Readers Choice

2ND ANNUAL READERS’ CHOICE

Fine Art Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 Winners

The votes are in!

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Annual Artists Network Readers’ Choice Awards. We asked you to weigh in on your favorite art tools and materials in more than 50 categories. We wanted to know what you consider great supplies for newbies, what tools are studio essentials, what items are worthy of a splurge, and more. Categories ranged from your favorite sketchbook to what masterpiece you’d most love to own. Dozens of companies were on the ballot, and you had the option of writing in your own choices. Several companies received votes via write-in.

More than 500 members of the fine art community completed the survey. Did your preferred brands rise above the rest? Read on for a full listing of our community’s favorites.

Thanks to everyone for your participation and congratulations to all the winners! 

Lifestyle

The Museum You’d Most Like To Have In Your Neighborhood

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Readers’ Choice

The Louvre

https://www.louvre.fr/en
Honorable Mentions:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Muse’e d’Orsay

The World’s Most Artistic City

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Readers’ Choice

Paris

Honorable Mentions:

New York City, Rome

If You Could Own a Masterpiece of Art, What Would You Choose?

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Readers’ Choice

Sunflowers by Van Gogh

Honorable Mentions:

Monet’s Water Lillies, Mona Lisa

Tools for Drawing

Best Sketchbook

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Readers’ Choice

Strathmore

https://www.strathmoreartist.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Fabriano, Canson

Best Graphite Pencil

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Readers’ Choice

Staedtler

https://www.staedtler.com/
Honorable Mentions:

General Pencil,Tombow

Best Colored Pencil

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Readers’ Choice

Prismacolor

https://www.prismacolor.com
Honorable Mentions:

Faber Castel, Derwent

Best Marker or Pen

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Readers’ Choice

Tombow

https://www.tombowusa.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Stabilo, Faber Castel

Best Charcoal Sticks

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Readers’ Choice

General Pencil Compressed Charcoal Sticks

http://www.generalpencil.com
Honorable Mentions:

Stabilo, Faber Castel

Best Pencil Sharpener

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Readers’ Choice

Staedtler

https://www.staedtler.com/us/en/
Honorable Mentions:

Bostitch, Prismacolor

The one drawing tool you cannot live without

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Readers’ Choice

Staedtler and Derwent eraser

https://www.staedtler.com/us/en/
Honorable Mentions:

Sakura Pigma for ink drawing, HEXAGONAL RULER 2.0

Tools for Oil Painters

Best Introductory Oil Paint Set

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Readers’ Choice

Sennelier Oil Paint

http://www.sennelier-colors.com
Honorable Mentions:

Blick, Richeson Oil & Panels Set/6

Best Oil Paints – Overall

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Readers’ Choice

Winsor & Newton

https://www.winsornewton.com/na/
Honorable Mentions:

Sennelier Oil Paint, Utrecht Oil Paints

Best Brushes For Oil Painting

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Readers’ Choice

Jerry’s Artarama

https://www.jerrysartarama.com
Honorable Mentions:

Raphael Brush, Isabey Brushes

The Single Most Essential Brush (MVP) for Oil Painting

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Readers’ Choice

Bob Ross

https://www.bobross.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Flibert, Artify

The First Brush You’d Buy After Winning The Lottery

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Readers’ Choice

Arategria

https://www.artegria.com/products
Honorable Mentions:

Raphael, Winson & Newton

Best Stretched Canvas

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Readers’ Choice

Frederix

https://fredrixartistcanvas.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Blick, Jerry’s Artarama

Best Panel or Art Board

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Readers’ Choice

Blick

https://www.dickblick.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Birch,Cheap Joe’s

Best Oil Painting Medium

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Readers’ Choice

LUKAS

https://www.lukas.eu/
Honorable Mentions:

BLICK Linseed Oil , Winsor & Newton Linseed Oil

Best Palette Knife

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Readers’ Choice

Richeson Stainless Steel Offset Palette Knife

https://products.richesonart.com
Honorable Mentions:

Liquitex , Holbein

Best Round Brush

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Readers’ Choice

Winsor & Newton

https://www.winsornewton.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Escoda, Princeton Brush Company

Best Flat Brush

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Readers’ Choice

Princeton Brush Company

https://princetonbrush.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Grumbacher, Escoda

Best Bang-for-your-Buck Brush

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Readers’ Choice

Blick

https://www.dickblick.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Princeton Brush, Royal & Langnickel

Tools for Watercolor Painting

Best Introductory Watercolor Paint Set

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Readers’ Choice

Daniel Smith

https://danielsmith.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Sennelier Watercolor, DalerRowney

Best Pan Watercolor Set

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Readers’ Choice

Sennelier

https://www.sennelier.fr
Honorable Mentions:

Daniel Smith, Grumbacher

Best Watercolor Paint – Overall

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Readers’ Choice

Daniel Smith

https://danielsmith.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Winsor & Newton, Sennelier Watercolor

Best Hot-Pressed Watercolor Paper

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Readers’ Choice

Fabriano Astistico

https://fabriano.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Arches Aquarelle Watercolor Paper, Legion Paper

Best Cold-Pressed Watercolor Paper

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Readers’ Choice

Arches Aquarelle Watercolor Paper

https://arches-papers.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Isabey Brushes, Holbein Gold

