Ranking every art medium I've ever tried

I've dabbled with most popular art mediums at this point. Everything from graphite pencils and charcoal, to watercolor, gouache, oils and acrylics. And lots in-between.
So I thought I might rank them all and talk a little bit about my experience with each, the pros and cons, et.c. Mostly just for fun, but maybe it can give you some ideas for new art mediums you might like. (Or ones to stay away from.) 😂
Thanks to Sophia Mitropoulos for the video idea! Here's her version: • Ranking Every Art Medi...
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MENTIONED
Sophia Mitropoulos: / sophiamitropoulos
Chris Hong: / chrishongart
TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:51 - Watercolor
01:18 - Soft pastels
02:05 - Markers
02:31 - Goache
03:18 - Oil paints
04:19 - Acrylic inks
04:39 - Pan Pastel
05:17 - Ink pens
06:07 - Graphite pencils
06:50 - Photography
07:18 - Charcoal + passionate rant
09:07 - Clay sculpting
09:53 - Colored pencils + important disclaimer
11:23 - Ink wash
12:36 - Oil pastels
13:16 - Acrylic paints
14:13 - Ceramics
14:37 - Digital art
15:53 - Wood carving
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Louise: an artist, writer & creative solopreneur from Sweden. As a multi-passionate creative, I have spent my entire adult life avoiding traditional employment and instead making a living off of my art.
On this channel, I talk about everything I've learned along the way: About art making, creativity, mental health, and making a living as a creative. Dealing with perfectionism, fears, and overwhelm. Staying sane and productive among stress and distractions. And much more.
LEARN WITH ME
Pencil Sketching for Beginner Artists - A simple, stress-free roadmap to radically improve your sketching skills. In weeks, not years: www.louisestigell.com/pencil-...
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Learn how to draw any face you want, quickly, accurately, and in your own style: www.louisestigell.com/portrai...
Watercolor For Absolute Beginners - Learn the basics of watercolor in a playful, relaxing, and non-intimidating way: www.louisestigell.com/waterco...
Watercolor Birds - Learn all of my tips and tricks for painting birds in watercolor: www.louisestigell.com/waterco...
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Originals: www.louisestigell.com/portfolio
MUSIC
All music is from Epidemic Sound.

[@hajin2075]

I love oil paint and don’t like watercolors. it’s really interesting that I hardly ever find someone love them both

[@thestellarelite]

We are basically opposites lol. I need my lines or I'll die! Definitely into the linear, pop-y comic style maybe it's because my day job is graphic design. Ipad/cintiq, fine liners, alcohol/paint markers and brush pens are what my soul is made of. I try and try to be painterly I love others work so much and I like the results but it is torture. This was so fun to see your ranks and reasoning. Your videos are always so relaxing and inspirational

[@grayfox1748]

Your videos were one of the reasons why I got into charcoal drawing and I'm absolutely loving it So... yeah, everything you said

[@elllie3630]

these videos are always really fun

[@BokushingusKendoTV]

Hi, Louise. Glad to see you smiling and creating as you like. I’m actually a photographer but I learn a lot from watching painter and artist like you. Thank you for you hard work and sharing your knowledge and skills.

[@navalakshman5970]

My photography had improved a lot after starting painting!

[@user-ui7tn1fq2b]

Mine :) What my soul is made of: Charcoal, acrylic Trusty staples: Pencils Occasional love affairs: Soft pastels, oil pastels, ink pens Want to like but can’t: Watercolour, photography, ink wash Not really my thing: Markers, acrylic inks, clay sculpture, ceramics Pure torture: Coloured pencils, digital art Want to try: Gouache, oil paints, wood carving ❤

[@TheAffeMaria]

Hey, thank you so much for that video. Started drawing with just one pencil I found at home, in a kind of therapeutic way. I´ve searched the webs because I have limited means atm to get a feeling of what things to buy. Been researching for weeks now, finally came across your video. I love your vibe and the insight we are able to get of what you like and why you like it. So helpful, thank you so much and all the blessings for your artistic journey.

[@katjastar3621]

That was fun. Thanks 🤗

[@wolfgangtoeglhofer1710]

Great approach to put different art making media into context with your personal reflections, 🙏👌🙏

[@TheTangaMandapium]

whoa, didn't know pan pastels existed, and yes, pastels are tooo messy, great video Louise! you've been an inspiration with your great art!

