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My Supply List

What I Use

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My Supply List

I’m often asked, what do I use to paint with or what supplies do I want my students to have and this is the list I’ve compiled.  I don’t ever say, “now run right out and buy all this stuff”.  These are the paints on my palette, the brushes I use and the miscellaneous supplies I use.  You’ll need to decide how deep into this you want to get.  Look over the list and read my recommendations on what you need to get started below.

Paints:

Titanium White

Cadmium Free Yellow Light

Cadmium Free Orange Light

Cadmium Free Red Light

Hookers Green

Burnt Sienna

Burnt Umber

Ultramarine Blue

Dioxazine Purple

Turquoise Deep

Lime Green

Alizarin Crimson

Brushes:

Natural Bristle Brushes:  #12 or 10, # 6 or 8, #2

Synthetic Flats: same sizes as bristle brushes

Script Liner:  size 0 

Natural bristle hake brush – ( can get along without this)

Supplies

Stay Wet Palette Box – It might come with a sponge

Sponge for inside the box if yours didn’t come with one

Palette Paper (you can use freezer paper)

Spray bottle

Color Wheel

Paper Towels

Soft vine charcoal

Water Basin

PAINT

When looking for acrylic paints to buy, you should look for something that says “student grade” at the least.  You don’t need professional grade paint when you’re just starting out, but you don’t want to use craft paint. 

Craft paints do not have as much pigment and they are already diluted.  You will not get the vibrant colors your looking for and it does not flow or move the same.  You will have a hard time painting with your work on an easel because it will run.  

Buy a student grade paint in only the primary colors and black and white if that’s what the budget will allow.  You can actually create any color using just the 3 primary colors of red, blue and yellow. 

Brushes

You can buy some decent synthetic flat or round brushes (I seldom use round but they are good for some things) in a pack of 8-12 brushes, but do not buy the cheapest brushes either online or in a store.  A decent package of synthetic brushes should cost between $15 and $20.

I have never found a package of natural bristle brushes.  You can buy a package of synthetic bristle brushes, but I have never found any of them that are any where near as good as natural bristle brushes.  If you can only buy two, then get a #10 and a #4 but try to find natural bristle brushes.  They are the workhorse of your art kit and they will hold up much better to the abuse they are going to take.  I have been using the same natural bristle brushes for 20 years.  

Extras

I use a Sta-Wett palette box because it’s enclosed and it will keep your paints fresh for well over a week or longer.  I won’t tell you how long I’ve had some of mine going, but it’s much longer.  You don’t feel like your wasting paint if you can put the lid on your box and walk away.  

I use soft-vine charcoal for drawing what I want to paint on the canvas.  Word of caution, use very light pressure when using it.  When you’re finished you can use a bit of water on a paper towel and wipe off anything of your drawing left.  You also don’t want to draw too heavy because it will mix with your paint and muddy it.  

A color wheel has tons of info on it and you can buy a small one like the one I use for about $5.  You can and should also make your own color wheel.