Recommended materials for Gretchen’s classes, both online and in-person:
Canvases: canvas pads, panels or stretched – no smaller than 11 x 14
These can be purchased at Jerry’s Artarama: Use Oil Primed for traditional oil and Universal Primed for use with water mixable oils or acrylics. Stretched canvas is fine too. If you prefer cotton canvas, please be sure to purchase a good quality such as Fredrix or Blick. Pads of canvas sheets are great for exercises, be sure to mount the canvas sheet to a board with masking tape. Fredrix makes these pads up to 18×24.
Drawing materials:
- Small drawing pad or drawing journal no larger than 11 x 14.
- 314 drawing pencils or 6B pencils, I recommend a soft lead! Or charcoal if you prefer.
- Kneaded eraser
- pencil sharpener
Palette:
- A good palette about 12×16 inches. Masterson palettes are great with a piece of tempered glass for mixing your paints if you work in oil or water mixable oils. If you work in acrylic, the Masterson comes with a sponge, palette paper, and instructions that will keep your paint from drying out.
- New Wave palettes are wood, light weight and great for mixing your oils on, if you are working in traditional or water mixable oils.
Rags, Towels, Containers:
- Rags or paper towels- blue Shop Towels are great and take a good beating
- A small metal container for your turpentine/Gamsol or plastic container for water
- Spray bottle for water (for acrylic painters)
Brushes: Synthetic hog bristle for oils and water mixable oils, softer synthetic are recommended for Acrylics-
Recommended brands: Silver White, Connoisseur, Galleria or Rosemary & Company
- Long handled flats-#2, #4, #8, #10
- Long handled brights- #8, #10
- 1 1/2 inch inexpensive house painting brush with a an angled edge. I usually get these at a hardware store or The Dollar Store.
Tube Paint:
We will learn to mix color for our subject from my suggested palette of tube colors. Here are the colors you will need for Traditional oils, water mixable oils, or acrylics:
- Burnt sienna,
- Burnt umber,
- Transparent red oxide,
- Cadmium red light,
- Alizarin crimson,
- Indian yellow (for water mixable oils, available in Holbein’s Duo Aqua and Cobra from Jerry’s Artarama)
- Cadmium yellow medium,
- Cadmium yellow light,
- French Ultramarine blue,
- Viridian,
- Titanium White.
If you are working in traditional oils, I really do recommend adding a tube of Gamblin Transparent Red Oxide to your tube paints. If you are working in water mixable oils, this color may be available in Cobra Paints! For acrylic painters, please have a painting medium that will keep your color flowing and slow down the drying time.
Painting Mediums:
A good painting medium is recommended such as Gamblin Safflower oil for traditional oils.
For Water Mixable oils, “Water Mixable Painting Medium”.
These mediums allow a more satin flow to your pigments.
Palette knives:
Metal knives – one with a 3inch blade- for mixing paint, one with an inch and a half diamond shaped blade for painting detail.
Feel free to email me with thoughts or questions!
gretchenlopezart@gmail.com
