Class Supply List

I’d like to begin by talking a bit about the safety concerns associated with painting indoors.

There is nothing harmful about working with oil paints and pigments unless they are introduced into the bloodstream. This can only be done through open wounds or through ingesting the paint. This is not a concern if we simply cover knicks or scratches we might have on our hands, and we are careful not to touch our faces while painting, or put a paintbrush handle in our moths, for example.

The material commonly associated with oil painting that can be harmful while in enclosed spaces are solvents. Solvents can be a helpful way to alter and control the consistency of our paint, but it is not actually necessary that we work with them. If you have a studio space that is equipped for solvent use, or if you are able to paint in a large or well-ventilated space, then I would recommend a simple combination of Gamsol and linseed oil as a painting medium. If you are working in a smaller space or in a corner of a room at home, I would recommend simply using walnut oil as a medium. It can be used to loosen the paint similar to the way we might use Gamsol, and is perfectly safe in an enclosed space. Just to be clear, oil painting in an enclosed space is perfectly safe if you are NOT using solvents.

To be sure I haven’t left any wet paint lying around indoors I will often simply use a large drop cloth.

COLORS

I consider this a more advanced course and therefore I will leave the list of colors you use up to you. I would strongly suggest you consider the following list as a solid foundational palette. It is based on what is often referred to as a ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ of all 3 primary colors and allows a broad range of light to dark. I will also suggest some additional colors that might broaden that spectrum. If you should choose to use something more limited or expanded I am open to it and would love to discuss it.

• Lemon Yellow or Cadmium Yellow Lemon or Permanent Yellow or equivalent primary yellow (not too close to orange)

• Cadmium Yellow Medium or Deep or equivalent warm yellow (Orange feeling)

• Cadmium Red or Vermillion Red or equivalent warm red (leans toward yellow) I personally use Old Holland Scheveningen Red

• Alizarin Crimson or Permanent Crimson or equivalent

• Cerulean or Cobalt blue or equivalent yellow leaning blue (Gamblin makes an affordable Cerulean that is also my favorite)

• Ultramarine Blue

• One large tube of Titanium White

If you’d like to keep things simple this can act as your palette for the duration of the term, however I will often supplement this foundation with something like the following:

• Michael Harding Yellow Ochre Deep

• Burnt Umber

• A cold black such as Ivory Black, Blue Black (Winsor Newton), or Cold Black (Williamsburg)

Just as an example, I also use the following colors quite frequently:

• Raw sienna

• Michael Harding brilliant pink

• Michael Harding Pale Violet

• Michael Harding Kings Blue Deep

• Michael Harding Pthalo Blue & Titanium White (this color has a cerulean appearance and is delightful to mix I find)

• Viridian Green

PAINTING SURFACES

The trajectory of this course is intended to essentially research one ambitious final painting through a series of supportive experiments in painting and drawing, and to take what we learn in these experiments into a well-informed finale. I would like to remain somewhat flexible on which parts of the presented process you might choose to carry further, or possibly run with. I say this to clarify that the list of required canvas and painting material is an outline, and if you have something ambitious in mind that might deviate from this outline I am open to that. For example, I propose that our final painting be a larger one. If you might be more interested in a series of smaller paintings, I am open to that and feel it could be compatible with our trajectory. With this in mind I recommend:

• 1 prepared canvas or panel 18 by 24 or larger or 2 of a smaller dimension if this is more comfortable
• 1 pad of arches oil paper or similar versatile material small panels or surfaces for color studies and thumbnails
• Soft vine or willow charcoal, 1 kneaded eraser and one charcoal pencil
• Graphite drawing pencil in a variety of hardness with Staedtler mars eraser and possible graphite stick

DRAWING MATERIALS

I will be working on an 18 by 24 drawing pad. I feel this gives me the freedom to expand my drawing as my idea of the subject evolves. If you would prefer to work in a sketchbook I am open to that. I would recommend a larger sketchbook in the 16 by 20 range. I would encourage you to work in a drawing medium that you are already comfortable with. We will use drawing materials for preliminary drawings to find and refine our subject, as well as drawing on our final canvas. I would recommend either graphite or charcoal for this:

I am also open to ink and wet media for this part of our process if that feels good to you.

OTHER PAINTING SUPPLIES

• 1 wooden or disposable palette (I like the neutral grey you can get at the art store but freezer paper also works well)

• 1 12 by 18 pad of Arches oil paper (or comparable small surfaces for color studies and process work.)

• 1 roll of masking tape and 1 board to attach drawing paper or painting material to

• Paper towels or painting rags (I love the blue shop towels you get at the hardware store)

• 1 small sealable container for painting medium

• painting medium: this can be either walnut oil or a 50/50 combination of linseed oil and Gamsol

• at least 1 good quality drop-handled palette knife

• A variety of brushes: at least 2 #8 or larger, and at least 2 smaller than an 8. At least 1 of each of the 3 major shapes: the flat, the filbert, and the round.

• 1 plastic viewfinder called a Viewcatcher

• Easel: Any easel that will fit into your working space. The sort of easel you would use for painting outdoors can be great and folded up when not in use. I find a French easel can be incredibly versatile and can be properly set up or laid on a table depending on where you are painting. I am more than happy to troubleshoot setting up with anyone who might be interested.