Art Supplies I Should Not Use Anymore
When I look at my art supplies, there are many that just take up space and don’t bring me joy anymore. Recently, I have tried to use them up, but one crayon, for example, can last a long time. Maybe I should just stop using them and give them away?
This blog post is a little inventory of what art supplies don’t bring me joy anymore.
Arteza Gouache Paints
Arteza sent a big set of their gouache paints to me in 2019, and I made a blog post with a video about them.
>> Intuitive Painting in 60 Colors of Arteza Gouache Set
I prefer Schminke Horadam gouache paints, because they are much better quality.
In general, I like watercolors more than gouache paints because they are livelier and more transparent. In the course Decodashery, I have used both gouache and watercolors.
Gouache is great for decorative-style painting, so I will keep my few Schminke paints, but I should give the Arteza gouache paints away.
Derwent Artbars
I have a love-hate relationship with these crayons. I have used them quite a lot, especially with water. But always when I look at the finished piece, I think that it would have looked so much better if I had used watercolors instead. For example, this recent art journal page would have been quicker to create and much more delicate with watercolors.
On the other hand, I really like many sketchbook pieces from 2017, like the one below.
In this blog post from December 2017, I share many projects where I have used Derwent Artbars.
I bought the Artbars somewhere around 2014, and even if I have tried to use them now and then, they may live longer than I do. I think I should either toss them or give them away. Watercolors easily replace them.
Faber-Castell Gelatos
I often wonder: “What did I think to achieve when I purchased these?”
I bought Faber-Castell Gelatos around the same time as Derwent Artbars. Mixed media enthusiasts thought that Gelatos were fun at that time, around 2010. I was very much into mixed media, and it was not difficult to sell new art supplies to me. Nowadays, I am much more traditional and don’t consider myself a mixed media artist anymore.
However, if you have Gelatos, you may enjoy this blog post from 2014 where I show some color mixing with them. >> How to Mix Colors (with Gelatos)
And this blog post where I work with Gelatos by using inspiration from art history.
>> Consistency and How to Get Inspired by It (with Gelatos)
I try to use gelatos now and then, and managed to use up one stick of the big set. But these are just a nuisance: no accuracy and not enough pigment. I should give these away.
Oil Pastels
I only have a small box of oil pastels. They really suit my art style. They have strong pigments and it’s easy to mix and blend them. Oil pastels look great a a top layer of pencil drawings and work well on top of many other art supplies too.
And I love the results! Here, the face has been painted in acrylics, there are regular pencil marks, and then the oil pastels add their flare.
See more images in this blog post from 2018: Oil Pastels and Spicing Up Your Art
I have also used a lot of oil pastels in this recent blog post: Using Up Old Crayons
And I have even made a course that uses oil pastels with other supplies. It’s called Innovative Portraits!
So, why should I not use oil pastels anymore when I seem to be so excited about them? Well, they are messy for sure, but also this: If I make a piece with oil paints instead, I can sell it and get more worth of my time. Oil paints (and acrylics) can do everything oil pastels do. Oil pastels are quicker, but the result is more valuable if I use paint. So, this is related to what kind of artist I am and what I need to get out of my time.
Alcohol Inks and Acrylic Inks
I bought alcohol inks in my mixed media years and loved them.
Alcohol inks are strong and work on any background, even on the top of acrylic paint. I used to use them to make backgrounds too, here’s one example from 2015.
And in 2012, I made many collages in the Collageland style where I also used splashes of alcohol inks, often pinks!
But now, they don’t feel so much fun anymore. Their odor is a bit disturbing too. But I have some pens that can be filled with alcohol inks, and will use the rest of them like felt-tip pens.
I also have some acrylic inks and acrylic watercolor inks.
I prefer to use watercolors instead nowadays. I should just make some art journal pages to use up those few bottles or give them away. I actually found a fun idea from an old blog post: Inktober Warm-Up Exercise (inks + drawing, from 2019)
All That Glows
Gold, silver, pearlescent effects – they are not my thing. I love to imitate glowing effects with regular paints, but glowing surfaces are not what I like to create. I have tried too many times, and made some fun pieces too, like this one from 2020.
See more images in the blog post: Impressionistic Floral Painting on Structure Paste
And see how lovely glitter glue looks on the box cover, made in the course Doll World!
I have already given away many glittering paints, and I intend to give away the few that I still have.
Special Mediums
When visiting an art supply store, it’s tempting to try a new medium. I have velázquez oil painting medium, masking fluid, granulation medium, fiber paste …
Some of these mediums are for adding surface effects. For example, fiber paste creates a surface that can then be used for watercolors. Velázquez medium is for those who like to paint thickly. The more I have painted in oil, the smoother surface I want. For me, the smooth quality of the surface feels important to achieve. Smooth paintings bring old masterpieces to mind.
