Art Supply List for October 2nd to 4th, 2021

ART MATERIALS LIST For August 2nd to 4th, 2021

It is recommended that you use what you have and add essentials as you can afford. Michael is  more focused on working with you right where you are than imposing personal style on you. This workshop focuses on making small watercolor studies no larger than 11 x 15 inches inches. The supply list is based on the participant painting in all 5 sessions of the day from sunrise to moonrise. That is why the following is only what I would suggest that you think about purchasing for the workshop according to how much participation you anticipate you will be able to engage in. 

SUGGESTED ART MATERIALS FOR WATERCOLOR PAINTERS

 
1. Watercolor Paper, by sheet 22” x 30" –  1 1/2 sheets or a block no larger than 11 x 14 inches (they hold 20- sheets or so). I have used Arches, Fabriano and Gemini watercolor brands  for mold made papers and Twinrocker, Indian Village and vintage Whattman for handmade watercolor papers all 140lb to 300 lb cold press (cold press is prefered, but you can also use hot press or rough). You are asked to bring 5 sheets of watercolor paper no larger than 11 x 15 inches.

2. Watercolor paints in tubes or cakes/pans- a warm and cool statement of each primary color plus secondary, grays, blacks, white for a total of no more than 14-18 colors. I use Holbein, Grumbacher, Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith and Old Holland watercolors because I have been painting for over 45 years and love color. Only Holbin has no ox gall in the paint, just pure pigment and gum arabic as the binder. It is more affordable than other brands. I recommend the following colors:
        Cadmium Yellow Light         Cadmium  Yellow Deep        Cadmium Orange         Yellow Ochre         Cadmium Red Light,                    Alizarin Crimson          Chinese White           Burn Sienna         Viridian Green Hue               Cerulean Blue                     Cobalt Blue         Ultramarine Blue Deep          Manganese Blue        Prussian Blue        Permanent Magenta     Ivory Black        Indigo

3. A Folding Plein Air Palette, with mixing areas separate from the wells.

4. Three watercolor brushes, I use the Balmoral Kolinsky brand, but cheeper Langnickel brushes will also do. Choose a small round

no. 6, a no. 12  and a Large 1" Flat.

5. Miscellaneous Supplies: Sketch book, a  roll of 1" maskin tape, a sponge (natural are the best), 2 collapsible cups for holding water,  kneaded eraser, ex-acto knife, and extra media to add to watercolor such as ink, liquid watercolor or watercolor pencils and pastels, cotton Rags or roll of paper towels, a water container and graphite Pencils, 6B or HB or H depending on preference and how much you want the graphite line to be seen in your work.

6. Paint board or light-weight plexi-glass or formica board that is non-absorbent at least 2" larger than your paper.

7. Portfolio, waterproof and large enough to fit your paper and painting board. 

8. Paint Box field easel combination or an easel separate from your paint box, to hold all of your paint tubes, brushes. I use a julian half-size plein air easel in an Eric Lowe half rack pack, and the celebration plein air easel from Judson's Outfitters. 

9. I also recommend a sun hat with a good visor, bug repellant, and sunblock.

10. It would be good to have an umbrella that can clap onto your easel.

11. You might even want to bring a small compact stool to sit on

12. And finally a headlamp that will allow you to paint a nocturne and to get yourself safely around camp.

SUGESTED ART MATERIALS FOR OIL PAINTERS

with Michael E. Vermette

1. 8 to 10 Stretched canvas, boards, Masonite or wood panels, or stretched canvases. Recommended minimum size 8 x 10 inches and maximum size 11 x 14 inch.

2. Paint Box and or combination box and easel or separate easel large enough to contain your palette as well as paints and brushes etc.

3. Bottle or small pint can of nontoxic turpentine (mostly for cleaning brushes, We do not like to use it for oil painting at all because it  dulls the colors and will eventually crack the paint) and a bottle of  sun thickened linseed oil. I  mostly use an old Venetian method of painting using Black Oil Wax medium I make my self. This medium makes painting virtually solvent free. I can provide it for students. You may also use Liquin if you'd rather go with a resin based medium. Also buy a can of GO-JO- which can be found in any automotive shop.

