Art Supplies for ages 5-12

Since I require students to purchase the majority of their own supplies for my classes, I thought it might be a good idea to provide a list of items I suggest using. These are merely my suggestion, based on my own experiences, you are welcome to use whatever brand or type you wish. That being said, your child will likely have an easier time making lasting art using higher quality supplies.

Here are my suggestions for ages 5-12, however older children may wish to have supplies from my teen list (which will be a separate post). Take a look, and see what floats your boat. :)

There is a large range of watercolors available for students to use. I like the Winsor-Newton travel boxes for kids, especially if they are just learning the medium. They are easy to transport, and not too messy. This one is a great deal, and works quite nicely.

If your kids want to use tube watercolors, Winsor-Newton is also a good way to go. This is a great beginner set. Daniel Smith is another wonderful watercolor company, and the bonus is they are local! Their paints are more expensive than Winsor-Newton, but they are higher quality (I believe!) Here is a link to a set of tube paints available on Amazon, but they have two local store fronts as well.

If you decide to go the tube watercolor route, you will also need a palette. Here's a great one that won't require buying pans to fill. It just has empty wells and a mixing area.

Watercolor brushes are a confusing bunch. There are some expensive, fancy brands I use for my own art, but for kids just learning you certainly do not need to break the bank. I suggest looking for brushes that are not generic Michaels brand (or similar). Those do not last or survive well. Searching Amazon may overwhelm you at this point, so here is an example of a set that may work for you. If you find yourself in an art store such as Daniel Smith of the University Bookstore, an employee can point you to some affordable options as well.

Another watercolor brush option are water brushes. I haven't used them very often, but I know several people that swear by them, especially when used as a travel brush. Pentel makes a good set.

For watercolor and media paper, there are several types. For kids at this age, it's not important whether you choose hot or cold press paper, really. And brand isn't as important either. That being said, I suggest a big pad of Strathmore paper. These are easy to find, and they're a pretty good beginner's brand. A larger size like 11x15 with tape edged pages is best, as this will allow for a lot of work space as well as easy removal from the book. For mixed media paper, I suggest this one.

For the younger kids, I would like them to bring their own colored markers for projects. As I'm sure all parents are aware, markers do not survive well when kids share them with others. Sharing is wonderful, but not when we want something to last awhile. For markers, I like these Pentel ones. They are great for line drawing and careful coloring.

Pentel also makes a good oil pastel set. I'd check this one out.

I suggest older kids use mechanical drawing pencils so that they always have a sharp point. Any brand will do for these, but I like this one in particular.

Older kids will also be doing some work in a sketchbook. Stillman and Bern make my favorite ones. Here is one I really like, but feel free to do your own research and find a similar size to this one. And please ensure it is mixed media paper as we will be doing more than just drawing in these books.

Older kids will also be practicing drawing using pens. Younger kids will have Sharpies provided for them. For the older kids, I love Micron drawing pens. They are truly waterproof (so you can immediately paint over them!) and have great line quality. Here is a set that is great for beginners.

And lastly, older students will need a colored pencil set. Any size will do, but as an example, here is a smaller set that is great.

Have fun window shopping!