Oil painting is a little funny in that every painter has a different setup – because oils are so flexible.
Here are the basics for artists who want to paint indoors. If something doesn’t sound right to you, reply and ask for alternatives.
- Palette. You can start with palette paper until you decide what you really want. My home palette is a 12×24″ clear glass palette, so that I can put different colored papers under my palette for color mixing purposes. If you go for glass, make sure to get a real palette with beveled edges and thick shatter-proff glass so it doesn’t break and cut you while you’re scraping it.
- A palette scraper. I have an ergonomic glass scraper from the hardware store. So much better than the expensive ones they sell at the art store.
- Lint-free rags. The blue kind they sell for washing cars is good.
- A big water container for rinsing brushes. An old pickle jar is good.
- An easel. Start with a cheap tabletop easel until you decide what you really need.
- A table / floor cover. Protect your space from dropped paint brushes. And check your sleeves when you leave your painting area.
- Supports. I like canvas panels. Try different supports and see what you like. Get universally primed / regular gessoed canvas. Avoid oil primed surfaces. If you’re a new painter, start small!!
- Canvas paper. Let yourself practice on canvas paper that you’re not planning to show anyone. Practice is important.
- Paint. I use Cobra brand water mixable oils. A lot of paint companies now make good water mixable oils. Just make sure to get professional grade. Student grade is very hard to use.
If you’re on a budget, start with just the primary kit (magenta, yellow, cyan, and titanium white), if you like those colors. Let me know if you want to start with just 4 colors but don’t like those ones.
If you’d like a couple more colors, I’d add:
- Permanent Yellow Deep OR similar color (This is a substitute for Cadmium Yellow)
- Pyrrole Red Light or similar (this is a substitute for Cadmium Red)
- Ultramarine Blue
Mediums & thinners for water miscible oil paint:
WATER is your thinner! If you don’t like splotchy underpaintings, you can buy “solvent-free thinner.
”fast drying medium” made for water miscible oil paint is nice but optional.
Tools
- Silver Grand Prix long handle filbert sizes #2 and #4, or other filbert bristle brushes
- Long handle #4 or #6 flat bristle brush
- Golden or white taklon 3/4” or 1″ flat brush, or similar
- Golden or white taklon round #1 or #2, or similar
- Mini Trowel or another small palette knife for paint mixing and marks
Note: If you just want two brushes, get the ones above in bold italic.
Let me know if you have any questions.