Art Journal Supplies: Complete Guide and $30, $60, $120 Starter Kits

What I Wish I’d Known Before I Bought Art Journal Supplies

I bought $200 of art journal supplies before I’d made a single page. Liquitex Heavy Body acrylics in 24 colors, three different brands of journals, an alcohol marker set, gouache, watercolors, four kinds of brushes. Most of it is still in a drawer. The page I’m proudest of was made with cheap craft acrylics in 6 colors, a glue stick, and a Pigma Micron pen.

You don’t need expensive supplies to art journal. You need a small pile of stuff that handles wet media without buckling, the willingness to make ugly pages while you find your style, and the discipline to ignore 80% of the supply list the internet tells you you need.

This is the supply list I’d give my past self. It covers what’s worth buying, what to skip, and three concrete starter bundles at $30, $60, and $120.

The 6 Art Journal Essentials

If you’re starting from zero, these six things let you make real art journal pages from the first day. Skip nothing on this list. Add to it slowly.

1. A mixed media journal. The journal makes or breaks how every other supply behaves. You need at least 100 lb paper that handles wet media without buckling. Strathmore Mixed Media journals are the standard recommendation – 90-110 lb paper, spiral-bound or hardbound, around $10-15 for 30+ pages. Skip regular sketchbooks (paper too thin) and bullet journals (paper way too thin).
2. Cheap acrylic paint. A Liquitex Basics 6-color set or a beginner Apple Barrel multipack ($5-15) is more than enough to start. Save the high-end paints for canvas; cheap acrylics layer beautifully in a journal.
3. A few brushes. Three brushes cover 95% of journal work: a 1/2-inch flat for backgrounds, a #6 round for details, and a small detail brush for fine work. A basic synthetic brush multipack ($8-12) is plenty for beginners.
4. One black fine-tip pen. The single most-used tool after paint. A Sakura Pigma Micron pen set in 5 sizes ($15) gives you fine-line through bold. Pigma Microns are archival, won’t bleed under acrylics, and last forever. They’re the standard.
5. A glue stick or matte medium. For collage, you need adhesive that doesn’t warp paper. A disappearing-purple glue stick (~$3) handles light collage. For heavy collage and decoupage, a small bottle of Liquitex Matte Medium doubles as adhesive AND a sealant for finished pages.
6. Magazine pages, scrap papers, and tape. Free or basically free. Cut images, words, and color blocks from magazines for collage layers. A washi tape set handles borders, edges, and quick decorative elements.

That’s $30-50 of supplies. Make 10 pages with just this and you’ll know more about your style than any tutorial can teach you.

Starter Bundle 1: The $30 Just-Start Kit

The absolute minimum to make your first art journal pages this week:

• Strathmore Mixed Media journal, 9×12 (~$12)
• Apple Barrel acrylic paint set, 6 colors (~$8)
• Basic synthetic brush 3-pack (~$5)
• Sakura Pigma Micron pen, 05 size, black (~$3)
• Glue stick (~$2)

Total: ~$30. You won’t have collage embellishments, mediums, or fancy brushes. You’ll have everything you need to make 10-15 pages and decide if this hobby is your thing.

Starter Bundle 2: The $60 Real-Setup Kit

Once you’ve made a few pages from the $30 kit, the $60 tier adds the textures and tools that make art journal pages start looking finished:

• Everything in the $30 kit
• One bottle of Liquitex Matte Medium (8 oz) for collage and sealing (~$10)
• A washi tape set with 8-12 rolls (~$10)
• A water-soluble oil pastel set (Gelatos or similar) for blendable color (~$15)
• A small bottle of white gesso for priming and texture (~$8)

Total: ~$60. You can collage, you can blend color, you can prime backgrounds for a tooth that holds paint. This is the sweet spot for most art journalers for their first year.

