Tools & Supplies

Welcome to my tools and supplies section of the site these are lists, links and brief descriptions of the tools, supplies and materials I use in my art. I will update this list from time to time when needed.

TOOLS

Here is a list of some of my favorite Tools I use to create my art projects.

Dremel Tool

X-Acto Knife

Hot Glue Gun

Brushes

  • Windsor & Newton - Series 7 Sable Brushes

  • Windsor & Newton - Cotman 111 Synthetic Brushes

  • Princeton - Neptune Series Synthetic Brushes

  • Princeton - Velvettouch Synthetic Brushes

SUPPLIES

The regular Supplies I use to create my art projects.

Paints

I use to use Reaper paints when I started but now I prefer Liquitex and Vallejo paints they are easier for me to get and I like the coverage and durability of their Products and the results they give.

Primers & Sealers

I also use primarily Liquitex and Vallejo sealers, though there are some other specialty products I use alot

  • Mod Podge
    This is probably my most used product its a sealer and a glue and us very useful for many types of projects, works on papers, foam, fabric and many other surfaces it will seal almost any surface and can glue lighter materials together. I do find it to be a bit hydroscopic though which is a big word for it isn’t always 100% waterproof. I know they claim that it is though prolonged moisture exposure can effect the glue or sealer.
    Mod Podge also comes in several different types including Matte, Glossy & Satin finishes and there is also a dishwasher safe one though I have never used this product.

  • Vallejo Matte Varnish (also comes in Satin, Gloss & Metal Coat)
    This is one of my primary matte sealers that I use for sealing paint jobs on models and miniatures as well as figures. Its 100% acrylic resin goes on pretty easy and can be brushed or airbrushed on also can be thinned some, but be careful thinning it too much or it looses its properties. Its fairly hard when fully cured, it dries to the touch in 2-10 minutes depending on thickness of application and humidity. It is a water based product and washes up easily, it will gum up your airbrush or ruin good brushes if not thoroughly cleaned. They also make a satin and gloss and a metal coat version though I have not used these myself.

  • Liquitex Varnishes
    I primarily used these varnishes exclusively for quite some time until I found the Vallejo varnishes. I still use then a lot for most sealing purposes or as an in between sealer, not usually as a final sealer. It comes in large bottles and is relatively cheap though it does go on a bit heavy so be careful or you’ll gum up the details a bit. it can also be used for water effects like small pools of water though I don’t generally use it for that.

  • Varithane Polyurethane Satin Varnish
    This varnish is used for furniture and I usually use it for larger projects, it works well on wood and paper but can also go over painted plastics, its not my favorite anymore unless I am making a large project that will use more sealer.

  • Tamiya x-22 High GLoss Varnish
    I use the Tamiya pretty only for small high gloss areas, like sealing eyes or wet slimy surfaces. It comes in a very small jar and it has a decent smell to it unlike all the previous water based sealers I mentioned.

  • Krylon Matte/Gloss Art Spray
    This is a rattle can sealer, I don’t use it much anymore, I use to use it in place of the vallejo matte varnish, now I just use that. I like this spray a lot it goes on thin so you will need multiple coats to give something a decent protective finish. Its also not the strongest finish there are better sealers, though this dries quickly and does not effect the surface of your piece, I used this to seal in between painting coats but now I just use Vallejo instead.

Color Wheel
I use this color wheel from “real color wheel” you can download it for free and print it out then use it while you are painting to create your color schemes. I find it really helps when i’m stumped on color combinations. I personally use the CMYK version.

http://realcolorwheel.com/colorwheel.htm

Read Noise ISO Camera Setting Graph
This is a helpful page when trying to understand your camera’s ISO to grain level values.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/RN_ADU.htm