Art supplies are horribly expensive. I suspect that the manufacturers of paints, pencils, inks etc believe that all artists are secretly making shedloads of money and only look shabby and live in garrets because they’re, you know, artists.

Here’s what you do if you want to make lots of money. Buy an ordinary, cheap, plastic toolbox, stencil the word ‘ArtBin’ on the side and pretend that the compartments sized to take screwdrivers and chisels are actually designed for pencils and brushes. Now sell it for four times the price you paid. (I actually have an ArtBin, bought when I was younger, had more money and was even more stupid.)

Now here’s what you do if you want to save money – especially if you’re a printmaker. Head over to the New Directions in Printmaking blog where Nik Semenoff will tell you how to use everyday materials in your work. It’ll save you a fortune, compared to buying fancy-labelled ‘art’ supplies, and it will open your eyes to new techniques and possibilities.

Even if you’re not into printmaking, take a look anyway. It may give you a new perspective on what materials you might consider suitable for making art.