Best Brushes for Watercolor Overall

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Readers’ Choice

Raphael Brush

https://www.macphersonart.com
Honorable Mentions:

Isabey Brushes, Holbein Gold

Single Most Essential (MVP) Brush for Watercolor Painting

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Readers’ Choice

Cheap Joe’s Watercolor Beginner Set

https://www.cheapjoes.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Isabey Brushes, Holbein Gold

Best Travel Set of Watercolor Paints

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Readers’ Choice

Art Alternatives

https://www.art-alternatives.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Artsy, Grumbacher

Tools for Pastel Painting

Best Soft Pastels

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Readers’ Choice

Sennelier

https://www.sennelier.fr/
Honorable Mentions:

Great American, Terry Ludwig

Best Hard/Semi-Hard Pastels

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Readers’ Choice

Prismacolor Nu Pastel

https://www.prismacolor.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Derwent, Paul Rubens

Best Pastel Starter Set

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Readers’ Choice

Rembrandt

https://www.amazon.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Mont Marte, Daler Rowney

Best Pastel Paper

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Readers’ Choice

Pastel Mat by Clairefontaine

https://goodbeads.com
Honorable Mentions:

Canson Sanded, Uart Sanded

Most Essential Pastel Stick

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Readers’ Choice

Sennelier

Honorable Mentions:

Unison, Pan Pastel

Best Pastel Surface (Board/Panel)

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Readers’ Choice

UArt Premium Sanded Pastel Paper Board

Honorable Mentions:

Sienna plein air, Ampersand Schmincke

Best Pastel Box

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Readers’ Choice

Sennelier

Honorable Mentions:

Baby Lock, Brother

Best Splurge-Worthy Product for Pastelists

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Readers’ Choice

Sentinel A la carte Pan Pastels

Honorable Mentions:

Sentinel A la carte Pan Pastels , Sable brush/h4>

Tools for Acrylic Painting

Best Acrylic Paint Overall

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Readers’ Choice

Golden Paints

Honorable Mentions:

Blick , Sennelier Abstract Acrylic

Best Heavy Body Acrylic

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Readers’ Choice

Golden Paints

Honorable Mentions:

Holbein, Amsterdamn / Sennelier Abstract Acrylic

Best High-Flow Acrylic / Acrylic Ink

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Readers’ Choice

Golden Paints

Honorable Mentions:

Daler Rowney, Higgins

Best Surface for Acrylic Painting

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Readers’ Choice

Fredrix

Honorable Mentions:

Jerry’s Artarama, Legion Paper

Best Brushes for Acrylic Painting

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Readers’ Choice

Blick

Honorable Mentions:

Raphael Brush, Isabey Brushes

Best Palette for Acrylic Painting

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Readers’ Choice

Judson’s Art Outfitters

Honorable Mentions:

Blick, Canson Foundation Series Disposable Palette Pads

Best Acrylic Medium

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Readers’ Choice

Liquitex

Honorable Mentions:

Golden Acrylic Matte Medium, Master’s Touch Gloss Gel Acrylic Medium

Tools for Plein Air Painting

Best Easel for Outdoor Painters

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Readers’ Choice

Guerrilla Painter

https://guerrillapainter.com
Honorable Mentions:

GoEasel, Mabef Easels

Best Backpack for Hauling Your Gear

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Readers’ Choice

Sienna Plein Air Backpack

https://www.amazon.com
Honorable Mentions:

Creativo Original Messenger Style Art Bag, HUION Water-resistant

Best Plein Air Umbrella

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Readers’ Choice

Guerrilla Painter Umbrellas

https://guerrillapainter.com/collections/umbrella
Honorable Mentions:

Deluxe Outdoor Adjustable Painting Umbrella by Jerry’s, SoHo Urban Artist UV Sunscreen Umbrella

Best Pochade Box

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Readers’ Choice

Guerrilla Painter

https://guerrillapainter.com/collections/pochade-boxes
Honorable Mentions:

Portable Painter, Mabef Easels

Best Portable Stool

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Readers’ Choice

Da Vinci Air-Lift Artist Stool

https://www.jerrysartarama.com/da-vinci-air-lift-artist-chair-stool
Honorable Mentions:

European Folding Stool, ArtComber Portable Rolling Chair

Best Splurge-Worthy Items for Your Studio

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Readers’ Choice

Sennelier Watercolor

http://www.sennelier-colors.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Blick, Mabel Easels

General Art Tools

Best Camera For Artists

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Readers’ Choice

Nikon

https://www.nikonusa.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Canon, Konica

Best Software for Creating Digital Art

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Readers’ Choice

Adobe Photoshop

https://www.adobe.com/
Honorable Mentions:

Corel DRAW Graphics Suite, Sketchbook

Best Artist’s Soap

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Readers’ Choice

The Master’s Artist Soap

https://www.jerrysartarama.com/masters-artist-hand-soap
Honorable Mentions:

Dawn Dish Soap, Escoda Brush and Hand Soap

Best Primer

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Readers’ Choice

Cheap Joe’s Gesso

https://www.cheapjoes.com/painting-and-painting-accessories/raw-materials/gesso-and-priming-materials.html
Honorable Mentions:

Blick Gesso, Golden Gesso

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