I could write a book about all the art supplies I love to use when I’m art journaling. But instead, I’ve pulled together a pretty short list of my current must-haves. As you know, we’re in the midst of a 4-part series on some of my favorite art supplies, divided by discipline:
- Art Supplies for Painters
- Art Supplies for Printmakers
- Art Supplies for Art Journalers (this post)
- Art Supplies for Collage Artists
Today we’ve made it to #3: art journaling supplies!
Watch the Video
I’ve put together a video with all the details about why I like and use these particular supplies:
And here’s the list of goodies from the video:
- Listo China Markers
- Neocolor I Crayons
- Neocolor Sharpener
- Posca Pens
- SoFlat Acrylic Paint
- Ranger Heat It Craft Tool
- Grey Matters Palette Paper
- Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape
- Deli Paper
Writing Tools
I have a lot of pens, pencils, markers, and crayons. While I love all my art supplies, there are some that I reach for more than others. These are those few:
Why I Love Them: Originally meant for marking china, these “grease pencils” write beautifully on any surface — acrylic paint, paper, even wet layers. I used a china marker to outline the edges of the drawing on this art journal spread:
Why You Should Try Them: They’re basically indestructible crayons that make gorgeous, rich marks and hold up under paint layers. The Listo ones are especially great because they’re refillable, come in tons of colors, and don’t require the annoying peeling-paper method.
Bonus: You can even draw into wet paint without ruining them.
Caran d’Ache Neocolor I Wax Pastels
Why I Love Them: These are the fancy upgrade to your crayon game. Super highly pigmented, buttery smooth, and they show up even over dark paint.
Why You Should Try Them: You’ll get vivid, saturated color that plays well with layers and texture. Plus, you can sharpen them to a perfect point with a crayon sharpener (yes, that’s a thing!) for fine details. I sharpen mine all the time. It’s so useful.
Why I Love Them: Paint pens that actually behave! I use mostly the 3M and 5M tip sizes (around 1.3mm and 2.5mm). The white Posca pens are my most-used — opaque, vibrant, and consistent. You can see them in action in this detail photo below:
Why You Should Try Them: These markers write over anything — dry paint, collage, gesso — because they’re filled with acrylic paint. They’re perfect for doodling, outlining, and adding bright pops of color.
Paint
Why I Love Them: The name says it all — SoFlat! These paints dry super matte and flat, which means no sticky pages or glossy glare.
Why You Should Try Them:
- No page sticking: Ideal for art journals.
- Beautiful colors: Rich, saturated pigments in fluid consistency.
- Quick drying: Great for impatient journalers (like me!).
- High quality: Professional-level paints that behave beautifully whether you’re layering, glazing, or scribbling.
General Art Journaling Tools
There are sooooo many tools available to you as an art journaler. How can we choose just a few? I was thinking about what I would want to make sure to bring with me if I was visiting someone else’s art studio. What are the supplies that I’d be annoyed to not have? Here are the three that made the list:
Why I Love It: It looks like a hairdryer but is designed for artists. It’s quieter, gentler, and doesn’t blow paint all over the place.
Why You Should Try It:
- Dries paint fast without scorching paper.
- Perfect for impatient journalers who want to keep working.
- Small detail: the hanging loop! I keep mine in a “holster” (just a hook near my desk) so it’s always ready to go.
Why I Love It: The neutral gray background makes colors look true — not washed out by white paper.
Why You Should Try It:
- Comes in 9×12″ or smaller half-sheets, so it fits beside your journal.
- Perfect for mixing paint accurately.
- Ideal for practicing color theory or testing mixes before putting them in your art journal.
- Bonus: The gray color helps you see value and saturation better.
Blue Painter’s Tape (ScotchBlue)
Why I Love It: It’s a simple, inexpensive tool that creates magic. Great for masking shapes, holding paper in place, or adding texture and edges. Can you see where I’ve used tape on this art journal spread:
Why You Should Try It:
- Leaves crisp lines.
- Doesn’t tear your pages.
- Easy to reposition and remove.
- Adds structure or design elements quickly.
Paper
It’s funny not to to talk about what book or journal to use in a post all about art journaling. But, one thing that I’ve learned in my 20+ years of teaching and art journaling is that it’s a really personal choice as to what you use. So instead of talking about the paper that makes up the substrate of your art journal, let’s talk about my favorite art paper in the whole world:
Why I Love It: My secret weapon for using every last drop of paint. I never waste paint — I swipe it on deli paper to make instant collage material.
Why You Should Try It:
- Cheap, strong, and translucent.
- Perfect for cleaning palettes or creating layered collage papers.
- Collages beautifully — goes nearly transparent with matte medium.
- A fun, low-stakes surface to play and experiment on.
- Bonus: Wet-strength tissue paper works too, but deli paper is way more affordable.
- Deli paper is awesome inside a journal because it’s so flat. It doesn’t add a lot of bulk to your pages! (See the image below)
Final Thoughts
Art journaling doesn’t need a million fancy tools — but having a few well-loved, versatile supplies makes it joyful and easy. These are the things I reach for over and over again in my studio because they just work.
Whether you’re brand new to art journaling or a long-time creative explorer, I hope this list inspires you to experiment, play, and fall in love with your tools too. Be sure to check the archives on this blog for 10+ years of art journaling tutorials and information!
Thanks for stopping by!
Do you ever add the used palette paper into your stash?
Palette paper doesn’t hang onto paint very well. But you can use regular paper as a palette and then use it as collage fodder!
As always… you give the best advice, demonstrations, practice tips every time I tune in❤️
Thanks, Noreene!
Thanks Julie!! Love this!! I haven’t been able to have the time to get into my craft room lately but you so inspire me with each video that I WILL make the time!!!
Yay! I love hearing that!