like sketchbooks that can lay completely flat so I can easily paint on both sides of the paper.

OTHER

Miya Himi mildew spray - for preventing mould growth in palette

Mijello square palette - I prefer a large flat palette for gouache

Tape - I use washi tape, masking tape and painters tape

Pigma Micron fineliners - They are waterproof so they’re great for using as line work

Liquitex gesso - for preparing my canvas for acrylic paintings

Art books I love - The Art of Howl's Moving Castle, The Art of Totoro, A Sky Longing for Memories, Tokyo Storefronts and Tokyo at Night

Watch my latest video about gouache art supplies I use here

Watch me test out some art supplies mentioned above here

Browse my Amazon storefront for a list of supplies I use - I try my best to shop at my local art store, this is just a consolidated list of supplies I use.


*All Amazon links are affiliate links, which means if you purchase something using the links I will earn a small commission off that sale (at no extra cost to you). Thanks for your support!