Tuesday, March 11, 2014

my favorite supplies and a GIVEAWAY!


Art supplies are a big and important part of my life and I always seems to go through little stages where I will use the same things over and over again. Today I am sharing a few of my current favorites.

p.s. I am giving away four $50 gift certificates to Dick Blick (my go to for supplies). Scroll all the way to the end of the post for more giveaway details!


White paint pens are a must for me and my creative process (I prefer Sharpies). I love adding pattern, text and markings to dark or colorful backgrounds and a white pen works perfect! I prefer oil based paint pens because they will work (and be permanent) on just about any surface. I typically buy my pens in bulk and keep a variety of each size on hand.




Pigma Micron pens are my favorite sketching pens. They come in lots of sizes (I prefer the 05) and the best part is that they are permanent so you can watercolor or use wet media over the top of them.



I always keep a handful of neon paint on hand, it is perfect for adding a really vibrant pop of color to a painting OR you can tone down the neon by mixing a little white paint. Pretty much any paint brand creates a neon option these days- everything from Apple Barrel craft paint to Golden Acrylics offer all kinds of bright colors.




I rarely splurge on art supplies but lately I cannot resist Golden's High Flow Acrylics. It has an ink like consistency and can be used for splattering and dripping, to fill daubers, used with calligraphy pens, water brushes and more!



While I love painting on canvas, I might love painting on wood just as much. Back in college I used to paint on plywood panels because it was cheaper than stretched canvas! These days you can find all kind of light weight wood panels in TONS of sizes. The surface is nice and smooth and really lends itself to detail work.




This is my birthday week and I thought it was a good excuse to have a little celebration here on the blog. Every day this week I've got a giveaway!

Today I am giving away four $50 gift certificates to Dick Blick 
(No, Dick Blick did not sponsor this post, I just love them and want to share the love with you!)

Leave me a comment
Tell me what you favorite supply is
I will draw four names and announce the winner tomorrow (Wednesday)




MONDAY GIVEAWAY WINNERS-

Send me an email at alisaburke@gmail.com and I will get you the information for your online class season passes!









491 comments:

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chewytulip said...

Happy Birthday Week! Sometimes I give myself the whole month to celebrate. :). My favorite art supply - the one I can't live without - is kohinoor black ink in the .6 technical pen. But I might have to put the golden high flow paint on my wish list, because i love all kinds of inks and acrylics.

Unknown said...

My favorite art supply is the Pelikan paint set in 24 transparent colors. It has a mixing tray and also two containers for fresh water that come apart and fit on the ends of the container itself. The colors are gorgeous and vibrant and it also contains a flesh color for faces. i am taking the Year of the Fairy Tale with Carla Sondheim, and this set was recommended.

CreativeJanine said...

I switch my favorites quite frequently, but right now I'm loving my colored pencils.

Wanda said...

Happy Birthday Alisa!!!
I love Blick! I love walking up and down the isles getting inspired by all their product. My favorite supply these days is Winsor & Newton watercolors.

Artes da Cris said...

Happy happy birthday?
My favorite supplies are watercolors specially a 20 year-old pan watercolor case from Pelikan I bought in Arizona when I was living there...
Xoxo
Ana from Brazil

Rosalina said...

I love using markers and being able to draw and sketch without much preparation.

Becky K said...

My favorite art supply right now is stencils. I love using them with my Gelli plate.

Melanie Jade Rummel said...

Happy Birthday! I love my paint brushes - I love the shape, the different sizes, and the feel as I hold them. They make every project fun!

Unknown said...

Happy birthday!!! My favorite tool.....I like my brayer. It adds a layer of color when a brush intimidates me a brayer makes me commit and just keep rolling!! Thanks again for another chance!!

Unknown said...

I'm entering this giveaway for my niece who is attending American Academy of Art in Chicago .. and her favorite store is Blicks! But I don't know what her favorite supply is :)

Janie Husband said...

My acrylic paints run a close favorite to my watercolour paints...... So many supplies it is hard to love one more than the other......

Lynda Hardy said...

Currently, I'm a sucker for porcelain paint pens!

