Since most of the nation is stuck at home right now, I decided to offer everyone free fun paint along tutorials. They’re mostly beginner levels that you can expand upon later.
. The supplies needed vary according to whether you’re using oil paints or acrylics, so I’ll break it down for you.
I’m not going to be teaching with watercolors because that’s a medium I don’t use, but you’re welcome to give it a try, but it’s a different technique. Therefore I recommend Acrylic or Oil paints.
General Supply List (details explained below)
- Paintbrushes
- Acrylic or Oil Paint Preferred (Tempera may work)
- Painting Pallet (paper plates work great)
- Small Bowl or cup of Water (Acrylics)
- Painting Medium (oil) explained below
- Painting surface (paper, canvas, board-must be primed for oil)
- Paper Towels or clean old rag for cleaning hands and brushes
- Painting knife if you have one handy
PAINTBRUSHES
About Paintbrushes
Most paintbrushes will work. Synthetic brushes work better with acrylics, but natural bristles work better with oils. However, if all you have are synthetic bristles, it should work ok with oils just make sure that you clean them thoroughly when you’re finished.
Try to find something with a flat edge similar to the brushes pictured above. If you happen to have a flat brush and a fan brush along with one larger brush, it will go much easier. The ones Pictured are
- #6 Flat
- #6 Fan
- #4 round
- 0-1 script liner or rigger for signing your name
The brushes I prefer are Blick Masterstroke. They are more expensive but hold up p painting after painting and cleanings. You may find others ok for beginners. Such as the Simmons found at Hobby stores or Royal Langnickel. Silverbush makes good brushes too. I recommend natural bristle brushes for Oil painting.
COLORS
The bare minimums you can choose are basic blue and white paints. If you don’t have blue and white, try red and yellow or red and orange, green and white, green and blue, even purple and blue.
You can still get the basic effects with any colors you just need a light color and a dark color.
If you have other colors such as turquoise various shades of blue, even some purple may work. That will add some interest but you can just do this with simple blue and white. I’m listing supplies for both oil and acrylics.
Beginner Recommended Colors
- Cad Yellow Medium
- Yellow Ochre
- Alizarin Crimson
- Pthalo Blue
- Ultramarine Blue
- Sap Green
- Burnt Sienna
- Titanium White
- Titanium Black
Additional helpful Colors
- Raw Sienna
- Cad Orange
- Cerulean Blue
- Permanent Violet or Dioxazine
- Prussian Blue
- Quinacridone Red
- Pthalo Green
Acrylic Supplies
- Paint-see above
- Paintbrushes (see below)
- Water
- Paper towels, or an old clean rag
- A spray bottle if you happen to have one handy, if not you will just need to work quickly.
- Paper plate or something you can use as a pallet to mix your colors
- Painting Surface-Paper, canvas, board, etc.
Oil Painting
- Paints
- Medium
- Brushes
- Pallet
- Painting Surface (preferably canvas, primed board, and paper will also work)
- Mixing cup for medium (small bowl, medicine cup or even mason jar will work)
- Painting Knives if available (plastic knife may work)
Pallet for mixing paint (plastic plate ok, but not paper since it will absorb the oil) Try covering a plate in saran wrap or lay wax paper onto the hard surface. Medium is what perplexes most beginners with oil painting-it did me.
Its purpose is to thin down the oils enough to make it spread easily across your painting service.
Oil Paint Kits for Beginners
Note, most kits only contain paint. You will still need brushes, painting surface, painting medium, and a palette.
Usually, I order from Blick Art Supplies at https://www.DickBlick.com. I do not get commissions for any art supply sales.
$23.54 Set of 6 Colors-https://www.dickblick.com/items/00418-1069/
$33.37 Set of 12 Grumbaccher Academy Oil Colors https://www.dickblick.com/items/00418-0009/
Oil Painting Medium Options
You can use the traditional linseed oil with either turpentine or odorless mineral spirits created for art. Please don’t use the one you get from the supply store. It’s slimy and not the same thing at all. See below for mixing instructions.
There are various other options including alkyd mediums such as Levaquin comma Neo Meglip , Galkyd, water mixable oils just to name a few.
If you’re in a jam and just have one of the kits that have the linseed oil and paint only, it will work but just know it takes a long time to dry. Mix no more than 30% Thinner (turpentine, or odorless mineral spirits with Linseed oil) I like the little medicine cups for measuring.
Also, I plan to do these weekly for a little while so if you’d like to get supplies ordered for the future, you join me again next week.
Painting Knife
Painting nice are useful for mixing your paints I’m reducing having to clean your brushes after doing so. It’s not necessary but nice to have on hand. Get the flexible one that slightly bends.
Where to find supplies
- Hobby Lobby
- Michaels
- Blick Art Supplies
- Jerry’s Artarama
Where to Watch the Free Fun Paint Along
Update: This event will now be hosted on Facebook Live since I’m having technical difficulties with YouTube. Find it here: https://www.facebook.com/TinasFineArts/
Share Your Completed Painting
I’d love to see your work. Please share it to my Facebook Quarantine Creatives Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/668961170543940
Looking forward to painting live with you. Stay safe and healthy.
Best Wishes,
Tina A Stoffel
