Oil Painting Supplies
Here’s a list of supplies I recommend to start an oil painting practice from home, with links to products and a printable PDF.
Review the supply categories below.
Paint Colors
For painting in black-and-white, start with:
Titanium White — 1× 150 mL tube
Ultramarine Blue — 1× 150 mL tube
Alternative: Phthalo Blue — 1× 150 mL tube
Burnt Sienna — 1× 150 mL tube
For painting in full color, add the following:
Cadmium Lemon — 1× 150 mL tube
Alternatives: Cadmium Yellow Light or Cadmium-free Lemon (non-toxic)
Pyrrol Red — 2× 37ml tube
Mediums
You’ll need a lean medium and a fat medium and some small containers to store them in. Feel free to use whatever brands you prefer.
To create lean medium, mix solvent and oil together in about a 1:1 ratio. Your fat medium will consist of pure oil only.
Solvent — 1× 16 oz (or bigger)
I recommend Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits, which can also function as your brush cleaning solvent (see below).
Non-toxic alternatives → Chelsea Classical Studio Lean Medium or Michael Harding Miracle Medium (MM0)
Oil — 1× 8 oz
I prefer Safflower Oil for alla prima painting (wet-into-wet), because it keeps the paint wet a little longer than others.
Alternatives → Walnut Oil or Refined Linseed Oil
⚠️ Note: Don’t buy your oil medium from the grocery store. Food-grade oils often contain additives and impurities and won’t behave as intended.
Small glass containers — 2 to 4 oz or bigger.
Any brand will do. Make sure the lid has an airtight seal.
Brushes
Start with at least 4 hog bristle brushes in a variety of sizes, either all flats or all filberts (or one of each). If you’re not sure, go with flats.
The Raphael D'Artigny brushes are my favorite. Robert Simmons Signet is a cheaper alternative. You can also find your own brand.
These are the most expensive brushes I recommend, but they’re also the nicest and longest-lasting. I love them so much.
Robert Simmons Signet hog brushes
These are much less expensive than the Raphael brushes and they’re still nice to work with — but they aren’t as long-lasting.
OR
Filberts — 1 of each
Detail brushes — 2x
It’s nice to have a few brushes around for getting into smaller details. I love Silver Brush Bristlon Brights, size 2, and I’d buy at least 2 to get started.
For signing paintings — 1x
I use either a rubber clay angle chisel or a liner brush (size 0) for signing paintings. They are both useful in different scenarios.
Canvases
For completing my lessons, all you need is a few packs of pre-primed cotton canvas sheets, some white craft tape, and a board to tape your loose sheets to.
White craft tape — 1 roll
Any brand will work. Here’s a cheap option and here’s a nice option.
Easel board — 1 or 2 to start
Any sturdy board will work. I like this drawing board for larger canvas sheets and these 12x12 masonite panels for smaller sheets. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s large enough for your canvases.
High-end surfaces (optional)
If you want something more luxurious to try, my go-tos are Raymar for panels and Masterpiece for gallery-wrapped canvases.
Palette
You’ll need at least one palette and two palette knives. To keep your paint fresh over multiple days, get a palette box, cotton balls, and clove oil.
Glass palette — 1× (size 12×16)
I recommend this New Wave palette in gray or white.
Custom-size alternative → Check out One Day Glass (or similar). Mine is the basic rectangle shape, 1/4” thick, clear, and with a beveled edge (for safety).
Palette knives — 2×
Get any brand, size, and shape you prefer. My favorites are:
To keep your paint fresh (optional)
Clove oil on a cotton ball
Clean-up
You’ll need shop towels and baby wipes for general clean-up. For brush cleaning, you’ll need solvent, a cleaning tank, and brush soap.
General clean-up
baby wipes — at least 1 pack
blue shop towels — 3+ rolls
Brush cleaning
Solvent — I recommend Gamsol (16oz or bigger).
Note: If you’re buying Gamsol for your lean medium, you don’t need a second bottle.
Non-toxic alternative → Chelsea Classical Studio brush cleaner
Soap — it’s good to have both of these around.
Cleaning tank — either metal or glass works.
Useful tools
The following tools aren’t necessary to get started, but incredibly useful and highly recommended.
Value Card
This will help you identify the values of your subject and check the values of your paint. There are several options, including the one I’ve created for my lessons.
Note: If you want to use a different one with my lessons, either laminate it with shipping tape or professional lamination, or put it in a clear plastic bag.
Use this to explore crop ideas and determine the placement of your subject on your canvas.
Use it to look at your in-progress painting through a mirror and quickly spot problems. Any size or shape will work.
It will help you squeeze out every last drop of paint from your tubes. It pays for itself.
Studio
Figuring out what you need to create a functional painting space is highly personal and a process of trial-and-error.
At the very least, you’ll need a place to stand or sit, an easel, tables for your palette and still life, and a few light sources. None of this has to be fancy. Try to make do with items you already have. Below is a list of the absolute basics.
Furniture
Easel — ideally an H-frame easel like this, but use what you prefer or have already.
Palette table — something sturdy, waist-high. Look for something like this.
Supply storage — next to your palette table. I like a supply cart that rolls around
Trash can — ideally metal with a lid.
Stool — only if you plan to sit.
Still life table — Any table at any height, ideally moveable. The best is something you already have.
Lighting for your easel
You only need one lighting option, and it may take some trial and error to get it right. If you’re setting up for the first time, start with something cheap and easy and upgrade over time.
photography studio light — best, but most expensive
garage work light — strongest light, less expensive
Clamp light — easiest and cheapest
North-facing window — FREE, but dependent on weather and time of day
Lighting for your still life
Clamp light — any kind works
Light bulb — warm or cool
Shadow box (optional)
You only need one if you have lighting in your space that creates weird shadows on your still life. You can make one yourself with a large shipping box or some foam board.
Sketching
This is the basic set of sketching tools you need for creating thumbnail value sketches. If you’re doing my sketching lessons, I recommend all of these.
Pencil and eraser — any kind
White paper — any kind
A way to trace images — I like to print a copy of my reference and use carbon paper to trace.
White paint pen — I like Posca paint pens (size PC-5M)
Cheap alternative → white out