Painting Classes with Tracy Algar

Art Supplies for Oil Painting Classes

Welcome to the exciting world of oil painting! To ensure you’re well-prepared for our classes, here’s a comprehensive list of essential art supplies. This list is what I use and recommend.

Download Art Supplies PDF

1. Oil Paints (Limited Palette Recommended)

For our classes, we’ll be working with a limited palette to understand colour mixing and harmony effectively. I recommend starting with the following colours in artist-quality oil paints. A fantastic South African brand I personally use and recommend is Zellen’s Zelcol Artist’s Quality Oil Paint.

  • Titanium White: (Get a larger tube, as you’ll use this frequently)
  • Arylamide Lemon (or Cadmium Yellow Lemon)
  • Arylamide Yellow (or Cadmium Yellow Medium)
  • Yellow Ochre
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Alizarin Crimson
  • French Ultramarine
  • Phthalo Blue

Why a Limited Palette?

  • Easier Colour Harmony: Creates visually pleasing and unified paintings.
  • Efficient Mixing: Learn to mix a wide range of colours from a few key pigments.
  • Cost-Effective: Reduces the initial expense of buying numerous tubes.
  • Portable: Easier to manage, especially if you plan to paint outdoors in the future.

2. Painting Medium

  • Cold Wax Medium: I highly recommend Cold Wax Medium (Zellen makes a good 500ml tin). It adds body to your paint, speeds drying time, and creates beautiful textural effects.

3. Brushes

Invest in a good selection of brushes designed for oil painting. Synthetic bristle brushes are a great option for durability and spring. I personally use and recommend the Dynasty 1350 range. A brush roll, like the Prime Art brush roll, is useful for organization and protection.

You’ll benefit from having a variety of shapes and sizes:

  • Flats: For broad strokes and blending.
  • Brights: Similar to flats but with shorter bristles for more control.
  • Filberts: A versatile shape with a rounded edge, good for blending and detail.
  • Rounds: For fine details and lines.

Brush Care:

  • During painting, wipe excess paint off your brushes frequently with a rag.
  • Clean brushes after each session by wiping off paint and dipping them in genuine turpentine or odourless mineral spirits.
  • If you aren’t going to be painting for a while, use a gentle soap specifically designed for artists’ brushes (or if you’re South African and can get it, boerseep works) for a more thorough clean.

4. Painting Surfaces

I prefer to paint on rigid supports. Here are good options for our classes:

  • HDF or MDF Board: You can buy these at most hardware stores and ask them to cut them to your desired sizes. Prepare the surface by lightly sanding it and applying at least three coats of gesso, sanding lightly between each coat.
  • Canvas Panels or Canvas Boards: These are pre-primed and readily available in art supply stores.

5. Palette Knives

  • Palette Knives: A couple of different sizes and shapes are useful for mixing paint on your palette and for applying paint to the canvas for interesting textures. I use Prime Art palette knives, they are a good, affordable option.

6. Other Essential Supplies

  • Rags: You’ll need plenty of lint-free rags (old t-shirts or cloths work well) for wiping brushes and cleaning your palette.
  • Turpentine (Genuine) OR Odourless Mineral Spirits: For cleaning your brushes and thinning paint if needed (use sparingly). Always be sure to work in an area with good ventilation when using these solvents!
  • Containers for Solvent: Two small, sealable containers are ideal – one for washing brushes and one for rinsing. A brush washer with a screen is also very helpful.
  • Palette: A smooth, non-absorbent surface for mixing your paints. Options include:
    • Wooden palette (seal it with oil or varnish) – this is my preference.
    • Glass palette (easy to clean).
    • Disposable paper palette.
  • Cartridge Paper or a Sketchbook: For value sketches and thumbnail drawings.
  • 4B Pencil: For making value sketches.
  • Easel: While not strictly necessary for getting started, you’ll eventually want an easel to support your painting surface comfortably. I use a French easel, a versatile option that also provides storage, but there are many different options available in art shops and online. Table easels are an affordable starting point.

This list should provide you with everything you need to get started and thrive in our oil painting classes. I look forward to painting with you!