Classes & Supplies

Supples for Adults and Teens

Attention: Please consult with us first to decide which one of these options is best for you. 

We like to start with drawing for everyone first and then move to one of the other options for color (2-4 below). You will not have to buy all of these options. 

Where to buy: Michaels usually has most of these. Also you can order online from them or other art stores (Dick Blick and others).
 

1. Drawing. Most students start here.

• Pencils: B, 2B, HB,
• X-ACTO knife for sharpening pencils
• Erasers (a hard one and a kneaded one)
• 18” by 24” drawing pad, heavier weight (80 pounds or higher), white color, suitable for pencil and charcoal, any brand. Special note: no newsprint paper! 

2. Pastels. As a transition to color we like pastels. 

• All of the above (drawing supplies)
• Set of soft pastels. 25 colors or more. Faber Castell Soft Pastel sets are good quality and relatively inexpensive. Next level of price and quality is Sennelier or Rembrandts (very expensive, but will last for a long time).

3. Painting Supplies. Acrylics or Oils. 

• Acrylics: Arteza sets are a good price and decent quality.
• Oils: Georgians or Utrecht brands are also a good quality/price ratio.

Recommended colors. Hues are okay. They are cheaper. You can also buy a set if it has colors close to these.

• Lemon Yellow
• Cadmium yellow medium
• Yellow ochre
• Cadmium orange
• Cadmium red light
• Raw umber
• Viridian green
• Olive Green or any other Warm Green
• Cobalt blue
• Turquoise Blue
• Alizarin crimson
• Titanium White
• Violet (optional)

Bristle or synthetic brushes: Square and Round. Do not buy sets, usually they put cheap brands in them and they do not last more than a few painting sessions. Buy decent brushes, even if you get fewer than sets. One smaller (for drawing your composition), a few medium and one or two larger ones. You will need:

• #1 (x1)
• #2 (x1)
• #4 (x1)
• #5 (x1)
• #8 (x1)

• Solvents. For oils: Odorless Gamsol. No other solvents are allowed at the school. For acrylics, you will use water, so no solvents needed.
• Palette. Plastic or wood. Regular flat palette, oval or square. No paper palettes.
• Palette cup, attachable to the palette (for oils only) or a glass jar for Gamsol.
• Canvas boards or canvas. Smaller and medium size to start with. 9 x 12, 12 x 14, or similar.
• Vine charcoal stick
• Roll of paper towels or old rags for cleaning brushes.
• Drawing pad. Medium size
• Pencil and eraser to make sketches before painting.

4. Watercolors. This is an advanced medium which requires very good drawing skills. 

• Pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Set of watercolor paints in blocks, no tubes. We recommend these brands: Windsor Newton, Cotman or Russian-made Ladoga. 12 colors is enough, but please don’t buy the cheapest brands, as they do not work.
• 2-3 watercolor brushes, a small pointy one and a larger flat one
• Watercolor paper pad or block. 12 x 16 or 11 x 14 are standard.