$5(-ish) Art Journaling Supplies Week 4-Watercolors

I usually do my $5 post earlier in the week, but I got a little distracted this week.  I had to work Monday, and when I sat down on Tuesday to make the post I found that one of my friends was online.  We ended up spending the day together, thrifting and making art.  Such fun!

You might notice the title this week says “ish”.  That’s because I couldn’t find any of this week’s supplies for under five dollars.  Breakin’ my own rules again, I guess.  But they are all under $10.  And you have a few options from which to choose.

This week, grab some watercolors.  You need them!  Watercolors are fun and messy and add lovely transparent color to your pages.

all in a row

When I said watercolors, did you think of that little tray of paints you used to play with when you were a kid?  You can get a more grown up version like the one in the picture for about $7 at Hobby Lobby.  I love this bright red box.  This kind of watercolor is great because it’s portable.

crayons

I also got a set of watercolor crayons for $7.  These are interesting.  You can scribble on the page then go over them with a wet paint brush.  Here is a cute video tutorial on them by Samantha Kira (aka JournalGirl):

oil pastels

Another option that is really popular with the art journaling community is water-soluble oil pastels.  Make sure you get the kind that say “water-soluble” not just regular oil pastels.  These are soft and creamier than the crayons.  They have really rich color.  Mine are made by Portfolio and they come in a green box with a cat on it.  I got them on Amazon.com, actually.  Another great brand is Caran D’Arche.  I haven’t tried those yet, but I hear great things.

There are also watercolor pencils.  I have a set of those, but don’t use them very often.  They are good for shading small areas and adding detail to drawings.

A final option is concentrated watercolor paint in tubes.  These can be pretty expensive, so I’ve never picked any up.  I would like to try them someday.

This week, try to find a water color product within you price range.  Play with them in your journal and I’ll be back soon to show you a few of my favorite techniques.