My first few years of teaching I had no idea which art materials to order for my classes. It was a game of trial and error and asking around. I created this guide to help you navigate ordering quality art materials for Middle School and High School students.
This materials guide is a list of the products I routinely buy for my art classes. The guide is organized by project or medium. Some materials I typically buy have been discontinued or are currently unavailable, so I put links to the closest thing I could find to the original product. The links direct you to Blick, NASCO or Amazon. I included the full name of each product so you can search compare prices from various vendors or locate vendors in your area (if outside of US). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All Amazon links listed here are affiliate links.
Thanks so much for joining the Artful Ideas community. Feel free to reach out and say hi on IG @artfulideasclassroom. Looking forward to getting to know you and finding more ways to help you free up creative time and space with lesson ideas and teacher tips!
This materials guide is a list of the products I routinely buy for my art classes. The guide is organized by project or medium. Some materials I typically buy have been discontinued or are currently unavailable, so I put links to the closest thing I could find to the original product. The links direct you to Blick, NASCO or Amazon. I included the full name of each product so you can search compare prices from various vendors or locate vendors in your area (if outside of US). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All Amazon links listed here are affiliate links.
Thanks so much for joining the Artful Ideas community. Feel free to reach out and say hi on IG @artfulideasclassroom. Looking forward to getting to know you and finding more ways to help you free up creative time and space with lesson ideas and teacher tips!
Every year my students create their own sketchbook/visual journals inspired by artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo here's the lesson plan, to use in the class.
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I try to keep classroom management simple with practiced routines and procedures. To learn more read this blog post about my Stress Free Classroom Management approach.
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Sketchbook
Scotch Laminator (I laminate the covers) Laminating Sheets 100 pack Armada Precision 8.45" scissors (investment) Westcott 8" scissors 15 pack (economy) Bostitch 3-Hole Punch 40 sheets at a time 1" Book Rings 100 pack (each book needs 3) UHU Glue Sticks .74 oz 12 pack Astrobrights Cardstock paper black Astrobrights Cardstock paper colored Shape Stencils 11 piece set 3 Pack 1" Circle, Square, Triangle punch tools 3 Pack Circle punch tools |
Classroom Management
Avery Round Labels (seat marking) Colored Index Cards (seating/equity) Chime (signal attention or mindfulness) Avery Removable Labels (for shelves) Expo Dry Erase Markers Magnetic 4pack Large Academic Desk Calendar (22-23) Uniball 207 Gel Pens 8 colors |
I teach several different pencil shading lessons Fractured Values and Shading Puzzle are two of my favorites. I like the Blick Studio pencil class set because it includes a really useful selection of drawing pencils: 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and the pencils are high quality and work well for shading. I like to have both small metal sharpeners and an electronic pencil sharpener available for students but the small metal sharpeners do have a tendency to go missing so a good tip is to glue them to a wood block so they are more substantial and don't end up on the ground.
Pencil Drawing
Ticonderoga #2 HB Pre-Sharpened Pencils 72 pack Blick Studio Drawing Pencils 144 Pack General's Kneaded Erasers Tortillons/Stumps 84 piece set Drawing Paper 9"X 12" 500 pack Drawing Paper 12" X 18" 500 pack Generals Graphite Sticks 12 pack Prismacolor Ebony Pencils 12 pack Pink Pearl Erasers Large 24 pack Pentel Retractable Pen Erasers 7pack Mr.Pen Metal Sharpeners 2 holes 6 pack X-ACTO Electric Pencil Sharpener |
I love to teach a Pen and Ink Unit early in the year to build confidence with mark making. I like to use standard illustration nibs but I also purchase a few sets of lettering nibs for students to try out. I listed two types of India ink, the Speedball is darker (pure black less transparent) but more expensive. The Blick India ink is still good quality, I've ordered both in the past. I use small 1.5 oz jars to manage the ink for students but any small container will work.
