Essential Art Tools to Run My Small Art Business

Everything I use for my pet portrait business

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing all the essential tools I’ve relied on to run my small art business this year. Whether you're a traditional or digital artist, many of these items will be useful for you as well. I hope this video helps if you’ve recently started your own art business or if you’re considering turning a hobby into a business. You definitely don’t need all of these things to get started, but these are the tools I’ve gradually accumulated over time. I reinvest most of the money I earn back into my business to buy better products and technology. I'll be sharing the tools I use to create my art and products, the materials I use for packaging and shipping, as well as the technology and software that help me run my business. I'll also share a few items that are still on my wish list.

Art making tools

I am a traditional artist specialising in pet and animal art and I use both acrylic and oil paint. I’ll start by talking about the products I use to create my artwork.

Easel

My easel is a H-frame easel from Jackson’s Art. After using a cheaper easel for a long time, upgrading to this one has been a game-changer. It’s much heavier and sturdier, and it can hold canvases of all sizes, from small to large. It can be adjusted to lay flat horizontally, which is perfect for certain painting techniques. It also has a convenient ledge where I keep my palette cups and a few paintbrushes within easy reach.

Paintbrushes

When it comes to paintbrushes, I’ve accumulated quite a collection over time. A couple of my favorite brands are Pro Arte and Rosemary Brushes. I have a range of different types and sizes, and I highly recommend having a variety of sizes, as well as both firm and soft bristles. I use firm-bristled brushes at the beginning of a painting to lay down values and for techniques like scumbling, while I reserve soft-bristled brushes for subsequent layers and glazing.

My preferred paintbrush brands are Pro Arte and Rosemary brushes

Paints

The types of paint I use vary. For commission work, I love using the Golden brand, and my go-to colours are Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, Hansa Yellow, and Titanium White. I have many other colours as well, and I choose specific ones depending on the animal I’m painting. For instance, if I’m painting a golden retriever or lab, I’ll often use Naples Yellow. For oil paints I primarily use water soluble ones because they are less toxic, and the brands I like are Daniel Smith and Cobra.

Painting Surfaces

When it comes to surfaces to paint on, personally, I like stretched cotton or linen canvas. I went through a phase of doing commissions on paper, but they weren't as popular as stretched canvas, and I didn't enjoy the paper surface as much, so I eventually stopped using it. When creating designs for my greeting cards, I sometimes use canvas paper, but most of the time, the designs come from my canvas paintings.

Stretched cotton or linen canvas is my preferred painting surface

Painting Mediums

I use a variety of painting mediums, and one I frequently work with is gesso. I apply it when stretching my own canvas, and even on store-bought canvases, I add an extra layer. I like the Galleria brand, and if I want the natural colour of the canvas to show through, I prefer the Michael Harding clear gesso. When working with acrylic paint, I only use water, and towards the end of the painting, I apply a gloss glazing medium.

When I’m working with water-soluble oil paints, I use Winsor and Newton ‘Artisan’ Water Mixable Thinner Medium for the first layer and Winsor and Newton Artisan Water Mixable Linseed Oil Medium for the following layers.

Cleaning Brushes

For cleaning my brushes I use the Masters Brush Cleaner which is the best one I’ve used and although the pot is small and quite pricey it lasts a really long time so its worth it.

Varnish

To varnish my acrylic paintings I use the Winsor & Newton Professional Gloss Varnish spray. A spray varnish is a great option as it’s mess free, there are no varnish brushes to wash out and it leaves a lovely even finish.

Palette

I recently purchased a grey glass palette that I prop up on my easel, keeping my paint right next to the artwork. The grey color, being a midtone, helps me judge the darks and lights more accurately, and since it’s not transparent, it's ideal for mixing. I also use a stay-wet palette for my acrylic paints, which is one of my must-have tools—it keeps the paint wet and workable for days. Just be sure to put the lid back on when you're done painting.

Studio Space

I have a dedicated space to store paintings at various stages of completion. Whether you're working with acrylics or oils, it's important to have a spot for wet paintings or varnished pieces that need time to dry. When I work with oils, I let the painting dry between layers, hanging them on my wall easel system in the studio, and I do the same after varnishing, leaving them to dry overnight. Alternatively, you can lay them flat, just be sure they’re protected from dust.