4. Oil Paint; at least a warm and cool of each primary color and black and white.  Depending on how much paint you use, paint with the best you can afford, a paint tube packed with pigment with only linseed oil as a binder. The brands I use are Willamsburg, Blockx, Old Holand, and Sennelier oils in 35 ml tubes. We recommend the following colors:

     Cadmium Yellow Light or Aureolin     Cadmium Yellow Deep     Yellow Ochre or Italian Yellow Ochre           Cadmium Orange 

     Cadmium Red Deep or Mars Red     Persian Rose     Permanent Crimson or Quinacridon Magenta     Burnt Sienna     Cobalt Violet Deep

     or manganese Violet     Manganese Blue     Ultramarine Blue     Prussian or Phthalo Blue     Viridian Green     Indigo     Lamp Black or

      Ivory Black     Large tube of Titanium /Zinc White, Titanium is preferred.

5. Brushes; round, flat or filbert oil painting brushes from sizes no.6 to a no.12. Choose at least three (one small, medium, and large). You   might also be able to use a smallbrush for detail or your signature.

6. Palette Knives. I like to use a very small 1 inch, a medium and large palette knife for small and larger studio paintings.

7. A folding Oil Painting Palette. 

8. Rags(one per painting); preferably cotton rags because they soak up paint and clean better than polyester. You can also use paper towels. 

9. Charcoal, graphite pencils or sticks, or vine charcoal.

10.Wet canvas carrier system, clips or foamboard strips. (They can be made of foamboard strips and made into a frame taped around the panel or canvas and then duck taped on to the back of the painting and stacked upon each other with a foamboard divider, stored in a small  cardboard mailer or pizza box for multiple small studies. Refer to the workbook for and illustrated alternative.

11.  Miscellaneous Supplies, including: a roll of 2" duck tape, foamboard strips 1 inch by 16  ½ inches long, (natural are the best), Sketch book . 2 cups for holding solvents or Black Oil,  ex-acto knife and GO-JO hand cleaner.

I recommend that you order from Dick Blick  1-800-704-7744 at www.DickBlick.com or Judson's Outfitters at judsonart.com and compare prices.

THE GYPSUM [GESSO] GROUND FOR PREPARING WOOD PANELS

The Gypsum Gessoed wood panels are thought of as the most highly prized surfaces to paint on. I agree. They possess extraordinary luminosity and cause oil paint to stick to the surface of them even in a light mist along the coast. This is my own personal formula that will allow you to make your own.

Step 1: I begin with an solid oak board that is at least 80% kiln dried, 8 inches by 10 inches or larger by 1/4 inch thick. Score/scratch  the wood surface with course sand paper to take off the smooth finish that the plainer left. I score the wood in a cross grain circular motion and scratch all sides of the board.

Step 2: Next I make a mixture of glue water, made of rabbit skin glue 70 grams to 1 Liter of water or a little stronger with 100 grams to 1  liter of water. In a double boiler, heat up the mixture until the powdered glue completely dissolves into the water, It should he hot to the touch but not brought to a boil. This will ruin the glue water and make it unsuitable for use. Rabbit glue comes in a powder form and you can get it through Daniel Smith Art Supplies.

Step 3: Then I allow the glue water to cool so that it is warm to the touch and apply one coat of glue water to all sides. Apply the glue by stippling the brush and apply thin. Since I usually prepare  up to 25 panels each time I do this process, I place all of boards on two 1-inch by ¼ inch pine slats to keep the panel off  the table to air dry. I paint all 25 boards on one side first plus the edges and allow to dry for about an hour. Then afer about an hour I flip them and do the other side. This seals the panel giving it a perfect moisture barrier. Then let them dry overnight.

Step 4: The next day I mix up the gesso using a measure of glue water, an equal measure of Zinc White, and an equal measure of Gypsum (or Terra Alba). You can get these powered pigments and chalks through Daniel Smith Art Supplies. Heat the mixture up in a double boiler until the powder is all dissolved into the hot glue water ( again do not bring to a boil or you will render the mixture useless).

Step 5: The first glue-gypsum white ground must be exceptionally thin, not wet, and must not be put on with a full brush, but stippled in such a way that it lies over the board like a veil. This is the most important step to avoid  the paint curling off the board. Also never put a heat source to the panels to quicken the drying time. I paint about 25 panels at a time and by the time I finished with the last one I can flip the first one and keep going down the line.  I usually begin by applying the gesso vertically.

Step 6: At about half an hour, after the first coat has dried on the surface, a second layer may be stippled on at right angles to the first in a horizontal manner.

Step 7: After allowing to dry at least a half hour for each surface, continue to apply up to 5 to 6 more coats of gesso in right vertical an d horizontal coats with a full brush  now until the board is smooth, bright white and without veins of the wood showing through. These coats are essential in giving your boards a high degree of luminosity. They will also have a high degree of absorbency improving your adhesion of paint to the surface., considered by many to be the reasons why this board is the most highly prized surface of them all.

BLACK OIL WAX MEDIUM