I know many use masking fluid and granulation medium for watercolors. I have used masking fluid in the course Watercolor Journey, but have stopped using it. There are ways to avoid it so masking fluid feels unnecessary nowadays. Granulation medium is not a miracle medium either. I like to keep my watercolors with water only. I think they don’t enjoy the makeup!
However, in Watercolor Journey, we use the masking fuild in a fun way – for doodling – and I think the result is fun!
I have some masking fluid and granulation medium left. Maybe I should make some art journal pages with this doodling approach to quickly use them up!
My Basic Art Supplies
These are the basic supplies, I want to keep: oil paints, acrylic paints, watercolors, watercolor pencils, colored pencils, and felt-tip pens. Oil paints and acrylic paints are mainly for canvas paintings. Watercolors are mainly for watercolor paintings. And colored pencils and felt-tip pens are mostly for art journal pages and small drawings.
Mediums
With oil paints, I need painting medium. And with acrylics, I like to use gel medium and glazing medium for thinning in addition to water. I could give up the gel medium if I had to choose, because the glazing medium works better for thin layers. Then comes the question: how minimal to go and what would it serve?
What do you think?
However, nowadays when I want to have a treat while visiting an art supply store, I buy a new color, for example, a new colored pencil or a new tube of oil paint.
10 thoughts on “Art Supplies I Should Not Use Anymore”
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Hello!
It’s quite a coincidence that you’re doing an inventory of your art supplies while I’m cleaning my studio and going through the same set of questions as you. Do I still use this? But it wasn’t cheap, maybe I should keep it. Then again, it’s collecting dust and using up space…
I ended up offering them to my family. Anything left behind will be given to a school.
And after all this, I’m pretty sure I still have a few supplies that I kept but will not use. Oh well… I tried.
Ha, we have been working on with the same thing! I believe that cleaning up is like gardening – it’s never ready and it’s good to come back and do it again after a while.
I relate to this post. I have bought and tried many mixed media supplies and really love watercolor, ink and acrylic and collage. Gelatos were the most perplexing! Neocolor 2 are everywhere but they don’t do it for me. It’s good to try and find what you prefer. I love art supplies!
I love them too! I get strange satisfaction of handling and cleaning them. I haven’t ever got into Neocolor 2 fever, maybe because I used to have some similar when I was a teenager and got fed up with them. It was nice to read about what you prefer and not, thank you!
Paivi,
Thank you for writing this! I have debated for years whether to discard my mother’s oil paints. They are from the 50’s, I think. I remember watching her paint as a child and I think I’ve kept the set for that reason. However, many are no longer useable, are leaking oil or were never used, but I cannot get the cap off the tube. I have used some of them some years ago in a painting and they worked fine. Should I still keep the ones that are soft and useable and throw the others away? I am starting to oil paint again and would love to use a color or two here and there, but don’t know if they are too old to use just a little in my paintings? They are Grumbacher, Windsor and Newton and Rembrandt brands.
Dani, Lindsay Weirich (the frugal crafter) used some old oil paint to make oil sticks (like Sennelier, not oil pastels). There are several recipes online.
Hi Dani,
I have the same dilemma with oil tubes that I have from my father. I have discover that even dry, I can dilute the colour with white spiritus or something like that and then I still can use the oil in tubes. I even have tubes that desintegratie and the paint inside is hard. But deluting on a glass plate it’s working. For me it’s both emotional to throw away the paint remenbering of my father and why not saving and re-using them as the old pigments are quite strong. Good luck with making a choice!
Dani, thank you for leaving a comment and starting a discussion about what to do with oil paints. You already got some great suggestions from Vicki and Rod. I would add a couple of things to consider.
First, I would see how yellowish the paints are. Linseed oil gets darker yellow when it ages, and yes that happens in paintings too, but do you want to start with the aged yellowish tone is worth considering. That would be my personal first concern.
Second, I would check the pigments. They are usually printed small on the tube and have letters and numbers like PY35. One tube can also consist of many different pigments. Old paints may have some pigments that are now considered toxic. And some pigments are less fade-resistant.
Third is to check the archival quality: are the paints artist quality or meant for hobbyist. Most brands have two separate collections so the brand name doesn’t necessarily tell the quality. If hobbyist quality, the pigments may be less strong and resistant so they may have aged more poorly.
Yes, I also have supplies I don’t reach for or have learned i don’t enjoy. Acrylic paints for instance, I don’t like how plastic feeling they are, even though I enjoyed them at one time. I went through them a year ago and found 2/3rd of them dried up. Made me sad I hadn’t given them away.
For me too, it has taken a long time to realize that the best thing is to give away the supplies that don’t serve me anymore. Just yesterday, I was going through the selection once again after the blog post, and today, I gave many away for someone local who has just started painting. But I also had to toss some because they didn’t work anymore. So, I can relate, thanks for commenting!!