8 Art Tools I can't live without - especially no 3!
These are some of my favourite art tools I have accumulated over the years.
Do you have any favourites you would like to share?
1 Proportional Divider (PD) – This is definitely my most favourite art tool of all time! I am a bit of a perfectionist and paint in a realistic style. Before I came across the PD I used to use a ruler and calculator to make sure my work was accurate when enlarging an image onto my support. I still need to use this method from time-to-time for very large paintings, however 90% of the time I now use my PD. It saves me sooooo much time!
2 Tablet – This is a relatively new art tool for me and is much easier than using my laptop. I still work from a printed image, however the colours are more natural when viewing on the tablet and I can easily enlarge to see into shadow areas. I purchased a tablet holder which frees up both hands for painting :)
3 Daylight Lamp – The daylight globes are one of the best inventions ever and I have changed all the globes in my studio to daylight, which means I can work at night under a light that doesn’t change the colour of my paint and is easier on my eyes. I have a small daylight lamp that clamps onto the top of my easel which I have brought along on our caravan trip and I can use if I am painting in the van when the outside light dims. I also have a larger lamp that clamps onto my small portable table.
4 Table Easel – This was given to me by my Artist Brother because he never used it and has been invaluable on our trip. Light, portable and easy to set up :)
5 Incredible Brush Cleaner – Pretty much self-explanatory! Even cleans those sticky binder mediums out of your bristles! You can see it in this pic sitting amongst my mediums ... it is a golden colour :)
6 Pastel Catching Tray – All art tools don’t have to be expensive! This is one I have made myself, although it needs a bit of fine-tuning. It catches all the pastel dust and is really easy to clean out with a damp cloth, or you can scoop it out and use to make your own pastel sticks … not that I ever have!
7 Latex Gloves – are necessary to avoid wearing your fingerprint off when using a sanded paper. I usually cut one of the fingers off and just wear it on my blending finger. I’ve tried all sorts of things to blend pastel and find your own finger is the best blending implement, however a latex covered finger comes in a close second :)
8 Memory Foam Mat – If you are working on a large canvas or just like standing up to paint, a memory foam mat is wonderful for preventing aching legs :)
Supporting Others
WILLO
"I'm Will, I'm 20 and I live with Autism.I can't read write and my speech is limited.
I am recycling cricket bats with artists from around the world and creating employment for people with disabilities."
I've received my cricket bat at the Caravan Park in Yeppoon so I can paint turtles on it to help raise funds for Will. Check out his crowdfunding page ..... such an inspiration!
Here I am .... painting under the awning on Yeppoon's beachfront .....
Happy creating!
Carole :)
