Inktober 2019: Most Used Art Supplies

We’re about halfway through Inktober and I thought this would be a good time to talk about the art supplies I’ve been reaching for the most and how they’ve been delivering. I didn’t plan out a colour scheme or narrow down my tools the way I did last year, so it will be interesting to see if I use these consistently all the way to the end, or if I change things up in the next half of the challenge and opt for something different. I’m taking each piece as it comes and concentrating more on what works for that individual concept rather than worrying too much about making them all fit together. What’s interesting is that, despite this, there are patterns showing up that have created a cohesive look, and I hope I can continue that.

Here is my Prompt list for this year, in case you missed it over on my Instagram. The prompts themselves are courtesy of Juan Joltaire, but the art you see above is mine.

But I’ll be reflecting more when the challenge is over. For now, let’s take a closer look at the supplies I’ve been reaching for:

All of my sketching this year has been done with a standard 2B pencil, and I’ve used literally any eraser I’ve had to hand. I usually reach for a mechanical pencil, partly because of the convenience of not having to use a sharpener, but also because you can sketch far lighter lines that can be erased with less force, enabling your paper to stay relatively untouched. However, when I started doodling rough ideas in my sketchbook, I didn’t have one on me, and I’ve just ended up going with it.

I’m sorry I forgot to include a picture of the paper I’ve been using, but for reference it’s the Arteza 9”x12” Watercolour Paper. You can get a pack of 2, giving you 32 sheets in each which they claim you can use both sides of (I’m yet to put this to the test), and they’re fantastic value for money. I love this paper. It’s Cold Press, giving it a nice textured surface, weighted at 300 gm, and it works beautifully with watercolours, ink, gouache, markers and quite a few layers of water. It does start to buckle after a bit of wear and tear, which is pretty normal, but it does withstand a good amount of medium and I genuinely think it’s great for both beginners and more experienced artists. It’s made my Inktober a dream simply because it works so well with so many tools, so I can hop from markers to paint without needing to think it through too much.

I’m going to be painfully predictable here and mention some of the most famous and cult pens on the planet: Sakura Microns. I use the black ones, and mostly I’ve been reaching for 005, 01, 03 and 05. There isn’t much to say about these: they dry really quickly, they deliver really clean, satisfying lines, the ink lasts for quite a while (obviously this depends on how often you use them) and they mostly work well with other mediums. I’m not completely loyal to a particular brand when it comes to liners, mostly because I always want to keep trying new discoveries, but these are a favourite I know I can always rely on and come back to.

I’ve loved Jackson’s Indian Ink for years, so this was a no-brainer for me. All of the frame outlines, as well as larger areas of black are likely to be done with this ink. I’ve also diluted it down a couple of times for one or two pieces; it’s opaque, easy to work with, delivers every time and is available in different bottle sizes to suite you.

White ink can be a bit tricky; I’m still searching for a pot of it that works the way I want it to (more on that another day), but as I mostly use it for finer detailing and highlights, pens are the most convenient tool for me. I’ve used the Sakura Gelly Roll for years, and I’ve found that the larger nib sizes tend to deliver a more opaque line consistently, but overall they are good and do the job. However, this year I’ve discovered the Uni Ball Signo Broad Gel Pen, and I absolutely LOVE it! As the name would suggest, it does have a larger nib so it’s not great for really small detailing, but it’s perfect for outlines or details on a bigger scale. It’s smooth and opaque and really easy to use.

I only started getting into alcohol-based markers about a year ago, but I really do like the Winsor and Newton ProMarkers. I’m still not fantastic at blending, but they are such a fun and useful tool to have - especially for a challenge like Inktober where colours can really make the piece pop. I mostly use both skin tone sets - pretty much every single witch’s skin has been coloured with these - but the classic colours get used a lot too. They dry way faster than watercolours too, so I’ve reached for them more when I’ve been really pushed for time.

Buying the Arteza Real Brush Pens earlier this year has turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made. I’ve used them so much for so many different things, and the colour range has made them invaluable for Inktober. I like that I can get a very precise line with the tip of the brush, but also use the whole thing to create full strokes. I’ve used them with water too, but that’s not really how I prefer to work with them - I’d rather use my watercolours, but that’s just my personal preference. I got the 48 set, but they’re available in sets both bigger and smaller.

I bought a set of around 12 Winsor and Newton Inks a few years ago at a WHSmith’s outlet, and these are the three remaining survivors! I couldn’t find the exact set I had, but the closest to it is their Henry Collection, which has 8 colours. This is a great way to try them out, and I’m so impressed that these have lasted as long as they have. I’ve used them in multiple illustrations so far this month, usually by diluting them down a little, or just applying them with a brush, and they’ve been a really fun asset. I also use them a lot in my sketchbook with my dip pen, and once this month is over I’m going to try to do more pieces like that because I find the process so relaxing.

Another purchase I’m super smug about making is the 6 Piece set of Metallic Inks that Liquitex do. It’s fantastic value for money and you get 4 metallic colours, a black and a white which, for me, makes up the perfect set. The bottles are really cool too - they each have a pipette that is super fun and convenient to use. Any gold, silver or bronze detailing or colours you can see are done with these and a brush - unless I’ve opted for a gel pen when I’ve had a tight deadline. These can be diluted for a magical wash of glitter, or built up to be really opaque and beautiful - I’m excited to do so much more with these!
BUT if you’d rather just by the colour you want on it’s own, you can get a look at all the shades here!

Pipettes are inexpensive and super handy, not just with wet mediums but also for random things, like watering a small cactus (don’t ask me how I know that). I’m putting together a post about the stranger tools I use day-to-day with my art, so if you’re interested in that - OR have any recommendations of your own to give me - make sure you leave me a comment below! I bought a multi-pack from Amazon ages ago and they’re still going strong. They’re great for wetting paints and brushes, diluting inks and, when used in reverse, siphoning excess water from an area.

My WHSmith Watercolour Tubes are still pretty new, and I’m still working out how to get the right amounf out without overdoing it, but they’ve been great for larger washes so far this month. I’ve always used palettes before now, so I’m still getting used to these, but I really love how pigmented these paints are, and they give such a beautiful finish to my illustrations.

I wish I could remember where my 12 Pan Watercolour Set is from - I’ve had it for so long that I can’t even remember how I got it! What I do know is that I adore it, and I’m sure you can tell that I’ve used it to death. The colours are still pigmented, easy to blend and work well together. This is usually my go-to for a lot of pieces, mostly because it’s familiar, but also because it has a great selection of colours. I’d really recommend something like this if you’re starting out with the medium, or just need something convenient to travel with. The most similar one I could find, based on images and reviews, is the Winsor and Newton Cotman Sketchers Pocket Box.

Another extremely convenient travel palette is this little beauty from Sennelier. It’s their Aqua Mini French Watercolour Set, and it contains 8 half pans with the shades:

• (574) Primary Yellow

• (675) French Vermillion

• (344) Cinerous Blue

• (314) French Ultramarine Blue

• (805) Phthalo Light Green

• (819) Sap Green

• (202) Burnt Umber

• (703) Payne's Gray

This palette is beautiful, and the quality of the paints is amazing. I love playing with this, and I’ve used it for a lot of my most favourite pieces. I’ve used it for a lot of the earthy tones this Inktober, and it’s delivered every time. My only wish is that the lid was clear on the other side so that there’s space within the palette to mix the colours. You can use the lid (and I do) but I’m never exactly sure about what the colour really looks like.

Inktober 2019, Day 3: Bog Witch

And so concludes the list of my most used supplies for Inktober so far! I hope you enjoyed it - I’ll be following up at the end of the month to see if I added anything new, or changed my mind about any of these along the way.

What are your go-to art supplies? Which tools have you been reaching for this Inktober? I’d love to know - let’s have a conversation in the comments!

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