Tools.

Carpenters have them.
Chefs have them.
Teachers have them.

Artists have them, too.

Today, we will discuss the tools I use to make art. At this stage in my career, I haven’t tried a bunch of different media and mostly work with papers and digital resources.

I will share with you the different tools I use to create art and the tools I use for my business.

Tools for creating art:

• Sketchbook. At this stage in my career, I don’t have some crazy specific sketchbook to create art in. When I started my daily sketching practice, I went to Hobby Lobby and got a set of three small 5 x 8 sketchbooks. I love these little books because I can have one in my office bag, one in my purse, and an extra one whenever I need it.

• Pencils. I use the standard #2 pencil. I like to let the tip get rounds so my lines aren’t crazy dark when I sketch.

• Pens. I have a set of Sharpie Gel pens I use for everything and sometimes use those. At other times, I use the pens I got from Hobby Lobby when I was first starting. The set was on sale, and I wasn’t sure how committed I would be to using them, so I didn’t want to overspend on pens.

• Paint book. I bought a set of six 5 x 5 paint books from Amazon. The idea behind this purchase was to help me NOT feel like I had to create enormous works of art when I first started painting. Plus, I got to share the books with my kids.

• I have an iPad Pro I use for digital creation on the go. I use the Procreate app and Abode Illustrator for iPad.

• I use all Adobe products on my computer. I have been trained in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. These professional-grade programs allow you to generate art and products you can sell and license.

Tools for business:

• For my website, I use ShowIt. The designer works similarly to Adobe products, and I don’t need to know any code to get my website to be exactly what I want. It also integrates with WordPress. This allows me to write my blog articles on WordPress using their editor and post them to my ShowIt website.

• I use ConvertKit for my email. It is a simple platform with powerful tools to automate, segment, and connect with your people. It has a fantastic free version for artists just starting and several options to grow your email list and fans.

• I use Adobe Express to post on social media. It is simple, and I can post on multiple platforms simultaneously. It also integrates with the other Adobe products I use, making it a breeze to work with.

It is easy to get overwhelmed with all our options as artists. Be it tools, courses, technology, or even artist memberships. All of these things are great. However, it doesn’t require too many things to start building an art business. A simple pencil and paper can get you started.

When considering what tools to use for your art business, start with a few and add from there, especially if this is your first time creating artwork. Too many options will delay your progress and keep you from achieving your goal of making money from your art.

Until next time, Happy Creating.

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