Here you’ll find 40 art supplies that start with F, organized from “Fabric” to “Furnace / Kiln”. These items span soft materials, pigments, tools, and firing equipment commonly used in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and mixed media.
Art supplies that start with F are tangible materials and tools artists use to make two- and three-dimensional work. Historically, items like the kiln transformed ceramic art, while fabrics and foils expanded mixed-media possibilities.
Below you’ll find the table with Item, Usage, and Popular brands.
Item: The supply name helps you locate specific materials quickly and compare similar products across disciplines.
Usage: A short description shows how you can use the supply in common techniques and projects.
Popular brands: One to three well-known manufacturers or lines guide you to reputable options when purchasing.
Art supplies that start with F
| Item | Type | Typical Use | Popular Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan Brush | Brush | Blending colors, painting textures like grass or hair, special effects. | Winsor & Newton, Princeton, Grumbacher |
| Fabric | Surface / Material | Mixed media collage, textile art, soft sculpture, alternative painting surface. | Robert Kaufman, Moda, Kona Cotton |
| Fabric Dyes | Colorant | Permanently coloring cloth for textile art, tie-dye, and batik. | Jacquard, Dylon, Rit |
| Fabric Markers | Marker | Drawing and writing directly onto fabric for permanent designs. | Tulip, Crayola, Sharpie (Stained) |
| Fabric Paint | Paint | Painting on clothing and textiles; remains flexible when dry. | Jacquard, Tulip, DecoArt |
| Felt | Fabric | Mixed media collage, printmaking (as a blanket), sculpture, craft projects. | Benzie Design, National Nonwovens |
| Felt-tip Pen | Pen | Drawing, sketching, outlining, illustration, and coloring. | Sharpie, Paper Mate Flair, Stabilo |
| Ferrule | Brush Component | Holding brush bristles together and attaching them to the handle. | N/A (component part) |
| Fiber | Papermaking Material | Handmade papermaking, textile art, mixed media inclusions, sculpture armatures. | Arnold Grummer, Kraftex |
| Filbert Brush | Brush | Blending, figurative work, creating rounded shapes like petals or leaves. | Robert Simmons, Princeton, Escoda |
| File | Shaping Tool | Shaping and smoothing wood, metal, plaster, or stone in sculpture. | Nicholson, Stanley, Bahco |
| Fimo Clay | Modeling Clay | Modeling, sculpting, jewelry making; hardens when baked in an oven. | Staedtler (Fimo), Sculpey, Kato Polyclay |
| Fine Liner Pen | Pen | Detailed drawing, inking comics, technical illustration, and outlining. | Sakura Pigma Micron, Staedtler, Copic |
| Fixative | Coating / Varnish | Protecting dry media drawings (charcoal, pastel, pencil) from smudging. | Krylon, Grumbacher, Winsor & Newton |
| Flat Brush | Brush | Applying broad strokes, filling large areas, creating sharp edges, varnishing. | Grumbacher, Liquitex, Royal & Langnickel |
| Flat Panel | Painting Surface | A rigid and portable alternative to stretched canvas for painting. | Ampersand, Fredrix, Blick |
| Flexible Curve | Drawing Tool | Drawing smooth, custom curves that cannot be made with a French curve. | Staedtler, Alvin, Westcott |
| Flexible Shaft Tool | Power Tool | Carving, grinding, polishing, and detailing in sculpture and jewelry making. | Dremel, Foredom, Wen |
| Flocking Powder | Textural Additive | Adding a soft, fuzzy, velvet-like texture to mixed media artwork. | Stampendous, Ranger, Art-C |
| Flow Improver | Paint Medium | Increasing the flow and workability of acrylic paints without thinning color. | Liquitex, Golden, Winsor & Newton |
| Fluid Acrylics | Paint | Pouring, glazing, watercolor-like effects, and airbrushing. | Golden, Liquitex, Holbein |
| Fluorescent Paint | Paint | Creating bright, glowing effects, especially under black light. Pop art. | Liquitex, Golden, Rosco |
| Foam Board | Mounting Surface | Mounting artwork for display, backing for frames, building architectural models. | Elmer’s, Bainbridge, Art-C |
| Foam Brush | Applicator | Applying paint, stain, or varnish smoothly over large, flat areas. | Jen Manufacturing, Royal & Langnickel |
| Foam Stamps | Printmaking Tool | Stamping and printing simple shapes and patterns onto paper or fabric. | Creatology, Art-C, Roylco |
