December 10, 2024

Favorite Tools of 2024

We asked our team what tools they loved using in their creative practices and got an extraordinary range of responses back!

By The Art Toolkit Team

A hand holding a pencil sketches in a small notebook, showing several storyboard frames, with a green cutting mat underneath.

We asked our team to share their favorite tools from the past year. Tried and true or new to you, all kinds of tools are great candidates. Think of “tool” loosely: it can be a new paper, brush, clip, scale, hat, whatever helps you express your creativity!

Justin Lesser

A work surface with green cutting mats features various crafting tools, including a knife, scissors, and glue. In the center, a collage book opens to reveal colorful mixed media pages adorned with vibrant paper pieces, drawings, and text. A bottle of Mod Podge sits nearby. — Justin’s crafting supplies.

My favorite tools are my Exacto knife and glue. They let me cut up paper and do mixed media collages, as well as cut, trim, and glue bits of plastic together that I find to make robots. — Justin, Production Lead

Robbie Clay

A round, hand-painted artwork depicting abstract hills in various shades of green and yellow, with a hint of orange in the center. A black pen rests against the artwork on a small display stand. — A remote retreat on the steppe by Robbie.

My favorite tool is the Parallel Pen! It’s great for sketching the jagged edges of mountains, waves, and more! — Robbie, Production Assistant

Maria Coryell-Martin

A hand holding three pens above a sketchbook featuring a simple line drawing of a landscape with mountains and a lake. — Value Sketches at Cooper Lake by Maria.

It’s incredibly difficult for me to narrow down to just one favorite tool, so I’ll share something I’ve been enjoying lately. I’ve been surprised by how much fun I’m having with the Pentel Brush Pen in gray. I find myself reaching for this simple pen over and over during small windows of time through the week—while waiting for a meal, having coffee with a friend, or exploring a park with my family. I like to pair it with a Platinum Desk Pen and water brush to create simple monochrome ink and wash sketches on lightweight paper. The brush pen makes it easy to quickly lay down value with broad strokes, and I love the ink tone. — Maria, Managing Director and Co-Founder

Morgan Terry

A white sweatshirt with a half-zip collar featuring the word PUBLIC LIBRARY embroidered in a playful font across the chest. — Morgan is a public library fan and customized a plain white sweatshirt for fun.

My favorite tool is my embroidery needle. In addition to my watercolor practice, embroidery has been my go-to.

Portraits of Morgan’s daughter.

Hands working on embroidery in a wooden hoop, holding a needle, with a white fabric stretched inside the hoop. The background shows a light-colored carpet and a sofa. — Words around a napkin.

It’s not messy, you can stop at a moment’s notice, and everything I need fits in a small pouch. — Morgan, Retail and Customer Service Specialist

Cole Morreale

A hand holds a small, closed notebook alongside several black pens and markers, set against a blurred brick background. — Cole’s go-to sketching supplies.

I’ve been enjoying the Tombow Fineliner (size 005), the Pentel Tradio Pen, my Sakura Pigma BB Brush Pen, and a Midori sketchbook! The sketchbook is the perfect size for me and lays flat, and the paper surprisingly takes water well for painting. The pens offer a nice range of line variety to experiment with. — Cole, Outreach Coordinator

Nakaia Macomber-Millman

A small glass vial filled with seeds is held beside a vibrant orange flower. Green foliage serves as the background. — Calendula seeds in a glass vial.

I have always loved small containers and jars, but this year I discovered some tiny glass vials with cork stoppers, perfect for sharing saved seeds from my flower garden with friends and family. They are adorable, and I plan to paint the glass with acrylic renditions of the flowers inside before gifting them as Solstice presents. — Nakaia, Marketing Coordinator

Ron Ransom

A sketched illustration in a notebook shows a thin, hunched figure holding a spear next to a plump, imposing figure with a high hairstyle. Both characters are set in a natural environment with trees and a frog nearby. A pen lies in front of the notebook, suggesting an ongoing artistic process. — The walnut ink sketch is by Ron. He shares, “I generally like my personal art pieces to be untitled. A title or phrase tends to lead the viewer in a specific direction. I think it’s best when people can interpret the art in their own unique way and come up with their own narrative.”

My favorite tool is a water brush. I have two in my art kit that I use regularly. One is filled with water, and the other with undiluted walnut ink. Walnut ink has a rich brown, earthy tone and is water soluble. Using them together allows for nice ink washes and fine brushwork. — Ron, Shipping Specialist

Darin Reid

My well-used white Helvetica pencil is always in my Toolkit, and usually the first thing I reach for after taking out my sketchbook. It’s simple and dependable, and I love the grip and look of the basic matte finish. — Darin, Operations Director

Kim Kopetz

An open book displaying color combination charts in Japanese, with color swatches and designs. Nearby, another book titled A Dictionary of Color Combinations Vol. 2 is partially visible.

Colors will never cease to inspire me, and the handy pocket-sized A Dictionary of Color Combinations is my go-to if I am beginning a project or just looking to see delightful colors all in one place. — Kim, Administrative Assistant

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Thank you for reading about our team’s favorite tools of 2024! From adhesives and sketchbooks to pens and little jars, the tools that support us creatively are as varied as our interests. We would love to hear what tools you’ve been exploring recently and about any new discoveries you’ve made!