Someone needs to make an artist swap site so we can all trade our supplies that didn't work for us! Great video 🥰

I just did a transformative thing today: I looked at all my collections (pencils, watercolors, neocolors, etc.) and started removing all the colors I never use. Purple, magentas, blue leaning light greens, pthalo, viridian....you get it. I put them all in baggies and stored them away. Then I went through all my watercolor pans and did a ton of comparison swatches. So if 3 of the blues look pretty similar, ditch 2!  I cannot tell you how much better and accessible everything is now with about 1/2 my stash stored away and a better understanding of what colors I actually need.

Also...those big acrylic markers are a total pain in the ass. :)

Nice video😊 little tip: i set my ink bottles in a sort off whisky glass. It prevents them from flying around my room😅

I had the same problems with stuff in front of my drawers.  I ended up putting them on a monitor stand, which helped a ton.  

I have also found that a rolling cart has allowed me to take things off of my desk and see my stuff more clearly.  

My favorite hack for more space in my room has been clear shoe pocket organizers you hang on the door. I have them on the front and the back of the door.

For the Acrylic Gouache I recommand a stay wet palette to prevent the colors from trying out. If you don't want to buy one, you can even make one yourself. I use a airtight container put one of those dish washing rag kind of sponge in it wet it with as little water as possible to make them soft but not soaking wet and cover it with a piece of waxy baking paper. You can use this also as a mixing palette. It just needs a little wetting the sponge with a spray bottle after every use or a few days.

Same girl..if i cant see it i forget about it and will never use.

As a watercolourist, I absolutely agree with the watercolour ground! I got the transparent quite a few years back thinking I could use it in sketchbooks I already had to make them hold watercolour better and canvas and wood rounds as well. I've tried it quite a bit and to be 100% honest, regular gesso works better.. 😅 I find that no matter how many layers I did & no matter how many different application techniques I tried, I got the same result. I've watched videos on how to apply it to certain surfaces, like canvas, thinking maybe I was just doing it wrong, but no. No matter what I tried with it, it peels. I've let the surface dry for like 4 days before painting on it and still had the same issues. It reminds me of really horrible watercolour paper. The kind you're given in high school that a single wash of water peels the paper up and you have a ton of tiny paper pulps in your painting ruining the wash and adding unwanted texture. The absorbency isn't great at all, and like I said before, regular gesso works better lol. I'm currently doing a painting on wood with gouache & watercolour and used clear gesso to prep (as I always do now) and it looks like a normal watercolour painting with no peeling!

I absolutely loved this video! I’m from Brazil and I’ve recently started learning watercolor. Sadly, because of the high import taxes here, art supplies from these brands can be extremely expensive, which makes it challenging for someone just starting  to get them.
Even so, watching your beautiful work is so inspiring and makes me want to keep practicing and improving. Thank you for sharing your art and making the watercolor journey even more inspiring!

OMG… I literally have the exact same issues with every single thing that you mentioned! Minus the acrylic gouache paint… Because I do not own any!! I could never see the purpose for it since I already have acrylic and I already have gouache, and if I wanted it, I could just mix those too! I love my little wooden drawers, but I almost never access them… I did have them set up next to an art horse/bench so when I work on larger things I’m more inclined to use them, but I’ve been at my desk and haven’t used anything to work on a large piece in a very long time. These types of videos absolutely do help especially when I am feeling the itch to buy something that I most likely do not need! 😉 🙏 🖍️ ✏️ 🎨 🖌️

Great video!!! Your regrets are very relatable!! I definitely have some art supplies I regret buying that are now stashed away in the “out of sight, out of mind” pile. And I’ve definitely thought about getting into oil paints and acrylic gouache, but somehow I’ve managed to keep those temptations at bay!! 😅

The charcoal XL is fun, I love them!  I also love my inks, though I do usually have an area - no carpet for inks or oils.
I can honestly say that if I have a "regret" it's that I have way too many watercolor tubes, pan sets from Winsor and Newton, Sennelier, Schmincke, Holbein, etc.  I love them all, but have not been using them as much as I should.  I also have way too many oil colors, mostly purchased for a class I started then dropped.  But overall, I love having my supplies around me.  I do keep them separated, because I want to have what I need whenever my desire to work in colored pencil, pen and ink, graphite, charcoal, alcohol ink or whatever I want to work in for that time period.  I tell friends I suffer from ASAD (Art Supply Addiction Disorder) and AADD (Art Attention Deficit Disorder)  I cant seem to stick with one mediun for more than a couple of years, but they always rotate back around and I'm ready.

This is a great video!! 🙂Now I think it's time to maybe do a challenge over a series of days - You have to choose one of the items you regret buying and make art with it for a week. After that week, you can REALLY decide if you actually want to keep them. I say this because I'm kinda doing this with some of my supplies. The addiction to art supplies is REAL...lol. Funny, I have a tub of those paint markers but I do love them -  in fact I brougt some to work today and painted with them in my sketchbook on my break. I do have some dry pastels that I NEVER use but I'm challenging myself to use them for a week...Lol..I'll see how I feel afterwards.  Thank you so much for sharing this with us Fionna!

the kitchen cart from idea is popular, i have one, or rolling carts for art supplies.

I totally understand everything you say. I really enjoy your candor and your real relatability -slobber is a major artist handicap. I dread spilling alizarin crimson on my rug.  The thought of spilling ink is a true nightmare I get you completely.

Thank you for this! These videos are so helpful to me. I really hate the Liquitex markers especially! Glad I only bought 2. I do love the Poscas, though. I wonder if acrylic paint retarder will work with acrylic gouache. Think I'll try that, soon. Thanks for sharing. 🌻

I have the same barrier of entry to acrylic gouache. They seem so high maintenance because they will dry up.

I too have bought supplies I regretted later. I have declutterred my collections often. Lately, not so much because I have been trying to use most supplies I have left and stop buying more. That is working well for now. The only supply I have yet to try is acrylic gouache. Someday I will (pretty sure). ❤ I would have the same issue as you with the drawers. Plus, I have to see something nearby to use it. If it’s hidden I forget about it. Thanks for sharing!

This was so so so relatable 😩😩🤣

I had the same issue. It’s why I have finally learned to buy open stock. I have a bunch of sets of pencils, crayons, watercolors that I haven’t used. Heck I even have a Gelli Playe from like 2013 heat has not seen the light of day😅

Ink bottles. I 3d print a holder that prevents tipping. Looks like a little volcano. Maybe you could construct something similar with cardboard or paper mache if you don't have a 3d printer.

Also maybe a marker with matte medium, might help the glossy paint marker problem. Or a marker filled with your transparent watercolor ground.