Students are always curious about my paints, brushes, mediums, and other studio materials. Here is a list of everything I use to paint sketches for SCLA but please understand that you are not required to buy these specific materials in order to take this workshop. You can use any brands of paint and brushes you’re comfortable with.

All the materials are linked so you can simply click anything and purchase it. *Note I’m an affiliate with Blick so when you purchase from these links I receive a small fee but it doesn’t effect the price of your materials.

SCLA sketches are done on Canson Canva-Paper. For plein air sketches, I typically tape a 16×20 sheet to the back of an un-cradled gesso board and then tape off rectangles and squares no larger than 6×8 inches. I will guide everyone thru this process on the first day of class.

Quick List for Plein Air Class:
Canva-Paper 16 ×20
Gesso Board (no larger than 16×20)
Pochade Box or Easel
Stool if you prefer not to stand
Brushes (see ‘Brushes’ category)
White painters tape (because blue or any other colors of tape are too distracting to paint against)
Paper towels
Small plastic bag for trash

Limited Plein Air Palette:
titanium white
cadmium yellow light
cadmium yellow medium
cadmium orange
cadmium red light
quinachridone magenta
ultramarine blue
cobalt blue
viridian
ivory black
burnt sienna
yellow ochre

BRUSHES
Brushes are so subjective but here is a list of ones that I like and use regularly. *Choose what works best for you and don’t feel obligated to have these brands.

FOR PLEIN AIR
Princeton ASPEN series
Flats, Filberts 2,4,6,8
Round 2,4

FOR STUDIO CLASS

Princeton ASPEN series
Flats, Filberts 2,4,6,8,10
Round 2,4

Utrecht Synthetic
Flats Sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

Silver Grand Prix Bright Long Handle
Bright, Flat, Filbert Sizes 2, 6, 8, 10

*IMPORTANT NOTE*
Students are only responsible for bringing brushes, paints, and larger canvases or boards to translate sketches onto.

THE STUDIO WILL SUPPLY STUDENTS WITH

Easels
Taboret table
Stool or folding chair
18 x24 board to tape paper to
Gamsol
Refined linseed oil
Liquin
Paper towels and/or lint free rags

Canson Canva Paper (16x20 or 18x24)
This is my first choice. It is great right off the pad. No need to gesso it as it already primed. It’s got a texture and tooth similar to primed linen and is very easy to paint on.

Arches Oleo Paper (12x16 pad)
Lovely paper. It works well as-is especially if you’re painting without any mediums to thin paint down. If you are using mediums and glazing, I find it’s better with two coats of gesso and some sanding. Click here to purchase

Centurion Linen Paper (16x20 or 18x24)
This paper is silky and non-absorbent. It’s basically like using un-stretched linen. It’s oil primed and an amazing surface. A bit too pricey for these kind of sketches but good to keep around for more developed paintings.

I usually tape the paper onto a piece of 3/4 inch foam core. The idea here is to have the entire board workable at the same time, not to work on one sketch, take it off the easel, put another one on the easel and work on that one. It’s imperative that they all be together.

For traveling workshops, I suggest students purchase an 18 x 24 panel to use instead of foam core since it will fit on most pochade boxes easily. You can purchase the unprimed one or a GessoBoard from Ampersand and use the back side to tape the paper to. If it’s gesso’d, you can then use it for part two of the workshop where we make a larger painting from a sketch.

*BOARD IS PROVIDED BY THE STUDIO FOR IN-PERSON CLASSES.

This is my full palette for studio painting. See the ‘Plein Air’ category for the limited palette.

ESSENTIAL PAINTS
Titanium White
Flake White Replacement
Titanium Buff
Gamblin Portland Grey Light
Cerulean Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Indigo Blue
Paynes Grey
Radiant Turquoise (Gamblin)
Violet Pastel
Cadmium Red Light
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Naples Yellow Light
Oxide of Chromium Green
Sap Green
Burnt Sienna
Raw Umber
Burnt Umber

OPTIONAL PAINTS
Ivory Black
Turquoise Light
Quinachridone Red
Yellow Ochre Pale

I mostly use Gamsol to thin the paint a bit during the first two phases of the sketching process. Sometimes I mix it 50/50 with linseed oil because it helps keep the paint thin and establishes a workable flow.
I also use Liquin to glaze toward the later stages of the painting or if I need the painting to dry quicker. If you prefer a solvent free painting medium, Gamblin makes a ‘gel’, and so do many other companies. Choose what works best for you.

My favorite acrylic gesso (for now) is:
Golden Acrylic Gesso

ALL SOLVENTS & MEDIUMS ARE PROVIDED BY THE STUDIO FOR IN PERSON CLASSES.

*Plein Air students must bring their own medium and medium jar.

FOR ACRYLIC PAINTERS

For students painting in acrylic paint, I’ve found the brands below to have the closest matches to the colors listed above

Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylic Paint

Golden Open Acrylics

Also useful for acrylic painters looking to glaze:

Golden Acrylic Glazing Medium

Golden Acrylic Retarder

EASEL LIGHT

I use this Daylight Techne Artists Drafting Lamp over my easel during this class and attach it to my pochade box when I teach at other studios. It has three levels of brightness and a long, thin design which means it doesn’t create any hotspots. It comes with a clamp to attach it to a flat surface or a universal fit easel mount that slides over the mast of any easel. You can purchase the lamp here.

This is not necessary for class but I just want students to know about good lighting.