The Homebound Creative: Basics for Making Art at Home
We all know the news, and we are all adjusting. This global pandemic is reshaping the way we live now, and I have no doubt that it will shape the way we live in the future. We are about a week into a form of quarantined living, and I can finally feel myself entering a new routine. I am lucky enough to be able to get out of the house to my part-time job at Hurley House, serving meals & sweets through our drive through window. It has been a welcome escape, and a comforting place to be in this really strange time.
For those who are truly homebound and are officially working from home, you’re probably finding yourself with some extra time on your hands. You want something to keep your hands and your mind engaged, and scrolling through Instagram just isn’t scratching the itch. While baking is fun, to me it’s begun to feel frivolous, like an extraneous use of precious resources.
As I reshape how my creative practice to adjust to this new schedule, I’d love to share some of my basic necessities for art making. All of these items can be found on Amazon, meaning it can be in your shopping cart to your door in two days or less. Purchasing all of these items is certainly not necessary, so choose one lane to explore, and go from there. I have split this shopping list into two categories: Drawing and Painting. All of the materials are easy to pick up and put down, and safe to use in your home. These are high quality materials that will last you a good while, and offer endless avenues to explore.
As for what to draw or paint, look closer in and around your home: The plant on the coffee table. The stack of books on your shelf. The collection of cooking utensils on your counter. The tree in your backyard. Your pet. Heck, your favorite box of cereal. Look closer at these everyday things and capture them beautifully. No, it probably won’t be perfect, but that’s not the point. Pay attention to the direction of the shapes: are they rounded or sharp? Look for areas of light and dark - long mid-afternoon shadows make for interesting subjects. Look at the walls of the home that you’ve been sequestered in, and take it in with fresh eyes. Take it apart, piece by piece, and capture something on paper or canvas. The point here is to look, see, and capture. Use your hands, engage your mind.
DRAWING
1. STRATHMORE 14x17” WIRE BOUND SKETCH PAD, 100 SHEETS - An essential sketchbook for creatives of all kinds
2. STRATHMORE DRAWING PAD, 24 SHEETS, 8X10” - “Fancy paper” for a more polished finish. This paper is sturdier than sketchbook paper, and can withstand pressure from drawing and erasing, making it great for layers (and mistakes!)
3. PROFESSIONAL DRAWING PENCILS, SET OF 12 - A basic set of pencils in a range of hardness, giving you the ability to create deep, dark areas or thin light lines.
4. PRISMACOLOR PREMIER COLORED PENCILS, SET OF 36 - I have had this very set of colored pencils for years. They stand the test of time!
5. PRISMACOLOR PREMIER COLORED PENCILS, SET OF 150 - If you really want to go for it…
6. CHARVIN SEMI-HARD PASTELS, SET OF 48 - Pastels are great because you can use your hands to smudge the pigment, but can also create hard lines. They are probably the messiest of the drawing materials, but oh so fun to play with.
7. THE BEST PENCIL SHARPENER - A necessity!
8. AN ARTIST’S ESSENTIAL ERASER - Seems simple, but this is the best eraser for fine art drawing.
PAINTING
1.ARTIST’S TRAVEL WATERCOLOR SET - Like the colored pencils, I have had my same set of watercolors for years. These are the easiest and cleanest to use for painting at home.
2. WATERCOLOR PALETTE - This is the palette I use when painting with watercolor. Just carefully pour water into the wells, and add pigment with your paintbrush!
3. LIQUITEX PROFESSIONAL HEAVY BODY ACRYLIC PAINT SET OF 12 - If you’re wanting a more involved painting adventure, these acrylics are the best place to start.
4. ALL PURPOSE PAINT BRUSHES, SET OF 25 - Can’t beat a good set of cheap paintbrushes.
5. PROFESSIONAL PAINTBRUSHES, SET OF 12 - This set is a little more high quality, but still reasonably priced! Can be used for both watercolor and acrylic.
6. SMALL WATERCOLOR PAPER PAD, 20 SHEETS - A sturdier paper that won’t seep through when using watercolors. You could also use acrylic paint on these!
7. LARGE WATERCOLOR PAPER PAD, 14 SHEETS - Same as above, just bigger size.
8. CANVAS MULTI PACK (VARIED SIZES) - 10 canvases of different sizes to play with!
9. XL MEXED MEDIA PAD, 60 SHEETS, 7x10” - This paper pad is somewhere in between a sketchbook and a watercolor paper pad. The paper can withstand watercolor, but I wouldn’t use it for acrylics.