PAAC AbEx Supplies & Tools

Below you will find suggested/recommended supplies for the class. If you already paint with acrylics, you may already have much of what you will need, so I encourage you to use what you have and supplement where/when needed.

If you don't already have most of the suggested supplies below, please do not feel like you have to buy every single suggested tool/supply or that you have to buy it all right away. Start out with the items on the main painting supply list and add a few of the things from the optional tools & supplies list if you can. You can always get more things later to experiment with in your work.

Important note: I personally use professional/artist quality acrylic paint, mainly Golden brand, but also recommend Matisse, Sennelier, Holbein, and Liquitex. Get the highest quality paint that fits your budget.

If you aren't in the United States, then the professional/artist quality paint brands available to you will differ. Please keep in mind when you use really cheap student grade or craft paints, you will find it challenging to achieve a similar look/effect/feel to what I will be showing in the class demos. If you don't have any good quality paint, then any of the above brands would be what I would suggest you start with if possible.

I get most of my supplies from the following sources in the US. If you use any of my affiliate links below, I may get a small commission if you make a purchase.

These three links below are just to the main pages, not a specific supply list for this class. For the suggested supply list, please scroll further down.

Blick Art Materials* (affiliate link)
Amazon* (affiliate link)
Jerry's Artarama

* denotes affiliate link

Happy supply gathering!!! :)

xox,
Paulette

Here's the suggested supply list...

Main Painting Supplies

Good quality heavy body acrylic paints (the ones in the tubes) in colors you are most attracted, plus titanium white. NOTE: The colors I mention below are my favorites are from Golden unless otherwise noted) and are only a suggestion if you don't have any good quality paints already and don't know what to choose.
- transparent colors (both dark & light)
  - My favorites are prussian blue, pthalo blue (red shade), sap green, turquois (phthalo), quinacridone magenta, quinacridone crimson, dioxazine purple, permanent violet dark, deep violet, hansa yellow medium, green gold, quinacridone nickel azo gold
- opaque colors (both dark & light)
  - My favorites are teal, sky blue, Australian salmon gum (Matisse), light portrait pink (Liquitex), light magenta, light violet, naples yellow, Australian blue gum (Matisse), raw sienna, naphthol red, pyrrole red
- titanium white
- your favorite metallic paint color (my two favorites are iridescent bright gold (fine) and iridescent gold (fine) from Golden
Canvas pad or acrylic painting paper pad or thick watercolor paper pad (key here is something that won't buckle much, if at all using wet media)
A few stretched canvases, 16"x20" or larger suggested
Assorted sizes of palette knives (plastic if okay, but metal is preferred)
- We will be painting both small paintings and larger paintings during this workshop, so if you plan to work large, then make sure you also get a couple of large sized palette knives
Extra-fine tipped acrylic paint pen (to sign your finished painting)
Spray bottle filled with water
Lint free paper towels or shop towels
Something to use as a palette to mix paints on, like a disposable plate or disposable palette pad
Painters tape or artists tape (3/4" or 1" is fine)
Old hair dryer for speeding up drying of paint
Apron or old clothing to paint in

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Optional Tools & Supplies

Not all of these are necessary. Choose which ones you'd like to use for creating your paintings during our class.

Catalyst brand wedge W06 is my favorite (Check my Amazon page* under art supplies)
Printmaking squeegee (See my Amazon page* under art supplies)
Floor trowel (from hardware store)
Silicone bowl scraper (yes, like the ones you use in your kitchen)
Small (8"x10" or similar) sheet of thin clear polyester or something similar

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Varnishing (also optional, but recommended)

This is what I use and will be demoing. You do not have to use these to varnish your work, but I do recommend that you use some kind of varnish as a final protective layer.

Isolation Coat (Golden brand product)
Medium to large flat brush like these for applying isolation coat only, 1 inch or size 30 at a minimum (affiliate link)
Container water to wash out isolation coat brush and keep it wet during application
Gamvar Picture Varnish (Satin or Gloss)
Gamsol (for cleaning varnish brush or removing varnish)
stiff brush to use for varnishing only (I use these - affiliate link), 1 inch minimum
Two lidded disposable/reusable plastic containers to pour isolation coat and varnish into for application

Here are some specific links (*affiliate links) for ones that I recommend: