Mark Giaimo

OIL PAINTING SUPPLIES (for painting and drawing classes)

Recommended brands (please use Artist Grade paints):

Plaza Artist Oils (these are inexpensive but good)

Utrecht Artist Oils (also inexpensive but good). Available at Blick Art downtown

Gamblin Artist Oil (good price, better quality). Please avoid Gamblin 1980 brand if possible – it’s student grade and the pigmentation is weaker.

Winsor & Newton Artist Grade (also good and slightly more expensive). If possible,  please avoid using their Winton brand.

Basic Colors:

1.     Titanium White 

2.     Ivory Black

3.     Burnt Umber

4.     Burnt Sienna

5.     Cadmium Red Medium 

6.     Cadmium Yellow Medium

7.      Ultramarine Blue

8.     Yellow Ochre

10.    Permanent Alizarin Crimson

9.      Raw Umber (Optional)

11.     Viridian (Optional)

Brushes:

Bristle brushes. I recommend Plaza Georgetown Filberts (or Flats) as they are good inexpensive brushes. Get two of each of sizes 2, 4 and 6. 

Synthetic brushes.  Any brand. Two Size 4 synthetic brushes, flat or filbert

Silver or Grumbacher size 2 Extra-long filbert brushes. Get two (Silver is more expensive but better quality) These are available at Arthouse 7 in Arlington, VA. (Optional)

Canvas:

12x16” up to  18x24” canvas. Plaza and Blick have good student value-packs. You shouldn’t need more than 4 or 5 canvases total.

Please pre-tone your canvas. The reason is twofold: first, it prevents your canvas from absorbing too much oil and makes painting much easier, and second, it helps in accurate coloring. I like to use something like this:  “Liquitex Basics Neutral Gray N5” acrylic​. But any grey acrylic paint will do. (You can also mix Titanium White with Black). The canvas should look similar to this box: