Keeping your art supplies organized is the key to keeping your studio in order, and keeping it that way can feel like a never-ending battle. There’s so much to keep track of when you have paint, pencils, paper, and other art supplies. But with a little organization and some simple steps, keeping your supplies tidy and well-organized should be a breeze from now on.
With a bit of foresight and planning ahead, it’s easier than you think to keep your art supply cabinet neatly organized. Below, professional artist Jared Ailstock shares six easy steps to get started!
Plan Ahead
Plan out your organization strategy in advance to make sure you have everything you need. Supplies should be stored in a way that they’re easy to access, as well as clean and organized. Find a storage system that works for you and your art supplies, and make sure all of your materials are both accessible and easily identifiable. Jared Ailstock often advises against stacking paint cans too high, or laying paint tubes out of dry, but this isn’t just to keep you from getting hurt. Stacks that are too high are harder to keep clean, and tubes that are too far out of dry can become caked with dirt, dust, and other unwanted substances. Keeping your supplies organized and accessible will help you keep your studio clean and organized, so you can spend less time looking for supplies and more time creating.
Store Supplies Properly
Some supplies, like pencils and graphite, can be stored at room temperature. But others, like acrylic paints and drawing materials, will last longer if kept at cooler temperatures. It’s best to store all supplies at room temperature, but if your studio is warm, you can store them at around 68 degrees without negatively impacting their shelf life. Paint can only be kept at temperatures below 32 degrees, so make sure to take this into account when storing paints in your studio. There are a few different ways to store supplies. You can store them upright in a rack or slot. You can place them in plastic bins with lids. Some people prefer plastic totes or bins with lids, which can be stacked on top of each other. When storing materials, make sure they’re able to easily be accessed. If you have a storage system in your studio, make sure it’s easy to get to.
Buy Only What You Need
There is nothing more frustrating than realizing that you have a bunch of supplies that you don’t need. If you find yourself constantly buying supplies you don’t need, it may be a sign that you need to reevaluate your studio organization.
Supplies are expensive, and it’s easy to get caught in a spending cycle. Instead of buying supplies that you don’t need, NYC portrait painter Jared Ailstock recommends taking a step back and determining what your needs and wants are. Make a budget and stick to it. Rather than buying supplies that you don’t need, try to use your budget to pay for things that will help you save time, like being able to check in on your studio while you work remotely.
Label Everything Clearly
Labels are key to making sure that you have everything you need. If you have supplies that you don’t always use, or that you’re not sure if you need, label them so that you know where they are. For example, if you purchased a set of colored pencils, label them clearly so that you know which set they belong to. Make a note on the label so that you don’t forget what it’s for.
Label bins and containers so that you know what’s in them. For example, if you keep all of your sketchbooks, pencils, and crayons in a basket in your studio, label that clearly so that you know what’s in there. To make it easy to identify supplies while they’re in use, you can put stickers on them. For example, Jared Ailstock adds, if you keep a spiral sketchbook in your studio, you can write on the cover with a dry-erase marker to remind you which sketchbook you’re drawing from.
Clear Out the Old Supplies
Supplies don’t last forever, so it’s important to periodically go through your supplies and empty out those items that are older or no longer working for you. This will help you cut down on the costs of supplies, as well as give you space in your studio for more supplies. Look through your supplies and separate out the old from the new. This may sound like an overwhelming task, but it doesn’t have to be.
There are a few ways to go about it. Some people find it helpful to sort their supplies by type, like pencils or paints. This way, you can easily see if there are supplies that you no longer use or need to use room in your studio.
Conclusion
Keeping your studio clean and organized is not only a time-saver, it can also save you money. You won’t have to spend money on supplies that are out of date, or that you don’t need. Plus, by keeping your studio clean, you’ll be more productive when you’re in there. So try keeping these steps in mind and see how much easier it makes keeping your studio tidy and organized. Now that you know how to keep your supplies organized, you can focus your efforts on creating art!
Originally published at jaredailstock.wordpress.com on August 1, 2022.