Thrifty artist 🧑‍🎨

We all know money is tight sometimes, so let’s talk about what we can switch out to save money, what is better to splurge on, and where else we can tighten up those purse strings!

Keep reading to see what switches I’ve made, to keep those costs low.

Splurge! The items and areas that we don’t want to cut corners on (thankfully, this isn’t a long list).

✏️ Pencils

✏️ Paper

Now, these two things are our bread and butter, and there is a clear difference between work created on cheaper paper, with cheaper pencils, and that created on better quality paper with good quality pencils, no matter how skilled you are.

Also, we create our work to last. We need pencils with a good lightfastness rating to ensure its longevity. (Lightfastness rating determines how long the pencil work will last under museum conditions, the best being 100 years. The better the rating, the more expensive the pencils generally).

If we cut in these two areas, our work will suffer, which isn’t the purpose of being a thrifty artist!

So what can we do?

The best way to still save a few pennies is to looks for sales and clearances. Derwent do pencil sales relatively often, and mixed suppliers like Jacksons normally have clearance sales too. You can also join certain groups, which come with discounts, such as the UKCPS, who offer 10% off in the Colour Pencil Shop. There’s also normally loads of giveaways to enter on social media, so keep an eye out for them and cross your toes!

Where to save!

Now, the fun bit 😈 This is how, and where I try to save money as a colour pencil artist.

Rubber

If any Americans are reading, that means an eraser 🫣 I used to use an electric eraser religiously, but they don’t work particularly well on all surfaces, and can create a bit of a mess. I also found you go through the rubber tips really fast! So I switched it out for a kneadable eraser. Slightly more manual, but much cheaper, and it lasts a lot longer!

Electric eraser (battery) ~£8 Or A kneadable eraser ~£2

Rechargeable eraser ~£20

60 rubber tips ~£5

Sharpener

Now with sharpeners, I have a high cost, medium cost, and low cost option for you all to look at.

There are lots of options, are your ‘big’ sharpeners. The Derwent Super Point at ~£22, or the Swordfish Ikon at ~£15, your standard twin sharpener ~£2 and a basic craft knife ~£2.

I personally use the Swordfish Ikon, which I managed to grab on sale for £10, and a craft knife, which was in a multipack of 3 from B&M for £4.

I’ve used the Derwent Superpoint sharpener before, but didn’t find it any better, or worse than the Ikon, which is a lot cheaper, so that’s what I stuck with. It’s easy to use, and retains its sharpness well. I also use a cheap craft knife from B&M to get a nice point on my shorter pencils, and to use with pastel pencils.

If you’re really on a budget, with some practise, you could get by with just a craft knife.

Knives

Speaking of craft knives lead nicely into my next point. Is it worth getting a branded knife?

In the past, I religiously used Slice ceramic cutters, which work really well on drafting film and pastelmat at removing layers of colour. I found after purchasing a couple, that the very tip would break after a few months, leaving a jagged edge. The Slice Manual cutter is ~£15 and extra blades are ~£20 for 4, so it can end up getting quite pricy. They are a great tool, but if you’re looking to save some money, it may be better to switch to an unbranded craft knife, which is what I did recently.

Lighting

Now this one is a little different, as I’ve never tried the ‘expensive’ option, unlike the other categories, which I’ve tried and tested. So here are my tips that I use to save money on lighting. I only use daylight lamps, to minimise skewing the colour of the drawing.

Lighting options can run into the £100’s, which is why I’ve never ventured there! To be honest, I use the cheapest options I can find as my lighting set up.

Instead of a floor lamp, I use a desk lamp that comes with a clamp, as this is normally cheaper.

I normally buy from Amazon, as you can find unbranded lamps quite cheap.

If you’re really on a budget, try buying a daylight lamp bulb for your main light in the room. I’ve done this in the past and it’s been great!

Fixative

Many artists use fixative to secure their work, which is ~£20 a bottle. It’s a spray that you can use to help keep the pigment in place, and stop blurring and smudging after completion or in transit.

My best tip is to use cheap hairspray instead for ~£1. Make sure you do it outside to stop the smell, but it works just as well and keeps the pigment where you want it. I’ve seen reports that its yellows over time, but I personally have never experienced this.

It’s not much, but hopefully it’s a start on your journey to being a thrifty artist!