| Foil | Embellishment | Adding metallic accents and embellishments to mixed media and paper crafts. | iCraft Deco Foil, Speedball, Ranger |
| Folder (Bone) | Hand Tool | Creasing and folding paper cleanly in bookbinding, origami, and card making. | Teflon, Lineco, Awl for All |
| Forging Hammer | Metalworking Tool | Shaping heated metal on an anvil for sculpture and blacksmithing. | Estwing, Picard, Kanca |
| Forging Tongs | Metalworking Tool | Securely holding and manipulating hot metal during the forging process. | Kanca, Doyle, Vevor |
| Forming Stake | Metalworking Tool | Shaping sheet metal into complex curves for sculpture and jewelry. | Fretz, Durston, PepeTools |
| Fountain Pen | Pen | Expressive ink drawing, sketching, calligraphy, and fine writing. | Lamy, Pilot, TWSBI |
| Frame | Display Accessory | Enclosing, protecting, and displaying a finished piece of artwork. | Nielsen Bainbridge, Frame Destination, Blick |
| Frame Clamp | Woodworking Tool | Holding the mitered corners of a picture frame together while glue dries. | Bessey, Jorgensen, Powertec |
| Frame Saw | Woodworking Tool | Making precise, straight cuts in wood for building custom frames. | Knew Concepts, E.C. Emmerich |
| French Curve | Drawing Tool | Drawing smooth curves of varying radii in drafting and illustration. | Staedtler, Westcott, Alvin |
| French Easel | Easel | Painting outdoors (en plein air) or in a studio with limited space. | Jullian, Mabef, Richeson |
| Fret Saw | Woodworking Tool | Making intricate, curved cuts in thin materials like wood or metal. | Knew Concepts, Olson, Robert Larson |
| Frisket Film | Masking Material | Masking off areas of an artwork to protect them from paint or ink. | Grafix, Frisk, Artool |
| Fuller’s Earth | Pigment / Clay | Making oil paint, preparing grounds, absorbing oil from paper. | Natural Pigments, Kremer Pigmente |
| Furnace / Kiln | Firing Equipment | Firing ceramics, annealing glass, curing enamels, and metal casting. | Skutt, Paragon, Evenheat |
Descriptions
Fan Brush
A paintbrush with a flat, splayed-out ferrule, resembling a fan. Its unique shape is perfect for creating soft gradients, delicate textures, and expressive marks in various painting media.
Fabric
Woven or non-woven material used as a primary surface or as an element within another artwork. Its texture, color, and pattern can add significant interest and meaning.
Fabric Dyes
Dyes formulated to chemically bond with fabric fibers, creating vibrant, permanent color that resists washing. Different types are available for natural and synthetic fibers.
Fabric Markers
Markers containing permanent, pigmented ink designed to be fade-resistant and washable after being heat-set with an iron. They allow for freehand drawing on textiles.
Fabric Paint
A type of acrylic-based paint formulated to adhere to fabric without cracking or peeling. It is designed to be permanent and washable after being heat-set.
Felt
A non-woven textile produced by matting and pressing fibers together. It’s valued in art for its texture, vibrant color options, and ease of cutting without fraying.
Felt-tip Pen
A pen with a porous tip made of pressed fibers, such as felt. It delivers a bold, consistent line, making it a favorite for illustrators and doodlers alike.
Ferrule
The metal band that connects the bristles of a brush to its handle. The quality of the ferrule affects the brush’s durability and ability to hold its shape.
Fiber
Natural or synthetic filaments, such as cotton or abaca, used to form a sheet of paper or as a textural element in various art forms.
Filbert Brush
A versatile paintbrush with a thick, flat ferrule and an oval-shaped tip. It combines the coverage of a flat brush with the precision of a round one.
File
A hardened steel tool with a cut, toothed surface used for abrasive smoothing and shaping. Files come in various shapes and coarseness levels for different materials and tasks.
Fimo Clay
Fimo is a popular brand of polymer clay, a pliable, man-made material that can be cured in a home oven. It’s a versatile medium for artists and crafters.
Fine Liner Pen
A pen with a very fine plastic or fiber nib, typically in a range of precise widths. It produces a consistent, crisp line ideal for intricate work.
