Artists love art supplies. We love the smell of a freshly opened tube of paint, the perfect spring of a new brush, and the untouched promise of a beautifully smooth panel. There is something about having the right tools nearby that makes beginning a painting feel easier. When your favorite brush is clean, your palette is ready, and the colors you need are within reach, there is one less excuse standing between you and the work.
The opposite is also true. If you finally carve out time to paint only to discover that your white paint is empty, your brushes are stiff, or you don’t have a suitable surface, that small inconvenience can be enough to stop the whole process before it begins. Inspiration can be surprisingly impatient.
Of course, having the right supplies is a slippery slope. You begin with one good brush and a few dependable colors. Then you need a second brush in a slightly different shape. Then a backup white. Then a color you have never used but are suddenly convinced will transform your paintings. Before long, your studio starts looking less like a place where art is made and more like a small, poorly organized art supply store.
We are lucky to have Artist & Craftsman Supply right here in downtown Charleston. It is one of our favorite local businesses and a wonderfully dangerous place for an artist to wander around without a specific shopping list. We have probably spent more money there over the years than we have on food—and, depending on the month, that may not even be an exaggeration.
The good news is that you really don’t need an entire store to begin painting. A handful of dependable materials will take you surprisingly far. Buy the best quality you can reasonably afford, learn what each tool can do, and add to your collection slowly as your preferences develop.
A Basic Oil-Painting Supply List
- Paint: A limited palette is a great place to start. Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red or a similar warm red, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, and perhaps a cool yellow will let you mix an impressive range of colors. We love Old Holland and Gamblin paints.
- Brushes: Begin with a small selection of flats, filberts, and rounds in several sizes. Princeton makes excellent brushes and offers plenty of options for different techniques and budgets.
- Painting surface: Everyone eventually develops a preference for canvas, linen, wood, or panel. For detailed realism, a smooth Ampersand or Da Vinci Gesso panels is one of our favorites.
- Palette: A simple glass, wood, or disposable palette gives you room to organize and mix your colors.
- Palette knife: Useful for mixing paint, cleaning your palette, and occasionally applying paint directly to the surface.
- Painting medium: A small amount of medium can change the flow, transparency, and drying time of your paint. Gamblin offers several good options. Start simply and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
- Brush cleaner: Use an artist-grade solvent or solvent-free brush cleaner, along with soap made for thoroughly cleaning brushes after a painting session. Always provide good ventilation when using solvents.
- Easel: It does not need to be elaborate. You simply need something sturdy that holds the painting at a comfortable height and angle.
- Rags or paper towels: Painting is messy. Keep plenty nearby, and store or dispose of oily rags safely since they can pose a fire risk.
- Good lighting: A consistent, neutral light source helps you see color accurately and makes painting much easier on your eyes.
The supplies matter, but only because they help get you to the part that matters most: putting paint on the surface. The perfect studio is not required. Neither is every color, brush, gadget, or medium ever invented. Start with a few tools you enjoy using, keep them clean and ready, and make it as easy as possible to begin.
Have fun!
