I love your message here. My issue is "wasting" them... I dont want to waste it on janky practice art. But in order to improve I have to. I really need to get past this lol. I know yall can relate
If having nice untouched art supplies makes you happy, then there's nothing wrong with "saving them" for better times. They do not expire. Practice with whatever you like and there will certainly be a point when you say: this is it, I'm good enough to open that tube of expensive paint, to get that expensive paper and do professional art on it, because by now I learned how to prepare for it, how to carefully use the materials, how to avoid most of the usual mistakes. 😉
Absolutely relate. I am getting better at using the mark making supplies like paint pencils markers etc. But it's the PAPER NOW..I DONT WANT TO USE THE PAPER because they're expensive and if I make the 'wrong' mark aka A MISTAKE oh nooooo its waste. Yes I know there's no mistakes blah blah its my own psychological issues lol
I am collecting and I'm proud of it. I want to LIVE in my own art supplies store. That's my big plan. 🤣 (Tbh, I do use my paints, but when I see a paint set on sale I own already and it was proven to be good quality I buy it without feeling ashamed. They do not expire and I don't mind them piling up on my shelf. I may use them myself, I may gift it to another artist, they will be used some day anyway. No paint gets wasted. 😎)
Yaaa....peoples come to my atelier and have said omg 😲 its like a art store......problem!!! But so satisfying to work and have all kind of supplies.....which not haven been like that all my life...I enjoying it very much and I'm so grateful ....
Yep, I’m stocking my own small art store to shop from myself in retirement when I can’t afford to buy more supplies… Lockdown showed me I was on the right track…. Ok….I didn’t have food ‘cos I never food shop…. but I was never bored! 😂😂😂
This was awesome!!! I’m an art supply hoarder who has great intentions and loads of projects I want to do but then I panic like what if it turns out horrible? So I just admire many of my purchases. Time to just create and not worry about the outcome and enjoy the journey!
Have you seen our Jerry's LIVE episodes? They're helpful to me when I'm in a rut! You can find them here: th-cam.com/play/PL0hHM7COAYOAZCdPLu9EZzpJruCSSW7qQ.html
I feel personally attacked. (kidding) I am not a collector of art supplies... I am a hoarder of them. I hope people will read this and understand it. I used to be a polymer clay sculptor. So I was kind of in a niche of a niche. Because supplies for that niche are often made by small companies or even individuals, I cannot tell you how often I would come to rely on a product only to have it disappear forever. "Oh we can't get that tool anymore, the producer retired." "We don't produce that line of material now, it just didn't sell enough." So I got in the habit of finding things I liked, going back and buying multiples. I have all but stopped using clay and now pretty much exclusively paint. So now my problem is that I have transferred that fear of discontinued products to painting supplies. Oh what if I run out of Gamblin Asphaltum and Gamblin stops making it? I rationally understand that I can always color mix to match that paint. But emotionally I am carried back to that time I learned that my go to brand of clay (which I could not recreate) was discontinued by the manufacturer. I may get five of that very specific dagger brush and then never use any of them because what if I ruin them and they aren't made anymore? Am I alone in this? I am getting better, but the struggle is still there.
I can definitely relate. When you find something that works for you and then it's discontinued (or in some cases even worse- changed!) it kind of makes me feel like I am back at square one. I find that with more than just art supplies. Skin and hair products, certain food and beverage, etc.
On my watercolor sketchbooks I have stcikers that say paint is only wasted when it stays in the tube. Very motivating to use them after "ruining" the cover and front page
Guilty! But there are some things to keep. I have a 72 colors Crayola set from my youth 55 years ago. They were a gift. Maybe they were all the colors at the time. So pretty looking at that rainbow of colors including silver and gold! Most have their tips worn down but there are a few colors I haven’t use. I think I’ll give to my five year old grandson. It’s time! The other things people save are fabric and patterns. I’ll buy what I need for a garment but not make it. Sometimes the idea of making it is almost like you always did. Thanks for this video. I think it’s one of your best!
"I remember you." You don't know me. Man, here's $20 to not tell anybody you saw me here today. Seriously. I have a problem. My therapist says I'm getting better. Lay off me. GIVE ME MY ART SUPPLIES, DURN IT!
You have inspired me to make dents in my paint tubes. I may even break my pastel sticks. I've been trying to keep my supplies in perfect condition. Thank you for setting me free with allowing me to use my hoard of supplies to be used more and be more free. What a great lesson!
The most impressed I’ve ever been in an art supply store was watching a “real” artist buy a watercolor tube to replace one he had used up! I haven’t even gotten to LOOK in an art supply store since Covid.
Covid broke me of collecting. Over the last year I have actually emptied many tubes of paint and used up almost all my glue and filled several of art journals. Hopefully Ill be able to go soon and replenish what I've used. Wish there was a Jerry's closer to me. Great video. Hit home for sure.
Ok. I just opened a beautiful wood box filled with tubs of luscious paints . High end. Told myself that when my art improved to a certain level, I could use these paints…in the wood case…with a nice handle… After watching you today, I was hit with the realization that, being super critical of my own work, I would probably NEVER get to use thes paints!!! ….sob…sniff….gasp… Thank you….I think…❤️
Over the years, I've collected soooo many art supplies that I don't use. I have no issue breaking them in, but I find I don't really need them and so they become part of my studio "decoration", lol. But buying art supplies is like Christmas every time!!! Even if I use it once and then throw it on the shelf, I still get excited to try it out. The collection has gotten large, but, who knows, maybe one day I'll get soo famous that everyone will want a little piece of me!!! "That brush was used once by Daniel Rhoades, the greatest artist ever!!!" Well... maybe thats just a fantasy, lol. Love your videos, keep em coming.
This is not quite the same thing but I find that I have collected media that I would have killed for in my younger days. I have beautiful sets of all kinds of high quality drawing supplies and sketchbooks of various sizes that I would have drooled over in my student days. Untouched sets of watercolors, fabulous brushes, and blocks and pads of paper abound tucked into drawers. Pens and inks and gorgeous calligraphy sets collect dust on my studio shelves. I tell myself it's there for me to use as I frequently used all those in the past and fully intend to again should the spirit or necessity strike. Don't get me wrong, I work on art pretty much every day but it's just about exclusively in oil. And I'm content with that. But having all those other, mostly unused items makes me secure somehow. And I feel grateful to have them.
Ha! I am going into Austin today for a vaccination and was so excited to go to Jerry’s for the first time in a year, and this video pops up. Seriously, I have enough art supplies to last me several years, but it doesn’t hurt to graze...right?
I have loads of expensive art supplies but I'm afraid to use them because they were so expensive. I use cheap stuff instead for my art which is such insane logic but I can't help myself. I think I need an Artists Anonymous meeting!
Maybe you can try to reproduce your art with the better supplies to see and feel the difference? I also do "prep work", sketching and trying out colors with cheap paint on cheap paper before I use the more expensive ones, to avoid mistakes. The more you paint something the more you learn about yourself. It's a very good way of practice, imo. 😉
@@MikeNotJerry Yes, it makes total sense even if you are doing throw away work, I guess it is because I spent years using cheap supplies when I was younger and couldn't afford to invest in quality art supplies and I coveted any pro items I could scrounge from university. Now I can actually afford to buy quality supplies I can let go of that old mindset. Thanks for the reply and all the entertaining content!!
Wow! I didn't know I had this problem! When did this become a thing...why is it so hard to use new stuff. I even have trouble using supplies I inherited that are already "ruined". Tfs.
This is really funny. I love buying art supplies but only the ones I actually use. As soon as I get them I can’t wait to play with them which I do. I’m one of those people that buy the tube at the back with no dents, only reason so when I open the tube it don’t squirt everywhere. But this is funny to watch.
THIS IS THE BEST JERRYSARTARAMA VIDEO YOU HAVE DONE.... IT REMINDS US TO "BE ABOUT SOMETHING VS Doing nothing" got me off my kick of collecting...thank you very very much!!!
I have the impulse when I 1st buy things to keep them nice but because I'm so chaos brained I never actually do which I guess is a blessing in disguise
12:38 Almost. LOL 13:33 Is that why I have a dozen or so journals with just one or two pages worked upon?? 16:27 Gimmie something to write with....turns AWAY from all the colorful pencils to search for "something to write with". Stop it. That's not helping. LOL
I certainly do miss going to your physical store, as there’s none where I moved to. But I take advantage of your online store! Love it! Definitely used to be an art supply hoarder (but that’s when I wasn’t painting and had a huge artist block...glad those days are behind me)
I will hold onto the beautiful package...for just a bit, but then I’m pretty good about opening it all up and getting it broken in. I think it does help to do swatches. That’s a gentle entry into getting started. It also helps if you’re not buying these absolutely stunning and EXPENSIVE sets that are like a perfect “objet d’art” that you would break if you touched it.
I agree. The swatching process is a great gentle way of starting to use your materials. You dont feel like you are going to make a mess of them, and you slowly give yourself permission to use them.
Ive been drawing lately. I want to buy paper. But I know I have some at home. So I tring to use what I have before I get new . It can be hard to not to be distracted by new and shiny art supplies that we haven't used yet.
Oh Mike, this was so fun to watch. I have several items that I've been saving. Maybe I'll take the leap and actually use them. Thanks for making this video!
Thank you very much for this enlightening video. It really brightened up my day... especially also the Comments section. Yes, I too have many art supplies. They wait for me to give them the attention they deserve. But, I don't collect them. Nor do I hoard them. They have called out to me in art stores, on online e-shops, through art supply sale newsletters, and via TH-cam, to mention a few resources. On the shelves, and through advertising, they beg for me to invite them to come and live at my home, on my art shelves. And honestly, I feel more like their Benefactor. Doing the right thing. Giving them a place to be themselves without fear of drying up, or being broken, anywhere else. They move beyond being just art supplies, they become helpers in the journey of life. And each one is worth its investment, whatever that may end up to be. Many of them have not been used yet. But, I have plans for them. They will not be wasted. And, before I close this Comment, may I say that this has been the most helpful and enjoyable video I have seen in awhile. Thanks for all the Comments too. They are like a breath of fresh air. Best wishes to all for the days ahead. 😃
I thought for sure you were speaking to me. I buy supplies with every intention of using them, until I get them. Then they are not touched for fear of ruining them. I love your suggestions for breaking that habit.
Fine! I just opened my Umpton oil paints. And the Roubloff brushes. And the 200ml Umpton turpentine, linceed oil, medium II, cobalt siccative. And that 70x70 canvases that I have tucked away for a year now. Are you happy now? I know I am. With mixes feelings.
This spoke to me on a personal level....... yes... I collect. My colored pencils I've broken in. My acrylics I've broken in. But my oils I have not dared to touch yet. And I actually had to look back and see if I had ordered the pastel set of 92 that I was looking at to see if I actually owned it which I do and may not have even opened up! I need to start messing with these things I own!
I purchased the entire line of Schmincke pastels, I tested so many brands before deciding on Schmincke that I had almost filled my pastel storage box! I have been told that you need to break the sticks to use the whole thing, after working with pastels I know this to be true. It took me several weeks before I could bring myself to “destroy” the perfection of the complete Schmincke set! I finally got them broke in half and they are so wonderful to use, I may buy new refills or even branch out with other brands but I don’t believe that I will buy another complete set again. I have missed your videos and I am glad that you have made an appearance today!
I've struggled with this, hence I've bought cheap art supplies to not feel guilty about wasting art supplies on crappy art. I feel like now I have enough skill to get reliably decent results, so I can now splurge on professional grade supplies.
My mother learned this lesson from the preacher and generously taught me. The preacher was visiting and mother brought her beautiful bible to show him. He explained that the most beautiful bibles are well used by reading and making notes in it. Thank you for sharing
LOL I feel called out but I have gotten better about using my supplies. Need to pull them out again. haha Thanks for the motivation! I love the idea that the process is as valuable as the work itself.
I appreciate the video. Using a new brush is always the struggle because it won’t be pristine anymore and the bristles don’t fully clean out. Thank you for the content!
@@MikeNotJerry I got recently pastels in a subscription box... trust me, I was never so frustrated to get new art supplies. Which is sad because I love getting new art supplies T_T
Great video. And yes, I am guilty. Mostly because there’s too much out there and not enough time to try out new supplies...so they sit pretty on the shelf
I didn’t ruin any of my art supplies because they are already ruined. I do oil paintings and some of my best brushes are the ones with many miles on them.
I love looking at my small Rembrandt oil set. I also like how the Winton tubes look. Dunno why. There’s just a few more tubes of those I want😔 It’s ok……. It’s ok.
I was having a coffee while watching this and ended up snorting coffee up my nose I was laughing so hard. Ok, my name is Cheryl and I “collect” art supplies. Am I the only one that when an art catalog of supplies arrives in the mail, I call it “art porn”. It was like the Sears catalogue of Christmas toys for those of us of a certain age!
I have definitely struggled with being precious about my art supplies although not for this specific reason! (Does anyone else stop using their favorite color as soon as it starts to run low?! 😅 Hint: if you can afford it; just buy another tube!!) I recently saw an artist who SAVES all of their empty paint tubes in a big container as a studio decoration and I love that idea! So I challenged myself to finish off those last bits of paint and remaining few pages in my watercolor sketchbooks! Let me tell you it was so satisfying ripping that last page of paper out and throwing the cardboard cover away! 💯
I love the idea of just a junk sketch book. I have even started doodling and junk sketching on the pages of a hardbound book, so I am not wrecking the nice paper in my drawing pads and multimedia papers. Thanks for the ideas !!
I bought two mijello watercolor palettes. Ha. Havent filled them yet. Afraid to ruin the palette and not get the right colors in so they been sitting there for a few months! One palette is fushia colored the other blue. So pretty to look at.
Excellent video. This is great👍 Wait. You're not talking about me, are you? I swear I have been using all of my Reflextion sketchbooks. I've treated the pages for oil paint and have started painting this week, daily! 😊 Ok sure, I haven't started with the soft pastels but I swear I'll use them soon. Not afraid to use them and they're broken up, ready to go. Watercolors? I haven't swatched out the new tube colors yet but will do soon. Everything else? I'll set aside the time to play with them.
This video spoke to me so deeply. lol I do this with brushes, some paint tubes and I have a wood Creative Mark palette still sealed since December. But....I did destroy my coil brush washing container! Don't worry, I have another one still in the bubble wrap. LOL And yes, I get very angry when you ship me dented paint tubes, especially those Charvins! They're the pretty ones. Thanks for another great video, Mike!
You are hilarious! Also , this is just what I needed to see at this particular moment. I worry about saving things for when I think I’m better. Logically I know I can’t get better if I don’t use those things. So I’m pushing myself. To play with with no expectations. So I’ll need some more stuff so I can play. 😁🤣
I have a Rhodia book and markers to break in. Bought to start lettering. And another sketchbook for trying to get into a daily drawing habit. No marks yet. However paints? Oh, all have been squeezed and swatched. Though not all have been used in full creations yet. Dont forget duplicate paints and looking for that magic brush! The worst is canvas on sale. I just "need" that size or shape. Anything from 2"x2" up to a 30"x36". I can only hope to live long enough to use the canvas. But then, I also have so many possibilities open to me. Maybe too many!
I love this video. I'm a sketchbook collector and I'm so embarrassed about it! Especially because I try to practice minimalism... So why do I have 14 SKETCHBOOKS!?!? besides the 4 I've completely filled. And it took me 22 years of life to fill the first one! What I do to break in sketchbooks now is I write on the first page or the cover "MAKE BAD ART!" because that's my motto to try to battle my perfectionism. I'm always afraid to make ugly art, to make mistakes, so I use that phrase to invite me to just let go and get that sketchbook dirty. Sometimes I'll go of my way to make an ugly drawing on the first page just so anything else feels better by comparison lol!
I totally get your intention with this video but I think it's totally fine buying nicely packaged art supplies and just enjoying their perfect look because I think people can just feel good and get inspiration from them. Why would it be a problem then? As you have just said: they do not expire, so after long months/years of storing them I believe there is a point for everyone when they touch their supplies and start using even the most expensive ones. They serve their purpose either way. If collecting art supplies makes people happy, why do you want to tell them it's wrong? I don't think it's wrong. Art supplies are never wasted, some day someone will open every tube of paint and will paint with them. 😉
If something makes you happy, such as collecting them, then of course it's not a problem. I think there are a lot of people out there though that bought them to use them and are afraid. I just want to make sure those folks know they are not alone.
