Use any oil colors you want but be sure to have the primaries, Cad Yellow Medium, Cad Red Medium, and either a Cobalt or Ultramarine Blue (although Cobalt is getting pretty expensive). Plus titanium white and ivory black. It’s helpful to have a good average medium green, like Sap Green. Specialty colors to have that help in summer paintings are Cad Yellow Light (cheaper alternative is Yellow Lemon), Cad Orange, Cerulean or Manganese Blue. Also yellow ochre and another earth tone like raw umber. I would encourage you to buy big 200ml tubes. Buy online. Save lots $. Try Jerry’s Art-A-Rama www.jerrysartarama.com, Italian Art Store, www.itali-anartstore.com. Or Cheap Joe’s.
Brushes: A variety of sizes. Flats preferably. 2s to 10s flats. Or whatever you have.
Easels: The art center will have some you can use. If you have a portable easel and you feel comfortable bringing it, feel free.
Palette: Disposable “pad” style or traditional wood. A small piece of plexiglass, or even glass will work. 11×14” or 12×6”-ish size. If you’re using wood, be sure to rub down new ones with a little solvent and linseed oil. You can even polyurethane them but be sure to sand it between coats. No doubt you’ll have paint leftover after class. You can cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil or saran wrap or either carry your palette carefully home without making a mess. You may also scrape your leftover paint into a tupperware container you can cover to reuse the paint. It’ll stay useable for a few days. A good product is the Masterson Sta-Wet Palette Seal (Jerry’s website). It’s a plastic box with a lid to keep your paints after class, and use as a palette.
Panels: Either canvases or panels. I prefer panels, for they’re easier to wipe off and re-tone for use another time. Think one a session. 8 x 10s up to 12 x16. Try pre-primed panel boards (Frederix or
other art store brands are cheapest, or try New Traditions (www.newtraditionsartpanels.com) for lovely linen panels. If you’d like to save some money, cut your own masonite or fiber boards. Gesso both sides at least three times, then lightly sand. Whatever panels you are using, pre-tone them with a very light Raw Umber wash. Use a wash dark enough so white shows up clearly against it. Use canvases if you must, but I’d try to use panels because they can be reused easier and store more efficiently.
Also:
• palette cup and palette knife for mixing
• some kind of tight-lid brush washer
• Turpenoid or Gamsol odorless solvent (or hardware store odorless mineral spirits to save $)
• Cold-pressed or refined linseed oil
• baby wipes and paper towels
• disposable gloves if you wish