Starter Bundle 3: The $120 I’m-In-This Kit

If art journaling has hooked you and you’d rather upgrade once than five times, this covers everything for a year of consistent practice:

• Everything in the $60 kit
• A Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic set (8-color basics, ~$25) for layered opaque coverage where the cheap acrylics fall short
• A second journal so you can flip between active and drying pages (~$12)
• A stencil pack (geometric and floral) for repeating patterns (~$10)
• A small gel printing plate for monoprinting backgrounds (~$15)
• A few alcohol markers in skin tones and neutrals (~$15) if you draw faces or figures

Total: ~$110-130. After this you have the full mixed media toolkit. You’ll keep adding favorite supplies, but the foundation is set.

What Art Journalers Should NOT Buy First

The art supply industry markets to your insecurity. Half of “what you need to art journal” is “stop buying these things.” Save your money on:

1. 40-color acrylic sets. You’ll mix what you need from a 6-color set. Buy individual tubes when you discover specific colors you reach for over and over.
2. High-end watercolor sets. Beautiful but specific. Acrylics are more forgiving and more flexible for journal work. Add watercolor when you specifically want its transparency.
3. Procreate and an iPad. Digital art journaling is its own thing. If you want a physical practice with paint and paper, don’t pivot to digital before you’ve tried analog.
4. Expensive brushes. Synthetic brushes work fine for acrylic. Save sable brushes for watercolor work where the difference matters.
5. 30 mediums (modeling paste, crackle, gels, glazes). Each one is its own learning curve. Start with matte medium and gesso. Add others when you have a specific page goal you can’t achieve without them.
6. Limited-edition art journal “kits”. Pretty packaging, marked-up prices. Build your own kit from individual purchases.

How to Use Each Art Journal Supply

Here’s the practical 90-second version of how each essential actually behaves on a page:

• Mixed media journal: Open flat, lay out two-page spreads, treat both pages as one canvas. Heavy paper (100 lb+) means you can layer paint without buckling.
• Acrylic paint: Apply with a flat brush for backgrounds, blend wet-on-wet for soft edges, layer when previous layers are dry. Acrylics dry permanently in 5-15 minutes – faster than watercolor or oils.
• Brushes: One flat for fast coverage, one round for shapes and details, one small detail for fine lines. Wash brushes immediately after use; dried acrylic ruins synthetic bristles.
• Pigma Micron: Use for outlines, hand lettering, and fine details ON TOP of dry acrylic. Don’t use under wet paint – the ink will smear.
• Glue stick / matte medium: Glue stick for thin paper collage. Matte medium for thicker collage AND as a top sealing layer that protects ink and pigment.
• Magazine collage: Tear instead of cut for soft edges. Layer images face-down with matte medium, then turn face-up and seal with another thin coat.
• Washi tape: Tear or cut for borders, masking, edge framing. Burnish with your fingernail to seal edges fully.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of building your first art journal page, see our art journaling for beginners guide.

Where to Buy Art Journal Supplies

The best place to shop depends on what you need:

• Amazon and Michaels: Easiest for individual supplies (paint, journals, brushes). Reviews help avoid bad products.
• Hobby Lobby and AC Moore: Good for journals and bulk paint. Run weekly 40% off coupons that make brand-name acrylics affordable.
• Blick Art Materials: Higher-quality professional supplies (Liquitex Professional, Golden Heavy Body, Daniel Smith watercolors). Worth it once you know your style.
• Dollar Tree: Don’t laugh – cheap brushes, foam brushes, basic paint, and small canvases are genuinely fine for art journaling. Save the budget for one good journal.
• Hip Kit Club add-on kits: Our monthly scrapbook kits include patterned paper and embellishments that work beautifully as art journal collage layers – the curated palette saves you the magazine-clipping hunt.

Building Your Stash Over Time

Art journaling rewards experimentation, but it punishes over-buying. The supplies you’ll actually love using are different from the supplies that look fun on Instagram. Buy slowly. After each shopping trip, fill 5 pages with what you bought before adding anything new.

Three signals that tell you what to buy next:

• Your acrylics keep cracking when they dry. Upgrade to Liquitex Heavy Body or add matte medium.
• Your pages keep looking flat. Add gel medium for texture, gesso for tooth, or stencils for pattern.
• You keep wishing you could blend more. Add Gelatos or water-soluble oil pastels for blendable color over acrylic backgrounds.

Buy in response to specific pain points in your actual work, not in response to ads.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the cheapest way to start art journaling?

Under $30 to start. Buy a mixed media journal ($10-15), a basic acrylic paint set ($8-10), a few cheap brushes ($5), and one black fine-tip pen ($3-5). Add a glue stick from your existing supplies. That’s enough to make your first 10-15 art journal pages while you figure out your style.

Do I need expensive paints to art journal?

No. Beginner-grade acrylics from Liquitex Basics, Apple Barrel, or Folk Art (all under $5 a bottle) work great for art journaling. Save the high-end Golden Heavy Body and Liquitex Professional paints for canvas work where the difference shows. Cheap acrylics layer fine in a journal.

What journal should I use for art journaling?

A mixed media journal with at least 100 lb paper. Strathmore Mixed Media is the most-recommended brand for beginners (around $10-15). Watercolor journals also work but can buckle under heavy paint. Avoid regular sketchbooks (paper too thin) and bullet journals (paper too thin). The journal makes or breaks how the supplies behave.

Can I art journal in a regular notebook?

Yes, but the paper will buckle, bleed, and tear under wet media. If you only use pens and pencils (no paint, ink, or wet glue) a regular notebook works. For mixed media (paint, ink, collage), you need 100 lb or thicker mixed media paper.

What’s the difference between art journaling and scrapbooking?

Scrapbooking is photo-led and memory-keeping focused. Art journaling is process-led and self-expression focused. Scrapbook layouts feature photos with supporting embellishments. Art journal pages feature paint, collage, and writing without requiring any photos. Both share supplies (paper, adhesive, stamps, pens) but the goals are different.

Do I need to be artistic to art journal?

No. Art journaling is a personal practice, not a public art form. Many art journalers cannot draw a recognizable face. The point is processing thoughts and emotions through visual media, not making gallery-ready art. Stick figures, abstract paint splatters, and torn collage pieces all count.

What are the must-have art journal supplies for beginners?

A mixed media journal, a small acrylic paint set, a few brushes, one black fine-tip pen, a glue stick, and a few magazine pages or scraps for collage. That’s the entire essential list. Everything beyond that (gesso, mediums, alcohol markers, gel pens) is variation, not foundation.

How much does art journaling cost per month?

Casual art journalers (2-4 pages a month) spend about $10-20 a month on consumables. Active art journalers (10-15 pages a month) spend $30-50 a month. The biggest variable is how often you replace mediums (some people refresh frequently, others use up everything before adding more).

Related Supply Guides

Working in another paper craft? These supply guides cover the essentials for adjacent paper crafts:

• Scrapbook Supplies: The Complete Guide – The full crafting supply pillar covering paper, adhesive, embellishments, tools, and more.
• Scrapbook Supplies for Beginners – Starter bundles for first-time scrapbookers – $50, $100, and $200 builds.
• Scrapbook Tools – Paper trimmer, die cutters, embossing tools – the buyer’s guide and tool-tier hierarchy.
• Best Scrapbook Paper – Cardstock weights, patterned paper bundles, and specialty papers worth buying.
• Card Making Supplies – What you need to make handmade greeting cards – cardstock, stamps, dies, ink.
• Junk Journal Supplies – Found-paper and ephemera supplies for the maximalist mixed-media junk journal craft.
• Best Scrapbooking Kits – Compare monthly kit subscription clubs and find the right fit for your style.

Where to Go Next

You have an art journal supply plan. Here’s what to read next:

• Art Journaling for Beginners – Make your first art journal page step by step.
• Art Journal Ideas – Page concepts, themes, and prompts to fill your journal.
• Art Journal Prompts – 50+ prompts when you’re staring at a blank page.
• Art Journal Techniques – Mixed media techniques from simple backgrounds to advanced layering.
• Junk Journal Supplies – For the related “use found materials” cousin to art journaling.
• Scrapbook Supplies: The Complete Guide – Many supplies overlap; this covers the full crafting collection.