@@MikeNotJerry I totally got that. But cannot restrain myself from quoting Teoh Yi Chie: 😎 "When I look at a box design it's really beautiful I just cannot help it, I have to just buy it." th-cam.com/video/T-xI1uvy9ZU/w-d-xo.html
I have a black leather, purple silk lined handbound 9x12 journal I made for my late father. He never used it and it was given back to me after he passed, still blank. I wanted him to write his life story inside, he was a war crime survivor from Chile who fled to Canada in 77 after being rescued, he couldn't bring himself to write or talk about it. So I want to fill it with beautiful things and color. It's nearly 10 years old. I haven't been able to bring myself to put anything in it. It's pages are Canson Xl Multimedia. Any advise what mediums will work best ? I'm not a fan of Canson watercolor paper so not sure watercolor would work. This video is what I needed.
LOVE YOU! You are too funny and absolutely right! I was a collector when I first came back to painting. Now all are messy EXCEPT my pristine oil painting box ... I only admire it.😜
To quote my art prof: "The only wasted art supplies are those left on the shelf". True. Best advice ever. Use it. Abuse it. Play. Experiment. Want to be Van Gogh? Probably not. He led a miserable life of angst and torment. Enjoy your time and don't "save" stuff. Says I with a cabinet full of stuff... 😲
With me personally it’s not a collecting issue but a self esteem issue. I am in the process of realizing I am worth the cost of wasted paint. The supplies cost money and there is so much apprehension that the finished product won’t be good enough so why waste my precious paint. It’s a mental block that once I get past it I’m sure I will enjoy the process much more and have better pieces too.
Don't drink, don't smoke, do stuff or gamble, so if I want to collect art supplies, I'll collect art supplies. That said, it's a pity Jerry's Artarama don't seem to post to Australia. Which is odd because they seem to be happy to post in New Zealand. Pity.
@@MikeNotJerry thank you. I also paint with acrylics but you have given me some valuable advice in one of your videos I didn’t learn in school. But I saw this video and laughed so hard I needed it. I thank you for that. I’m glad I found your videos and your store/website! You are doing a good thing.
LOL ... you're a hoot. And right on the money -- mostly. I've tended to be a hunter-gatherer of art supplies in certain media for years, but it reached a point I either had "enough" or forbade myself buying more, e.g. tubes of paint & canvases UNTIL I use more of them up. My collection of supplies tended to expand as I discovered, e.g. acrylic pouring (to be able to "quickly" create a piece of experimental/practice and/or "good" art, instead of laboring over an oil painting) Or when an online instructor would do a demo using PanPastels and also arranged a truly fabulous discount for his students (from Jerry's if I remember correctly!), offering an entire set of landscape colors incl. a huge quantity of SofTools for only $120 ... Or there are the DIVERSE color palettes "recommended" (right -- demanded) by all manner of painting instructors. Only one has ever admitted that it doesn't matter a bean what pigment manufacturer, just use any old "split palette", while ALL the rest encourage you to try their favorite colors & materials (using the handy-dandy discount from their sponsors, natch!) :-D I've successfully resisted expanding my supplies any further (OH WAIT! OK, I also have a pretty good stack of sketch pads and LOTS of pencils and periphernalia TOO.) BUT! My "rationale" over the years was often: I WAS WISHING I had time to indulge my love for painting landscapes in oils but was committed to working 2 jobs. So I'd dive instead into the great deals my online suppliers would send me in their sales emails, "because as soon as I have a day off to paint .. LOOK OUT!" The result: stacks of unused canvases in many sizes and extra tubes of this or that color, or tubes of INTERESTING colors FILLING drawers, along with all the oils and thinners and containers, according to the advice of my various instructors regarding their favorite mediums and ... OH WAIT! BRUSHES!!! (Don't get me started on those .... or on my many painting knives. LOL ! Okay, I gotta say this: Rosemary and Co really DOES sell THE BEST-Made brushes, that make exactly the marks you want them to!) BUT!!! To answer your question: NO, I did *not* get something out to "ruin" (though I could have opened up one of those expensive gessoed & cradled painting boards I bought a while back b/c one of my teachers recommends them. Or I could have started throwing paint on an oil-ground canvas I prepped a while back ...) Hmmm! LOL But I did not join you, ***because I was busy PAINTING! *** (Whew! Thank Gawd, I have a good excuse ). ;-D I'm on vacation due to COVID and have several paintings in the works right now. And after finishing one this afternoon, I decided to use up my remaining artistic time and energy doing color charts of some of my new and "interesting" tubes of paint from Gamblin, LeFranc-Bourgeois, Williamsburg, etc...... But I enjoyed your presentation so much, you have a new subscriber! (I was a Jerry's customer in the past, but am now no longer living in the States, so sorry... But when I move back, Scout's honor!) XO Thanks! P.S: Thanks also for handing me a fun topic for my painting newsletter, which I've been remiss in sending out. XOXOXOX
I take all my pastels out of their boxes, remove all the labels, break them in half and then store them by hue and value, all brands mixed together in a tabletop divided palette. I get rid of the boxes. Works great! Now, I do have unused art supplies but it’s just because I haven’t had time to get to those yet.
I see pastel artists do this all the time and I just want to know: How do you know where to repurchase a stick once it's used up? You can't possibly remember the brand and number of every single pastel stick. Right? I've been wondering about this for years!
@@RamoArt You can make a chart when you get them out of the box. Make a mark, write down brand and number. It’s actually pretty easy to figure out the brand of a pastel by the feel or shape of it. Diane Townsends are gritty, Sennelier are really powdery soft, mungo feel waxy/creamy etc. You don’t always need to replace a stick with the exact same thing, you may find a new favorite. As long as you have a variety of hues and tonal values, you can paint anything.
@@michelegirard Interesting that you can tell the brand just by the feeling of the pastel! I like the attitude that you don't need the exact same stick because you might find something new instead. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
Just got some more old Holland French ultramarine and I was upset that the label was damaged in shipping lol I need to stop collecting and start painting.
I hoarded the same paint set because there was a store promotion sale. So, i have 3 sets of the same paint, of course i didn't opened the other 2 cause back in my mind i said "when the time i get broke, i will sell this two" 😂 Bought the set for around 380, when i checked it in the market it costs around 570-700+ 😂 The price is going up hahaha 😂
I cringed when you broke that pastel! I had to join an art swap group to force myself to use my art supplies. I was getting so proud of my stash, I bragged my room looked like a small art store! Joining an art swap made me realize how much fun I was missing. Thanks for the fun video! Peace and Blessings from Texas USA! 🖌✂️🖍
I collect and use (but not constantly) and I couldn't think of anything that wasn't already "ruined". This reminds me of the horror of the first snapped pastel, pencil, etc.. I'm trying to winnow down the stash but it's tough; stuff goes in the pile to go because I haven't used it much, then gets snatched back. Oops, I thought of some Japanese watercolours that haven't been used, I'll ruin them tomorrow.
Yes sir that was me😥it's the OCD in me that causes me to do this I really need to find a group for this😂 and it is really hard to not buy that brand or cor you don't have. I will spend at minimum an hour and a half looking at acrylic paint pouring supplies and buy every single thing I think I need.
Damn, I wish I could keep my art supplies tidy! Once I buy a new one, I have to frenetically open it and try!!! Specially because if I don't waste my supplies, I will not be able to buy more! Have to finish them all! After catch'em all!
Probably I’m not able to destroy it on purpose, but I’ve totally got u: I know the subtle relief feeling when they happen to be broken while I use them...!
I don't collect like you explain on here. I don't care about perfect looking supplies. But, I try out different mediums. We don't have an art supply store anywhere nearby, only craft stores. And they carry very little art supply stuff and usually not what I am interested in. But, when trying a new medium, say oils, I don't know what to buy. I want a product I like using and that is hit and miss. I try researching but, there is as many opinions as sites to research. So, I end up with supplies that I find I don't like and so, they don't get used. And that is where collecting comes in.