Fixative
A clear liquid, usually sprayed as an aerosol, that creates a protective film over artwork. It prevents smudging and sets dry media particles onto the paper surface.
Flat Brush
A paintbrush with a square-ended, flat ferrule. It’s a workhorse brush ideal for bold strokes, washes, and covering large areas of a canvas or paper quickly.
Flat Panel
A rigid board, often made of wood or hardboard, that is primed and ready for painting. Flat panels are durable, easy to frame, and great for travel.
Flexible Curve
A malleable ruling instrument made of a flexible core with a plastic outer shell. It can be bent into any curve and will hold its shape for tracing.
Flexible Shaft Tool
A rotary tool with the motor separate from the handpiece, connected by a flexible shaft. This design offers greater precision and control for intricate work on small-scale projects.
Flocking Powder
Tiny fibers that are applied over an adhesive to create a velvety surface. Flocking adds unique tactile and visual interest to collages, paper crafts, and mixed media pieces.
Flow Improver
An acrylic paint additive that breaks the surface tension of water. It improves flow for staining effects, reduces brush marks, and is great for detail work.
Fluid Acrylics
Acrylic paints with a low viscosity, similar to heavy cream. They contain the same pigment load as heavy body acrylics but flow smoothly for pouring and detailed brushwork.
Fluorescent Paint
Paint containing pigments that absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it as visible light. This creates an intense, vibrant, almost glowing color, especially noticeable under a UV light source.
Foam Board
A lightweight, rigid sheet made of a polystyrene foam core sandwiched between two layers of paper. It’s easy to cut and is a staple for presentations and model making.
Foam Brush
An inexpensive applicator with a foam wedge instead of bristles, attached to a handle. It’s great for achieving a smooth, streak-free finish but is less durable.
Foam Stamps
Stamps made from dense foam, often mounted on a wood or plastic block. They are easy to use and clean, making them popular for crafts and introductory printmaking projects.
Foil
Thin sheets of metal or metallic-coated plastic applied with adhesive or heat. Foil adds a brilliant, reflective quality to artwork, mimicking the look of precious metal leaf.
Folder (Bone)
A dull-edged hand tool, traditionally made from animal bone, used to score paper. It creates a crisp, clean fold without leaving a shiny mark on the paper’s surface.
Forging Hammer
A heavy-duty hammer, often with a rounded and a flat face, designed to move and shape hot metal. Different hammer faces create different textures and forms in the metal.
Forging Tongs
Specialized pliers designed to grip hot metal without slipping. Tongs come in various jaw shapes to hold different stock sizes, like flat bars or round rods.
Forming Stake
A steel anvil with a specific curved or domed shape, used as a surface for hammering and forming sheet metal. Artists use various stakes to create bowls, vessels, and organic forms.
Fountain Pen
A pen with a metal nib that draws ink from an internal reservoir. It offers a unique line variation based on pressure and angle, favored by artists for its fluid lines.
Frame
A decorative border made of wood, metal, or plastic that enhances and protects a piece of art. Choosing the right frame is a key part of the final presentation.
Frame Clamp
A tool that applies even pressure to all four corners of a frame simultaneously. It ensures the joints are tight and square, which is crucial for a professional-looking frame.
Frame Saw
A saw with a narrow blade held in tension by a frame. This design allows for very fine, controlled cuts, essential for accurately cutting the molding used in picture frames.
French Curve
A flat template, typically made of plastic, with edges composed of several different curves. Artists use it as a guide to draw precise, non-circular arcs and spirals.
French Easel
A highly portable box easel that folds into a compact case with a handle. It features telescoping legs and a built-in drawer for storing paints, brushes, and a palette.
Fret Saw
A type of bow saw with a very fine-toothed blade held under tension in a frame. Its deep frame allows for cuts far from the edge of the material.
Frisket Film
A transparent, low-tack adhesive film that is cut to shape and applied to a surface. It’s widely used in airbrushing to create sharp, clean edges.
Fuller’s Earth
A type of clay prized for its ability to absorb oils and act as a pigment extender. Historically, it was used by artists to remove oil stains from paper and in gesso recipes.
Furnace / Kiln
A thermally insulated chamber that produces temperatures sufficient to complete a process such as firing clay. It’s an essential piece of equipment for ceramicists and some sculptors.