Art Supplies: what to consider
We only suggest products with the AP Seal. For over 80 years, the ACMI program for children’s art materials has certified that these products are non-toxic using the AP Seal. In 1982, the program was expanded to include a much broader range of art materials, including adult products, ensuring that they are non-toxic (AP Seal) or carry appropriate health warning labels (CL Seal) where necessary.
Artistic Pursuits Inc. does not manufacture art materials, so we have no monetary interest in specific brands. But we've used them in classrooms and we have opinions! Within each book, we list products that meet a higher standard when measured against other products of a similar kind. With a little more invested in their materials, a child can experience brands that will really deliver the strong color and the quality needed to enjoy art.
A list of supplies needed is found within the front pages of each book. You can view these in the flipbook sample pages on this site.
Many customers want to purchase quality items without the doubts, time, and expense of a trip to a retail art supply store. If that is you, consider purchasing an ARTistic Pursuits art supply pack, available for each book. Another option is to shop at Blick Art Materials using art supply lists that we've created for each book. Go to dickblick.com to "For Educators" > "Blick U" > "Students, find your Blick U Course Supply List here!" > State, enter "Colorado" > "ARTistic Pursuits". Just click on the book title to find many of the art supplies that we suggest for a particular book.
We've selected our favorite products for you. You simply decide which purchasing method suits your needs!
Do you have specific questions about art supplies? Just ask! We deliver honest opinions about prices and quality because we want your child to enjoy their art experience.
Art Supplies | ARTistic Pursuits
Quality Art Supplies | ARTistic Pursuits
Your children see and experience the difference between quality art supplies and substitutes. Take a look at a substandard set of watercolor crayons (on the far left) vs. a quality brand (on the right) in these pictures. Both have been applied to the paper and then brushed with water to blend. Those on the far right work. Why the difference? In order to make color products cheaper, manufacturers use clay, wax, and other fillers, which take up space, but do not deliver color. Though both paintings were handled in the same way, the quality brand with no fillers broke down and blended to act like a true watercolor painting. The cheaper brand had a wax filler and wax resists water, so it did not act like a painting medium, but resisted the water like a wax crayon.