Save Your Money and Focus on What Really Matters
Walking into an art store for the first time is exciting—but it can also be overwhelming.
Rows of colorful paints, shelves filled with every brush imaginable, and countless tools promising to make you a better artist. It’s easy to leave with a shopping cart full of supplies before you’ve even painted your first piece.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need everything to start creating.
In fact, keeping your supplies simple can help you learn faster, spend less, and enjoy the process more.
Here are ten art supplies you can confidently skip—for now.
1. Giant Paint Sets with 100+ Colors
A huge paint set looks impressive, but most beginners only use a handful of colors regularly.
Learning to mix colors yourself is one of the most valuable painting skills you can develop. A small, well-chosen palette will teach you far more than dozens of pre-made shades.
Instead, start with:
A basic set of primary colors, white, and black.
2. Professional Artist-Grade Paint
High-end paints are wonderful—but they won’t instantly improve your paintings.
When you’re still learning brush control, color mixing, and composition, student-grade paints are often more than enough. Save the premium paints for later, when you’ll really appreciate the difference.
Instead, invest your time in practice before investing more money.
3. Every Brush Shape You Can Find
It’s tempting to buy one of every brush in the art store.
The truth is, you only need a few versatile brush shapes to complete most beginner projects.
A round brush, a flat brush, and a filbert brush can take you surprisingly far.
If you’re unsure which brush does what, our Common Paint Brush Shapes Explained guide can help you build a simple starter collection.
4. Oversized Canvases
Many beginners dream of painting a huge masterpiece.
Then halfway through, they realize how much work a large canvas actually is.
Smaller surfaces let you finish paintings more often, which means you’ll gain experience much faster.
Try starting with:
8×10 in or 11×14 in canvases before moving up in size.
5. Fancy Brush Cleaning Products
Special brush soaps and cleaning solutions certainly have their place, but they’re not essential when you’re just getting started.
For most acrylic and watercolor brushes, mild soap and lukewarm water work perfectly well.
Good cleaning habits matter much more than expensive cleaning products.
If your brushes have become stiff over time, check out our guide on Why Do Brushes Get Stiff? for simple ways to restore them.
6. Every Painting Medium on the Shelf
Flow improvers, retarders, glazing mediums, texture gels…
These products can be incredibly useful—but only after you’ve learned the basics.
Many beginners buy several mediums without fully understanding what each one does.
Start by getting comfortable with paint alone. Once you understand how it behaves, you’ll know exactly which medium can improve your workflow.
7. A Large Professional Easel
A beautiful wooden studio easel looks amazing, but it’s not a requirement for making great art.
Many artists begin by painting at a simple desk, using a tabletop easel, or even working flat on the table.
As your hobby grows, you can always upgrade your workspace later.
8. Every Color of Paint
Do you really need six different shades of green?
Probably not.
Mixing your own colors is one of the fastest ways to understand color theory and develop confidence as a painter.
You’ll also save money—and discover colors that don’t exist straight from the tube.
9. Lots of Storage Boxes
Buying storage before you actually have supplies to organize is surprisingly common.
Instead of purchasing several organizers right away, wait until you understand how you like to work.
Your storage system should fit your creative habits—not the other way around.
10. Every New Tool You See Online
Social media makes it easy to believe that the latest gadget or trending supply is the secret to better artwork.
Most of the time, it isn’t.
The artists who improve the fastest aren’t the ones with the biggest collection of tools—they’re the ones who spend the most time practicing.
If you’re building your first art kit, our Top 5 Tools Every Beginner Artist Needs guide is a great place to start.
Final Thoughts
Starting your art journey doesn’t have to be expensive.
A few reliable brushes, a small selection of colors, and plenty of curiosity are all you need to begin creating.
As your skills grow, you’ll naturally discover which tools make the biggest difference for your own style of painting.
Until then, don’t worry about owning everything.
Focus on making the most of what you already have—and enjoy the process of learning along the way.
Continue Learning
Ready to build your beginner toolkit?
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