Shay said...

I am loving empty spray monsters I can fill with adirondak and other inks. Have a great birthday week!!

Shay said...

I love empty little spray misters I can fill with pretty adirondak inks and spray through fun coffee break stencils. Sorry that's three things. :D
Hope you have a great birthday week! Shay.

Tiffany said...

happy birthday Alisa! mine was on sunday (3//9). :)

I don't really have a favorite at the moment, but nail polish is a classic. love using that on my art. :)

thanks for the chance to win!

Tiffany

Deb Zoulias said...

Happy Birthday!!! Love your blog and I am loving Sharpie pens! I love all pens, pencils, & papers!!

Reese said...

My go too right now is Copic Markers. Great color coverage! Love them.

Unknown said...

Luv sharpies, gold, Bronze, Slver and white! My daughter luvs Koi water colors and acrylics...

Reva Madryga said...

My favourite art supply at the moment has to be Daler Rowney FW Acrylic Inks! They have such great colour, and I like to get messy with them, and paint with my fingers!

Shay said...

I hope you're having a great birthday week!!
Empty little spray misters I can fill with pretty adirondak inks and spray through coffee break stencils area fun quick art supply I like for the tiny bit of time I have for art.
Thanks for the fun giveaway!

Beulah Bee said...

Patterned papers are my main stay but I'm oh so curious about the new high flow acrylics. I live in the desert southwest and paint dries so fast I'm forced to use mediums which isn't always ideal.

Best birthday wishes!

Mallory Carryn said...

Happy Birthday Week Alisa!

Thank you for providing us with the opportunity of winning gifts on YOUR birthday week! My favorite art supplies includes everything from Golden's Fluorescent Paints from Dick Blick to homemade hot glue gun stencils! My favorite supplies also include the feather stamp collection I got from your store, my gelli plate, water color crayons, and dylusions' spray paints!

t. said...

I love all types of old papers and wood. Also moving to Estonia soon so need all the help I cam get with buying some new art supplies- what to take and what to leave????

Unknown said...

I love my set of Rapidographs, they were a splurge but worth it! Happy Birthday! You are so generous, I love how you always give back to your followers!

Jana K said...

I just turned 39 last week! I love permanent markers. I use them all the time for sketches and coloring little random things.

E.A.Smith said...

What is my favorite depends on my mood but what I always go to or start with is a classic pencil!

MARLA JEAN CHRISTINE said...

Happy Birthday Week Alisa...
OMG, I just discovered Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Artists' Crayons, through the class, Life Book 2014, and I am in love with what they do. Add a Niji water brush, and you can go anywhere. I too love Blick. It's my kind of candy store. Yea.

Unknown said...

I just love the neon paint! I have a project in mind already.

Hogwartography said...

Hi Alisa - right now I'm making lots of cards for my daughter's shop. So I'm loving Japanese and mulberry papers and Twinkling H2Os.

Cheers

Peggie said...

I am new to the drawing and painting art world, but love your blog. I don't have a favorite material yet. For Valentine's Day, I made my husband a sailboat with driftwood, using your post as a guide. Just this weekend I searched on your site for the best paint to use to make a "white" dog footprint on a dark canvas. I didn't find a suggestion on dog footprints - perhaps a future post for you.

Peggie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sandy said...

Happy Birthday to you! My favorite would have to pen my Micron pens. I use them all the time. Love Dick Blick too. Thanks for the contest.

Rita said...

I love dick Blick! Right now my favorite new acquisition has been a few golden acrylic paints. I want to try the high flow acrylics! :)

Se7en said...

Happy Birthday week... I totally love Sharpie Fineline Pens and Crayola Markers...and they are very hard to find here in South Africa. I usually ask friends to bring them over when they visit from the States.

Cynthia said...

Golden high flow acrylics-white and black

Anonymous said...

You can create anything with old packaging/envelopes, a pritt stick, scissors and some masking tape. For simple colour I still use the caran d'ache pencils my father gave me for Christmas 35 years ago. Some are just stubs now. T J D Allen

Isabelle said...

