Best Art Supplies for Beginners in Canada: Drawing, Painting & Doodle Kits

You don’t need to spend $200 to start drawing or painting. Most professional artists actively recommend cheaper supplies for beginners — the gap between “starter” and “professional” matters less than the gap between “owns the supplies” and “doesn’t.” Here are the best beginner picks available in Canada.

How we chose these supplies

We prioritized: (a) availability across Canada (Indigo, DeSerres, Curry’s, Michael’s, Amazon.ca), (b) price under $30 per starter kit, (c) reputation among working Canadian artists and art teachers, (d) compatibility with most YouTube tutorials.

Best drawing supplies for beginners

Pencils: Staedtler Mars Lumograph 6-pencil set ($15, DeSerres). HB through 8B covers everything.

Sketchbook: Strathmore Recycled 400 Series ($12–$18, Indigo).

Eraser: Faber-Castell kneaded eraser ($4).

Sharpener: KUM long-point sharpener ($6, DeSerres).

Best painting supplies for beginners

Acrylic starter: Liquitex BASICS 12-tube set ($25, Curry’s).

Watercolour starter: Winsor & Newton Cotman 12-pan set ($30).

Brushes: Princeton Aqua Elite 3-brush starter ($28, DeSerres).

Paper: Canson XL 9x12 watercolour pad ($15).

Palette: Cheap plastic from Dollarama works fine.

Best doodle / journaling supplies

Pens: Sakura Pigma Micron 4-pen set ($14, Indigo).

Brush pens: Tombow Fudenosuke 2-pen set ($10).

Bullet journal: Leuchtturm1917 dotted ($30, Indigo) or a Moleskine ($25).

Markers (kids): Ohuhu 60-set ($35, Amazon.ca — reliable copic dupes for beginners).

Best beginner art kits under $30 (available in Canada)

1. Staedtler Mars Lumograph drawing set ($25, DeSerres) — 6 pencils, eraser, sharpener, blending stump.

2. Liquitex BASICS Mini Set ($25) — acrylic paints + brushes.

3. Faber-Castell Watercolour Pencils 12-set ($20).

4. Tombow Dual Brush Pen 10-set ($28, Indigo).

5. Sakura Koi Watercolour Pocket Field Sketch Box ($30).

Where to buy: Amazon.ca vs Indigo.ca vs Michael’s Canada

Indigo — best in-store browsing in Canada, occasional 30%-off events.

DeSerres — serious artist supply, sales on professional brands.

Curry’s — price-competitive on quality brands.

Michael’s Canada — weekly 40–60%-off coupons; good for craft supplies.

Amazon.ca — convenient; check seller is “Sold by Amazon” not 3rd-party for authenticity.

The bottom line

Pick one starter kit ($25–$30) plus a sketchbook. That’s the entire setup. Anything more is procrastination.

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