My 10 Favorite Studio Tools

I have vivid memories of being in 5th grade walking into a boutique art store on Church St. in Burlington, VT (where I lived at the time) and being absolutely overwhelmed with want. It was a sensory overload of not only wanting to touch every single supply in the store but to bring it all home with me. Fast forward to college, art school allowed for a ton of experimentation with art supplies, many of which I still have today.

Now that I create as a profession, my perspective of supply needs has shifted. One of the things I have enjoyed most as a maturing creative is confidently investing in my select studio supplies. Over the years, I have refined what my must-have items. I am paying more attention to how much I enjoy using certain items as well as the quality of the product or service.

Digital

iPad Pro - Goes without saying this is immeasurably efficient and fun to use. This was a much better investment than the Wacom tablet I bought in 2014… it had so many cords and the stand it came with was trash. Being wireless with the iPad is freaking amazing.

AstroPad Darkboard - This new product makes drawing on the iPad more ergonomic no matter where you are sitting. Highly recommend it.

Epson Scanner - I use this to archive my small work and work on paper at super high resolution. 

Canvas Co. Lamp - Newer high quality lamp and tripod. Great customer service.

Adobe Creative Suite - Will likely be paying for these programs my entire lifetime because they are so crucial. I appreciate the active work towards improvement. I use Photoshop and Lightroom the most and am starting to use InDesign and Bridge more. 

Analog

While I could focus on the specific fine art materials I use, I think the things I use daily outside of painting are more interesting and personal.

DUX Glass Sharpener - made in Germany and far superior than any sharpener I’ve ever tried.

Pilot Pen - Specifically the bold point tip. They have excellent fluidity and are comfortable to hold. I now buy them in bulk because of how quickly I run through them! I enjoy that they sell refills because it feels less wasteful.

Hemlock & Oak Planner - this is a premium and sustainable product made by a woman-owned company in Canada. I am obsessed.

Rhoda Goalbook - Deliciously soft paper and cover, durable, awesome layout. 

Reference Books - I will dive into these in a later post. My favorite right now is called Spectrum Heritage Patterns and Colors.