Supply List for the Oil Painter

 

Oil Paints:

I recommend brands such as Michael Harding, Williamsburg, Old Holland, and Winsor & Newton. Understand these are professional-grade paints, meaning they will have more pigment load and less-to-no filler. Brands like W&N and Gamblin also offer student-grade paints (Winton and Gamblin 1980) that are more affordable, just know that the color will not have the same level of intensity as their higher quality counterparts. I often find the more expensive brands are more cost-effective in the long run (I use less of it since they are so saturated).

The essential colors for the oil painter’s palette are:

  • Cadmium red

  • Permanent alizarin crimson

  • Cadmium yellow

  • Yellow ochre

  • French ultramarine

  • Burnt umber

  • Titanium white

I use an expanded color palette, but the ones listed above I will always guarantee use. Sometimes a limited palette just can’t achieve certain hues, so that’s why I have other colors on hand when I need them. These are colors from my expanded palette (excluding the ones already listed):

  • Permanent rose

  • Transparent orange

  • Bright yellow lake

  • Lemon yellow

  • Indian yellow

  • Viridian hue

  • Burnt sienna

  • Terra rosa

  • Quinacridone violet

  • Ivory black

 

Brushes:

I use Rosemary & Co. brushes and they are excellent quality. I purchased them in sets, but I’ll go into the types and textures of the brushes that are included in them.

The Alla Prima Oil Brush Set

  • Ivory (synthetic but stiff)

  • Master’s Choice (natural mongoose)

  • Eclipse (synthetic mongoose)

Michael Richardson Plein Air Master Set

  • Classic (90% bristle, 10% synthetic)

  • Ivory (synthetic but stiff)

  • Master’s Choice (natural mongoose)

  • Hog large bristle

  • Golden synthetic (nylon)

Evergreen Sets (I purchased these from eBay, but this is what came w/ it)

  • Evergreen is synthetic and not as stiff as Ivory

  • Long flats

  • Short flats

  • Filberts

These are just what I use, but use whatever fits in your budget, and consider your brush habits. If you are always super rough with your brushes it might not be suited to invest in expensive ones. I just don’t recommend anything super cheap because the hairs will splay easily as well as fall out, which will become frustrating when you go to paint. You want something that will maintain its shape for a while.

I feel that long handle brushes provide a lot more balance and stability when holding them, and they will allow you to sit farther away when painting.

 

Mediums & Thinners:

 

Palettes:

Glass palettes are a lot more user-friendly than wooden palettes, but it’s all up to personal preference. Glass is a lot easier to clean and you can scrape off dried paint with a paint scraper tool but are quite heavy and uncomfortable to hold. New Wave’s wooden palettes are designed to held in your hand, being very light and having an even distribution of weight (which is great if you stand up when you paint, but if you sit down, it might not matter as much). Personally, I’ve been on wooden palette kick lately.

You can also make a glass palette yourself very easily! Most hardware or glass supply stores will cut to any size you want, or you can just buy a cheap picture frame and take the glass out of that. You’ll need:

  • A cut sheet of glass (22” x 15” x 1/8” thick is a good size)

  • Mid-toned grey acrylic paint to cover one side of the glass

  • Thick tape to cover all the corners and edges so you don’t cut yourself!

 

Substrates/Surfaces:

I’ve been stretching my own canvas, so if you want to do that as well, you’ll need:

  • Cotton canvas or linen fabric

  • Heavy-duty staple gun

  • Canvas pliers (to maintain a tight grip of the canvas. I get blisters if I don’t use one!)

  • Stretcher bars

  • Scissors

  • Gesso/primer

You can use basic acrylic gesso, but it will be more absorbent than oil priming. It’s the easiest option because it dries within a day, so you can paint on it right away. Michael Harding has a good non-absorbent acrylic primer that comes in many colors.

With oil priming, you will need a size (PVA Size or rabbit skin glue) to put on your fabric to seal it, so your oil-based primer doesn’t soak into the canvas. However, after priming you’ll have to wait around 2 weeks+ to let it dry and ensure a stable paint film. Gamblin, Williamsburg, and Utrecht have good oil grounds.

I also enjoy painting on panels, because they won’t risk getting punctured and I like a flat surface. However, the larger you get they can become heavy, but that shouldn’t stop you from painting on what feels most comfortable. You can buy them pre-made from Raymar or Artefex, but they can get costly. So, I just make my own with:

  • Masonite, ACM, or PVC composite sheet

  • Neutral PH adhesive

  • Cotton canvas or linen fabric

  • Scissors

  • Gesso/primer

  • You would prime a panel just as you would a regular stretched canvas.

 

Tools & Miscellaneous:

  • Palette knives

  • Paint scraper for glass (you can use a plastic razor blade for wooden palettes)

  • Paper towels or shop towels

  • Brush dip (500ml safflower oil + 10ml clove oil) – dip your brushes in this after your session and they will stay fresh for many days. Or you can buy it pre-made from Geneva Fine Art.

  • Brush holder

  • Brush case for travel

  • Glass jars for solvents or mediums

  • Clip-on metal cups for palette

  • iPad stand

  • Masterson Sta-Wet palette case

  • Clove oil (put some on a cotton ball and leave it in your sealed palette case, and it will keep your paints fresh for a very long time)

  • Pencil, charcoal, or pastel to sketch out your painting

  • 5000k fluorescent light

 

Brush Care Cleaning Supplies:

  • Brush washing tank (filled with Gamsol)

  • Murphy’s oil soap

  • CCS lavender & olive oil soap

  • The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver

  • Jack’s Linseed Studio Soap

  • Turpenoid Natural

  • Makeup brush scrubber with ridges

 

 

Good Websites to Buy Art Supplies??

https://www.dickblick.com/

https://www.jerrysartarama.com/

https://www.jacksonsart.com/en-us/

https://www.naturalpigments.com/