My favorite supplies are Golden paints, Neocolor II, Twinkllong H2O, Inktense pencils.
Happy birthday sweet Alisa!

amber said...

Currently I'm really digging fountain pens, dip pens and beautifully colored inks.

Unknown said...

I am in love with speedball easy carve for stamp making. It makes stamping quick and easy!

Avia said...

Happy birthday! I love your blog. I love using water color & white pens.

Deborah A. Pierro said...

Happy birthday, Alisa! I hope you and your family are doing well. I'll bet Lucy will enjoy celebrating with you! It would mean so much to me to win a Dick Blick prize from you! I use my white Sharpie oil-based pen a lot, so I know what you mean. Another thing ... I love your studio!

Tif said...

Happy birthday! My current fave is Prisma Markers. I love them!!

Lynda said...

Love, love, love Golden paints but they are so pricey. I need to start buying some neons. Love the bright colors. Thanks for the giveaway. Love Blicks!

LizzieCaye said...

Happy Birthday!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday Month!! Thanks for this post. We did a spending freeze for January and February, and I've been wanting to get a white pen, but have been slightly intimidated by all the choices!! Thanks for sharing your favorites!!

All the Best!!

Brooke said...

my go to supplies right now is plain white paper and 0.7mm rollerball pens

Scrappin' Stacy said...

I love my golden paints and my Sakura pens. Thanks for another great giveaway

Pat S said...

I would love to try some of the paint pens, I love your doodles with the white paint pen on black. My glue gun is my favorite supply with glue sticks. Thanks

Liz said...

Happy Birthday! You share the same birthday with our son so it's a double special day! Hooray! I love the wood panels! So many fun things you can do with them!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! I love you and your blog- you are a constant source of inspiration to me.
Also love, love goldens high flow acrylics!

Janice said...

I love Pigma pens. I'm a quilter and I use themn to embellish quilt blocks, or to sign my quilts.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday! My favorite supplies are watercolors and Sharpies, of course! :)

Lora Dawn said...

I love my shiny ink pens from Dick Blick!

Unknown said...

Right now...I LOVE neon pink paint!

Anna H said...

Happy Birthday, and how generous of you. I love Dick Blick and right now my favorite supply is the Micron pens, as I have been doing some doodling and line drawing.....thanks

Happyday said...

Love my acrylics - look forward to trying out paint pens :)

Katherine McNeese said...

Happy birthday!
White silk is my current favorite supply...

Linda Kittmer said...

Happy birthday! I love all sorts of supplies too...art supplies anonymous anyone? Golden fluid acrylics are fabulous for so many applications. And my favourites for watercolour work are Tombow markers and Inktense, especially since Inktense works beautifully on fabric as well as paper, wood, canvas...

Silvia said...

My favourite supplies are my Koi travel pack water colors, my wTer brush, my Pitt XS & S black markers, and my white Jelly Roll pen. I take them everywhere for art on-the go.

Anonymous said...

Hope you're having a wonderful birthday week!! My favorite supplies are the Kimberly Watercolor Pencils and Micron Pens. The Inktense Pencils are another favorite :) Thanks for a chance to win!! ~Sophia Vida

Kristen said...

My favorite art supplies are Sharpies and water color paints - my children make the most lovely masterpieces!

Thank you for this giveaway!

JJ Jacobs said...

Happy Birthday Alisa -- I love your blog and wish you loads of success in your coming year. I use acrylic paints (primarily Golden) but stumbled upon Lukas Cryl paints that are a cross between Golden Paints in the tube/jar and their High Flow paints.

Lukas Cryls come in a large squeeze bottle and are great to work with large canvases on.....I get a tarp and a few yards of unstretched canvas and start squirting paint all over the place. Sometimes I use a broom or mop to get the base down then bring out stencils or leaves/branches and spray paint.

The squeeze bottles let you make splatters in addition to random lines of paint.

They're quality paints from Germany and very inexpensive. I get them from Jerry's Artarama, my second favorite on-line art supply place next to Blicks (which just came to Sacramento - yay!)

Enjoy your birthday with your family and cheers to many more!

Natalie said...


