Oil Painting Materials

OPTIONAL FOR HOME USE
Do not buy for studio use

Palette

Large palette, with or without thumb hole or lid. Approximately 15 x 12 inc. It may be made of wood, plastic or the disposable palette paper. If it is finished in white, or transparent taping a white piece of paper on its underside will speed up your learning of color theory.

Canvas

Either board or stretch canvas. Smallest size can be 9x 12in, but not smaller. Please do not purchase canvas larger than 11x15in.

Media

  • Small jar of linseed oil, refined or regular.
  • Box of vine charcoal, grade soft
  • A small chamois rag
  • At least one palette knife, stainless steel or plastic, but with a goose-neck, to keep your knuckles off the paints.

Paints

Semi-professional paints are better to work with than student grade, no matter which brand you prefer. Suggested brands include Winsor and Newton, Grumbacher, and yes, Bob Ross; though we do not subscribe to the painting practices taught on TV by the late Mr. Ross, we sure do like his line of fine artist’s materials. One tube of the following colors: Zinc White, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue, Lampblack, and Cadmium red Light.

Solvents

  • We do not recommend solvent use. The AAHP does not use chemical solvents to clean oil brushes and other gear; we rely on good ol ’bars of Ivory soap. Sure, it takes a little longer, but it is much, much safer than using solvents.

Brushes

OPTIONAL FOR HOME USE
Do not buy for studio use