Staff Favourites From The Customer Support Team

Opus Resource Library

In any art practice, we and our tools are partners in creativity. It’s a deep and meaningful, everyday connection - a truly magical alliance at the core of what we do.

Finding that special tool can be a game changer in your practice. One of the best ways to discover new tools? Asking other artists!

Many Opus staff have their own art practices and benefit from knowing and testing the vast range of products available at our stores. As you know each product has their own set of differences and strengths, so finding the one that works well for you can be super personal and custom to your practice. With that, here our the favourite art materials loved by our Customer Support team :)

Our Team's Favourite Art Materials Right Now

Fineliner Pens | Winsor & Newton

"With a smooth paper they glide well, and do not smudge while working. The longer tip allows for me to see my work more clearly, allowing for more control. With variety of sizing I can go from sketch to finished piece."

– Scott

Shop Winsor & Newton Fineliner Pens →

Quill Brushes | Various Brands

"Quill brushes changed the way I approach painting certain subject matter, in particular foliage and other plants. Rather than having to outline and paint leaves or plants with a liner brush and fill with a round or flat brush, I can load the quill with the paint I need and use my hand movement to execute a leaf in one stroke. Also, with a quill's ability to hold a large amount of water and paint, I can work longer without having to reload my brush."

– Kyrra

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Glass Palette | Opus Art Supplies

"I have a tendency to start painting, lose track of time, and realize it's so late I don't have time to clean up. With the glass palettes, even once the paint is dry, you can use a scraper to clean it off and it doesn't ruin the palette. You can use any kind of paints, mediums or solvents with them because glass is non reactive. And you can put any colour paper under the palette depending on if you prefer to mix on a white surface, or a mid-tone grey one."

– Kris

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Mars Technico Lead Holder | STAEDTLER

"I like it because it has the same feel and benefits as if I had sharpened a regular pencil to an extra long point, without the weight or length of the pencil changing (keeps it super consistent). Fantastic for sketching as I can easily switch back and forth between laying lines down and shading large areas. A must-have for any artist's kit for anything from jotting ideas and sketches down to life drawing!!"

– Danika

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Gel Mediums & Paste Set of 6 | GOLDEN

"My top choice is the Golden Gel Mediums & Paste set of 6. You get to try 6 of Golden's most interesting mediums for under $40, with enough in each tube to make a few experimental pieces. What I love about it is that since they're small and you get so many, it encourages you to try new things, and I find it an excellent catalyst for creativity that I can't recommend enough. I would recommend it to new artists who are just starting to learn about mediums AND long-time painters to encourage them to try new things and possibly discover their new favourite texture!"

– Yewin

Shop Gel Medium & Paste Set of 6 →

Recycled Sketchbooks | Strathmore

"I love Strathmore 400 Recycled Sketchbooks. I tend to not treat any of my materials as "precious" and this sketchbook can handle what I throw at it.

If the pages start to get a little rumpled by the time I reach the end, it's all fine because it's just a casual sketch book! If I make something that has a little more effort put into it to look nice, I can cleanly take it out because the pages are perforated! The coil binding lets me flip the pages all the way around which I find makes it really easy to use both on-the-go or at home. The paper itself is also great for my needs. I can write and erase with pencil a lot before I reach the point of no return, and even though it's sketch paper, I can still use micron fine liners without any issues of the ink bleeding through or feathering.

I've been using these for years and I'm not about to stop!"

- Gabby

Shop Strathmore 400 Recycled Sketchbooks →