Journey Art Supplies Blog
Tips, Tricks, Thoughts, and inspiration from across the art spectrum.
10 Fun Facts to Know About Cheap Joe’s
Ever wondered what makes Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff such a special place for artists? Let’s take a little trip behind the scenes and get to know our company, its quirky beginnings, and the creative, art-loving people who make it all happen! Where It All Began: Boone Drug A Humble Beginning Among Aspirin BottlesCheap Joe’s Art Stuff started over 35 years ago in Boone, North Carolina, right inside the Boone Drug store. Joe Miller himself recalls stocking art supplies on a shelf between the aspirin and Ex-Lax. Turns out, this “prime” spot gave artists just the relief they needed! Today, the store still reflects that unique, local charm—and you might even spot some legendary artists on our walls, including works from Cheng Khee Chee, Lian Zhen, and Suzanna Winton, all part of our cherished "Art Hall Wallery." The Art Hall WalleryCheap Joe’s Boone location serves as our headquarters, and walking through the office is like stepping into an art gallery! We’re home to one of the finest collections of art, with pieces from top artists in the business. So, if you’re in Boone, NC, pop by and stroll down our hallway gallery! Our Team of Talented Artists An Artistic Team with Diverse TalentsCheap Joe’s team isn’t just knowledgeable about art supplies—they’re artists themselves! From watercolorists to encaustic artists, our employees have real experience creating art. For those who aren’t artists, we offer seminars, workshops, and product demos, making sure everyone has the expertise to help you find exactly what you need to bring your art to life. A Workshop Studio Worth the TripOur state-of-the-art workshop studio has been called the “Cadillac” of art venues! Students here have spacious workstations, ample lighting, and, of course, our fully stocked art store right next door. And thanks to our high-tech upgrades, every seat is the best seat in the house. We have large flat-screen monitors and an overhead camera, so everyone has a front-row view of instructor demos. No more craning your neck to see the magic unfold! Check out our variety of art lessons and workshops today! Our Guarantee & Giving Back Our 365-Day Unconditional GuaranteeAt Cheap Joe’s, we want you to love your art supplies as much as we do, so we give you a full year to decide. If anything doesn’t meet your expectations, just give us a call at 800-227-2788, and our friendly team will make it right. It’s a promise backed by the best guarantee in the business! Brushes for Vincent: Our Art CharityCheap Joe’s Art Stuff is the proud founder of Brushes for Vincent, a charity that helps bring art supplies to young artists in need. We believe in the power of art to change lives, so every penny you donate goes to orphanages, hospitals, and nonprofits, supporting budding artists who might be the next Van Gogh. A little goes a long way, and you can help us inspire creativity in children everywhere! Behind the Scenes with Cheap Joe Cheap Joe’s Past Life as a PharmacistBefore becoming the art guru we know and love, Joe Miller worked as a pharmacist at Boone Drug. But a gift of watercolor lessons changed everything. Joe was so inspired by that class that he stocked up on quality art supplies and began selling them at affordable prices. And that’s how Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff was born—bringing savings and quality to artists ever since! YouTube University: Cheap Joe’s StyleWant to learn the ins and outs of art techniques without spending a dime? Head over to Cheap Joe’s on YouTube! Our channel is packed with free tutorials and product demos. Whether it’s a quick tip on how to use a “paint pusher” or a full tutorial on stretching watercolor paper, we’ve got you covered. Art Supplies with a Personal TouchCheap Joe’s is renowned for its customer-centered approach, but did you know that some of our exclusive products, like American Journey paints, were developed based on feedback from local artists? Joe himself often collaborated with suppliers and customers to refine products, ensuring his art stuff met the practical needs of creators. It's a personal touch that sets Cheap Joe's apart as more than just a retailer—we’re proud partners and participants of the art community. A Fresh New Website for Easy ShoppingWe recently redesigned our website to make finding your favorite supplies and learning resources easier than ever. From improved navigation to more informative product pages, our goal is to make your online experience as smooth as possible. After all, finding the right art supplies should be a creative journey, not a frustrating scavenger hunt! Whether you’re a brand-new artist or a seasoned pro, Cheap Joe’s is here to support your creativity with the tools, advice, and inspiration you need. We can’t wait to see what you create! And if you’re looking for more information about our company, check out our About Us page.
