[updated April, 2011]
When you are first starting out, trying to buy art materials for art journaling, doodling and other fun stuff, the options can seem overwhelming. If you aren't sure whether you'd like something, buy a few colors and play. It's what you are comfortable using, what you like to do in your journals, etc.
Beyond "regular" art materials, I like to recycle stuff like receipts, ticket stubs, maps, leftover cardstock, found objects and photographs in my art journals. More on ephemera (the "stuff" you put in your journals), see Step #399: Art Supplies and Step #414: Ephemera and Step #574: Create Journal Fodder.
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ART JOURNALING & COLLAGE & ACRYLIC
Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Artists' Crayons 
~ These "crayons" come in vivid colors, and they feel like a mix of oil pastels & crayons, to give you an idea. They are extremely useful for art journaling; used for edging pages and drawing soft lines. They are water soluble and can be painted with water for a watercolor effect.
Golden Fluid Acrylics ~ If you ask me about my favorite art supply for art journaling, I'd say it's a tie between Neocolors and Golden fluid acrylics.
This paint has intense, saturated color with a light feel, dries quickly and can be layered. For art journaling, use it for almost anything - backgrounds, with "found" stamps to add color & texture,. A good start would be five 1 oz containers. You can mix them with white or black, or with each other, to get add'l colors. Don't over-analyze WHICH colors to get, just get colors you like. A few drops go a long way. You can mix these with water or fluid matte medium to thin the color, or mix a drop with white gesso for a pastel look.
Fluid Matte Medium 
~ For thinning fluid acrylics. An example at Altered Book: The Road.
Golden Heavy Body Artist Acrylics 2 oz 
~ For thick, fully saturated color in your art journal. Try this paint for stamping with found stamps or textured painting. I like to use these with a brush to create blocks of color, or with a brayer to create backgrounds. This paint can be mixed with white gesso for a lovely, soft pastel look.
Fiskars Softouch Multi-Purpose Scissors ~ Having had hand surgery, I choose scissors carefully so I don't stress my hand. I LOVE these scissors! These are actually the only scissors I can use without pain. I use the 6" version. These are extremely sharp, with a precise tip. They work with paper, magazine images, photos, fabric, detail paper cutting.
Mod Podge This is basically thin glue. You can dip a brush in Mod Podge and "paint' the back of a little paper and add it to a collage. Easy peasy. For adhering paper, images or photos to cardstock, book pages, paper, gessoed surfaces, does not bubble. Plus it's water-based and easy to wash off hands. I use this for adhesive only, under papers.
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Gesso ~ Essential for art journals & altered books, provides a smooth base layer so paint, etc will adhere. Gesso strengthens paper so it's super useful if you are working in an old hardback, to make the pages more usable. Black gesso is also useful. Art Journal: Faded Blue uses white gesso. I've tried several brands, all work fine. You can mix gesso with water for a thinner coat.
WATERCOLOR
For the first few years of watercoloring, I used a set of Pelikan Transparent Colors, Set of 12 ~ The colors are rich and smooth. Here's a mandala painted with these watercolors. The opaque colors are just as lovely.
Now I use Winsor & Newton Artists' Watercolor Half Pans
, set up in a few little travel kits. Heres a picture of my full set-up. I love these paints! They are rich, consistent, smooth, just gorgeous.
WRITING ON ART JOURNAL PAGES & JOURNALING & SKETCHING & DOODLING & DRAWING
See Journal Lettering: Part I & Part II for more examples & info.
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens ~ These are super popular and I love them! Per Faber-Castel, they are filled with "pigmented India Ink that is permanent, waterproof, light-fast, orderless, acid-free and archival (pH neutral)." There are a bunch of nib sizes, from big brush (largest) to extra super fine (smallest). I use superfine (S) or extra superfine (XS) tip PITT pens in black, sanguine or sepia for writing on paper, lettering, line work, doodling, mandalas and sketching.
I like that the ink dries immediately to minimize smudging. The line is consistent and smooth. Brush nib PITT pens are populare with art journalists - they write on almost every surface and come in 48 colors. I like the brush pens for drawing mandalas.
Here's some helpful info that I had to dig around to find: per Faber-Castell, the pitt pen nib sizes are: Brush, Medium = 0.8 mm, Fine = 0.6 mm, Superfine = 0.4 mm, Extra Superfine = 0.1 mm.
