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Paper suitable for Wet Media &

Mixed Media Art

Watercolor paper is the best choice for any and all wet media.

There are 3 types: Cold Press (textured & most common),

Hot Press (smooooth, great for drawings that have lighter washes)

Rough (SUPER textured and hard to find, especially in journals).


This is a great value pad. Perfect for practice at a reasonable price.


Lovely higher quality Cold Press at an affordable price! I use this paper most often.


My favorite go-to for Hot Press paper. Fab for high detail drawings and when I want hard edges and less water.



Rough paper is SO FUN. Not used too often but it's a blast to work on and gives really fun results!



The Cadillac of watercolor paper. 100% Cotton, Heavy weight, very expensive and worth every penny on those special occasions!



This skinny hardback journal is what I use to swatch all of my watercolors in so I have them all in one place. SO handy, especially for travel!
I'm obsessed with this journal. I'm on my 8th one!!
Stocked with heavy-weight cold press watercolor paper, it can handle absolutely anything I throw at it!
I LOVE a square journal. This is my favorite travel journal size filled with high quality, heavy-weight, cold press watercolor paper.


I couldn't resist this larger circular block for portraits and florals!

Paper suitable for Dry Media

I'm not too picky about my drawing paper. HOWEVER, certain supplies ARE picky and NEED the right paper

to perform their best for you!

I find alcohol markers to be the TOP PICKIEST! They NEED a smooth, non-porous paper like Bristol to work properly. And using the WRONG paper (like watercolor paper) can even suck all of their ink (YIKES!) and prevent you from being able to blend them at all (FRUSTRATING). I hope this information helps you make art that's EASY so you can have more fun :)

High quality Bristol is widely available at your local craft store but it's much cheaper to purchase it online.
Most affordable Bristol alternative on the planet and works equally as well!
Great all purpose sketch pad. I love that it opens flat. NOT good with markers. Great for all other dry media.
My go-to for Toned Paper when I want to work on brown. Has a wonderful "tooth" to it (meaning texture) that I enjoy working on.


Also has awesome tooth when I'm in the mood for grey. I only use this paper with dry media or gouache.


Marker Paper that is NOT translucent (yay!).

Paper and tools to help with transferring your designs and drawings.


It's cheap. It's awesome.
This brand works so much better than the loose leaf white. A must when transferring onto dark surfaces.


When or If you need one.


Additional Drawing Aids I love.

Clear Triangles. Invaluable for making perfectly straight vertical and horizontal lines.
A circle template is a REALLY handy tool!!
I use this when drawing eyes and setting up the facial features on portraits.

Art Supplies in general I'm obsessed with.

One set will last a lifetime. Weighted which feels amazing and helps make confident lines.
So flipping adorable and affordable. Light as air in your hands. LOVE!


Absolutely unnecessary. Absolutely awesome. Replaces a whole pencil set if you use it right!
What can I say? Just works better than everything else! Grab the 3 pack. You won't be sorry!


I've tried every fineliner out there. These are the best. Won't smear with markers.


This for All lashes and many outlines! A learning curve for sure but YOU GOT THIS 🙌
Absolutely obsessed. Fab for so many things from lovely lashes to painterly details. Watersoluble to blend in with drawings and paintings.
OMG. Comes in a nail polish-like applicator. I make a mess with it. I can't stop painting white highlights over everything!!
Art Beek brush alcohol markers are the cheapest and best Copic alternative. At only 50 Cents a marker, you can afford a big set. Lots to choose from!
Skin Tone Set. I love these so much I based an entire book on them!


Makes your paintings and Mixed Media masterpieces GLEEEEEN!


These are invaluable. I use these with every single Mixed Media project I create. You can wash and re-use them dozens of times.
My friend Lucy turned me on to these. Great for drawing under watercolor and markers. Erasable too!
Make erasing details (and creating hair) soooo easy and quite fun too!
I discovered these the end of 2024 and now I can't live without them. They'll replace my fountain pen inks when I want a fine art substitute! Super richly pigment and just delish!

Mixed Media Musts

I have a weird obsession and I'm not sorry! A part of every Hamburger Mixed Media project.
The all mighty (and slightly terrifying) Stabilo All Pencil!
Another non-negotiable must! Thins paint and is a premium collage glue!
I recommend NOT getting the Basics version but to treat yourself to this one. It is nice and thin, the perfect consistency. You are worth it!
Since I purchased these I stopped looking for more. The only set you'll ever need for acrylic painting.
Still working on your design but wish you could lock your dry layers in a little bit? A fixative is what you need. Need a STRONGER hold? Grab the sealer below.



Posca pens are awesome. If you can only afford 2, get these.
An Acrylic Spray Sealer is awesome if you (1) need to LOCK in your layers to keep working and NOT smear (2) want to protect your artwork when you're done
Pitt Pen Portrait Set. If you can only afford one set of Pitt Pens, these are the ones to get if you enjoy making Mixed Media Portraits.
Pitt Pens. These bad boys are AMAZING over painted and sealed surfaces. You can quickly add details and shading without having to mess around with small brushes.
Gelatos - Best used in the Hamburger. NOTE: color names have changed over the years but these are all of them so this is the correct set.
Gelatos Alternative but please note: while 50% cheaper, they are also 2x reactive so not as ideal and use with caution.


Travel Niceties!

This is completely non-essential but I'm a sucker for real leather and it takes me back in time when I use it (so it's a must).
Obsessed with this. Adorable and fits everything I need. Available in 10 colors - the purple is my favorite.
I got this because it was so pretty and it's even prettier in person. Holds 20+ brushes. It's so handy!

Art Supplies I never leave home without.

Daniel Smith Watercolors I love.

Anthraquinoid Red
Quinacridone Lilac
Moonglow
Napthamide Maroon
Genuine Piemontite
Rose of Ultramarine
Imperial Purple
Serpentine Genuine
Sap Green
Ultramarine Turquoise
Idanthrone Blue
Mayan Blue Genuine
Quinacridone Deep Gold
Verona Gold Ochre
Ultramarine Turquoise
Burnt Umber
Phthalo Blue (Green Shade)
Sodalite Genuine
Carbazole Violet
Opera Pink
Cascade Green

For my FAVORITE watercolor supplies,

I also love...

These are BOLD and I'm loving them. They stain and are more opaque than typical watercolors. Cool product!

A student recently gifted this to me and it's brilliant. If you can only afford one watercolor brush, grab this one. Super affordable and perfect size for just about everything.


I never knew how epic a ceramic palette was until I tried one. LOVE is an understatement and you're helping the planet too!


For my FAVORITE watercolor and ink brushes only Polina Brights for me!

Use Coupon Code KARENCAMPBELL to save 10% off your ENTIRE ORDER!

How about Acrylic Paint?

These are the best if you're on a budget and/or just starting out.



I really love the quality of Liquitex Basics (even as a Value Item!!!) and highly recommend.


When you find your favorite colors from the big set (at only $1 each) you can buy larger tubes individually.


Shop on Amazon

I've been painting with Lukas Cryl paints since 2011. Great value in LOTS of super fun colors!

I teamed up with Jerry's Artarama to curate 3 different selections of fun colors for you!

This is my Fairy Faces Portraits Kit.

Shop at Jerry's Artarama

(available in U.S.)

Here is another color combination.


This is my Whimsical Animals Color Selection Kit!

Shop at Jerry's Artarama

(available in U.S.)

Wanna Grab them All?

For high quality, professional Acrylics AND Gouache reach for Liquitex and Golden.


These heavy body paints can be thinned with Matte Medium if necessary. So yummy!
Same goes for these paints by Golden. If too thick, thin with mediums. Super luxurious!

Acrylic and Traditional Gouache

These are my go-to for acrylic gouache. I do find I need to purchase a larger white and black separately.


All traditional gouache is expensive. So you might as well get the real deal!


I also curated this Kit of Illustrating!

Contains ALL my favorite drawing tools in one awesome package so you can be one and done!

Your kit will come with 12 of my favorite products (down to the paper!) so you can dive right in as soon as it arrives!