Pen and Ink
Speedball Super Black India Ink 32oz Blick Black Cat India Ink 32oz (economy) Small Glass Jars 1.5 oz 30 pack Windsor Newton White Ink 14ml Speeball Standard Pen Holder (holder only) Speedball Standard Bowl Point Nibs (singles) Speedball Flat Lettering Nibs (2 pack) Speedball Round Lettering Nibs (2 pack) Blick White Sulphate Paper 12"X 18" 80lb Sharpie Fine Point Markers 24 pack Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Markers 24 pack Sakura Classic Gelly Roll White Pens 6 pack Sakura Micron Pens Assorted Sizes |
I have several beginner acrylic painting lessons I mix and match from year to year for my intro classes: Alma Thomas Woodsey Abstract Painting Lesson, Sphere Painting Mini Lesson, Abstract Painting Unit, Monochromatic Landscape Lesson
Acrylic Painting
Chromacryl Students Acrylic (I buy the primary colors, blockout white and black) Blickcrylic Gel Medium (don't buy Blickcrylic paint, but the gel medium is good quality) Golden Retarder Additive 8oz bottle ( my students call this "blending syrup" a little goes a long way!) Sargent Art Pouring Medium 128oz jug Blick Masking Tape 1", .5", .25", .125" (I don't get PH neutral its just for masking edges) Dynasty Golden Nylon Brushes 144 canister Dynasty Golden Synthetic Flat Brushes 40ct Blick Studio Canvas Panels (assorted sizes) Blick Academic Stretched Canvas Panels (assorted sizes) Richeson Hardboard Flat Panels (sizes vary) |
Paint Trays with Lids (I use these year to year and have students clean them. They keep paint moist for a couple of weeks if the lid is put on again properly)
Blickcrylic Gesso Wax Paper (for mixing- I don't have students mix that much in the tray) Golden Iridescent Gold Paint 2 oz (this is the best gold metallic I've found but it is pricey so I only let kids use it sparingly) Masters Brush Cleaner 24oz (this is a must! It keeps brushes like new!) |
I like to teach watercolor with both my intro and advanced level students. One of my favorite lesson is this watercolor portraits lesson. There is a whole range of quality levels for these materials so I choose materials based on the experience level of the group I am teaching.
Watercolor
Prang Half Pan Watercolor Set 16 colors (good for beginners/general supply) Windsor & Newton Sketchers Pan 12 colors (not too much more expensive than Prang and very high quality can use year to year) Blick Academic Golden Synthetic Brushes (great quality, a bit more pricey can use year to year) Blick Scholastic Golden Round Brushes (more economical option) Simply Simmons Brushes- Watercolor set of 5 Simply Simmons Synthetic Brushes- single brushes |
Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils 144ct
Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencil Set 12 Strathmore Watercolor Pad 9"X 12" Canson XL Watercolor Pad 11"X15" Canson XL Watercolor Pad 18"X24 (These are all student grade pads, pages can easily be torn out these links are to 24-30 sheet pads) Arches Cold Press Paper 22"X30" 5 pack (very pricey I buy this for Advanced Portfolio class only) |
I like to teach relief printmaking using soft rubber blocks. It is great with beginners and experienced students and students do not cut themselves or get frustrated like they do with traditional linoleum. Recently rubber printing blocks have been difficult to find. I linked a block I used this Spring below that worked out well. My favorite printmaking lesson to teach is Tile Pattern Printmaking Lesson.
Printmaking
Speedball Soft Rubber Brayer 4" & 6" Speedball Linoleum Cutter Assortment #1 Speedball Block Printing Inks 5oz Tubes Blick Block Printing Inks 5oz Tubes Speedball Printing Baren (you can also use wooden spoons just cut off the handle) Soft Rubber Printing Blocks sizes vary Strathmore Tracing Paper 9"X 12" Blick Premium Construction Paper 12"X 18" Plexiglass Mats (I get them cut locally at TAP Plastics.) |
Drafting Tools
Shape Stencils 11 piece set School Smart Compass 12 pack Protractors set of 2 Westcott Stainless Steel Ruler (I like the cork base but watch kids with them! They are flexible and kids try to bend them!) Drafting Triangle |
My students love spray paint and I love to teach stencil art, but most spray paint is toxic and smells horrible. I found MTN water based spray paints several years ago and now they are the only ones I'll use. They are more pricey but there is no toxic smell (but we still use them outside with protective gloves/masks) To create stencils I used to use manila folders but now I buy sheets of the same tag board and it works perfectly.
