Melissa, the Bee: Fun with cheap (and not as cheap) art supplies

After taking Alisa Burke's Sketchbook Delight class, I became enamored with the idea of painting with water soluble markers. I stocked up on every cheap set I could get my hands on and did a little playing. After this class, I also decided to try some different brands of cheap watercolor paints, like Crayola and SimplyArt. The Crayola watercolors are remarkably smooth and richly pigmented. I really loved them. Although I felt the class was for absolute beginners, and I am more out of practice intermediate, I did get great tips on cheap supplies and new ways to play with them.

I also invested in some watercolor crayons and Neocolor IIs, which I have been coveting for some time. They are also very fun to work with. I plan on expanding my collection of Neocolors over time, as Dick Blick has open stock reasonably priced. I would love a set, but they are just too expensive for me to do them that way.