I definitely have the fear of using art supplies, and the more expensive they are the more they feel scared and precious 😭 I'll go and break my faber Castell oil pastels which I've been saving up for years now, wish me luck ✊🏼
I am an art supply hoarder lol and this video describes me’ Didn’t use any while watching this because I’m working while I’m watching, but I am going to when I’m done
Great job Mike ! The only thing I have to break is my husband so I have more time to do my art. He always calls me the minute I put out my paint to make him a coffee. 😂🤣😂
Guilty but I use them too. (Btw, the Raleigh store is a dream wonderland oozing with creative potential. Please, for the love of all things pigment, give Chicago a store. We need you here.) Once the stuff is broken in you will love them differently. Youll feel all the other art youve done with the thing, remember the things that worked, and youll love the ⅓ remaining prismacolor, or windsor even more because its become an extention of you that has had success.
Wow, I have the charvin box in front of you and several items on the back shelves! I have one of those rolling carts in back of you too! I have an art supply problem!
I’ve learned to buy one of a line before investing in a larger purchase. I’ve given away so much stuff I hated or found something that worked better. Otherwise I have a pile of pretty that’s useless. Just sent a giant box to a coworker and her daughter that had Prismacolor markers in them, hated the caps.
I think that's great that you are finding those supplies home to people that might not otherwise have them or be able to use them. Even if they aren't right for you, they might be right for somebody.
I make some art. I collect some art supplies. I don't mind. My wife doesn't mind. Your accountants don't mind. We're all good here... :-) [at 10:30 you just called me weird...shame, shame, shame]
One thign I like to do is to paint swatches on a label and place it on the tube, then arrange the tubes so the swatches are most of what I see. It helps me find shit more easily and I am basically making rainbows in my room, which makes me happy.
I am not an artist or creative. My perspective is always crooked. Everything I did seemed pedestrian. I love high quality paper, writing instruments, full tube of paint, clean unused palettes, and brush hair still glue together. I hate to destroy these beautiful objects with my lousy ways. I can’t stand seeing something bad in sketchbook. I am working on this attitude this year. I need to just put paint and ink on paper and be at peace.
I definitely understand love of collecting and the fear of beginning! When I first heard the phrase, "practice makes progress" instead of "practice makes perfect", it really helped me at least get started!
Yes! And 24-7 online art supply stores are like having an opium den in my den. I think I'll start painting like it's 1821. I'll make my own supplies with oil and eggs and honey and pigments and tiny bladders. That should slow me down.
I like watercolor, and that means I also like really expensive, 100% cotton paper. Man, did I have to psych myself up to test a new masking fluid (and to make sure a multi media technique was going to work like I thought) on the Arches! I keep that piece of test paper (I will use the back, I comfort myself)! And I still have a hard time deciding if what I have in mind is Worthy of The Good Paper, even though I know that lesser quality papers won’t behave the same. At least I work small? Re sketchbooks: I saw an art professor’s video where she went through all of her sketchbooks-from childhood-to demonstrate that sketchbooks are *supposed* to be ugly!! It’s why you have a sketchbook, so you don’t ruin your Arches, and a place for you to be free to embrace the chaos. It’s ok for what you’re doing to not work, or to be embarrassingly inept. How else will you get better?
I seem to be in the middle of this. I collect art supplies and I use them. Thing is, when it comes to expensive and/or high quality art supplies, I would sparingly use them because it's too precious. Perhaps once I get used to those once I buy and use those high quality art supplies often.
I hear you. It's hard to find that balance between budget, artistic freedom, and treating yourself. The best artists don't always have the best materials. They just make the best of what they have.
I think my problem with art supply collecting comes from a few things 1) Not wanting to ruin the pristine look of the item/ set 2) The never been used/ never looks to have been touched/ used by anyone (besides myself) makes it appealing 3) With sketchbooks specifically , just the new smell of the paper, and the spine not being cracked from opening it all the time to sketch, plus the beautiful clear pages showing how the book looked when you got it are VERY appealing 4) If you draw on the pages, even in a throwaway book, it just feels like you’ve ruined the clear page esthetic, 5) And if it’s a trash journal, you feel bad about even spending money on it (even if it was cheap) because you will throw it away 6) If it was given to you for free, you feel obligated to make beautiful works in it, or just leave it as is so you can look at it and be reminded who gave it to you 7) It’s nice to just display the pretty supplies And probably a lot of other things, lol. So it’s like, yes, I want to create art, but my supplies can be expensive, or even if they aren’t it’s still hard to reck them due to other reasons, or rather waste them is a better word. Like maybe not knowing how to fully use a supply, and you happen to only have a nice set of it, so you don’t want to waste the precious item. Also Also, I used to take art classes, and our teacher would always keep really nice supplies in bins, like colored pencils, and pastels, and it was very chaotic. However one of my most proud of pieces I made was from that bin of mixed soft pastels, lol, so I do understand the chaotic appeal, and how it can be an inspiration/ can let your art juices flow. It’s just hard for me personally to keep things stored like that because you want it to look nice, lol The same thing for me with pallets. I HAVE to wash it clean of paint otherwise the colors mix, and it might stain my pallet, and I want it to look nice still. But thanks Mike! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one with this problem 🤣
this is so funny ive been painting for 26 years almost daily its my passion for sure i have been buying like crazy lately watercolors are my new favorites ,ive been saving my mgraham oild till i start my class at my apt when covids over,i both collect and use them,this was so funny i need aa art aholics lol
I love your message here.
My issue is "wasting" them...
I dont want to waste it on janky practice art. But in order to improve I have to.
I really need to get past this lol. I know yall can relate
If having nice untouched art supplies makes you happy, then there's nothing wrong with "saving them" for better times. They do not expire. Practice with whatever you like and there will certainly be a point when you say: this is it, I'm good enough to open that tube of expensive paint, to get that expensive paper and do professional art on it, because by now I learned how to prepare for it, how to carefully use the materials, how to avoid most of the usual mistakes. 😉
I can relate! Art supplies are expensive! But you are correct that they have to be used up in order to get better. I need to follow that advice too.
Definitely can feel like a catch 22 some times, doesn't it?
Absolutely relate. I am getting better at using the mark making supplies like paint pencils markers etc. But it's the PAPER NOW..I DONT WANT TO USE THE PAPER because they're expensive and if I make the 'wrong' mark aka A MISTAKE oh nooooo its waste. Yes I know there's no mistakes blah blah its my own psychological issues lol
@@a.o9656 lol. The struggle is real.
I am not collecting .. I am planning on opening up a small art supply store :D
Ha! I've actually told myself that at one point. "Well, maybe people will just come shop in my house."
I am collecting and I'm proud of it. I want to LIVE in my own art supplies store. That's my big plan. 🤣
(Tbh, I do use my paints, but when I see a paint set on sale I own already and it was proven to be good quality I buy it without feeling ashamed. They do not expire and I don't mind them piling up on my shelf. I may use them myself, I may gift it to another artist, they will be used some day anyway. No paint gets wasted. 😎)
Yaaa....peoples come to my atelier and have said omg 😲 its like a art store......problem!!! But so satisfying to work and have all kind of supplies.....which not haven been like that all my life...I enjoying it very much and I'm so grateful ....
Yep, I’m stocking my own small art store to shop from myself in retirement when I can’t afford to buy more supplies…
Lockdown showed me I was on the right track…. Ok….I didn’t have food ‘cos I never food shop…. but I was never bored! 😂😂😂
This was awesome!!! I’m an art supply hoarder who has great intentions and loads of projects I want to do but then I panic like what if it turns out horrible? So I just admire many of my purchases. Time to just create and not worry about the outcome and enjoy the journey!
You are so right- it's the journey, not the product!
Me, too!!! I fancy myself creative by getting art supplies…..
mybe doing a motivational video from time to time to help artists to get out of thier rut........ this is much needed.
Have you seen our Jerry's LIVE episodes? They're helpful to me when I'm in a rut! You can find them here: th-cam.com/play/PL0hHM7COAYOAZCdPLu9EZzpJruCSSW7qQ.html
Art supplies bring joy. No problems. Like a big person's lolly shop.
I feel personally attacked. (kidding) I am not a collector of art supplies... I am a hoarder of them. I hope people will read this and understand it. I used to be a polymer clay sculptor. So I was kind of in a niche of a niche. Because supplies for that niche are often made by small companies or even individuals, I cannot tell you how often I would come to rely on a product only to have it disappear forever. "Oh we can't get that tool anymore, the producer retired." "We don't produce that line of material now, it just didn't sell enough." So I got in the habit of finding things I liked, going back and buying multiples. I have all but stopped using clay and now pretty much exclusively paint. So now my problem is that I have transferred that fear of discontinued products to painting supplies. Oh what if I run out of Gamblin Asphaltum and Gamblin stops making it? I rationally understand that I can always color mix to match that paint. But emotionally I am carried back to that time I learned that my go to brand of clay (which I could not recreate) was discontinued by the manufacturer. I may get five of that very specific dagger brush and then never use any of them because what if I ruin them and they aren't made anymore? Am I alone in this? I am getting better, but the struggle is still there.