Spray Painting/Stencil Art
MTN Water Based Spray Paints 6 pack MTN Water Based Spray Paint 16 pack Pacon Med Weight Tag Board 12" X 18" X-ACTO # 1 Knife Z Series 4 pack X-ACTO #11 Z Series Blades 100 pack Self Healing Cutting Mat 9"X 12" Sponge Daubers 40 pack (I get these at Dollar Tree too) Latex Free Gloves Medium 100 pack Saral Transfer Paper Rolls- Graphite & White |
One of my favorite lesson to teach is this Hybrid Scratchboard lesson. Students learn a variety of mark making techniques and create their own hybrid creature illustration using scratchboard. It is important to get the higher quality scratchboard that is on a card stock backing.
Scratchboard
Scratch-Art Scratchboard 8.5"X 11" 10 pack Scratch-Art Scratchboard 11"X14" 12 pack Scratch-Art Scratchboard assorted sizes/single sheets Scratch-Art Scratchboard Knives 12 pack (economy option) Scratch-Art Scratch-Etch Stylus 12-Pack Ampersand Scratchboard 5"X7" 3 pack higher quality, I've purchased these for my advanced students) Ampersand Scratchboard Tools (investment) General's Charcoal White Compressed Sticks (To transfer pencil sketch onto the scratchboard) |
I like to keep a couple of different types of soft pastels in my classroom I will buy a more economical set (Blick) for my intro students and some higher quality sets (Prismacolor) for my advanced students. For oil pastels I have been using Crayola for years, they are very thick and don't break as easily as other types and the pigments are bold and beautiful, so they work out just fine for my student use
Charcoal / Pastel
Blick Studio Soft Pastels various size packs Prismacolor Soft Pastels 24 color pack Crayola Oil Pastels Class Set 12 color- 300ct Windsor & Newton Assorted Vine Charcoal General's Charcoal White Compressed Sticks (These are great for transferring onto black paper or scratchboard too) General's Charcoal White Pencils 12ct General's Charcoal Pencils 2B, 4B, 6B General's Kneaded Erasers Richeson Compressed Charcoal Sticks 10 pack Canson Mi-Teintes Pastel Pad 12"X 16" 24 sheet |
Colored Pencils/ Markers
Prismacolor Premiere Colored Pencils 36ct Blick Essentials Colored Pencils Class Pack Crayola Supertips Markers 100 pack (I buy these for general everyday use) Blick Studio Brush Markers various size packs Blick Studio Marker Sets Sharpie Metallic Fine Tip Markers 3 pack Canson XL Black Drawing Pad 11"X 14" Strathmore Smooth Bristol Pad 11" X 14 |
My three favorite sculpture mediums for Middle School and High School students are plaster casting, cardboard sculpture/paper mache and wire sculpture. I like to use recycled materials whenever possible but to supplement the materials I find or collect I will order the materials listed below.
Sculpture
Plast'r Craft Modeling Material 6"wide 20lbs (plaster gauze material- great for masks!) Universal Wallpaper Paste 1 gallon (great for paper mache- no fumes non toxic) 3mm Armature Wire 52 feet 1.5mm Armature Wire 65 feet Wire Cutters 6" Long Nose Pliers 2 pack Medium Chipboard Sheets 12"X 18" 25 pack (I also save cereal boxes) Scotch Heavy Duty Masking Tape 6 pack Alginate Mold Making Material quantity varies Plaster of Paris 8 lb bag |
I teach Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Animate. I like the Intuos small tablets with stylus because they are simple to use and good quality while still being affordable. I like to keep them organized using dish racks I found on Amazon. Here is a collection of my favorite Digital Art Lessons.
PiDigital Art
Wacom Intuos Small Drawing Tablet (comes with pen not bluetooth) Wacom 4K Pen for Intuos Tablet (I buy a few extra pens in case one gets lost or breaks) USB to USB C adapters 2 pack (to connect tablets to newer laptops) HBlife Bamboo Storage Organizer (these are great to organize the Wacom tablets) Cannon Pixma Pro 100 Printer Cannon CLI-42 Ink Cartridge Value Pack 8PK (for use with Cannon Pixma Pro inkjet printer. |