Prismacolor Colored Pencils ~ Our favorites - my kids use these daily for drawing, handmade books, maps, mandalas & doodles, we take them on vacation. Sharpen in electric sharpener or by hand. Details at Top Picks: Colored Pencils and Drawing Papers.
gelly rolls galore!!!
Sakura Gelly Roll Pens ~ {see my detailed review of Gelly Roll here}. For journaling, doodling, drawing mandalas, sketching. Dry quickly (but slower than PITT or Micron pens) and permanently. The ink in these pens flows so smoothly.
Sakura Pigma Micron Pen Essential for writing, lettering, detailed line work, doodling, drawing mandalas, sketching. They come in several colors and tips, so they can draw finer lines than PITT pens. They dry immediately and are permanent so minimize smudging.
Sharpie Paint Markers If you plan to write on dark backgrounds, you'll need a white opaque marker or a neon marker. Sharpie water-based paint markers are excellent. They are just as good as (and could be the same as) the discontinued Sharpie poster paint markers. So either of these markers are safe bets for art journaling. They are opaque, sturdy and write on anything. Note: oil-based paint markers work well, but have a strong chemical odor and are difficult to clean off things like your fingers.
Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point Marker are my daughter's favorite for drawing mandalas. I find the bleed-through bothersome on thinner papers, but the color is vivid and saturated and the tips are sturdy. We have the 36-color pack. The 24-color pack would be just great for doodlers and mandala artists. {These make great gifts for young artists, along with a Strathmore 300 Series Drawing Pads or Strathmore 300 Series Student Watercolor Pads.}
DRAWING JOURNALS
Moleskine Journals ~ I use the sketch lined or unlined Moleskine for doodling, making lists, planning trips, drawing mandalas.
Moleskine Watercolor Journals ~ In these journals, you can use wet or dry materials. I use these for neocolor II crayons, doodling, painting in acrylic or watercolor, drawing mandalas. The watercolor paper is beyond fabulous. I've painted on the back/front of the same page without a problem! No bleed-through. A worthwhile luxury. My absolute favorite.
BLOCK PRINTING & BRAYER PROJECTS
Speedball Water-Based Block Printing Inks ~ Use with a brayer and found stamps as in Bubbled Brayer Backgrounds, to add color & texture to journal pages, for leaf stamping (see Acrylic Leaf Prints) and Block Printing. Dries ultra-fast and matte so can be layered.
Speedball Soft Rubber Brayers ~ Reasonably priced, roll effortlessly, sturdy, clean up with soap and water. My kids and I use 2" brayers for everything. It's useful to have an extra (we have 4) so that you can switch colors without cleaning up.
Inovart Printfoam for Block Printing ~ For block and mono-printing with toddlers and young children, make imprints without sharp tools. To learn more about this printfoam, check out Block Printing. Perfect for small hands and kids not ready for sharp lino cutting tools.
Wed, February 1, 2012 at 08:57PM 
Reader Comments (7)
Fabulous list! I couldn't live without my Prismacolor pencils and my Pitt pens! And the Sharpie poster paint pens are AWEsome! Hugs, Terri xoxo
Tammy-
These are all great supplies! I have never heard of the foam for the kids. Sounds so great! I will have to give it a try with the kids.
Thanks. Your blog is just great by the way!
-dana
I forgot to mention that I am really starting to feel like I may start an art journal at some point soon. Thanks for all of the information on it.
Your list is nearly identical to mine except I would add the Sharpie rectractable extra fine pen. It is similar to a Micron pen, but doesn't bleed as much if I apply watercolor after my initial sketch.
Gwen, Thanks for visiting! I use PITT pen XS most of the time; no bleed issues w/watercolors. I'll check out the Sharpie retractable! ~ Tammy
Sharpie has come out with a No-Bleed pen. I just got it at Walmart. It is permanent like a regular Sharpie, but won't bleed through the paper. The one I got has a very fine point (2 in the package actually). I like the fact that it doesn't bleed through and is permanent, but it now simply feels like a regular fin point felt-tip pen. I know, I know, I am being picky....
That's a great list. Extensive and thorough. I think im one of the few people that use glue sticks though... And corrector fluid (feeling paranoid now). We all have our quirks though don't we :D