What equipment do you recommend for beginners to oil painting

[nolan]

Hi Nolan, I had deep desire in my deep inside to become a painter, but time gone by all of the certain I feel this is the time to start. Your studio impress me as well as how you explain. I like to enrole but please advise me about all the tools to began  for medium budget.

Thank you,

Ahsan

Hi Ahsan

The basic set of equipment I recommend for beginners is explained in the Oil Painting Equipment Webinar

If you look in the Resources box you will see I have included a pdf list of equipment I recommend based on various budgets.

[magda]

  I'm facing my first oil shopping and even though I'm familiar with the vids and the list Nolan made I feel like I'm lost  I'm trying to make my own specification but it's really hard since there is so much stuff on the market you don't even know where to choose from if you don't have any experience. So maybe you guys in here could take a look at some points I stuck in:

1/ I thought it over but I need to make sure whether it will work or not for my own palette of colours:
from RT Van Gogh palette:
Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow Light (as cold and opaque yellow)
Indian Yellow (as warm and tranpsarent yellow)
Cadmium Red Light (as warm and opaque red)
Alizarin Crimson (as cold and transparent red)
Cerulean (Pthalo) Blue (as cold and opaque blue)
Ultramarine (as warm and transparent blue)
One thing I know for sure is that I wanna go for mixing colours from a scratch, even if it's gonna take more time. So am I going to be ok with those paints I've already chosen...? If possible, I'd also like to know your personal opinion about RT Van Goghs. Do you find them relyable or maybe there is some other brand of better quality I could go for in that same class of paints...? Maimeri Classics maybe...? DR Georgians...? I don't know... Do you...?

2/ Next thorn in my side are brushes. It's easy to say 'set of brushes', but which brushes should it contain...?  Personally I don't like sets. I can't refuse myself this pleasure of making my own choices so once again I made up my mind myself but I don't know whether this decision is right or not. I'm about to go for:
from W&N Azanta Black line
Flat 2, 6, 10
Round 2, 6, 10
Filbert 2, 6, 10
from W&N AWC Sable
Rigger 3
Will those cover an useful range of brushes? I worry (maybe too much...). And once again: I don't know what about twelves or fours for example: some people say I'm gonna need them, some say that I can live without them, I'd just like to know YOUR opinion.

3/ Can you make an underpainting sketch with a soft pastel in pencil instead of using a watercolour one and than wipe it out with an eraser?

4/ You recommend W&N Liquin. Is this one for fine details or some other...? Or maybe it really doesn't matter as long as it's Liquin...?

Well, for now I don't remember any more sins  Sorry for overload but I've been taking notes for some time and I just had to let the steam go out through my ears at last 

[thegrindre]

Gee, too bad we don't live closer. I'm selling everything, lock, stock and barrel. Oh well...

[magda]

Still you can give me your opinion on my shopping list 

[nolan]

1) The paint colours you have chosen seem fine Magda. I can't comment on the brand as I have not used RT van Gogh myself.

2) The bushes also seem fine. You have chosen a small, mid and larger size so that should get you going. The sizes and numbers vary from one manufacturer to the next so there is no standard there. The numbers you have chosen seem fine. The set of bristle brushes I buy looks something like this :



These sets are dirt cheap (about NZ$5 to 10), that is why I usually recommend buying them.

3) You can use a soft pastel pencil instead of a watercolour pencil yes, no problem.

4) You don't HAVE to use Liquin. Liquin is just one of the mediums commercially available world wide that I have personally used and know to be good. There are other mediums you can use too. If the label says it's an oil painting medium, then you will be fine. If you do go for the Liquin, I would recommend either the Liqiun Original or the Liquin Fine Detail.

Hope that helps

[magda]

Thank you, Nolan  I believe now I should go for more doing less thinking 

[nolan]

 

[Tousabella]

I just bought some sable brushes, and they are very stiff. What is on it for shipping, and will just warm water take it off?

[nolan]

just wash them out with water or turps, it's starch to keep the bristle safe during transit

[shasha]

What brand are those bristle brushes please???
I can't quite see from the photo.

Here in Gisborne, New Zealand art supplies are minimal at best so I will have to search online and don't like wasting money (I'm a cheapskate too!! LOL).   

Thanks in advance

[claude]

Boy! You guys are lucky I got back in time to sort this out. You are all complicating things as far as what to buy for oil painting. Even Nolan is off. Here is my method.

1- Walk into art supply store.
2- Pick up shopping cart.
3- Walk in ailses and put one of each item into said cart.
4- IMPORTANT: When cart is full, draw a line on floor of aisle where you stopped.
5.- Pay goodies and pack into car or even better truck
6- Re-do steps 1 and 2 but move ahead to mark on the floor.
8- Repeat as many times as car or truck can handle.
9- WHEN CAR IS FULL, go home, come back tomorrow and repeat from step 6.

Easy! Sheesh! Beginners! 

[Lillian]

    Claude, I'm so glad you're back!   

[Honeysuckle73]

  back Claude. Sounds like the way I used to shop. Now that I shop online there is no line to draw and can load whole truck.           

[Bhavna]

 

[nolan]

  Claude, can you pop down to your local art store and buy me a few brushes & canvasses please?

Shasha, to the family

Head down to Warehouse for your bristle brushes, they are all dirt cheap and pretty much the same quality. When it comes to the soft hair brushes though, it's a different story. You can buy decent ones from Whitcouls, Paper plus and Warehouse Stationery