Studio and materials guide
My colour palette and other materials for still life painting
Over many years of experimenting with paint, brushes, medium, surfaces and palettes, I have developed a list of colours and studio materials that work well for me. I hope that some of these suggestions might be useful to you too as you refine your painting practice and workspace. I hope to see you at one of my workshops or exhibitions in the near future! I've also put together a 5 page PDF with more detailed suggestions and recommendations, including lighting, still life set up, easels and brush cleaning. Enter your email below and I'll send it straight to your inbox.
Paint colours
My go-to paint colours are:
Titanium white
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow medium
Yellow ochre
Cad red medium
Alizarin Crimson
Red Ochre (sometimes called light red)
Ultramarine Blue
Pthalo blue
Raw Umber
Dioxazine purple
Paynes Grey
Brushes
Flat synthetic brushes such as Rosemary & Co Ivory Synthetic long flats, or Neef 95 Flat Stiff Synthetic, in sizes 4, 6, 10 and 12.
Medium
Odourless lean painting medium such as Archival lean or classic mediums by Chroma.
Solvent
Odourless solvent such as Artist Spectrum, Archival or Gamblin solvents.
Painting Surfaces
Ply or MDF panels sealed with a sealer/primer/undercoat, and then primed with gesso, or store bought panels such as Ampersand gessoboard. 12 Ounce Triple Primed Cotton Duck Canvas from the Sydney Canvas Company is a nice smooth-ish canvas if you prefer.
Palettes
Clear or white Perspex, melamine or glass, about A3 size to use as a palette, or an A3 sized disposable palette. A good semi-disposable option is a laminated piece of A3 paper.
Other useful studio materials
Rags for wiping your brush as you are painting (avoid solvent as much as you can)
A heavy duty tube wringer such as this one from the Sydney Art Store.
Baby wipes for cleaning your palette
Baby oil for cleaning your hands
Disposable gloves
Paper towels
Jars with lids for cleaning brushes