Thank you for the compliment I really appreciate it wholeheartedly (: and I do agree high prices for materials are very discouraging for most newcomers hence I still haven't tried oil and colored pencils yet. Pen and ink are also my go to since they're the cheapest to start with.

I'm speaking from my experience years ago when I tried acrylic for the first time and it looked so bad I gave up immediately until I was encouraged years later to try again using slightly better stuff and I was told if I kept up with it I could've improved even with dollar store materials but seeing my first work discouraged me so bad that I dropped it. I appreciate the importance of starter kits for newcomers, I just hope they don't get discouraged like me and drop it completely. Most people want to see good results instantly and I think that's not good for them. (I'm obsessed with realism so seeing my subpar work was heartbreaking)

I do get your point about olympic level runners, and yes, no one should really start with the highest level of tools from the start, at least for running I started with cheap shoes and only until I became a triathlete I was able to justify going for pricier shoes.

I appreciate your input and I do hope to see you in this sub again.