I can definitely relate. When you find something that works for you and then it's discontinued (or in some cases even worse- changed!) it kind of makes me feel like I am back at square one. I find that with more than just art supplies. Skin and hair products, certain food and beverage, etc.
I do that with clothes and food
Buy the same pants favourite pants in a size bigger for in case I get bigger some day and I can’t find them
You are not alone 😬
On my watercolor sketchbooks I have stcikers that say paint is only wasted when it stays in the tube. Very motivating to use them after "ruining" the cover and front page
So glad to hear it!
Where did you get the stickers!? 0:
Guilty! But there are some things to keep. I have a 72 colors Crayola set from my youth 55 years ago. They were a gift. Maybe they were all the colors at the time. So pretty looking at that rainbow of colors including silver and gold! Most have their tips worn down but there are a few colors I haven’t use. I think I’ll give to my five year old grandson. It’s time! The other things people save are fabric and patterns. I’ll buy what I need for a garment but not make it. Sometimes the idea of making it is almost like you always did. Thanks for this video. I think it’s one of your best!
Thank you, that's very sweet!
"I remember you."
You don't know me. Man, here's $20 to not tell anybody you saw me here today. Seriously. I have a problem. My therapist says I'm getting better. Lay off me. GIVE ME MY ART SUPPLIES, DURN IT!
It's our little secret.
You have inspired me to make dents in my paint tubes. I may even break my pastel sticks. I've been trying to keep my supplies in perfect condition. Thank you for setting me free with allowing me to use my hoard of supplies to be used more and be more free. What a great lesson!
The most impressed I’ve ever been in an art supply store was watching a “real” artist buy a watercolor tube to replace one he had used up! I haven’t even gotten to LOOK in an art supply store since Covid.
Yeah, I hear you. Well, our stores will be ready for you when you are!
Covid broke me of collecting. Over the last year I have actually emptied many tubes of paint and used up almost all my glue and filled several of art journals. Hopefully Ill be able to go soon and replenish what I've used. Wish there was a Jerry's closer to me. Great video. Hit home for sure.
Glad to hear something good has come from the pandemic for you!
Ok. I just opened a beautiful wood box filled with tubs of luscious paints . High end. Told myself that when my art improved to a certain level, I could use these paints…in the wood case…with a nice handle…
After watching you today, I was hit with the realization that, being super critical of my own work, I would probably NEVER get to use thes paints!!! ….sob…sniff….gasp…
Thank you….I think…❤️
Over the years, I've collected soooo many art supplies that I don't use. I have no issue breaking them in, but I find I don't really need them and so they become part of my studio "decoration", lol. But buying art supplies is like Christmas every time!!! Even if I use it once and then throw it on the shelf, I still get excited to try it out. The collection has gotten large, but, who knows, maybe one day I'll get soo famous that everyone will want a little piece of me!!! "That brush was used once by Daniel Rhoades, the greatest artist ever!!!" Well... maybe thats just a fantasy, lol. Love your videos, keep em coming.
lolol this was hysterical ... and i'm not ashamed of all my art supplies lolol i'm soooo happy playing with all my toys 😬😬😬
Playing means you are using them! And I am so glad to hear it makes you happy!
This is not quite the same thing but I find that I have collected media that I would have killed for in my younger days. I have beautiful sets of all kinds of high quality drawing supplies and sketchbooks of various sizes that I would have drooled over in my student days. Untouched sets of watercolors, fabulous brushes, and blocks and pads of paper abound tucked into drawers. Pens and inks and gorgeous calligraphy sets collect dust on my studio shelves. I tell myself it's there for me to use as I frequently used all those in the past and fully intend to again should the spirit or necessity strike. Don't get me wrong, I work on art pretty much every day but it's just about exclusively in oil. And I'm content with that. But having all those other, mostly unused items makes me secure somehow. And I feel grateful to have them.
Ha! I am going into Austin today for a vaccination and was so excited to go to Jerry’s for the first time in a year, and this video pops up. Seriously, I have enough art supplies to last me several years, but it doesn’t hurt to graze...right?
Man, out of all of our stores, the Austin store is still one of my favorite.
We just went the other day. I got lots of wonderful supplies to add to my collection. 😂
EXACTLY!!!!
Guilty 🤚😊. I have a BUNCH of sketch pads that I buy on sale. Someday I may be on an episode of Hoarders 😆. House full of art supplies 🤣😂❤❤❤❤❤
I'd watch that show. In fact, I might be put on that show!
I have loads of expensive art supplies but I'm afraid to use them because they were so expensive. I use cheap stuff instead for my art which is such insane logic but I can't help myself.
I think I need an Artists Anonymous meeting!
Maybe you can try to reproduce your art with the better supplies to see and feel the difference? I also do "prep work", sketching and trying out colors with cheap paint on cheap paper before I use the more expensive ones, to avoid mistakes. The more you paint something the more you learn about yourself. It's a very good way of practice, imo. 😉
Think about how much better your results when using the professional art supplies! There's a reason they don't race Prius's in Nascar lol
@@MikeNotJerry Yes, it makes total sense even if you are doing throw away work, I guess it is because I spent years using cheap supplies when I was younger and couldn't afford to invest in quality art supplies and I coveted any pro items I could scrounge from university.
Now I can actually afford to buy quality supplies I can let go of that old mindset. Thanks for the reply and all the entertaining content!!
Jcppop
Wow! I didn't know I had this problem! When did this become a thing...why is it so hard to use new stuff. I even have trouble using supplies I inherited that are already "ruined".
Tfs.
That's what I do. I make problems when people didn't previously have any!
This is really funny. I love buying art supplies but only the ones I actually use. As soon as I get them I can’t wait to play with them which I do. I’m one of those people that buy the tube at the back with no dents, only reason so when I open the tube it don’t squirt everywhere. But this is funny to watch.
Glad you enjoyed!
How about you buy 2 sets and use one carefully and save one just to look at!😂
Lol- if it's in your budget and makes you happy, more power to you!
THIS IS THE BEST JERRYSARTARAMA VIDEO YOU HAVE DONE.... IT REMINDS US TO "BE ABOUT SOMETHING VS Doing nothing" got me off my kick of collecting...thank you very very much!!!
Glad liked it!
I have the impulse when I 1st buy things to keep them nice but because I'm so chaos brained I never actually do which I guess is a blessing in disguise
Don't let fear hold you back. I think that's the short and sweet of the message.
12:38 Almost.
LOL
13:33 Is that why I have a dozen or so journals with just one or two pages worked upon??
16:27 Gimmie something to write with....turns AWAY from all the colorful pencils to search for "something to write with". Stop it. That's not helping. LOL
In the midst of my art supply chaos, in the chaos in my mind while trying to speak, somehow the huge "thing" of colored pencils disappeared!
All my art supplies get used, but I do just hold on to them for a few days before I have at them.
That system works!
I certainly do miss going to your physical store, as there’s none where I moved to. But I take advantage of your online store! Love it! Definitely used to be an art supply hoarder (but that’s when I wasn’t painting and had a huge artist block...glad those days are behind me)
Glad to hear it!
I did some mark making on a canvas I've been looking at for 4 days and primed a few pages of a pretty art journal i bought
Glad to hear it! You have taken a major step!
I will hold onto the beautiful package...for just a bit, but then I’m pretty good about opening it all up and getting it broken in. I think it does help to do swatches. That’s a gentle entry into getting started. It also helps if you’re not buying these absolutely stunning and EXPENSIVE sets that are like a perfect “objet d’art” that you would break if you touched it.
I agree. The swatching process is a great gentle way of starting to use your materials. You dont feel like you are going to make a mess of them, and you slowly give yourself permission to use them.
When I buy art supplies, I use them straight away. Love art supplies. I’m going to do some painting now with my gouache.
Ive been drawing lately. I want to buy paper. But I know I have some at home. So I tring to use what I have before I get new . It can be hard to not to be distracted by new and shiny art supplies that we haven't used yet.