I'd love to win! I use the micropens, but I'd love to try the white paint pen!

Felicia said...

Happy Birthday! May you have a blessed new year! I love ALL of my art supplies they just make me "happy" all the time! But right now I am in love with with Viva Colour Inka Gold Metallic Rubs! So smooth, buttery and fun!! Thanks for the opportunity!

Tracie said...

Happy Birthday Alisa!! My favorite art supply is Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels - I love how creamy, vibrant and blendable they are - and how inexpensive! I use them in my art journals often and sometimes on canvas works.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday! I love the New High Flow Acrylics!

Jane Wetzel said...

I also love the sharpie paint pens and I also love a good Uniball white pen- next best thing!

B S R said...

Happy birthday! Thanks so much for sharing your favorites ... It's always inspiring:). I am loving my Copic black marker for making big fat lettering and doodling over it with my white gelli pen ... On glued together composition book paper:). What a generous giveaway! I've got a list of new supplies I'd love to play with ... $50 to Dick Blick would go far with helping to make that happen:)

CeCe said...

Right this minute it is paint brushes to use with Chalk Paint.

mls said...

Liquid watercolors I love. Thanks for the chance to win.

tephieparks said...

Happy birthday! I love anything watercolor related. My favorite supply is the Hydrus Fine Art Liquid Watercolor Sets by Dr. Ph. Martin's.

K Larsen Design said...

Oooh Happy birthday!! I love Prismacolor markers and pencil combination. The rich colors of the markers combined with the amazing depth of the pencils are wonderful.

J4Doran said...

I adore Bee Paper Company sketchbooks. The paper is sturdy at 70 lb., bright white, and the 5.5 x 8.5 format is so easy to carry around with me. Sakura Pigma Micron Pens work great on it, also good for pencil and other pen and ink.

Rita Montgomery said...

At the moment I love the Pitt big brush pens for shading. Thanks for your blog...great ideas.

Unknown said...

Right now my favorite art supplies is WATER COLOR PEN!! which I got from you! I had no idea they existed before and was nervous to try working with water colors because how unpredictable they can be but the pen allowed me to ease into it and enjoy the uncertainty. I LOVE watercolors now! Thanks Alisa.

Unknown said...

I love Van Gogh's oils, but the thing I found most useful is a package of baby wipes for cleaning my hands and brushes

Pamela Jane said...

Happy birthday, Alisa! Hope you are on the receiving end of equal generosity for your birthday!

McStamper said...

Happy Birthday week. It's so hard to choose one but I love my watercolor pencils.

Zenetta said...

Right now I am loving stencils. They make a great jumping off point for backgrounds. Trying to master stencils with sprays...

Teddi said...

pens! i like the sakura gelly roll moonlight pens, ek success multisize black pens, & the sharpie paint pens too.

Meghan Thimjon said...

Just got to go to dick blick when I was in Chicago and I got the inktense pencils and just one of the golden flow paints and I love both!!! Been playing with them both!!!

Hidden Cottages said...

Water color pencil and pastels!!! happy birthday

Dboyles said...

Inktense pencils. After I add a wash of water I add definition with micron pens.

DianeH said...

My current favorites are watercolor pencils, pigma micron pens and any paint that finds itself within my reach.

Martha Rose said...

At the moment I can't stop playing with my new Gelli Plate and deli paper.

Sarah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

YES YES YES! love sharpie paint pens and painting on wood :)

MUGS007 said...

I love Micron pens so I can do water colour with no running. Also from your blog have learned to use many different materials. Thank you and Happy Birthday!!!

Debby said...

Happy Birthday!
My favorite supply is my Sennelier pastels.

Kelly Snelling said...

Happy Happy Birthday week!! We share some fav supplies in the paint pens and Golden fluids. Lately, I am working in ceramics. So, I am all in love with a variety of clay. :)

Unknown said...

Happy birthday alisa by the way.. I love all products but I want to try pan pastels BADLY my near zero buddget wont allow the splurge!! My go tos are cara d'anche watercolor crayons though

CindySpirit said...

Micron Pigma Pens are my current favorites. I am curious about other brands.

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