Minimum Supplies

Whenever I start a hobby, I start small and build from there if I enjoy it. I suggest the same approach to oil painting. I'm going to describe the minimal supplies. If you'd like to buy more, I would suggest buying more colors and canvases before anything else.

Minimum Supplies:

Rags or Paper Towels: I use paper towels... rolls of them. Please don't rat me out to the green police.

Paint Thinner: I strongly recommend ODORLESS. You and your family will thank me.

Paint Thinner Container: I use an empty coffee can with a wire mesh brush scrubber inserted. Though you can buy a special container at an art supply store, I like this because it was cheap and I can cover it with the coffee can lid between painting sessions.

Paints: The prices of oil paints varies according to the color pigment used. I'll recommend a beginner's palette in my next post.

Tools: A collection of brushes and a palette knife are necessary. Do not skimp on the quality of the brushes. Cheap brushes often shed hairs that are extremely annoying to pluck from your painting while you work. As for the types of brushes, I suggest a large brush similar to those used for house painting, a fan brush, a No. 12 long flat brush, a smaller No. 10 flat brush, a No. 8 filbert, a No. 1 round sable brush. If you have extra money, one of the best things you can do is to add a few extra brushes to your supplies. The important thing to remember is to have a few of each of the basic shapes: flat, filert (rounded), and round.

I use my palette knife quite a bit. I'll be including tips on its use. For most items, I do not have a favorite brand. For palette knives, I strongly prefer the Bob Ross #10 painting knife.

Canvas: For a beginner, I recommend 16"x 20" canvases which can be purchased rather inexpesively at popular art supply stores. Canvas boards are also an excellent choice. These can be purchased at Walmart. The 11"x14" canvas boards are a good size for beginners.

Palette: Foam plates work great. I have a palette that holds the plates. I'll put 2 or 3 foam plates on the palette and discard them as necessary. Other palettes are available at an art supply store. It's really a matter of personal preference and ease of use.

Painting surface: I strongly suggest an easel. If you don't have the money for an easel at the moment, you could get away with using a table if you cover it with newspaper first. But, there are many forms of easels that are relatively inexpensive. If space for an easel is a concern, travel easels fold up and can be stored easily.