[@srga66]

Totally relate to the digital art feeling. It doesn't feel like you're creating something real that you can see and touch and admire. That too now with AI art it feels all the more artificial :D

[@tommymclaughlin-artist]

Fun video, I'd love to make one like this!

[@kali5587]

Thank you for your video. I am exploring.

[@TheAbabeed]

To me , Charcaol medium is a combination between wet and dry mediums made in one , it's a powerful tool to make amazing Art 🎨

[@roxannemcv4259]

Mine is: What my soul is made of: -Charcoal Pencil -Charcoal Powder - Pan Pastels, Sponges (The authenticity and blacks speaks to me, Im more on larger strokes expressionist than focused on details) Trusty Staples: - Gouache : My go to when it comes to colors. It's forgiving and buildable - Oil pastel: The texture ❤️ - Graphite Pencil: use this for fastsketches and studying proportions - Acrylic: contrast and richness of colors Occasional love affairs - Photography - Soft Pastels: it's messy Want to like but cant: - Watercolor: I need to study more in terms of amount of water needed and how to build the colors in layers. Not really my thing: - Color Pencil: i just think color pencils are for meticulous and perfectionist people when it comes to detailing and values of colors. And im not that person. - Markers: i like to see marker artworks but just not my style. Pure torture: - Digital : no comment Want to try: - Oil painting - Ink Pens - Clay sculpting - Ceramics - Wood Carving Just trying to save it here. Maybe as time passes my preferences might change and enhanced my capabilities.

[@navalakshman5970]

👍I think we need to choose environmentally friendly medium and cheap one and less cumbersome materials… currently charcoal and watercolours are my choice!

[@navalakshman5970]

Thanks, enjoyed watching this, I am older than you and have been in this fine arts only for the last 3 years. I started with acrylic and used a projector to trace on canvas. Then learned that I could draw. Then moved to cheap pastels, watercolours, oil, ink, spray painting , .. and then landed on charcoal. Now I can’t do anything without charcoal. I draw with charcoal then an isolation layer and paint with acrylic or water colours over it, I may finish with oil paint glazing over it. That’s my current stage. I don’t know where I will go from here. Because I travel a lot charcoal and watercolours are my best option.

[@studiokayley]

Loved this! Current fave is digital art 😅 but I wanna try gouache and charcoal and many others! ❤❤❤

[@hayati6374]

Soo digital art for me ist somewhere to try a concept. I’ll make a picture and have it in the iPad. Then I’ll put it into one of my blank canvas-tote bags and trace the outlines. With textile paint, I can then get beautiful bags which are great gifts, especially for kids who have their favorite TV series or a hobby. Like handball, horses.. Textile paint has really become a comfort art medium for me!

[@carodame9419]

Love the thumbnail

[@kjosephine70]

The trick with soft pastels is to use a very toothy surface. I’ve made some awesome pastel paintings with Sennelier pastel pad - it’s very toothy and retains the chalk more. Although it can eventually rub off, so you do need a fixative. My main loves are charcoal/graphite and watercolor like yourself and I use them together… recently found your channel and have been binge watching 🥰 Love your content!

[@navalakshman5970]

Me too, I combine charcoal and water colour

[@jmwhiteart]

You're funny. 😄 I like creating digital art. Also, I really like other people's creations with most other mediums (with the exception of most modern art). I really enjoy watching other artists' techniques with their chosen medium, even though I don't think I will try using that medium myself. 🙂

[@nephtaliejalbert]

I’m the same. I do like working with watercolor, colored pencils, crayons, water based markers and acrylic paints for now. This video shows that I don’t like alcohol markers nor oils. I do really like working with Clay and paper mache because I’m involving my hands a lot. Which is good for my fine motor

[@juliabroadley8411]

This is great im still finding my medium I want to be painterly I started with colour pencils now I don't think they are for me although I've improved on my drawing I just want to be loose and painterly I tried guache I found it frustrating I tried watercolour it's so complex to master

[@fuzzydragons]

Coloured pencils are what my soul is made of, just dont use them a lot lately since they take forever lol

[@SharkaOfSea]

My soul is made of pencils and acrylics. :) I didn't like painting with brushes, because for a long time all I knew were watercolours and they are just not for me, but a few years ago I "discovered" acrylics and I love them. I also love using coloured pencils in combination with the normal pencils - usually for highlighting one or few small parts in the picture (like eyes, hair, flower, etc). Right now I'm also in love with "magic pencils", which are pencils that have multiple colours and the hue produced depends on how it's turned - for example one is red+orange+yellow, that creates really nice fire effects.

