From national park sketches to paint-and-sip nights at home, painting and drawing are some of the most relaxing crafts there are. You don't need much to begin, and you can learn a lot from free online lessons.
Acrylic is the easiest starting point: it dries fast, cleans up with water and covers mistakes. Watercolor is portable and luminous but less forgiving. Drawing needs the least gear of all.
Supplies worth knowing about
Acrylic paint sets
A set with primaries plus black and white lets you mix nearly any color. Student-grade is fine while learning.
Canvas panels & stretched canvas
Canvas panels are flat and inexpensive for practice; stretched canvas is ready to hang. Common sizes include 8 x 10, 11 x 14 and 16 x 20 inches.
Watercolor sets
Pan sets are compact and travel well; tubes are good for big washes. Artist-grade paints are more pigmented than student-grade.
Watercolor paper
140 lb (300 gsm) paper is the usual pick because it resists buckling. Cold press has texture; hot press is smooth.
Sketchbooks
9 x 12 inch is a popular at-home size; 5.5 x 8.5 fits in a backpack. Check paper weight if you plan to use markers or washes.
Drawing pencils & brushes
A graded pencil set (H to B) covers sketching and shading. For brushes, a few synthetic rounds and flats go a long way.
Pro tip: Limit your palette. Painting a whole picture with just three colors plus white teaches color mixing faster than any 48-tube set.
Know before you buy
What does ASTM D-4236 mean on the label?
US law requires art materials to be reviewed for chronic health hazards and labeled accordingly; "Conforms to ASTM D-4236" shows the product has been through that labeling review. It's not a quality rating, so always read any warnings on the label.
Student or artist grade?
Student grade uses less pigment and more filler; artist grade has richer color. Many artists start with student paint and upgrade the colors they use most.
How do I clean acrylic brushes?
Wash them in water and mild soap right after painting. Acrylic that dries in the bristles is very hard to remove.