CREATORS WORKSHOP ART SCHOOL

If your signed up for the Paint in Oils or acrylics Wayne adult school course starting March 10, 2010, below is a list of materials suggested;

RECOMMENDED TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Palette,  Linseed Oil*,  Odorless paint thinner*,  Colors,  Palette knife,  Brushes,  Canvas,  Paper towels or rags
*not necessary with acrylics.
PALETTE
There are quite a few styles out there: Masterson’s Sta-Wet palettes are made of lightweight white plastic that cleans up easily. The Palette Seal is airtight when closed. Paints last longer
Palette paper is convenient but you can’t save your paints and it’s not a great working surface.

The best is homemade. Go to your local hardware store and purchase the thickest plexi glass available. recommended size; 14×18 or 16×20. Paint one side with a light gray acrylic coating and you have an excellent palette at 1/2 the price. A thick glass works better and cleans up nicely but you have to tape up the edges to avoid getting cut.

CANVAS
Avoid generic and store(economy) brands when possible.  They’re barely gesso’ed and don’t offer a desirable painting surface. Fredrix brand is acceptable and available in most stores. Linen canvas with an oil primer is the classical standard for oil paintings. An acrylic primer, less expensive than oil primer, can be used with either acrylic or oil paints. Cotton is much less expensive than linen, and has become the more popular support for oil and acrylic painting.. A properly prepared cotton canvas has longevity similar to linen, and is more flexible and easier to stretch properly. For archival purposes the rule of thumb is Oil paints on oil canvas, acrylic paints on acrylic canvas. For this course though any acrylic primed canvases are fine.

COLORS
Here is my recommended list of colors for oils and acrylics. I personally use Old Holland, Utrecht and Gamblin Colors brand. Windsor & Newton is fine and widely available in most stores. Golden brand is the finest acrylic available but Liquitex is also excellent. The key is to have  a pallette of paints that are consistent in quality and in availability since they vary in color brand to brand. It’s always good to experiment but you should settle in with colors you’re comfortable with.

Recommended palette of colors
Ivory Black, Titanium White, Lemon yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red light
Alizarin Crimson,  Dioxyzine purple, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt blue, Ultramarine Blue, Thalo Green

BRUSHES
I recommend Robert Simmons brand, simply because they are a good quality value for your money. Utrecht makes an excellent brush as well as Escoda. I also came across Tekell recently and find they hold up well. (They’re only available online at Tekell.com). The economy sets will get you by but they tend to shed a lot.
I recommend Flats as they are an excellent all-utility brush. Filberts are good to have in you collection as well. Sizes should include 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16. (Most but not all brushmakers conform to the same standard in brush sizes)

SOME PERSONAL NOTES:
-When buying colors, always avoid Hues. They’re cheaper but they’res less color pigment which makes color mixing inaccurate.
-Don’t skimp. Buy the best materials and tools you can afford, as they will make the painting experience more enjoyable and will pay for themselves in the long run.
-French Easel  A great investment, the french easel combines a sketchbox, easel, and canvas carrier in one, necessary for location and perfect for transporting your materials back and forth to class.

Here is a list of online suppliers:
 http://www.dickblick.com/   http://www.utrecht.com
Local:  Jerrys artist outlet, West Orange, AC Moore Crafts, Clifton, Michaels, Wayne

Personal note; When buying locally I recommend Jerrys Artist Outlet in West Orange. (It’s approx. 20 minutes from Wayne). They offer a large variety of brands and products, and good prices with great sales.