As 2018 comes to a close, we thought it would be fun to look back on some of our favorites of the year. Not all of these were new products this year, but nearly all of them were new to Wet Paint. Read on to see what made our list!
1.Schmincke Horadam Gouache 10 Tube Set
We’ve always been a fan of gouache paint, but there seemed to be a new excitement around it this past year. Gouache (pronounced like “ɡwäSH”) is the fancy name for opaque watercolor paint. Wet Paint stocks Schmincke gouache in open stock, but the 10 color tube set is a great introduction to the traditional paint. New in 2018, Liquitex Acrylic Gouache has the opaque, matte finish of classic gouache with the water permanence of acrylic. Both are worth checking out!
3. Schmincke Horadam 24 1/2 Pan Watercolor Set
2018 was another big year for ½ pan watercolors at Wet Paint. The Schmincke custom set we partnered with Jennifer McLean on has sold out, but we still have limited quantities of the 24 ½ pan set, as well as options from QOR, Daniel Smith, Yarka, and more!
4. Super 5 Fountain Pens and Fountain Pen ink
5. Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Ink
Handwriting is also making a comeback! And what better to get on-trend than with than a new refillable fountain pen?!? Wet Paint stocks all of your favorite brands of pens (and inks, too, to personalize your penmanship). A few of our favorites: everyone on staff owns a Super 5 fountain pen…durable construction and free flowing ink make it a dependable choice for everyday writing; we have been charmed by the beautiful Pilot Iroshizuku inks…lovely selection of colors in gorgeous glass bottles!
6. Cigar Boxes
7. Xiem Art Bag
Storage and transportation of art supplies can sometimes be a nuisance when many items are odd sizes or easily damaged. But then came the Xiem Art Bag with its many pockets, wooden handle, reinforced bottom and 25 lbs carrying capacity! Swoon! We also love the classic, and always useful, cigar boxes- not new this year, but still a fave.
10. Etchr Bags
2018 was also the year for new & different plein air painting supplies- specifically rethinking the classic french easel or pochade box. Whether it was upgrading to something sleeker and easier to carry (u.go), separating the support from the box (Sienna), or using the supply bag as the easel itself (Etchr), this was a great year for finding new ways to get out and paint!
11. Leuchtturm 1917
12. Koala Tools Gridded Notebooks
So many dots it’s like we’re contagious! Unlike the measles, though, dot grid notebooks are showing no signs of being wiped out…and we like it that way!
13. Golden Acrylic – New 2018 Colors
Golden Artist Acrylic Paint is not new, but Golden did come out with some beautiful new colors for 2018. Plus, they’ve just revamped their online color mixer, which is a great resource for finding that perfect color or matching a color from an image!
14. POSCA Acrylic Paint Markers
The paint markers that everybody had been asking for finally arrived at Wet Paint in 2018…and they’ve been a huge hit. Lots of sizes, lots of colors and suitable for almost any surface…let’s go write on stuff!
15. DaVinci Casaneo Travel Brushes
Quite possibly the most beloved watercolor brush at Wet Paint since Silver’s Black Velvet…and the Casaneo is all synthetic. If you didn’t try it in 2018, you’d better make a resolution for 2019!
16. Gamblin Custom Oil Paint Knew Black
We partnered with our pals at Pygmalion’s Art Supplies in Bloomington, Indiana and Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors in Portland, Oregon to bring local artist, Ta-Coumba Aiken’s, custom oil color, Knew Black, to life. Read all about it here.
17. Stillman & Birn Nova Toned Sketchbooks
Featuring double-sized, 150gsm toned paper in either beige, black or gray Nova Series sketchbooks are the perfect “go to” for mixed media applications. Can’t decide which tone is right for you? The new Nova Trio has all three of ‘em in one book! (And, the answer is: they’re all right for you!).
18. Caran d’ Ache Technalo RGB Tinted Water-soluble Graphite
Super subtle hint of color in brand new pencils or sticks…barely red, barely green and barely blue never looked so good!
It’s been fun reminiscing about all of our favorite creative supplies from the past year…it’s making us excited to see what 2019 will bring! What made the top of your list for 2018?
Happy New Year, everybody!
Wet Paint 