Best School Supplies for High School and College Art Classes

As school rolls around, students get back to the drawing board - literally! Fresh drawing pads await the marks of graphite, waxy, or chalky pencils depicting the imaginations of students. While high school and college teachers may allow students to borrow or check out some art supplies from the classroom, they require or recommend that students provide a couple of materials. Reviewed below are the best school supplies to buy for high school and college art classes.

Sketchbook

A must-have school supply is a sketchbook that has heavy-weight paper with a texture designed for blending. Sketchbooks are available at office supply stores such as Staples that carries Tru-Rite 9 in. x12 in. sketchbooks with 30 sheets of white paper for $3.99; as well as craft stores such as A.C. Moore that carries 9 in. x12 in. sketchbooks with 75 sheets for under $8.

Sketching Pencils/Colored Pencils

The next best art class school supplies include sketching pencils especially 4B and 6B. The craft store Michaels carries Reeve's ten-pack sketching pencils for $6.99. Art teachers also require colored pencils made by brands such as Crayola that sells eraseable colored pencils and regular colored pencils available at Staples in a box of 12 for $2.79 and in a box of 24 for $4.99; and Prismacolor that are sold as individual colored pencils at craft stores such as A.C. Moore where each pencil is $1.76. Also a 12-pack of graphite colored pencils is sold at A.C. Moore for $8.79.

Paint Brushes

Further on the art class school supply list are paint brushes including those that are fine pointed (size 000 to size 1), flat, or angled. A great store to buy them is at Staples where Prang 5-pack assorted paint brushes (three flat and two tapered) are sold for $3.79.

Three Ring Binder

From my experiences as an art student, I can share that art class isn't just about creating but also about note taking as students learn about art history and techniques. Binders are also necessary to organize a great deal of handouts.

Keeping an eye out for back-to-school sales on all of these art class school supplies will put high school and college art students on the right track. Craft stores such as Michaels even offers exclusive coupon discounts, which last through October, for students and teachers such as 50% off on sketchbooks. Some other great stores to buy these supplies include Walmart, Target, Office Depot, and Office Max. Investing in these art supplies will come in handy not just for first-level art classes but also for advanced-level art classes as well as personal art projects now and in years to come.

Sources

"ACMoore.com - Arts and Crafts."AC Moore.

Michaels - In Store.

"Office Supplies, Printer Ink, Toner, Electronics, Computers, Printers & Office Furniture."Staples.