I always say the best art supplies are the ones you already have! Use it now, and then you can treat yourself later guilt free.
Oh Mike, this was so fun to watch. I have several items that I've been saving. Maybe I'll take the leap and actually use them. Thanks for making this video!
You have the power to make it happen. Keep the faith!
Thank you very much for this enlightening video. It really brightened up my day... especially also the Comments section. Yes, I too have many art supplies. They wait for me to give them the attention they deserve. But, I don't collect them. Nor do I hoard them. They have called out to me in art stores, on online e-shops, through art supply sale newsletters, and via TH-cam, to mention a few resources. On the shelves, and through advertising, they beg for me to invite them to come and live at my home, on my art shelves. And honestly, I feel more like their Benefactor. Doing the right thing. Giving them a place to be themselves without fear of drying up, or being broken, anywhere else. They move beyond being just art supplies, they become helpers in the journey of life. And each one is worth its investment, whatever that may end up to be. Many of them have not been used yet. But, I have plans for them. They will not be wasted. And, before I close this Comment, may I say that this has been the most helpful and enjoyable video I have seen in awhile. Thanks for all the Comments too. They are like a breath of fresh air. Best wishes to all for the days ahead. 😃
So glad it was helpful for you!
I thought for sure you were speaking to me. I buy supplies with every intention of using them, until I get them. Then they are not touched for fear of ruining them. I love your suggestions for breaking that habit.
I was speaking to you, Christine. I hope that doesn't make it weird.
@@MikeNotJerry lol not at all. I love the personal attention
Fine! I just opened my Umpton oil paints. And the Roubloff brushes. And the 200ml Umpton turpentine, linceed oil, medium II, cobalt siccative. And that 70x70 canvases that I have tucked away for a year now. Are you happy now? I know I am. With mixes feelings.
It shouldn't be this hard, but it really is! Glad you had the strength to take action!
Thank you Mike, you are very real and funny.
This spoke to me on a personal level....... yes... I collect. My colored pencils I've broken in. My acrylics I've broken in. But my oils I have not dared to touch yet. And I actually had to look back and see if I had ordered the pastel set of 92 that I was looking at to see if I actually owned it which I do and may not have even opened up! I need to start messing with these things I own!
You can do it! I believe in you!
I purchased the entire line of Schmincke pastels, I tested so many brands before deciding on Schmincke that I had almost filled my pastel storage box! I have been told that you need to break the sticks to use the whole thing, after working with pastels I know this to be true. It took me several weeks before I could bring myself to “destroy” the perfection of the complete Schmincke set! I finally got them broke in half and they are so wonderful to use, I may buy new refills or even branch out with other brands but I don’t believe that I will buy another complete set again. I have missed your videos and I am glad that you have made an appearance today!
Thanks so much! Always look forward to what you have to say.
I've struggled with this, hence I've bought cheap art supplies to not feel guilty about wasting art supplies on crappy art. I feel like now I have enough skill to get reliably decent results, so I can now splurge on professional grade supplies.
My mother learned this lesson from the preacher and generously taught me. The preacher was visiting and mother brought her beautiful bible to show him. He explained that the most beautiful bibles are well used by reading and making notes in it. Thank you for sharing
LOL I feel called out but I have gotten better about using my supplies. Need to pull them out again. haha Thanks for the motivation! I love the idea that the process is as valuable as the work itself.
We're all in this together.
I appreciate the video. Using a new brush is always the struggle because it won’t be pristine anymore and the bristles don’t fully clean out. Thank you for the content!
Keep on painting, my friend! Remember when your brushes get stained they have started their history of your art story.
"I don't like pastels because they get my hands all dirty"... you speak my language brother
You get me!
@@MikeNotJerry I got recently pastels in a subscription box... trust me, I was never so frustrated to get new art supplies. Which is sad because I love getting new art supplies T_T
Under the category of organized dust. Did buy some charcoal and conte pencils.
Great video. And yes, I am guilty. Mostly because there’s too much out there and not enough time to try out new supplies...so they sit pretty on the shelf
You are not alone!
I buy TONS of sketchbooks, they become collectible items when I’ve filled each page cover to cover
Honestly we're impressed that you make it all the way through! 😁
🥰
I didn’t ruin any of my art supplies because they are already ruined. I do oil paintings and some of my best brushes are the ones with many miles on them.
Seriously, with proper care, brushes do get better with mileage. Good point.
I love looking at my small Rembrandt oil set. I also like how the Winton tubes look. Dunno why. There’s just a few more tubes of those I want😔 It’s ok……. It’s ok.
I was having a coffee while watching this and ended up snorting coffee up my nose I was laughing so hard. Ok, my name is Cheryl and I “collect” art supplies. Am I the only one that when an art catalog of supplies arrives in the mail, I call it “art porn”. It was like the Sears catalogue of Christmas toys for those of us of a certain age!
Talk about getting busted. One of the most relevant videos, Mike.
Glad it helped!
I have definitely struggled with being precious about my art supplies although not for this specific reason! (Does anyone else stop using their favorite color as soon as it starts to run low?! 😅 Hint: if you can afford it; just buy another tube!!) I recently saw an artist who SAVES all of their empty paint tubes in a big container as a studio decoration and I love that idea! So I challenged myself to finish off those last bits of paint and remaining few pages in my watercolor sketchbooks! Let me tell you it was so satisfying ripping that last page of paper out and throwing the cardboard cover away! 💯
I love making it a personal challenge, cool!
Yes mikenotjerry I am an art supply collector! If you sell it @ Jerry’s I’m going to buy it!
I'm a prepper so I have been collecting all of the art supplies I think I will need just in case...
As long as there is a plan!
Thank you!!! I needed to hear this today!!😁🌈
I'm here for ya!
I love the idea of just a junk sketch book. I have even started doodling and junk sketching on the pages of a hardbound book, so I am not wrecking the nice paper in my drawing pads and multimedia papers. Thanks for the ideas !!
So glad it helps!
I bought two mijello watercolor palettes. Ha. Havent filled them yet. Afraid to ruin the palette and not get the right colors in so they been sitting there for a few months! One palette is fushia colored the other blue. So pretty to look at.
You can do it!
Excellent video. This is great👍
Wait. You're not talking about me, are you? I swear I have been using all of my Reflextion sketchbooks. I've treated the pages for oil paint and have started painting this week, daily! 😊
Ok sure, I haven't started with the soft pastels but I swear I'll use them soon. Not afraid to use them and they're broken up, ready to go.
Watercolors? I haven't swatched out the new tube colors yet but will do soon.
Everything else? I'll set aside the time to play with them.
Yes, Zarah. I've been watching you for a long time now!
to Me when an art supplies look pretty it just makes me want to use it more!!! New Supplies= me want to paint.
I use fountain pens for drawing and I find it insane how some people "collect" pens and never use them.
This video spoke to me so deeply. lol I do this with brushes, some paint tubes and I have a wood Creative Mark palette still sealed since December. But....I did destroy my coil brush washing container! Don't worry, I have another one still in the bubble wrap. LOL And yes, I get very angry when you ship me dented paint tubes, especially those Charvins! They're the pretty ones. Thanks for another great video, Mike!
Sorry about the dented tubes... But when they arrive that way, do you find it easier to start using them? If they came all pretty you might not! lol
You are hilarious! Also , this is just what I needed to see at this particular moment. I worry about saving things for when I think I’m better. Logically I know I can’t get better if I don’t use those things. So I’m pushing myself. To play with with no expectations. So I’ll need some more stuff so I can play. 😁🤣
I have a Rhodia book and markers to break in. Bought to start lettering. And another sketchbook for trying to get into a daily drawing habit. No marks yet. However paints? Oh, all have been squeezed and swatched. Though not all have been used in full creations yet. Dont forget duplicate paints and looking for that magic brush! The worst is canvas on sale. I just "need" that size or shape. Anything from 2"x2" up to a 30"x36". I can only hope to live long enough to use the canvas. But then, I also have so many possibilities open to me. Maybe too many!
Options are good, as long as you don't allow them to overwhelm you.
