If you love painting and have finally decided to create a dedicated workspace, read on. You can make your own artistic and creative sanctuary stress-free, by being organised and having the right tools at hand.
Following are some comprehensive lists for what you will need. You can then build on this base-line, adding more as you go.
Options are included for setting yourself up as an art business.
Essential elements to a good Art Studio
- Light is your number one requirement, filtered natural light is optimal. Too little of this and your color matching will likely be incorrect. You may also develop eye-strain.
- Space for an easel and room to stand back and observe your work. Even if that means being able to step out into the hallway to view it, that’s fine.
- Storage: the right kind of storage for everything you need makes life so much easier. See below for options and ideas.
- Work desk or table with a comfortable office chair.
- Computer or large tablet space plus good quality printer.
- Natural light globes for non-daylight hours or cloudy days.
- Heating and cooling which is not too drying. Ideally a North facing room in the Southern Hemisphere and South facing in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Space for storing your canvases.
- A large table (which can easily be the dining table in another room). You need this for laying your painting flat to varnish and attach a hanging wire on the back. It is also necessary for wrapping to store or sell.
The right kind of storage for an Art Studio
Visibility is so helpful when trying to find the right color paint or brush. I use two old hairdressing trolleys with drawers labelled for color groups of my acrylic paints.
I know an artist who used a whole bank of old crates as large open shelving if you need that kind of storage.
IKEA have great trolley options as do Kmart and Howard’s Storage World. Owning a good label maker is nice, but I have done well with hand-written labels on my trolleys.
I also have a tray-mobile which I found at an antique store. I use this to put my paint and water on top, with room for extra things on the lower shelf. It has two drawers top and bottom for brushes and palettes.
Drawers are better than shelves. Shelves end up having things get lost in the back, where-as drawers you can pull out and see everything you have.
Deep wide drawers are excellent for storing bubble-wrap. You can also use a tall cane linen basket with a lid for rolls of bubble-wrap. I have one with a cushion lid which doubles as an extra seat.
I am using an old antique bookshelf with leadlight doors for all my filing, painting inspiration pictures, bottles of varnish, solvent, display cards, retarder, glues, and an assortment of other items.
The more creative you are with storage, the more character-filled your art studio will become. And yet you can still find everything easily.
If you like storing bits and pieces in decorated boxes, make sure they are easily accessed and labelled. It is very tempting to pile other boxes on top, then you forget what was in them.
If you are lucky and have the room, a large print drawer with multiple slim drawers would be fantastic if you are selling multiple prints. If not, only print each one as required for orders or gifts.
Storing multiple canvases
Canvases are prone to damage, so you need to keep a few things in mind about storage:
- Keep them covered until ready to use. Dust and dirt will make them grimy.
- If you have limited space, hang your completed art works on every available wall until they sell. (if your art is more than a hobby)
- If you are concerned about sunlight causing fading to your artworks for sale, wrap in bubble-wrap, 2 – 3 layers. Store in a standing position against a wall away from direct light.
- Place cardboard protective corners on the canvas before wrapping it up. (ensure your painting is completely dry)
- Place canvases of a similar size face to face after wrapping.
- Do not lean a small canvas against a large canvas to prevent accidental indentation marks.
- Ensure there are no objects or wires which could create dents in the canvas.
- Do not store in a shed. Musty smells, moisture and insects could find their way into the painting.
- Your painting must be absolutely dry before packaging. Any moisture can lead to mould.
Useful tools in your Art Studio
A few items are indispensable in a good Art Studio. This is a brief introductory list that you could consider for your own space and includes a few items that you would incorporate if you wanted to sell your artwork:
- An easel which easily moves up and down, e.g Mabef have a fantastic easel which has a handle to wind it up and down. Mont Marte have excellent easels in different sizes at a lower price point than Mabef.
- Multiple brush options for paint (see paint brush options here.)
- Brush options used only for varnishing ( see more on varnishing here.)
- Apron (a chef’s apron will do, or get one at Spotlight)
- Stool or office chair to sit on when you are painting
- old flannels, tea-towels or paper towels.
- A good sized jug for water to clean brushes
- A piece of dowel or telescopic rubber-ended steady pole (for tricky painting when you have a tremor)
- Good sized bin
- Large metal ruler (grid-work on larger canvases)
- Spirit level
- Baby wipes (clean your messy oil paints off hands)
- Drop sheet
- Tear off Paper Palette (Mont Marte or Reno Art)
- Masterson paint saving container
- Charcoal pencils
- Assorted lead pencils
- Good soft white erasers
- White pencil (grid-work on dark pictures)
- Calculator
- Stapler
- Notebooks
- Builder’s Tape Measurer
- Printing paper
- Large envelopes for Certificates of Authenticity
- Display cards
- Receipt book unless you are operating on-line only.
- Tax receipt file for sales
- Commercial Printers file for price lists and measurements.
- File for galleries, cafe’s and businesses to display your art.
These lists and information will set you up very well to be successful in your own Art Studio. Now you can use your creativity to make it your own special place.
I have used plants, books, candles, paintings and other pictures, a cosy chair with crocheted rug…..you get the idea. Because this is your special room, your sanctuary and place of creativity and happiness.
And don’t forget your favorite music playlists!
Have fun!
