Online Portrait Painting Supply List

• Bristle and taklon brushes, sizes 2 - 10; filbert or flat are recommended, but you may use any variety of tip

• 6 canvases (cotton or linen), canvas sheets, or boards; no smaller than 9” x 12” and no larger than 16” x 20”

• Oil paint, preferably student-grade; more expensive paint contains more pigment, which can be difficult to mix if you’re new to painting. I recommend using water-soluble paint in order to reduce exposure to solvents and to make clean-up easier. These are the recommended colors:

  • Titanium White

  • Naples Yellow Hue

  • Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue

  • Yellow Ochre

  • Cadmium Orange Hue

  • Cadmium Red Hue

  • Permanent Alizarin Crimson

  • Permanent Sap Green

  • Viridian

  • Cerulean Blue Hue

  • Ultramarine Blue

  • Dioxazine Purple

  • Raw Umber

  • Ivory Black

  • (Optional) Indian Yellow

  • (Optional) Permanent Rose

  • (Optional) Cobalt Blue Hue

  • (Optional) Pthalo Blue

  • (Optional) Burnt Umber

  • (Optional) Burnt Sienna

  • (Optional) Lilac

• Palette or palette paper

• Palette box

• Palette knife

• If using traditional oils, Gamsol or other odorless solvent for thinning paint and cleaning brushes; if using water-soluble oils, only water is necessary

• Metal brush washer or glass jar to hold solvent or water - must have lid to limit fumes from solvent

• Brush soap or cleaner

• Paper towels

• Optional: Disposable gloves

• Optional: Apron or artist’s smock