Art Students Materials List

Art materials influence how artists make their work and how viewers perceive it

For everything we do in art we need the right tools. A watercolour painting can't be done to its best if we use any other paper than made specifically for watercolour or we fight with the elements if the canvas or brushes we are using the wrong type.

The materials listed here are for introduction lessons only. To keep the cost down for art materials before you have settled into a specific medium, I am recommending the minimum of supplies you will need to get a satisfactory result. For example when buying oil paints, instead of Cadmium Red, I recommend Vermillion Red instead as it more affordable but is a close enough colour to achieve the same result. 

Material List for Drawing with Graphite

You will need the following materials when starting with drawing:
A set of graphite pencils with a minimum of 5 pencils ranging from 2h - 6b. Any brand is fine, but avoid very cheap ones such as Mont Marte. 
Putty eraser also called kneadable eraser and a normal eraser. 
Optional: An Erasing Shield.
A Quill Sketchpad or any other smooth drawing paper. No Mont Marte paper please, it will only frustrate you. 
A barrel sharpener or the best of all the Derwent Superpoint Metal Pencil Sharpener, which very affordable in comparison to others of this type.

Basic Oil Painting Materials List

For the introduction to oil painting, I will recommend the cheapest options but minimum quality you will need to paint well. The Canvas must be from the brand I suggest, whereas the oil paint brand is up to. Over time, you can get better supplies if you are intending to continue in oil. 

Oil Paints

For the initial oil painting exercises, the brand of oil paints doesn't matter. ​

You will need the double primary colours and white as follows:
  • Lemon Yellow
  • Mid- or Spectrum Yellow (cheaper than Cadmium Yellow)
  • Vermillion Red (cheaper than Cadmium Red depending on brand)
  • Crimson Red
  • Ultramarine Blue (French Ultramarine is dearer)
  • Phthalo Blue
  • Titanium White

Brushes

Brushes are important and unfortunately cheaper ones just won't do. I rather have fewer brushes, but those that work. Fit is critical that the hair is not too hard, nor too soft. ​

The minimum number of brushes you will need for the first 5 weeks are:
  • Neef 95 Bright Size 6  (Stiff Synthetic)
  • Neef 95 Filbert Size 2 (Stiff Synthetic)
  • Neef 95 Bright Size 0 (Stiff Synthetic)
  • Neef 95 Bright Size 8 (Optional)
Not a must, but handy and affordable is an additional brush set from Mont Marte.  They are good for soft blending and are available in almost all dollar shops. 
  • A set of 4 to five brushes, which must have mostly flat ones with one round brush. 

Canvas Paper & Canvas Boards

For the type of oil painting introduction we are going through, you need a canvas that can be easily manipulated. That means you can add oil paint but also take it off easily if required. If you find that a canvas is sticking to the oil paint, don't get it. ​

For the first 5 weeks, all you need is:
  • One Sheet of an A4 Fredrix Oil Paper. You can buy them in a pad. Do not ever use Mont Marte, that oil paper is a nightmare. 
  • If I have the paper at hand, I sell one piece for $2 which is what I have paid for it. ​​
  • One rectangular Fredrix canvas board a bit larger than A3 up to A2. 

Brush Cleaner

I very rarely use turpentine to clean brushes. The quality of brushes is all-important, so I only buy good quality ones. And  I want to keep them for as long as I can. ​

Many brushes have natural oil in them, that would be quickly destroyed by turps. Once a brush has dried up, it starts to brittle and eventually breaks. Further, turps smell bad and are toxic. Hence, if you work from home is not a good idea.  Brush cleaners are brilliant, as they not only clean your brushes better than turpentine, but also protect them from the elements and from deforming. 
  • Both brush cleaner that are mentioned here are suitable. One is a fluid and you need only a few drops each time, and the other is a harder soap type. The fluid is from Chroma "Incredible Brush Cleaner" and the other from The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver.

Palette

The cheapest palette is from Mont Marte and is effortless to clean.

You can also use a paper palette which you don't need to clean afterwards, just throw it in the bin when done with painting. I have palettes at the studio for those you are not sure yet, if they want to continue painting. But you have to clean them afterwards. 

Painting Rags

Old Rags  are essential when painting with oil. In as much as we add paint to the canvas, we also need to be able to manipulate the paint by taking it off, in particular for the first monochromatic layer.

You can use any old cloths as long as the fabric is soft. Bunnings offers 1.5 packages for around $8-$9. 

Palette Knife

A standard mid size no 10 palette knife. We have some in the studio you can lend, if you can't get one immediately. 
And last you will need baby wipes. They remove paint from furniture, hands and clothing. A must when working in oil. 

Comparison Chart for Schmincke Oil Paints

When getting asked what my personal favourite oil paints are, I have to say it is definitely Schmincke Mussini

When getting asked what my personal favourite oil paints are, I have to say it is definitely Schmincke Mussini. Both Schmincke Mussini and Norma are good quality oil paints, with the Mussini is the top range of Schmincke with a higher quality and colour range. These are downloadable pdf files with a colour chart and information about the paint. It has the most amazing consistency, being very creamy and is incredibly easy to apply for any oil painting technique. 

Coloured Pencil Material List

To get the right kind of coloured pencil materials is not that straightforward because it depends all on what method of coloured pencil you personally prefer.

If you want to create strong colours and a more painterly feel, then you should opt for Primacolour, Polychromos or Faber Castell Albrecht Durer. If you like to work smaller and finer, than the Derwent Artist or Studio coloured pencils are best. The only brand that works  for all techniques is the Caran D'Ache Luminescence. 

Paper likewise is a delicate issue that depends on what you personally prefer. 
You will need:
A coloured pencil set, the more the better, but a minimum of 36 pencils. If you are not sure check the Coloured Pencil Article to decipher which brand to get first. 
A good long tip sharpener with barrel. Yet the best option for a lot of sharpening is the Derwent Superpoint Metal Sharpener. It is the best value for money as well. 
To blend colours you can use a Prismacolour Blender Pencil or a Derwent Colour Blender. Do not buy the Derwent Burnisher pencil, it is useless. 

Plus a single white Faber Castell White Coloured Pencil. It is the whitest of all existing colour pencils, hence covers very well. ​