Welcome to Bob's Art Supplies
bobsartsupplies.com — your art supply guide
Expert reviews · buying guides · comparisons
Art supplies, explained.
Expert reviews, buying guides, and product comparisons to help you choose the right supplies — and avoid wasting money on the wrong ones.
Shop by medium
Seven mediums, seven complete references.
Each card opens a full guide — a 1,000-word walkthrough, a comparison table, beginner and professional picks, and the FAQs artists actually ask.
Shop by skill level
The right kit for exactly where you are today.
Skill level changes what you should buy — and what you should skip. Pick your stage and start with the single guide that fits it.
Learn & improve your art
New artist tutorials, walked through step by step.
Featured buying guides
The cornerstone reads every artist keeps bookmarked.
In season this month
Spring: take it outside.
Longer days and warmer air mean plein-air season. These are the supplies we reach for when the studio gets too small — a travel set, honest light, and a sketchbook that survives a backpack.
Product comparisons
Side-by-side, not side-by-side-by-guesswork.
Every category guide includes a comparison table built from hands-on testing. Here is the acrylic line comparison as a sample — the full set lives inside each medium guide.
| Line | Grade | Body | Best for | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Medium | First kit; best student value | $25–35 (12 colors) | |
| Student+ | Medium | Stronger pigment per dollar | $30–40 (12 colors) | |
| Student+ | Buttery | Smooth coverage and detail | $35–45 (10 tubes) | |
| Golden Heavy Body | Artist | Heavy | Texture and professional work | $45–60 (intro set) |
| Artist | Soft | Smooth, level application | $50–65 (intro set) |
The resource center
Downloadable templates, curated collections, and gift guides.
Gift guides for artists
Gifts that earn their place in a real studio.
Curated bundles by budget and medium — from a $20 stocking stuffer to the heirloom watercolor set. Every gift is something we would hand to a friend.
Artist challenges
The 30-day sketchbook challenge.
A free, guided month of daily drawing — built so a beginner can finish it and a hobbyist can deepen it. Four weeks, one focus each, thirty small wins.
- 01–07
Line & shape week
Seven days of contour drawing — one object a day, no shading.
- 08–14
Value week
Build a five-step value scale, then render the same object in light and shadow.
- 15–21
Color week
Mix a limited palette and paint a small study each day.
- 22–30
Finish week
Three completed pieces, photographed and signed.
Recommended for you
Tell us where you are. We will point you at one guide.
No sign-up, no quiz to email — just pick a skill level and a medium, and we will surface the single read that fits.
Find your starter kit
Tell us where you are and what you want to make — we will point you at the one guide that fits.
Your skill level
Medium you want to try
Recommended for you
A $50 drawing kit and the five products to skip.Open the guideArtists also read
Related content, hand-picked.
Trust, built on transparency
Every recommendation follows a published review methodology and editorial policy. No sponsored placements, no pay-to-rank — just honest picks you can verify.
Why artists trust Bob's Art Supplies
Your trusted guide to art supplies.
- 7
- Medium silos
- 4
- Cornerstone reads
- 60+
- Products compared
- 30
- Day sketch challenge