10 Fun Facts to Know About Cheap Joe’s
Ever wondered what makes Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff such a special place for artists? Let’s take a little trip behind the scenes and get to know our company, its quirky...
Oil Painting Tips for Those New to Oils
Hello Artists, beginners and experts alike! This week, our blog post is inspired by a request from Tanya M. Nevin of Van Gough's Ear Paint Studio (check out her work!). She recently inherited a ton of oil paints from her late father, also an artist. Tanya has been painting with acrylics for over twenty-five years and she's not quite sure how to transition into working with oils. Well, Tanya and I are actually in the same predicament! I've never really used oil paints heavily either. So, what do we do when we don't know what to do? I start by asking questions of others that do. I was all to happy to take this opportunity to research the fascinating world of beginner oil painting and share the top 5 oil painting tips I found most helpful. Let's dive in and learn some great first-time oil painting tips together, shall we? 1. Prepare Your Painting Space Oil paints themselves and the solvents you will need to clean brushes with will come with strong scents; as such, you'll want the space you'll be painting in a well-ventilated area. If possible, make sure there is also plenty of room to keep all the items you need in reach and ready, like mediums, painting surfaces, turpentine, brushes, paints, etc. If possible, you may want to make sure your oil painting space is entirely separate from your acrylics or watercolors. In some cases, it's incredibly easy to grab a tube of Opera Rose watercolor instead of oil because the tubes look very similar. 2. Slow and Steady There's nothing more exciting than trying something new and learning a new art medium. However, it can frequently go from exciting to overwhelming very quickly if you jump right into trying to get all the colors, brushes, canvasses, etc. There's no shame in starting small and slowly. It's always good to start with a small painting surface and a limited paint palette to experience the way the paint applies and feels on the brush and how mixing it differs from other mediums you are familiar with. If you're looking for an excellent budget option, did you know that Gamblin creates a free paint called Torrit Grey? Torrit Grey is Gamblin's solution to ensuring high-quality pigments that float in the air of their factories and get filtered away from workers to keep them safe. To keep the environment safe, Gamblin re-uses these pigments to create a one-of-a-kind color tube of grey. Each shade of grey is different, and they also run an annual contest that artists can enter for a chance to win free stuff. 3. Prime your Surface If you don't have some Joe's Prime Stretched Cotton Canvas or Joe's Prime Cotton Canvas Rolls, which are 100% cotton duck that has all been pre-primed for painting with oils, you will absolutely need to prime your surface. Why? Oil paints have oils in them, and when you paint with them on an unprimed surface, the oils begin separating from the paint. Once they separate, they start seeping into an unprimed canvas, wood, or paper and can quickly ruin the piece of art you've worked so hard to create. Luckily, at Cheap Joe's, not only can you get pre-primed surfaces, but you can get highly budget-friendly primer options like our Joe's Prime Really Good Gesso, which starts at $3.59 for an 8 oz jar and can be used to prime for oils and acrylics. 4. "Thick over Thin?" "Fat over Lean?" Have you discovered the phrase "fat over lean" when researching oil painting tips yet, but have no idea what that means? These phrases refer to the layers in which you should try and paint with oils. Thinner paints with less oil for the bottom, or first play, then thicker, more oily paints go over the thinner layer. This ensures your painting dries at the correct rate. If your painting dries at the incorrect rate, you could have cracking. To make paint 'fatter' or oilier, you add more oil to it, and to make it 'leaner' or thinner, you add a solvent such as turpentine or a fast-drying medium. This helps each layer absorb oil from the layer above it evenly. If you didn't know it already, certain colors are known to have faster drying times too, and they can be incorporated into your lower layers. Paints that contain Cobalt, Manganese, and Lead can be added to other paints to speed up the drying process. On the other hand, certain paints are known for drying slowly, such as Quinacridones, and should be avoided on lower layers. 5. Keep Clean Oil paints, like many art mediums, can get extremely messy. In some cases, depending on the ingredients, oil paints can be pretty toxic if ingested or absorbed into your skin—but don't let that frighten you! It's all about keeping your work area and self as clean and organized as possible (and out of reach of children and pets) while learning how to dispose of everything responsibly and adequately. Paints, mediums, palettes, and anything else with oil paint should be disposed of in or at a Hazardous Waste Facility. Rags, paper towels, and items with less mess on them can be contained in a glass jar or a fire-safe trash container. But the containers must be fire safe because oil paints and solvents are highly flammable, and they could spontaneously combust when drying out! Hopefully, these five beginner tips will help you transition into your new oil paints, Tanya! I can't wait to see what you learn and all you can do! Good luck and good painting!