I love this video. I'm a sketchbook collector and I'm so embarrassed about it! Especially because I try to practice minimalism... So why do I have 14 SKETCHBOOKS!?!? besides the 4 I've completely filled. And it took me 22 years of life to fill the first one! What I do to break in sketchbooks now is I write on the first page or the cover "MAKE BAD ART!" because that's my motto to try to battle my perfectionism. I'm always afraid to make ugly art, to make mistakes, so I use that phrase to invite me to just let go and get that sketchbook dirty. Sometimes I'll go of my way to make an ugly drawing on the first page just so anything else feels better by comparison lol!
Oh I did the math and excuse me, it took me 23 years of life to fill my first sketchbook. And I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon 🖍️
YASSSSSSS !!!!! And now we are moving into a camper and I am having to break up with many Brand New Never Used SUPPLIES! if not now, When?
I hope the answer is now!
I totally get your intention with this video but I think it's totally fine buying nicely packaged art supplies and just enjoying their perfect look because I think people can just feel good and get inspiration from them. Why would it be a problem then? As you have just said: they do not expire, so after long months/years of storing them I believe there is a point for everyone when they touch their supplies and start using even the most expensive ones. They serve their purpose either way. If collecting art supplies makes people happy, why do you want to tell them it's wrong? I don't think it's wrong. Art supplies are never wasted, some day someone will open every tube of paint and will paint with them. 😉
If something makes you happy, such as collecting them, then of course it's not a problem. I think there are a lot of people out there though that bought them to use them and are afraid. I just want to make sure those folks know they are not alone.
@@MikeNotJerry I totally got that. But cannot restrain myself from quoting Teoh Yi Chie: 😎
"When I look at a box design it's really beautiful I just cannot help it, I have to just buy it."
th-cam.com/video/T-xI1uvy9ZU/w-d-xo.html
He's awesome omg ! Best personality and THANK YOU this helps immensely!
So glad I could help!
I have a black leather, purple silk lined handbound 9x12 journal I made for my late father. He never used it and it was given back to me after he passed, still blank. I wanted him to write his life story inside, he was a war crime survivor from Chile who fled to Canada in 77 after being rescued, he couldn't bring himself to write or talk about it. So I want to fill it with beautiful things and color. It's nearly 10 years old.
I haven't been able to bring myself to put anything in it. It's pages are Canson Xl Multimedia. Any advise what mediums will work best ? I'm not a fan of Canson watercolor paper so not sure watercolor would work. This video is what I needed.
Yes, you can use watercolor. You can also use pens, markers, pencils, and even acrylics. The limits are your imagination.
LOVE YOU! You are too funny and absolutely right! I was a collector when I first came back to painting. Now all are messy EXCEPT my pristine oil painting box ... I only admire it.😜
Love you too! Glad to hear you are breaking in those art supplies!
Guilty as charged! Thanks for the eye opener. Glad I’m not alone 😂 I collect paper too 🤦🏼♀️
Paper is my weakness! 🥲
To quote my art prof: "The only wasted art supplies are those left on the shelf". True. Best advice ever. Use it. Abuse it. Play. Experiment. Want to be Van Gogh? Probably not. He led a miserable life of angst and torment. Enjoy your time and don't "save" stuff. Says I with a cabinet full of stuff... 😲
Hahaha, I'm guilty of collecting more than creating. BUT, they're so beautiful! lol
It's only hoarding if it is detrimental to health and well being. Art supplies do not fall into that category. 😊
Yes, hoarding is a strong word and an actual condition. Collecting, I think, is more accurate.
It's hoarding when you need to buy new shelves to hold your art supplies. I need to buy new shelves to hold my art supplies. Again. :-)
Well, it caused me two problems. Loss of money and lack of gain of money...😒
With me personally it’s not a collecting issue but a self esteem issue. I am in the process of realizing I am worth the cost of wasted paint. The supplies cost money and there is so much apprehension that the finished product won’t be good enough so why waste my precious paint. It’s a mental block that once I get past it I’m sure I will enjoy the process much more and have better pieces too.
Don't drink, don't smoke, do stuff or gamble, so if I want to collect art supplies, I'll collect art supplies.
That said, it's a pity Jerry's Artarama don't seem to post to Australia. Which is odd because they seem to be happy to post in New Zealand. Pity.
Totally got called out. Lol I do do art mainly mud trying to expand into deferent mediums. Not sure quite how to use them...yet
Enjoy the journey! That's what it's about.
@@MikeNotJerry thank you. I also paint with acrylics but you have given me some valuable advice in one of your videos I didn’t learn in school. But I saw this video and laughed so hard I needed it. I thank you for that. I’m glad I found your videos and your store/website! You are doing a good thing.
LOL ... you're a hoot. And right on the money -- mostly. I've tended to be a hunter-gatherer of art supplies in certain media for years, but it reached a point I either had "enough" or forbade myself buying more, e.g. tubes of paint & canvases UNTIL I use more of them up. My collection of supplies tended to expand as I discovered, e.g. acrylic pouring (to be able to "quickly" create a piece of experimental/practice and/or "good" art, instead of laboring over an oil painting) Or when an online instructor would do a demo using PanPastels and also arranged a truly fabulous discount for his students (from Jerry's if I remember correctly!), offering an entire set of landscape colors incl. a huge quantity of SofTools for only $120 ...
Or there are the DIVERSE color palettes "recommended" (right -- demanded) by all manner of painting instructors. Only one has ever admitted that it doesn't matter a bean what pigment manufacturer, just use any old "split palette", while ALL the rest encourage you to try their favorite colors & materials (using the handy-dandy discount from their sponsors, natch!) :-D
I've successfully resisted expanding my supplies any further (OH WAIT!
OK, I also have a pretty good stack of sketch pads and LOTS of pencils and periphernalia TOO.)
BUT! My "rationale" over the years was often: I WAS WISHING I had time to indulge my love for painting landscapes in oils but was committed to working 2 jobs. So I'd dive instead into the great deals my online suppliers would send me in their sales emails, "because as soon as I have a day off to paint .. LOOK OUT!"
The result: stacks of unused canvases in many sizes and extra tubes of this or that color, or tubes of INTERESTING colors FILLING drawers, along with all the oils and thinners and containers, according to the advice of my various instructors regarding their favorite mediums and ...
OH WAIT! BRUSHES!!! (Don't get me started on those .... or on my many painting knives. LOL !
Okay, I gotta say this: Rosemary and Co really DOES sell THE BEST-Made brushes, that make exactly the marks you want them to!)
BUT!!!
To answer your question:
NO, I did *not* get something out to "ruin" (though I could have opened up one of those expensive gessoed & cradled painting boards I bought a while back b/c one of my teachers recommends them. Or I could have started throwing paint on an oil-ground canvas I prepped a while back ...) Hmmm! LOL
But I did not join you, ***because I was busy PAINTING! ***
(Whew! Thank Gawd, I have a good excuse ). ;-D
I'm on vacation due to COVID and have several paintings in the works right now. And after finishing one this afternoon, I decided to use up my remaining artistic time and energy doing color charts of some of my new and "interesting" tubes of paint from Gamblin, LeFranc-Bourgeois, Williamsburg, etc......
But I enjoyed your presentation so much, you have a new subscriber!
(I was a Jerry's customer in the past, but am now no longer living in the States, so sorry... But when I move back, Scout's honor!)
XO Thanks!
P.S: Thanks also for handing me a fun topic for my painting newsletter, which I've been remiss in sending out. XOXOXOX
Thanks for sharing your story! We'll see you when you're back states side. In the mean time, hope you enjoy the channel!
I take all my pastels out of their boxes, remove all the labels, break them in half and then store them by hue and value, all brands mixed together in a tabletop divided palette. I get rid of the boxes. Works great! Now, I do have unused art supplies but it’s just because I haven’t had time to get to those yet.
I see pastel artists do this all the time and I just want to know: How do you know where to repurchase a stick once it's used up? You can't possibly remember the brand and number of every single pastel stick. Right?
I've been wondering about this for years!
@@RamoArt You can make a chart when you get them out of the box. Make a mark, write down brand and number. It’s actually pretty easy to figure out the brand of a pastel by the feel or shape of it. Diane Townsends are gritty, Sennelier are really powdery soft, mungo feel waxy/creamy etc. You don’t always need to replace a stick with the exact same thing, you may find a new favorite. As long as you have a variety of hues and tonal values, you can paint anything.
@@michelegirard Interesting that you can tell the brand just by the feeling of the pastel! I like the attitude that you don't need the exact same stick because you might find something new instead. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
That makes sense! And I have a feeling you will get to them eventually!
Just got some more old Holland French ultramarine and I was upset that the label was damaged in shipping lol I need to stop collecting and start painting.
I hoarded the same paint set because there was a store promotion sale. So, i have 3 sets of the same paint, of course i didn't opened the other 2 cause back in my mind i said "when the time i get broke, i will sell this two" 😂
Bought the set for around 380, when i checked it in the market it costs around 570-700+ 😂
The price is going up hahaha 😂
I cringed when you broke that pastel! I had to join an art swap group to force myself to use my art supplies. I was getting so proud of my stash, I bragged my room looked like a small art store! Joining an art swap made me realize how much fun I was missing. Thanks for the fun video! Peace and Blessings from Texas USA! 🖌✂️🖍
Glad you found a way to break through, no pun intended!
I collect and use (but not constantly) and I couldn't think of anything that wasn't already "ruined". This reminds me of the horror of the first snapped pastel, pencil, etc.. I'm trying to winnow down the stash but it's tough; stuff goes in the pile to go because I haven't used it much, then gets snatched back. Oops, I thought of some Japanese watercolours that haven't been used, I'll ruin them tomorrow.
Yes sir that was me😥it's the OCD in me that causes me to do this I really need to find a group for this😂 and it is really hard to not buy that brand or cor you don't have. I will spend at minimum an hour and a half looking at acrylic paint pouring supplies and buy every single thing I think I need.
Damn, I wish I could keep my art supplies tidy! Once I buy a new one, I have to frenetically open it and try!!! Specially because if I don't waste my supplies, I will not be able to buy more! Have to finish them all! After catch'em all!
As long as you are using them, that's the point :-)
Probably I’m not able to destroy it on purpose, but I’ve totally got u: I know the subtle relief feeling when they happen to be broken while I use them...!
It does feel like a bit of a relief after the fact. Good point!
I don't collect like you explain on here. I don't care about perfect looking supplies. But, I try out different mediums. We don't have an art supply store anywhere nearby, only craft stores. And they carry very little art supply stuff and usually not what I am interested in. But, when trying a new medium, say oils, I don't know what to buy. I want a product I like using and that is hit and miss. I try researching but, there is as many opinions as sites to research. So, I end up with supplies that I find I don't like and so, they don't get used. And that is where collecting comes in.
I definitely have the fear of using art supplies, and the more expensive they are the more they feel scared and precious 😭 I'll go and break my faber Castell oil pastels which I've been saving up for years now, wish me luck ✊🏼
Ouch, Good luck 😅
@@watercolourartincapetown2919 thank you!!
You can do it!
@@MikeNotJerry thank you !;-;
I am an art supply hoarder lol and this video describes me’ Didn’t use any while watching this because I’m working while I’m watching, but I am going to when I’m done
Great job Mike ! The only thing I have to break is my husband so I have more time to do my art. He always calls me the minute I put out my paint to make him a coffee. 😂🤣😂
Thank you! Lol, good luck with your husband.
Guilty but I use them too. (Btw, the Raleigh store is a dream wonderland oozing with creative potential. Please, for the love of all things pigment, give Chicago a store. We need you here.)
Once the stuff is broken in you will love them differently. Youll feel all the other art youve done with the thing, remember the things that worked, and youll love the ⅓ remaining prismacolor, or windsor even more because its become an extention of you that has had success.
Wow, I have the charvin box in front of you and several items on the back shelves! I have one of those rolling carts in back of you too! I have an art supply problem!
It's only a problem if you aren't using them ;-)
@@MikeNotJerry that’s my problem, not using my art supplies. The video hit home for me.
I’ve learned to buy one of a line before investing in a larger purchase. I’ve given away so much stuff I hated or found something that worked better. Otherwise I have a pile of pretty that’s useless.
Just sent a giant box to a coworker and her daughter that had Prismacolor markers in them, hated the caps.
I think that's great that you are finding those supplies home to people that might not otherwise have them or be able to use them. Even if they aren't right for you, they might be right for somebody.
I make some art. I collect some art supplies. I don't mind. My wife doesn't mind. Your accountants don't mind. We're all good here... :-)
[at 10:30 you just called me weird...shame, shame, shame]
Weird is good in my book.
One thign I like to do is to paint swatches on a label and place it on the tube, then arrange the tubes so the swatches are most of what I see. It helps me find shit more easily and I am basically making rainbows in my room, which makes me happy.
I also don’t want the slightly dented box of supplies 😂
You are heard and not alone!
I am not an artist or creative. My perspective is always crooked. Everything I did seemed pedestrian. I love high quality paper, writing instruments, full tube of paint, clean unused palettes, and brush hair still glue together. I hate to destroy these beautiful objects with my lousy ways. I can’t stand seeing something bad in sketchbook. I am working on this attitude this year. I need to just put paint and ink on paper and be at peace.
I definitely understand love of collecting and the fear of beginning! When I first heard the phrase, "practice makes progress" instead of "practice makes perfect", it really helped me at least get started!
Yes! And 24-7 online art supply stores are like having an opium den in my den. I think I'll start painting like it's 1821. I'll make my own supplies with oil and eggs and honey and pigments and tiny bladders. That should slow me down.
If you have the know how, go for it!
I like watercolor, and that means I also like really expensive, 100% cotton paper. Man, did I have to psych myself up to test a new masking fluid (and to make sure a multi media technique was going to work like I thought) on the Arches! I keep that piece of test paper (I will use the back, I comfort myself)! And I still have a hard time deciding if what I have in mind is Worthy of The Good Paper, even though I know that lesser quality papers won’t behave the same. At least I work small?
Re sketchbooks: I saw an art professor’s video where she went through all of her sketchbooks-from childhood-to demonstrate that sketchbooks are *supposed* to be ugly!! It’s why you have a sketchbook, so you don’t ruin your Arches, and a place for you to be free to embrace the chaos. It’s ok for what you’re doing to not work, or to be embarrassingly inept. How else will you get better?
That's exactly right! Great lesson from your professor.
I seem to be in the middle of this. I collect art supplies and I use them. Thing is, when it comes to expensive and/or high quality art supplies, I would sparingly use them because it's too precious. Perhaps once I get used to those once I buy and use those high quality art supplies often.
I hear you. It's hard to find that balance between budget, artistic freedom, and treating yourself. The best artists don't always have the best materials. They just make the best of what they have.
I call it deflowering. All the perfect duplicates go in the vault.
That really made me laugh out loud.
I think my problem with art supply collecting comes from a few things
1) Not wanting to ruin the pristine look of the item/ set
2) The never been used/ never
looks to have been touched/ used by anyone (besides myself) makes it appealing
3) With sketchbooks specifically , just the new smell of the paper, and the spine not being cracked from opening it all the time to sketch, plus the beautiful clear pages showing how the book looked when you got it are VERY appealing
4) If you draw on the pages, even in a throwaway book, it just feels like you’ve ruined the clear page esthetic,
5) And if it’s a trash journal, you feel bad about even spending money on it (even if it was cheap) because you will throw it away
6) If it was given to you for free, you feel obligated to make beautiful works in it, or just leave it as is so you can look at it and be reminded who gave it to you
7) It’s nice to just display the pretty supplies
And probably a lot of other things, lol.
So it’s like, yes, I want to create art, but my supplies can be expensive, or even if they aren’t it’s still hard to reck them due to other reasons, or rather waste them is a better word. Like maybe not knowing how to fully use a supply, and you happen to only have a nice set of it, so you don’t want to waste the precious item.
Also Also, I used to take art classes, and our teacher would always keep really nice supplies in bins, like colored pencils, and pastels, and it was very chaotic. However one of my most proud of pieces I made was from that bin of mixed soft pastels, lol, so I do understand the chaotic appeal, and how it can be an inspiration/ can let your art juices flow.
It’s just hard for me personally to keep things stored like that because you want it to look nice, lol
The same thing for me with pallets. I HAVE to wash it clean of paint otherwise the colors mix, and it might stain my pallet, and I want it to look nice still.
But thanks Mike! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one with this problem 🤣
That's the point. This is a group therapy session lol!
this is so funny ive been painting for 26 years almost daily its my passion for sure i have been buying like crazy lately watercolors are my new favorites ,ive been saving my mgraham oild till i start my class at my apt when covids over,i both collect and use them,this was so funny i need aa art aholics lol
I'd be in that group with ya!