Super Markers

U.S. Art Supply always has the coolest stuff, so I was super excited to try out their Super Markers Set! 

The set comes with 100 different colored markers. They are twin tipped, which means each color has a 3.0mm tip and a tiny 0.7mm fine liner tip.

The set comes packaged in a box with a neat idea for storage. However, it only has a flap, so the two sides are still open. Another downside; almost every time I pull out a marker, the cap stays stuck in the bottom of the box. The box keeps all the markers color coded and easy to find, but it's a pain to slowly lower each marker back into the slot in order to get the cap back on.

I tried to solve one of these issues by removing the outer part of the box, and lowering the slotted section into a box I already had that came with a lid. It's a neat storage idea, but the caps are still getting stuck. I don't know how long I'll keep it like this. I think I'll eventually just dump them into a box. It's a bummer because they look so nice organized.

I sketched out something to color on a nice piece of drawing paper. I colored most of it, but then the flesh tone marker instantly tore a hole right through my paper... 
This is paper I use for painting, pencils, pastels...but the marker ate through it and destroyed my piece. 

I tried the markers on three other types of paper. The markers collected a lot of buildup. What a pain it was to have to wipe the tip off every few seconds or it would ruin my lines. This happened on all types of paper I used, so I think it's a problem with the markers and not all of my paper. 

There was also a problem with a few of the markers arriving broken. The fineliner tips where pushed in, and the bigger tips pushed out with no way to keep them in place.

I had better luck filling in with the fineliners than the bigger tips. The markers seemed to dry out so fast. Even using them for the first time, the coverage was pretty rough. The pieces I colored were much smaller than any coloring page. The ink flowed much better from the tiny tips.

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The variety of colors are great, but that is pretty much the only thing I like about these markers. 

I give them 3 out of 5 stars. I think they would be alright for adult coloring books and children, but I would not recommend these for artists. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Mermaid Art with Gel Pens

Summer is here! I'm getting in the mood by making some Little Mermaid art. I am obviously a huge fan of Ariel. Her hair inspired mine. 

Gel Pens are an interesting media. Yes, if you are covering a large area, it's a time consuming process, but it's also very cathartic to draw those lines. 

US Art Supply has an awesome gel pen set. It comes with 2 sets of 60 different colors, so when you run out of a color, you have a back up! Sweet! 

There is a great variety! Classic colors, neons, pastels, metallics, glitter!!! It even has some swirly colored ones, which are fun for writing. I'm having a blast using the 4 different reds for Ariel's hair.

The ink flows out of these great and it stays on the paper...I haven't had any smudges yet, on my paper or my hands. There is a good bit of ink in the pens. This picture is on 11x14" paper and I am going to town with the reds, and they are holding up great. 





There is only one downside. They do not have grips. There is an indent in the pen where a grip should be. It isn't super uncomfortable, but I take breaks before my fingers start to get sore from holding the pens.

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These pens are awesome. The variety of colors is great and I love that it's a two pack. They will make a lot of art with me. The ink quality is great. I give them 4 out of 5 stars. If they had rubber grips to protect my fingers, they would definitely be a 5 star product for me. I would recommend them for anyone who likes to draw or write with pretty colors. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 


~Crystal Vicious 

Watercolor Pencils are Neat!

US Art Supply has great products at great prices. I love experimenting with new mediums and I have never used watercolor pencils before. I could not wait to try these out.



This set came with 36 watercolor pencils and a roll up canvas wrap. I love keeping my supplies organized, so this was a great idea. 

I was able to keep all the pencils organized by color and could easily roll them up for storage when I was done using them. The range of colors was great. Black, white, neutrals, skin tones, and a few values for each color.

The pencils came sharpened, and the leads were soft. The colors went down onto paper smoothly. The amount of pressure I used correlated perfectly with the amount of pigment that went down. 

Adding water to a watercolor pencil drawing.

I love that you can use these dry for drawing, or paint over them with some water for more vibrant colors. And after adding water, you can even go over again with the dry pencils to add more details or bolder lines. I love versatile things. These were so fun to use. I already have a bunch of ideas for what I will do with them next. 