Oil Painting Tips for Those New to Oils
Hello Artists, beginners and experts alike! This week, our blog post is inspired by a request from Tanya M. Nevin of Van Gough's Ear Paint Studio (check out her...
The Cheap Joe's 2016 Guide to Great Art!
Hello, everybody! Have you guys heard about this year's catalog? Well, not only is it jam-packed with a bunch more art stuff, but the cover is color-able! With how popular and fun grown-up coloring books are right now, we wanted to make our catalog just as exciting! These covers can withstand colored pencils, markers, pastels, pens, crayons, watercolor pencils, and even regular watercolors if you work lightly! With mine, I chose to go with a limited palette and only use Prismacolor Colored Pencils in blues and greens: At first, I was a little worried that the trees would fade into the background, but I think it turned out pretty good considering I didn't have the whole spectrum of colors to work with! Take a look at some of the others from around Cheap Joe's! Megan, our SEO Analyst, put this beauty together. I love how she left snowy peaks on the mountains! Our Website Manager, Byron, has been working on this one in between website updates. His combination of highlighters and colored pencils really makes the cover pop! TJ, one of our Customer Service Representatives in the call center, took a creative approach in making his mountains into pyramids! Now that's thinking outside the box! One of our retail store associates, Tippy, colored this one. Gotta love those purple-mountain Majesties! It's easy to forget that you don't have to color every single shape in its entirety, and by leaving some shapes white, she drew even more attention to the sections that are colored! Taylor, another CSR, has been working diligently on hers during the limited downtime in the call center. It's tough to get art done on the job, but it provides such a relaxing atmosphere! And another of our retail store associates, Kathleen, is slowly but surely filling hers in, too! She's even got a little doodle from Cheap Joe himself to add a unique touch! And these are just a FEW of the awesome covers we've got over here at headquarters. What's even better is that some customers have been sending us photos of what they've done with their catalogs: Marion from Florida sent us this magical wonderland! She even included glitter, though it didn't photograph particularly well. She says this is just her FIRST draft and she plans on putting snow on the mountains in her next one! Then we've got Wilton, also from Florida, who decided to turn one of his mountains into Grandfather Mountain, located just a few minutes from us! Click here to request your own 2016 catalog with this awesome coloring book cover, and then send us a picture of what you create! Who knows, it could be entered into a contest where you could win a prize... :)
The Cheap Joe's 2016 Guide to Great Art!
Hello, everybody! Have you guys heard about this year's catalog? Well, not only is it jam-packed with a bunch more art stuff, but the cover is color-able! With how popular...
Citra Solv Collage Paper!
