The world of art supplies is beautiful, but also endless. If you have ever felt the urge to start painting but stopped yourself because you did not know what materials to buy, you are not alone. Getting started can feel overwhelming, expensive and confusing.
Walk into any art store and suddenly it seems like you need twenty different paints, fifteen brushes, special paper, mediums, tools, palettes, easels, daylight lamps, frames... and a whole studio setup with tall windows and big beautiful light curtains before you are allowed to begin.
But good news! Because all of that...
...is a lie. You really do not need much at all. All you need is three things: paint, brushes and paper. That's it.
Especially when you are just starting, simplicity really is your biggest friend (I wish I knew this eight years ago). In this blog I will share exactly what I would recommend if you want to start painting at home, but have lost sight of where to begin.
Start Simple and Start Small
Keep in mind that your goal is not to create perfect work (it might not even exist). Your goal is to explore, play, make mistakes, discover what you like and slowly build confidence around the creative process. Having too many materials can actually get in the way of that. Too much choice often leads to overthinking, doubt and paralysis. If we need to decide too much before we can start, we're almost never actually starting.
Starting simple helps you focus on what really matters: the act of painting itself.
A few basic materials allow you to move and respond intuitively. When you restrict yourself, you will learn faster and feel less pressure to perform.
But how do we start simple?
The Most Important Materials to Get Started with Painting
We buy one type of paint/material.
We buy one type of paper/sketchbook/canvas.
We buy four to six tools/brushes.
Paint: What I Recommend for Beginners
When I started out, I created portraits, still lifes and abstract works. For all of them I started with acrylics. It is versatile, easy to layer, dries quickly and works beautifully with mixed media. You can thin it with water and build it up thick. Once you're used to them, they are perfect to combine with acrylic markers, pencils and crayons.
If you are just starting, you do not need a huge set of colors. In fact, I would recommend the opposite. Get yourself the primary colours only, with black and white. Amsterdam is a perfect brand, price-quality wise. No sponsor here, I just love it because it dries really quick and is quite transparent (so more ways to adjust and modify your paints).
For each session, choose a small palette of two or three colors you love together or would like to try out together. Add white and black if you want to play with some extra contrast.
Working with limited colors helps you:
- feel less overwhelmed
- understand color mixing
- develop your own visual language
You can always expand later.
If acrylic paint does not feel right for you, watercolor or gouache can also be wonderful. The most important thing is that the material feels inviting and fun for you to use.
Painting Surfaces: Acrylic Painting Paper, Sketchbooks or Canvases
Next, you choose to try out either a sketchbook or an acrylic paint block with separate sheets. I highly recommend Paint On mixed media paper, they hold the paint really well and come in a lot of different sizes. Start small: A5 or A4 maximum (because this makes it more accessible to finish in one session, for example after a long day at work). Whichever brand you choose, just make sure it is at least 150 gsm (this refers to how thick the paper is). Anything above that is even better. Thicker paper can handle water, layering, and multiple sessions without warping or tearing too much.
I personally love working in sketchbooks. There is something comforting about having all your experiments in one place (and seeing your growth over the years). It becomes a visual diary of your process, your moods and your interests. My favorite size is A5 because it feels approachable, easy to fill and perfect for shorter sessions.
If a sketchbook feels too permanent or intimidating, loose sheets of thicker paper work just as well. Why not a canvas? In my experience, this sets you back a couple of steps - for me it added way more pressure than painting on paper, especially in the beginning. Paper screamed "play with me!" to me and a canvas yelled "this should be a masterpiece!!". But please, try for yourself! There is no right or wrong here. The only thing that matters is that your surface invites you to begin.
Brushes: A Few Simple Ones Are Enough
You don't need big and diverse tools at the start. Just any basic starter set with some smaller brushes for details and medium sizes flat or round brushes. You can find those at the art store, often sold as a basic set of four or six brushes.
Let me share a secret with you: some of my favourite brushes that I still paint with, come from places like Sostrene Grene. You can even use the same brushes as your kids, if that's the only thing you have at the start.
That is more than enough for most painting sessions.
As you experiment, you will naturally discover what kinds of marks you like to make. I love synthetic brushes because it gives me a bit more control and you can make opaque flat strokes without any texture. Maybe you will love thick bold strokes. Maybe you will prefer fine lines. The message is: let your tools grow with you instead of buying everything upfront.
And please realize that you don't need painting tools necessarily. I also love using unconventional tools. Old credit cards, sponges, rags, fingers, cotton swabs, anything that can move paint across paper. These simple tools often lead to the most surprising results.
Why Less Materials Actually Give You More Creative Freedom
When you limit your materials, something beautiful happens. You stop searching for solutions outside of yourself and start finding them within the process and the materials within your reach.
Instead of thinking "What tool do I need for this and where can I buy it?", you begin asking, "How can I do this with what I already have?".
This shift invites you to think in a different way, namely based on curiosity, play and intuition. It removes pressure and cracks space open for experimentation (exactly what we want!).
What You Do Not Need
You do not need:
- expensive professional brands
- huge paint sets
- fancy studios
- perfect lighting
- special or perfect tools
- hours of free time
- a social media account
You also do not need permission to start, from anything or anyone.
All you need is a moment, a bit of curiosity and the willingness to play. Something that really helps in maintaining this: make sure you get rid of all your excuses. We all have those at the start of something new, including me:
"I don't have time for this" - even 15 minutes after dinner is enough. You don't need hours of free time.
"I don't have room for this" - even the dining table works perfectly as a painting space. You don't need a fancy studio.
"I don't have the right tools" - make sure you have some paint, a paper and a brush and you're good to go. You don't need special perfect tools.
But the biggest one, the one most of us forget...
"I don't want to clean up first, have to get all my stuff and after 45 minutes be ready to paint." - Try to make sure your stuff is within reach. Maybe one drawer of your desk or a small trolley that you can easily pack and unload. Pick one old t-shirt for you to wipe off your brushes and put one small jar or glass you never use on it for your water. Best would be to have a space where you can leave everything and get right back into it, but not all of us have that luxury. In that case, make it as easy as possible for you to start.
If you love the act of creating, but somehow you're not getting to it: try to see what is holding you back and try to seduce yourself in getting rid of that excuse. I promise you, you can. Sometimes the smallest hacks will give us 15 mins. extra creative time.
A Gentle Invitation
If you have been waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect setup, or the perfect skill level, consider this your sign to begin anyway. Start small. Keep it simple. Let your materials support you instead of intimidating and draining you.
In my next blog, I will share how I would start abstract painting today if I were a complete beginner. Step by step, gently, without rules or pressure.
For now, all you need is your sketchbook, some paint and a few brushes.
That is already more than enough. Now breathe and go get painting!
