OIL PAINTING - Materials List

If you are using a different medium, please bring comparable materials in your medium and I will demo for you using your gear.

PAINTS

This list is for reference; you don’t have to have every color on here, and certainly not all on your palette at once. Don’t be surprised if I have other colors as well

Titanium-Zinc White (Gamblin)
Genuine Naples Yellow Light (Vasari. Very expensive, has certain irreplaceable qualities; not required but frequently inquired about)
Cadmium Yellow Light (the old standby)
Cadmium Orange (Gamblin’s is lovely)
Indian Yellow (an orange-leaning transparent yellow, it has gorgeous tints; can be added to darks without sacrificing transparency)
Yellow Ochre (
Transparent Earth Red
Terra Rosa (so nice for flesh)
Cadmium Red Light or Naphthol Red
Alizarin Crimson (I still prefer the old, non-permanent one)
Ultramarine Blue (so reliable)
Cobalt Blue
Prussian Blue (the predecessor to Phthalo, and has a blacker quality. A favorite)
Phthalo Turquoise
Phthalo Green (especially if you are painting bottle glass. There is no substitute)
Raw Umber (from Old Holland; it has a golden quality unique to raw umbers, and is excellent for an average-sunlit quality in canvas tone)
Chromatic Black (Gamblin. It’s a two-pigment black. Single-pigment carbon-based blacks are also fine; in mixtures you will see the difference)

A useful two-pigment combination (plus white: you always get white):

Burnt Sienna (or other earth red)
Viridian (or a black)

For a wide-range limited-palette triad, use:

Cadmium Lemon
Quinacridone Red
Phthalo Blue from Gamblin’s 1980 series.
White (you always get white)

BRUSHES

Brushes make brushstrokes, which is what makes a painting. If you want a one-click set, I suggest the David Boyd Jr Starter/Workshop set from Rosemary. Silver Grand Prix Flats and Filberts (get the long-handled ones) are terrific; size depends on how big you want to paint. 2,4,6 for workshops. The long egberts I use are from Richeson or Princeton.

PALETTE

Something to mix your paints on. A wooden palette (you can make one out of 3/16” birch plywood) cleaned repeatedly with linseed oil makes an ideal smooth surface for mixing. Glass or plexiglass is also good; tape a neutral color paper to the back. If you prefer a disposable palette get the gray one from Richeson. Please don’t use a white palette; it causes difficulty in judging values.

SOLVENT & MEDIUM

A solvent (turpentine, traditionally) dissolves and thins wet paint; we use it to clean brushes and only in small quantities as a medium. Use odorless solvent (Gamsol or turpenoid) and a stainless brush washer with a basket and a gasket lid that clamps on.

A medium is used to change the consistency of the paint. Gamblin’s Solvent-Free Gel is recommended.

SUPPORTS

A support is a surface to paint on (often canvas, or muslin, or panel), and a ground is the primer, usually gesso, used to coat the support to prepare it for painting. A tone is a very thin layer of paint applied to the ground prior to starting the painting. Use a little solvent and paint to cover the canvas, then use a paper towel to remove excess and create an even tone.

Paper (any kind, including sketchbook paper or mat board) is an excellent and inexpensive support if treated with shellac (see video). Perfect for in-class exercises or low-risk experiments.
My favorite support is homemade muslin panels (see video here).

Size and quantity of supports depends on the painter—sometimes you’ll want to do a sustained study and sometimes several starts. Prepare for both.

PALETTE KNIFE

A palette knife, or painting knife, can be used for mixing and for applying paint. A three-inch offset blade with a long, graceful shape is the most versatile. Keep it clean: scrape dried paint off with a razor blade.

PANEL CARRIER to transport wet paintings

PAPER TOWELS & trash bag

PORTABLE EASEL (unless the venue provides easels)

MISCELLANEOUS Spring clamps. Bungee. A baseball cap is sometimes useful even in a studio setting to shield your eyes from light. Snacks.

BOOK PLEIN AIR TECHNIQUES FOR ARTISTS by Aimee Erickson. Available at most booksellers.

Aimee Erickson

Aimee Erickson

Think Like a Painter