SUPPLY LIST/ Suggested Materials:

DRAWING

• Vine Charcoal, kneaded eraser, an assortment of pencils and a small pencil sharpener.

• Artist chamois.

• Medium sized drawing pad for pencils or a large pad for charcoal drawing.

• Newsprint for figure gesture drawing.

OIL PAINTING

• Stretched canvas or canvas panels (8x10, 11x24, 14x18)

• Artist Oil colors.

• Cold Pressed Linseed Oil.

• Linseed oil palette cup (metal with clip.)

• Julian palette paint box and New Wave rectangular shaped palette. These are better quality products and will last a long time if cared for.

• Metal Palette Knife with wooden handle.

• Assortment of hog bristle brushes. I recommend the Robert Simmons Signet Series. It is suggested to procure at least 8 brushes in an assortment of Brush Sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8. Consider obtaining a variety of rounds, filberts, brights and flats. Robert Simmons offers a variety sample packs which is good for exploring their line of brushes.

***Please avoid the temptation to purchase inexpensive brushes. They are suitable for crafting but not for oil painting. Within a few uses they fall apart and become a source of frustration.***

•Rags (rags are far more efficient and are environmentally more friendly than paper towels.)

• For Cleaning brushes odorless turpenoid in a brush washer container works well. To effectively clean your brushes wipe as much paint as you can from your bristles with a rag. Then dunk the brush’s bristles in the brush washer filled with odorless turpenoid. Then wipe down the bristles before washing your brushes in a sink with a brush cleaner soap. The water from your brushes should run clear when you are finished. Be sure to remove all paint from the bristles otherwise the paint will collect in the ferrule of the brush and over time the bristles will splay out creating a “bushy” brush. Gently squeeze any remaining water from your bristles by applying your thumb and index finger. Gently pat dry the bristles. If necessary reshape the bristles and lay your brushes flat to dry. Sometimes it happens when we forget to wash our brushes and they dry. Winsor and Newton has an excellent product that removes days old dry paint from brushes. It is called Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner and Restorer.

Make it a good habit to replace your brushes as needed. Take care of your materials.

For oil paints, Gamblin professional grade paints are recommended. Please be sure to purchase professional grade oil pigments and avoid student grade pigments as they contain a lot of fillers and are difficult to work with.


On my palette (I use what is called a prismatic palette) I have:

•Titanium White

•Cadmium Yellow Light

•Cadmium Yellow Medium

•Cadmium Yellow Deep

•Cadmium Orange

•Cadmium Red Light

•Cadmium Red Medium

•Cadmium Red Deep

•Alizarin Crimson

•Rose Madder

•Cerulean Blue

•Cobalt Blue

•Ultramarine Blue

•Ivory Black

•Pthalo Green

My portrait palette consists of:

•Titanium White

•Cadmium Orange

•Cadmium Red Light

•Cadmium Red Medium

•Cadmium Red Deep

•Cobalt Blue

•Ultramarine Blue

•Ivory Black

For Plein air painting the Julian French Easel Full Box easel and the Sonia Cappaletto Field easel are both recommended. There are A LOT of easels and boxes for Plein air painting, many of which range in price though most are quite expensive. The old mainstay is the Julian French easel. Pros: It is solid and sturdy, provides storage for paints and brushes, holds up in windy conditions and provides a surface to place your palette. Cons: can be heavy and bulky. The Sonia Cappaletto Field easel is an inexpensive option. Pros: lightweight, easily portable, quick set up, can accommodate small to quite large canvas, has a spot to place a palette. Cons: can tip in windy conditions, no storage for paints.

Pictured below are the two types of easels I use in the field: Julian French easel (left) and the Sonia Cappaletto (right)