I must say that I’ve always been drawn to the visual arts. Although I attribute my visit to Michael’s in elementary school as being the start of my obsession with painting, I don’t actually remember the first time I picked up a paint brush; creating has always been something that I’ve just done. Although I would love to someday enroll in a formal painting class, I’m self-taught in acrylic and watercolor painting and have learned by immersing myself in the art form (as well as watching a few YouTube tutorials and gaining inspiration from the iconic Bob Ross.) There’s something to be said about jumping unabashedly into a new hobby or project and experimenting with it until you have a handle on whatever that thing is. I believe that painting is something that anyone can pick up and do — the secret to getting good at it (like anything) is time. And, lucky for you, this season of social distancing is certainly allowing many of us more time than we typically would have in our “normal” every-day-jam-packed lives.

You don’t need to buy expensive supplies to create beautiful works of art; there are excellent and affordable products available online that will ship directly to your doorstep. You can also of course support local arts and crafts businesses which may be currently providing curbside pickup services.

However, for the sake of convenience, I’m going to share links to Amazon. (*These are also available at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc.) Here are a few of my recommendations:

Watercolor Paint 

• Option one: ($$$) Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Studio Set (Winsor & Newton is a reputable art supplies brand.)

• Option two: ($$) Jerry Q Art 24 Assorted Water Colors Travel Pocket Set (Comes with a brush and sponge.)

• Option three: ($) Art-n-Fly 24 Watercolor Paint Set Light Portable Water Colors

• Option four: ($) Metallic Komorebi Watercolor Paint Set (I bought these for myself earlier this month and have had so much fun playing with them. I’ve used them to add additional drama to my paintings!)

Acrylic Paint

• Option one: ($$) Liquitex BASICS 48 Tube Acrylic Paint Set

• Option two ($$) KINGART 506B-48 Studio Acrylic Paint

• Option three ($$$) Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylic Paint Classic Set

Paper

• Option one: ($) Canson Series Watercolor Pad (This stuff is great! I’ve been buying Canson’s paper for years in multiple sizes — beginner paper, good for practicing.)

• Option two: ($$) Arches Watercolor Paper Pad (This paper is beautiful; you can add multiple layers onto the paper and it won’t break or leak through — high quality paper, I use it for my “important” pieces.)

Brushes

• Option one: ($) 20 Pcs Round Pointed Tip Paintbrushes Nylon Hair Artist Acrylic Paint Brushes

• Option two: ($$) Round Pointed Tip Wood Long Handle Brush Set 13 pcs

• Option three: ($$$) Professional Oil & Acrylics Artist Brushes – Long-Lasting Badger/Japanese Synthetic Blend, Chungking hog – Lacquered Birchwood Long Handles with case

Extra Tools you might appreciate

• Round Paint Tray  ($)

• 5-Piece Painting Knife Set ($) — used in acrylic painting.

• Artist Sponges ($) — can use to create a variety of effects with both watercolors and acrylics.

• Martin Universal Design Just Stow-It Easel-Back Brush Case ($) — a smart purchase that’s useful for travel and keeping your brushes organized.

I encourage you to be intentional with this unique season. Use this time to your advantage and invest in yourself by learning a new skill and flexing your creative muscles. If you would like some painting inspiration other than Bob Ross, a few individuals I enjoy following on social media are @jennaalexanderstudio and @oszvaldann on Instagram and Emily Mackey Art and Shayda Campbell on YouTube; although, there are thousands of creative accounts that exist which you can easily find if you do a simple search.

Spend time honing your craft and “perfecting” your chosen artistic medium. Happy creating, Ladybosses!

Reyna