[@askialuna7717]

i have found that oil pastel looks very different to oil paint, the oil pastels are more matt and have a kind of silky sheen. Oil sticks look very similar to oil paints, these are available from Sennelier and W&N as far as i know.

[@jumanas4012]

i love my oil colours always❤ comes first to me

[@lana.stafford]

I love graphite, charcoal, oil pastel, clay, acrylic, and haven’t tried many of the others in a productive way (like watercolor besides ocean sunsets 😅

[@neyptune]

I really struggle to know what my favorite mediums are, maybe I should do this ranking too to figure out 😅 Totally agree for the digital painting. I do love it, but I don’t enjoy the process as much as traditional painting. Mainly the touch of paper or canvas misses I guess. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us :)

[@Bunnykisses1000]

New to your channel..i love graphite as well, for a very long time. Have you tried the Staedler Mars Lumograph Black? These pencils dont leave that shiny graphite look. The 8B is quite dark. Love your crow drawings!

[@ugh865]

Your voice is so calming!

[@bigblue6917]

There is a Staedtler graphite pencils now which give a matt finish. I follow an artist on KZbin who draws in graphite and he makes some fantastic drawings. I would pretty much place my choices the same as you except photography which I love. It is an art form in itself so to be good at it you have to commit to it to get anything worth while. Personally I find street photography the most enjoyable form. I think this is because I have an eye for it.

[@mspeacepanther]

💛

[@tahsinmahamud6372]

You were kind enough to include Digital Art!!!!

[@elllie3630]

here is my ranking of the different mediums you mentioned (adding some different ones) my soul is made of : watercolour (it is sometimes a bit love and hate but I have stick with for a long time so) clay I love working with clay very tuesday I go to pottery classes (though its more ceramics stoneware clay) knitting I started this and I like takes a very long time but its really relaxing (though took 8 years) staples: pencils/ pens highlighter pens occasional love affair: punch needle coloured pencils brush pens/calligraphy mixed feelings: embroidery soft pastels sewing needle felting Not my thing: Graphite pencils Good for sketching but annoys me that there's no colors & I just don't like them Haven't tried but doesn't want to: oils acrylics photography gouache markers (I have watched videos but idk its not my thing) just at the start kinda liking it: procreate crochet (need learn how to do stuff ) tried it in the past oil pastels charcoal both tried them at school and it was a positive experience. want to try: inks

[@izzypfutzenreuter]

Oil paint is my favorite. I hate Gouache, it feels like childs play to use gouache.

[@literaryartist1]

Hold up! Photography's a medium? I've learned something new. I thought photography was its own form. 🤔🤯

[@wolfgangtoeglhofer1710]

could you imagine to work with a combination of charcoal and watercolor, maybe interesting

[@wolfgangtoeglhofer1710]

just a small recommendation of another KZbin channel: the photographic eye by Alex Kilby. by the way: why not just to learn to use a good smartphone with respect to photography, it’s really easy and you could fully focus on your looking/seeing things creatively process

[@jeannehauttement]

#notalloil

[@mariastigell7776]

Vilken rolig video! Kom till vårat konstnärskollektiv och testa oljepennor gratis. :)

[@LouiseStigell]

Jamen jag vill ju inget hellre! Har jag berättat om mitt hemliga fantasidubbelliv där jag bor i en liten lägenhet i Norrtälje och sitter och målar med er varje tisdag? 😌

[@tokki8825]

With gouache it's really like you get what you pay for. The Himi gouache set is really bad quality - chalky, not really vibrant and you get a muddy mess when you mix. I would recommand trying really good quality gouache like Holbein artist gouache, Winsor+Newton designers gouache or Schmincke Horadam gouache. Yes, they're expensive, but trust me: You'll have a whole different experience, bc theses Himi gouache you tried is not really gouache.

[@artfx9]

🖤