Art is a big deal in our homeschool. Between art appreciation, art classes, and art for fun, my kids are used to having great art supplies available for their projects. Today we’re looking at their must-have supplies for homeschool art.
(Post contains affiliate links; see disclosure for details.)
We’ve experimented with our share of art resources through the years and we’ve learned that all supplies aren’t created equal. We’ve also learned that lots of art supplies are nice to have, but aren’t necessary when it comes to our art needs.
Lastly, we’ve learned that there are some products we can’t get enough of. These are the ones we buy over and over again and always have on hand. Better put, these are our must-haves for homeschool art.
Our 10 Must-Haves for Homeschool Art
1. Mixed Media Pad – I know we should probably have a steady supply of bristol board, watercolor paper, and sketch pads on hand, but as a general rule we stick with these mixed media pads for the majority of our art adventures. These pads are great because they meet most of our art needs and we can just grab a page or two as needed.
2. Chalk Pastels – My kiddos both love creating with chalk pastels and these Simply Art pastels are the ones we usually buy. We stock up on them a couple of times each year and rarely stray from this brand because they’re inexpensive and get the job done!
3. Oil Pastels – We use our share of oil pastels for homeschool art and these Crayola pastels are our favorites. Come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve ever strayed from our trusty Crayolas.
4. Canvas Panels – These canvas panels are must-haves for homeschool art. We also use the stretched canvases, but we stick to the panels most of the time. It probably seems crazy, but something about the canvas panels makes my kids feel like their art is legit.
5. Acrylic Paints – We always have a good supply of acrylic paints available. We use our Liquitex paints a good bit, but honestly, we end up using these acrylic craft paints more. These are some of our favorites because they serve many purposes. We use them with canvas, wood projects, sculpting, and much more.
6. Watercolor Pan Set – When it comes to watercolors, I know we should use our mixable tubes more. We have them and they’re wonderful. However, our watercolor cakes are more practical with a ten-year-old and a four-year-old at the table. These are no-fuss and fun, yet produce quality art projects. Our watercolors are must-haves for homeschool art, for sure!
7. Mixed Media Journal – We love these mixed media journals! I even have one that I use for lettering practice with mixed media. They’re a great way to keep a personal collection of art projects.
8. Pencil Set – You can only do so much with a regular pencil when it comes to drawing and sketching. It will serve the purpose in a pinch, but a good pencil set makes a difference in technique and quality. Sets with charcoal and graphite pencils, along with kneaded and white plastic erasers are must-haves for homeschool art!
9. Sculpey – This is our go-to for sculpting because it’s easy to use for both kids and durable. We usually stick to white Sculpey and paint our creations from there, but the colored options are great, too!
10. Paint Brush Assortment – When you’re working with different kinds of paints and surfaces, you need a good supply of paintbrushes available in your homeschool. I usually end up buying a new assortment each year since, one by one, our paintbrushes grow legs and walk away at some point during our homeschool year.
Along with these must-have items, we keep our favorite crayons, colored pencils, and Sharpies on hand at all times, but that probably goes without saying.
Oh yes, all of those are must have art supplies.
Funny how everybody’s “must haves” are different. :) I would say watercolor pencils, watercolor crayons, and and liquid watercolors are pretty high up on our list. We’re not really into pastels, though. Totally agree with you on the canvases! Even my teens will sometimes ask for one to create their own artworks.
My ten year-old enjoys the watercolor pencils and liquids, but we usually stick to the watercolor cakes, especially if my four year-old is joining in the art fun. The watercolor cakes are soooo much easier for her. ;)
We have been doing a lot of art in our homeschool, too. These items are definitely good to have on hand!
If you like chalk pastels you need to try chalk pastel pencils! I wrote a similar post on my site about my favorite art supplies for teen artists.
We’ve never tried the pastel pencils, but I’m intrigued by the thought!
I checked out your art supplies for teens post and pinned it to my homeschool teens Pinterest board since your list is quite different from mine. My kids aren’t teens, so I’m pinning it now for future reference. Thanks for sharing! :)