Hi, everyone! Do you guys know about Citra Solv? Yep, the natural cleaner, degreaser, and solvent! But I'm wondering if you've heard about using it as an art medium. This week, I want to show you how to create some one-of-a-kind paper designs just using Citra Solv! I'm using National Geographics because the paper is clay-coated, which lets the ink on the pages dissolve almost entirely. I've tried using this technique with other magazines, but to no avail... Thankfully, it seems like everyone has stacks upon stacks of old Nat Geos hanging around. To start, you'll need to rip out the covers and ads on the front and the back. These pages aren't clay-coated and the ink doesn't dissolve at all, so don't waste your time or medium. You should also flip through to remove any other ads that are hiding in between the pages and you can also unfold these big sheets so that you'll be able to apply the Citra Solv to the entire page. I started by spritzing each of the pages with a small spray bottle, to really coat the magazine with Citra Solv. But that didn't end up giving me the result I wanted... So I went back through and used one of these Jacquard Plastic Droppers to give higher concentrated droplets in a more random pattern. Once I got all the way through, I closed it up and let it sit for about 10 minutes. When I opened it back up, there were still a few pages that weren't dissolved as much as I wanted them to be... So I just smudged the images with my finger and then closed the magazine back up to give me a new design! When I opened it back up, I had a TON of gorgeous pages! Just look at these beauts! I let them dry a little while longer (about 20 minutes or so in front of my space heater) and then I was ready to use them! Since I had a lot of browns and darker-colored papers, I decided to collage a nice Barred Owl. First I cut out a branch shape from a page that had some really cool bark-ish texture on it. Next, I used a darker sheet to give me the tail and part of the body of my owl. I used another sheet of a similar tone to make the rest of the body and the little footsies. With a few more shapes cut out from different pages, I had my owl! I wasn't happy with the branch going off the page or with how dark the feet were, so I trimmed and snipped a few more shapes... And then I was done! I used the same sheet for the talons that I used as part of the face, to keep the colors consistent and balanced. I also added some scraps around his neck to give him a little more dimension. I left the background blank because I didn't want anything to take away from the gorgeous textures I got in my papers! I still have stacks and stacks of unused pages that I can't wait to use in more projects. widget type="Magento\CatalogWidget\Block\Product\ProductsList" template="Magento_CatalogWidget::product/widget/content/grid.phtml" anchor_text="" id_path="" show_pager="0" products_count="1" condition_option="sku" condition_option_value="mgps-6nm" type_name="Catalog Products List" conditions_encoded="^[`1`:^[`aggregator`:`all`,`new_child`:``,`type`:`Magento||CatalogWidget||Model||Rule||Condition||Combine`,`value`:`1`^],`1--1`:^[`operator`:`()`,`type`:`Magento||CatalogWidget||Model||Rule||Condition||Product`,`attribute`:`sku`,`value`:`mgps-6nm`^]^]" sort_order="position_by_sku"
Citra Solv Collage Paper!
Hi, everyone! Do you guys know about Citra Solv? Yep, the natural cleaner, degreaser, and solvent! But I'm wondering if you've heard about using it as an art medium. This...
Bettering Your Lettering!
Hey, everybody! Typography has always been a passion of mine. As an artist with an English degree, it seems only natural that I'd be drawn to the creative ways you can present text. I've noticed that one of the popular fads right now is hand-lettering. Whether it's in advertisements or on wedding decorations, folks seem to be ditching the somewhat-cold feeling of perfectly straight fonts and are gravitating towards the uniqueness and personal touch that hand-lettering provides. This week, I'm going to go over some ways you can get into and practice hand-lettering for yourself! The easiest way to start is by taking your normal handwriting and just jazzing it up a bit: Here, I've penciled out "paintbrush" in both my regular print and regular cursive--taking care to make it cleaner-looking than it normally would. To make it fancy, all you need to do is thicken parts of your letters. Tip: A good rule of thumb is to widen on the down strokes and leave the horizontals their normal width. Then I went over it in my 08/.50mm Sakura Pigma Micron and erased any residual pencil marks. Not super exciting, but still nicer to look at than the regular old lines. I followed suit with the cursive example, again thickening the vertical lines, only a bit smoother this time. And that's how you fake calligraphy! (Just make sure you wait longer than 10 seconds to erase your pencil marks, or you'll smudge your ink as I did...) If you don't particularly care for your handwriting or are looking to go for something specific, you can draw inspiration from--or simply copy--a font that already exists! Fonts.com has thousands of fonts in a myriad of styles for you to look through and test with your own sentences. I've also found a lot of great, free fonts by browsing Pinterest boards. This one is called Cantoni and I found it through Pinterest. Just like I did with my own handwriting, I sketched it out in pencil first and then went over it in ink. I like this font a lot better than my regular cursive, and with a bit of practice, I could