Manufacturers slap "professional" and "archival" on ordinary accessories to trigger your FOMO. Learn to spot the jargon, understand what actually matters, and stop buying solutions to problems you don't have yet.
Beginner art supplies advice is everywhere, and almost none of it actually tells you what to buy or why. After experimenting with more mediums than anyone should admit to, six rules emerged that apply no matter where your art journey takes you.
You found your subject. Now comes the harder part. To Find your art style means going on a few bad dates, making a mess, and occasionally framing something you never plan to repeat. This is the story of how I found mine.
Most beginners try to find their art style by adding more, more techniques, more tools, more influences. The Subtraction Method works the opposite way. This is how I discovered my own style by eliminating everything that didn't feel right.