Stretching Canvas

When I stretch my own canvas, I use stretcher bars from either Jackson's Art or Amazon, along with a roll of either cotton or linen canvas. I use a heavy-duty staple gun, and canvas pliers to attach the canvas to the stretcher bars and some sandpaper to lightly sand between layers of gesso.

Float Frames

Offering framing as an additional revenue stream is a smart move; it enhances the artwork and provides convenience for your clients since the pieces arrive ready to display. I offer three different color options in the same style of float frame. They are easy to attach to the painting and look great as well.

Printing Products

I don’t currently print products from my home studio but I do have a go-to place where I order my greeting cards, bookmarks, and prints. I get my greeting cards with kraft envelopes and plastic-free compostable sleeves. For my bookmarks, I have different coloured tassels which I attach using this a single punch. I would highly advise finding a reliable print shop if you are new to making products from your art. Buying all the equipment you need to print yourself can be a big expense initially but this is something that’s on my wish list. So if you have any recommendations please let me know!

Supplies I use to package orders

Now moving onto supplies I use to package up my paintings I start with a layer of acid free tissue paper, its important to get acid free so that the paper doesn’t react with the canvas surface in anyway. I will then wrap in brown kraft paper and tie with some green twine. I include a business card and a painting care guide. For my greeting cards as I mentioned they are packaged in a compostable free plastic sleeve and for my bookmark I found some glassine bags on amazon which are the perfect fit.

My bookmark packaging and shipping materials

Supplies for shipping orders

Shipping boxes are essential. I try to use recycled boxes whenever possible, ensuring the sizes are correct, but I also keep a stack of telescopic boxes, which consist of a smaller box fitting inside a larger one for added protection. It took me quite a while to find the right sizes for my different canvas dimensions, so I order in bulk and store them flat under my bed. I use paper tape to seal the boxes and fill them with protective materials before placing the painting inside.

I use cardboard backed mailers to ship my greeting cards and if I have an order with multiple cards I use mailer boxes which fit around 4-6 greeting cards in.

Cardboard backed mailers to ship greeting cards

Marketing Materials

One of the first things I did when I started my business was get business cards printed. I also had flyers made, outlining the process for ordering a custom portrait, along with the sizes and prices I offer. I use stickers featuring my logo, all of which I have printed at the same shop that handles my business cards and flyers.

As for marketing, I manage a few social media accounts. I love to use Pinterest, which functions more like a search engine than a social platform. I highly recommend Pinterest for showcasing products, as it’s less competitive than Google.

I’m a big advocate for having your own website. It’s an excellent way to show your portfolio, sell your work, display testimonials, and even feature a newsletter sign-up and artist blog.

For creating my YouTube videos, Instagram reels, and thumbnails, I rely on Canva. While they offer a free version, upgrading to the Pro version is worth considering for its added features, like the ability to download videos in 4K.

Music

For music in my YouTube videos, I use Epidemic Sound. They offer a wide selection of music, and you can link it directly to your YouTube channel to avoid copyright claims.

Technology

I photograph my artwork and products using my iPhone, which has a fantastic camera. However, I’d love to invest in a DSLR camera in the future for photographing artwork for prints—it's definitely on my wish list! I also use my phone to record all my YouTube videos.

For video sound, I use the Rode Wireless ME microphone, which comes with a receiver that connects to my phone and a transmitter I attach to myself. When I need to record voiceovers, I simply use the Voice Notes app on my phone, though I’m considering upgrading to a dedicated voiceover microphone—it’s another item on my wish list.

I also use a softbox light for filming during the winter months when natural light is limited. For painting, I rely on a daylight lamp that’s perfect for those darker days. It has a setting that mimics natural daylight, making it ideal for painting when the lighting isn’t quite right.

A laptop is essential for my daily tasks, like maintaining my website, contacting clients, and editing my YouTube videos. An external hard drive is a must-have for storing large files. I organize folders on mine to store things like stock videos and photos. It's a great way to keep everything backed up and organized.

I also use a basic printer to print out reference photos and labels for packaging, but I’d love to upgrade to a thermal printer someday for more efficient printing of shipping labels.

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you found this useful in some way :)

Everything I Use For My Small Art Business