Bill's Store / Specific Recommendations

In response to your requests for specific materials recommendations this is my actual painting supply replacement list.

Some of the links below are “affiliate links”. If you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission which helps cover operating costs. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. The affiliate links on this page are red with a grey background like this.

Over the years I've been painting I've developed opinions and preferences for certain brands, brushes, knives, palettes, canvas etc. I've tried them all and picked the ones that have worked the best for me. All are geared to maximum performance, minimum maintenance and low cost. Here's the list.

The Basic Kit

There are certain oil painting supplies that I recommend as part of a basic kit, including colors, brushes, palette, palette knife, thinner, linseed oil, stretched canvas, spray retouch varnish and final varnish. These items are highlighted in yellow.

 

PAINTS AND COLORS:

These are all Winsor & Newton oil paints. (Their quality is higher than their price.)

• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 644 Titanium White, 200 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 118 Cadmium Yellow Pale, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 108 Cadmium Yellow, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 89 Cadmium Orange, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 106 Cadmium Scarlet, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 94 Cadmium Red, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 502 Permanent Rose, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 733 Winsor Violet Dioxazine, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 263 French Ultramarine, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 707 Winsor Blue (Green Shade), 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 720 Winsor Green, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 482 Permanent Green Deep, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 84 Cadmium Green Pale, 37 ml
• Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors, 386 Mars Black, 37 ml
PURCHASE Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colors

 

BRUSHES:

Red Sable Flat Brushes:

• Da Vinci Kolinsky Red Sable Oil Brushes, Flat, Long Handle, Size 12
• Da Vinci Kolinsky Red Sable Oil Brushes, Flat, Long Handle, Size 6
  
PURCHASE Da Vinci Kolinsky Red Oil Sable Flat
Red sable Round brushes:

• Pointed round #2
• Pointed round #1
  
PURCHASE Escoda Optimo Kolinsky Sable Round Bristle Brushes:

• Flat bristle brush #6
• Flat bristle brush #8
• Flat bristle brush #12
  
PURCHASE Blick Masterstroke Pure Interlocking Bristle Brushes

 

PALETTES AND KNIVES:
Palette:
Safety Glass:

• Glass palette 11" x 14"
  
PURCHASE Amaco Paragona Glass Artist Palette

I recommend removing the white backing and replacing it with common brown wrapping paper. A white palette is difficult for dark colors.

OR
Wood:
• Rectangular wood palette 12" x 16"
  
PURCHASE Richeson Palettes

A wooden palette should be coated with linseed oil before and after each painting session. Wipe off excess.

Palette Knife:

• Liquitex painting knife #13
  
PURCHASE Liquitex Painting Knives

 

CITRUS THINNNER:

• Citrus thinner 32 oz
  
PURCHASE Citrus Thinner

 

LINSEED OIL:

• Winsor & Newton refined linseed oil 500-ml
  
PURCHASE Winsor & Newton Drying Mediums for Oils

 

CANVASES:
Stretched and Mounted Canvas:

• Stretched canvas 16" x 20"
  
PURCHASE Blick Studio Traditional 3/4" Profile Cotton Canvas, 16" x 20"
OR

• Fredrix smooth canvas 16" x 20"
  
PURCHASE Fredrix Blue Label 3/4" Profile Cotton Canvas
Raw (unstretched and unprimed) Canvas:

• #12 cotton duck 54" x 108"
  
PURCHASE Blick Cotton and Linen Canvas Blankets

 

GESSO:

• Liquitex 32 oz white
  
PURCHASE Liquitex Acrylic Gessos

 

RABBIT SKIN GLUE:

• Daniel Smith Art Supplies (phone 800 426 6740) 284 050 001 Rabbit Skin Glue, one pound bag

 

VARNISHES:
Damar Varnish:

• Winsor & Newton Damar Varnish 75 ml
  
PURCHASE Winsor & Newton Dammar Varnish
Spray Damar Varnish:

• Blair spray Damar Gloss 11 oz
• Blair spray Damar Matte 11 oz
• Blair spray Damar Retouch 11 oz
  
PURCHASE Blair Spray Damar Varnish
Damar Crystals:

• Daniel Smith Art Supplies (phone 800 426 6740) 284 470 015 Gum Damar Crystals,
  ( Mix 1 part crystals to 10 parts turpentine to make a popular varnish.)
Turpentine: (for making varnish)

• English Distilled Turpentine 500 ml
  
PURCHASE Winsor & Newton Distilled Turpentine
Other supply recommendations:

 

TRACING PAPER:

• Canson Tracing Paper Pad 50 sheets 19" x24"
  
PURCHASE Canson Foundation Tracing Paper

 

TRANSFER PAPER:

• Roll 12 1/2" x 12' erasable graphite
OR

• Roll 12 1/2" x 12' white
  
PURCHASE Saral Wax Free Transfer Paper, White

 

TAPE:

• Painters Tape 3/4" x 60 yds
  
PURCHASE Scotch Painter's Tape

 

LIGHTS:

• Four color corrected (5000! Kelvin!) Fluorescent Lamps 48" 40w
  
PURCHASE Lumichrome Full Spectrum Fluorescent Lamps

 

STRETCHER BARS:

• Medium duty stretcher bar 16"
• Medium duty stretcher bar 20"
  
PURCHASE Best Medium Duty Stretcher Bars

 

BOOKS:

• Bill Martin Paintings 1969 1979 by Bill Martin
• Lost Legends by Bill Martin
• Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Peck
• Perspective Drawing by Ernest Norling
• American Realism by Alvin Martin
• The Artist & the American Landscape by John Driscoll
• California Art: 450 Years of Painting & Other Media by Nancy Dustin Wall Moure
• Art in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945-1980: An Illustrated History by Thomas Albright

 

VIDEOS:

• Bill's Guide to Oil Painting on YouTube - Part 1
• Bill's Guide to Oil Painting on YouTube - Part 2

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”