I give these colored pencils 5 out of 5 stars. I love the colors. I love how they feel. I love how they go down on paper, and I love how they react with water. The storage roll is a great added bonus for those who want to be organized. I would recommend these to artists, crafters, students or children who wanted to draw, paint, color, anything really! These have so many uses and are really neat!


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I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Acrylics For Days!

I have been arting like crazy this past month. Even though Acrylics are one of my least favorite mediums, I have been using a ton of them. I've been trying out a bunch of awesome supplies from U.S. Art Supply. I honestly haven't stopped painting! Today I am going to talk about a spiral pad of 9" x 12" Extra Heavy-Weight 246 Pound Acrylic Painting Paper. These 12 pages come on a spiral notebook.

I loved that I could flip the cover over, and sketch right inside the book. The paper has a nice smooth texture and I enjoyed drawing on it. The pages are an off white color. It held up to an eraser better than other papers.

I was unable to tear the page out because the paper is so thick. I had to use scissors to cut the page out after I was done sketching. I usually prefer paper that has perforated edges so I can tear my paper off easily. The spiral is a pro and a con at the same time. I love the thickness of this paper. It is stiff and strong and held a lot of paint. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it for students, artists, and crafters. It is a great value.

Time Lapse of Painting with Acrylic.

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I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

A Week of Watercolor!

Watercolors are one of my favorite mediums, but I haven't worked with actual Watercolor paper for a long time. U.S. Art Supply has all types of paper, this one being a 9" x 12" Heavy-Weight (140 lb) Watercolor Paper Pad. Let's get painting!

I started small and painted a birthday card for my friend. I tend to be heavy handed and will take up a lot of fibers because I ALWAYS manage to use too much water and too much force in ONE spot. This paper was pretty tough and held up well. 

It absorbed colors nicely and I liked the thickness and tooth of the paper. Two of the four edges were a bit ragged. This must be from how the pages are cut. It's not a deal breaker for me, since the stuff I paint will be matted and framed, so the edges will not be seen.

For quite some time I have been wanting to use masking fluid. I was excited to try it out on a paper that would be able to hold up through the process. The masking fluid went down smoothly. I took a video when I removed it. I was surprised at how well it worked out being my first time and all. I couple parts of the paper came up, but I was being rough...and didn't have all the correct tools.

Time lapse of removing masking fluid from watercolor paper. 

I was able to touch up all the spots that came up with the masking fluid. I am very pleased with how well this worked out, so I will definitely experiment more with this technique. I give this paper 4 out of 5 stars. It's good quality paper and a good value as well. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to try new paper.

Grab some on Amazon.

I received this item at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious 

Organizing Art Supplies!

When you are an artist, your supplies WILL take over. I try to keep all my paint organized by type in one corner of my room. That is where this U.S. Art Supply wooden brush box comes in. The one I have is the large one at 15" x 4 1/8" x 1 3/8". I was easily able to fit 15 large long handled brushes in this box. I have several jars that I keep all my different brushes in...and since this box is multi-functional, I used it for paints instead.

The box is made of a beautiful beech wood with an oil finish. Some of the edges are a bit rough. I haven't gotten a sliver or anything, but I will likely sand them down a bit. The lid slides in okay, with a little finagling the lid will slide into place and the end will be flush. 

I really like the color of the wood, but it is a little blah for me. After I clean up the edges I was thinking of painting something on the top of the lid to give the box some character. I think I will love the end result. Customization is always fun, and I like that I will be able to add my own touch.

This box is handsome, study, and can hold a vast array of supplies. I am storing 18 12 ml tubes of watercolors in it right now. It's so much more convenient than digging through a huge box or drawer of tubes and carrying them to my desk. 

I give this box 4 out of 5 stars. It's awesome, but I wish the edges were less rough. I would recommend this for any artist, or anyone who likes to stay organized.

Grab one on Amazon.

I received this item at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious