Thick, Chunky, Confident: My Oil Painting Technique

Supply List

Paint:

All of the paints listed below are the colors I use. If this list seems overwhelming and/or expensive I’ve noted what’s mandatory and what’s not. However I use these paints because it allows me to make just about every color I could want so I would recommend buying them all. Please keep in mind the sizes(ml) I’ve listed.

These 3 large(~150ml) tubes of paint are mandatory:

- Titanium White

- Burnt Sienna

- Ivory Black

For the next round of paints we can open up the possibilities. Eventually you are going to want all of these colors, but only 2 warms and 1 cool are mandatory, two of which must be complimentary. Keep in mind green and purple have both warm and cool options.

Small(~37ml) tubes of:

- Cadmium Yellow Light

- Yellow Ochre

- Cadmium Orange

- Cadmium Red Light

- Alizarin Crimson

- Dioxazine Purple

- Ultramarine Blue

- Thalo Blue

- Viridian Green

- Sap Green

- Burnt Umber

Mediums (things to mix into the paint):

-Gamsol (no substitutions please)

-Linseed Oil

Brushes:

We will be using Flats, Filberts, and Rounds. Flats and Filberts have a thin and a fat edge, and when turned 90 degrees, these will be the stars of our show. The rounds are for making lines or otherwise small shapes and adjustments. Brushes come with numbers on them, which are relatively helpful but not ubiquitously standardized. Numbers 2/3/4 are what we are shooting for.

Surfaces:

We can paint on just about anything that has been coated with gesso. Personally, I prefer small blocks of wood. I also use cheap acrylic to “kill” the white of the gesso.

We will be working small so buy/make at least one surface that is around 5 by 5 inches. I would recommend bringing two or three surfaces with different warm and cool options.

Tools:

-A palette is of course mandatory. The larger the better and if you can use a piece of glass, that is best. If you want to use glass, tape the edges and put a piece of gray paper (I use newsprint, not newspaper) on the back.

-Palette Knife

-2 Jars: one medium sized for Gamsol and another smaller jar for linseed oil

-1 rag to wipe your brush on. I use old socks.

Questions? Contact Aaron at aaronparks88@gmail.com.