Art materials for summer fun!

Hi there,  Summer vacation is almost here!  I love getting outside and creating in the summer and I am going to be sharing different ideas with you for outdoor inspiration every week.  Lets start with art materials to stock up on to have in the house.  I like to go to the dollar store just before school is out and get some inexpensive supplies to have ready in the house.

Oil Pastels-These are great to have around since they are not too messy and blend nicely together.  Use darker colours first and blend with lighter colours on top.  I use white for a lot of blending.  I also use vegetable oil on a Q-tip  to blend with and it works really well.  Crayola makes a nice set that isn’t too expensive.

Water Colour Paints-These paints are easy to carry with you on a trip.  All you need is a brush and a water container and you are all set.  I also use water colour paper but you can find this at most art stores in the kids section.

Acrylic Paint-Most kids paint is tempura paint which doesn’t always last very long.  I find it cracks over time so I prefer acrylic paints.  You can find kids acrylic paints in any art store.  They are a little more messy than water colors.  I cover a paper plate with tin foil to squeeze the paints on.  This way, I can keep the paper plate for the next project and just throw out the tin foil.

Modelling Clay-I just got some colored modelling clay at the dollar store the other day and the kids played for hours with their friends making food out of clay.  They sat out on the deck and happily created.

Chalk-My kids love sitting outside and drawing with chalk.  I also give them a paint brush and water to use with the chalk.

Crayons, Markers, Pencils and Coloured paper-Always good to have on hand.  I usually have this in the car for any road trips.

Sketchbook-I like to get a sketchbook for each of us in the summer so we draw outside. We try to do 1-2 drawings each day.

Other supplies-Foam sheets, feathers, stickers, beads, pipe cleaners, paper.   I usually have random boxes of fun supplies and the kids create amazing things.

Stay tuned for lots of creative ideas in my blog posts this summer!  Happy creating.  For creative ideas on how to use these supplies, check out my You Tube Channel.

Paint and Create Animals Online Course

Paint and Create Animals is a 6 lesson online art course for all ages that teaches you how to use different art materials and colour techniques to create paintings of animals around the world.  Each lesson includes 2-4 videos of step by step demonstrations as well as sheets of fun facts and instructions.  Learn how to draw animals, use acrylic paints, water colour paints and oil pastels to create beautiful paintings.

Are you ready to create? Click here for more details.

Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement of my art. I would really appreciate it if you could please forward this to your friends and family.