eventually get the motions of the letters memorized and it can become my own! Tip: Practicing your lettering by writing out each letter in order is boring and feels a bit like when you had to learn cursive in school. Instead, use pangrams (phrases that incorporate the entire alphabet), like "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" or "When zombies arrive, quickly fax judge Pat." This will help you figure out ways to connect letters naturally and find a smooth rhythm in which to write. Something neat I found online is this 30-Day Lettering + Doodle Challenge. These 30-Day Challenges are an awesome and super-fun way to make a habit out of something you want to explore more--I've done writing and poetry challenges before but never doodling and lettering! I went ahead and drew out what I was feeling for Day #4's prompt, "Dreamer." In my head, I imagined a font that was all capitals but with somewhat-thin letters that had slight flourishes. So I took to Pinterest and found Lettersmith. With a few simple accent stars, I had already completed the day's challenge! (It always looks better in ink.) I fully intend to keep this 30-Day Challenge going--even though I skipped ahead a few days. And I can either doodle the odd days, as suggested, or use ALL of the words as prompts for lettering! This guy is another I found on Pinterest, and he's called Bellwethers. Some fonts, like Bellwethers, will come with optional letter flourishes (like how the P and H are swoopy-er than the other letters). Flourishes like this are a great way to draw attention to a single word or add a kind-of border to a short phrase. You can add flourishes around your letters or directly to them, depending on the type of font you're using--printed fonts usually look better with non-connected flourishes that echo the shapes of the letters, while cursive scripts are prettier and more complete with swirly accents either around the letters or connected to them. If you're lacking inspiration for flourishes, there are plenty of templates for those online as well! Here's a small section of a HUGE template I found also on Pinterest--an incredible resource, honestly. Eventually, all of these little tricks and cheats will become second nature and you won't have to rely on outside sources anymore! Once you get to that point and are feeling more confident with your lettering, you can try upping your game with thicker markers or full-blown calligraphy pens! Use the Pitt Big Brush Artist Pen for chunky lettering that you want to cover a large area with. For daintier fonts that still need to cover some space, try the smaller Brush Tip Pitt Artist Pen. If you wanna get REALLY nuts, bust out a bottle of India ink and your tiniest detail brush to fill in your sketches. It's a super quick way to fill in a lot of letters that have varying line widths. A happy medium between using a pen and a brush and ink is one of these Niji Waterbrushes! I filled this one with some water and (maybe not quite enough of) American Journey June Bug and wrote out my word without penciling first. And, of course, we have actual calligraphy pen sets for those of you who are already awesome at lettering. But even if you only master one font, there are still endless possibilities for mediums to use it with and flourishes to add to it. Plus, since to err is human, each instance will be a little bit different from the ones you've done before. And that's what hand-lettering is all about :)
Bettering Your Lettering!
Hey, everybody! Typography has always been a passion of mine. As an artist with an English degree, it seems only natural that I'd be drawn to the creative ways you...
A New Jewel in the Cheap Joe's Crown!
Hey, everybody! Crazy things have been happening in the Cheap Joe's world: namely, we opened a brand new store in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina I was part of the team who worked diligently to get everything up and running ASAP for the townsfolk, who have badly wanted an art supplies store--so much so that they even started a Bring Cheap Joe's Art Stuff to Asheville page on Facebook! Well, we heard those pleas and made it happen! And I wanted to share some photos of the journey with you guys: Very early stages, just getting basic fixtures put in. And there's Aly and David, the managers of the Boone Outlet and the Asheville stores! Reduce, reuse, recycle: these planks of wood are actually pieces of pallets that we receive deliveries on, but we knew we could use them for something creative, like an accent wall! Soon, these will be covered in stacks of canvas and watercolor paper! Here's Brian, our Marketing Manager, building a big front desk for our new employees! Then he added a big, sturdy, concrete top and continued the pallets motif! Finally! We can start loading in merchandise! The very first product placed! Bunches and bunches of sketchbooks! Sorting and finding a place for everything! (Natasha, who works in inventory, doesn't like having her picture taken...) Look at all those easels! And the finished pallet wall! So...much...canvas! Coming along nicely! Our brush section! A few finishing touches...and we were ready to open! Come down and visit us! The address is: 829 Riverside Dr Ste 120 Asheville, NC 28804 And the local number is 828-232-8391 We can't wait to see you!
A New Jewel in the Cheap Joe's Crown!
Hey, everybody! Crazy things have been happening in the Cheap Joe's world: namely, we opened a brand new store in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina I was part of the team...
