WHAT TO BRING TO
OIL PAINTING CLASSES
I’ve tried to keep it as mimum as possible but you do need a lot of things for oil painting! I recommend getting your materials from The Artist’s Apothecary in Murwillumbah. The store is delightful and I’ve given them our material list so they’ll hopefully have what you’re asking for when you come in. I’m giving out this material list early so that everyone has time to get materials (if you all wait to get materials the week before class they may run out of stock).
I recommend Langridge, Windsor & Newton or Art Spectrum for paints and mediums (which Yellow Brick Studio stocks). I personally use Langridge oil paints because they are Australian made and uncompromising on quality. Their paints have super high pigment loading and are based on contemporary high-saturation colours. Their solvent 75 is the lowest toxic solvent in the world. But you’re welcome to use alternative brands that may be more budget friendly.
2B pencil & eraser & notepad
paper towel (for brush cleaning)
a sheet of baking paper (to take leftover paint home on)
apron & gloves (optional)
table easel (optional)
ipad/tablet to paint from (optional)
incredible brush cleaner (optional) I will have brush soap in class but the brush cleaner does condition them more.
we should be able to store our paintings in the workshop space each week but you may want to bring a pizza box/cardboard box to carry your wet paintings home in on the last day.
2-3 primed canvas boards
You can buy packs of 2 or 3 “create art” canvas boards from The Artist’s Apothecary for around $7 if I remember correctly. The smaller size is best, 21x29cm. I don’t love these boards as they warp but they are convenient for classes
You can also paint onto loose primed canvas, cardboard, wood etc, as long as you prime it yourself with 2-3 coats of Gesso.
Small glass jar with lid
This is for our solvent to clean brushes.
Optional: insert scrunched up chicken wire inside OR a smaller jar that fits inside (with punched holes in the lid like mine shown). This means you can fill it with solvent and rub your brush on top of the chicken wire/jar lid and the thick paint will fall to the bottom leaving clear solvent at the top.
Low toxic solvent
1 bottle of “low toxic solvent” OR “solvent 75”. Just a 100 or 200ml bottle would be fine.
Brushes
Bring whatever you have. You can never have too many brushes! It’s good to have a range of square or filbert shape brushes with bristles from 0.5cm to 2cm wide. Hog hair or synthetic is fine. A soft badger hair brush is great but not essential. A nice fine one is great for drawing up. I am really loving old, fluffy bent out of shape brushes at the moment too!
Flat palette & bulldog clip
This can be a store bought palette or even just use a timber board roughly 20x30cm. Don’t forget the bulldog clip!
palette knife
I like the longer ones.
1 plastic container with lid
I don’t waste any paint! I scrape up any unused paint on my palette, put it onto some baking paper and store it in a sealed plastic container in the freezer, ready for the next week.
low toxic paint medium’
I use Langridge’s low toxic paint medium (based on a stand oil). But you can use whatever low toxic medium you have - refined linseed, walnut, stand oil are all fine or any “low toxic” paint medium.
Jar and measuring spoon
For your oil medium
OIL PAINTS
We’ll be using a limited palette (just one of each primary plus white). If you already have oil paints bring whatever red, yellow and blue you have but if you want the exact same as me I use:
♡ Titanium white
💛 Cadmium yellow PY35 (or any high chroma, lemon yellow colour if you already have one)
💗 Quinacridone magenta PR122 (quinacridone crimson would be fine too, sometimes called Permanent Alizarin)
💙 Ultramarine blue PB29 (or phthalo blue PB15.1 (red or green shade) would be fine too, it’s a nicer colour just harder to use as it’s so strong)
I like langridge, windsor & newton, Michael Harding brands. For a more budget friendly option, Art spectrum is fine too. Different brands call their pigments different names, so look for the small pigment number on the back of the tube (ie PY35).
