Best Art Supplies for Teens

Are you a teen artist trying to improve your skills? Are you unhappy about how your art looks and need something new to try? Surprisingly, buying new or better art supplies can help a lot! The quality of the materials you use can change the game. So, after asking my fellow artist friends and doing some research, I've found the best of the best, and some affordable alternatives.

Pencils

Ticonderoga #2 pencils are what I normally use. They are affordable and have high quality graphite. If you're okay with spending a little more, Prismacolor graphite sets come with different strengths of lead, which can really add some unique shading and texture to your art.

If you're more of a mechanical pencil person, like me, then I'd recommend BIC, but I've done some research and the Pentel Orenz Nero, a unique, self-feeding mechanical pencil, is very highly rated.

Markers

There are so many types of markers... alcohol, water based, brush markers... did I name them all? Ohuhu is the most expensive, and Shuttle Art is the least you can pay for a good quality set. Zebra Fineliner brush markers are great for lettering and changing the width of strokes, while Crayola Super Tips come in a variety of colors that I use for coloring sheets.

Colored Pencils

Prismacolor colored pencils are by far the best, but they can be expensive! A good alternative is Kalour. These pencils definitely aren't as good as Prismacolor, but they are very close in quality, and cost a lot less; a 72 count pack costs around $70 if you buy Prismacolor pencils, however, the same amount of Kalour pencils costs only $20!

Paint

Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paints are amazing, but if you want to go really cheap, get the Mondo Llama sets.

Pens

Pens are tricky. There's gel vs. ink vs. paint, different line widths and tips, and the feel of the grip. So I'll just provide a couple of my favorite brands to choose from.

Paper

If it's too absorbent or thin, paper could be the deciding factor in whether your art turns out the way you want it to. A simple sketchbook (I use a Ucreate sketchbook) can do you good, or you can get high quality Strathmore paper.