The Friday Files - Artist tools and materials checklist by The Callen Collective

Artist tools and materials I use in my studio

A quick checklist and description of some of my favourite artist tools and materials commonly used in my studio.

Tools of the Trade

Down to the last squeeze of my favourite ochre paint, and I find myself making a long list of things I need to purchase for my painting studio. Looking through my tools and materials I see lots of half-finished tubes of paint, nubs of pencils, oil pastels and not so bright looking paint brushes.  Lots of cracked and mismatched containers and painty rags and cloths.

As I’m making a list for myself, I thought I’d share it with you too.  It might help you build your own list or perhaps just understand my process better.

I usually don't buy into the latest trendy or convenient ideas you find at art or craft supply stores. You know the type—stylish containers that look great together on a shelf, or storage boxes with neat little labels, or lidded palettes. These are all useful items. And don't get me wrong, I appreciate a tidy storage setup, especially when it saves space. However, this can be a trap for new painters. If you're just starting out, I strongly advise against buying all these items. You really don't need them. Instead, use what you already have. Repurpose leftover containers from deli dips or olives, or use old food trays like meat trays or Tupperware containers. Clean them thoroughly and make sure to keep the lids, as they can be quite useful.

I use all kinds of pre-used, worn out, unmatched, left over things in my studio.  It’s not pretty, it doesn’t match, but it’s only going to get painty anyway, so it will be ok.

And I’m reusing, recycling, upcycling as a result.

Whenever I open my studio for an artist open studio weekend, visitors always ask me about my materials and tools.  What art material do I like to use?  Which are my first choice?  What’s a good brand to buy at my stage?

Below is a quick checklist of the tools and materials I use, along with some tips:

• Gesso - A good quality, large pot of white gesso, which I use to prep my canvas, wood panels and paper.

• Paper – I use smooth, hot-pressed paper as a preference.  I like oil or acrylic paper best with a fine linen texture.  But whatever it is – I like it nice and thick for my paintings (minimum 300gsm).  I am not a brand snob, but it needs to be acid free.

• Canvas - I think you need to buy the best you can afford.  Best quality stretcher frame, best quality canvas – doesn’t have to be linen when you are starting out but avoid the cheap lightweight frame and stretched canvas as it will warp.  I like a fine weave canvas, and I prefer pre-stretched (because I don’t have the space or time to do my own at this point in time).  If larger than 61x61cm, they should have cross bracing on the back.  I generally have them made at my preferred standard sizes and I buy them pre-framed as a float frame in either oak or spotted gum.  This saves so much time.

• If you choose a pre-framed canvas, remove the frame before you start painting. Use some location marks on the back of the frame (on the back, I mark the top of the frame and the corresponding top point on the canvas with an A or B etc depending on how many I am doing at once).  Then remove the frame/s and store out of the way of any paint flicks or drips before painting.  Don’t lose the screws as you will need them later.   Purchased this way, the canvas often comes pre-primed.  Sometimes you need to give it a bit of a light, even sand with a fine grit sandpaper and then apply gesso, as painting directly onto the surface sometimes doesn’t take very evenly or it beads.

• Ground or base colour – I generally apply a ground colour to the white canvas.  This does a few things, it helps me start (white blank canvas can be intimidating!), it can enhance the colours of the upper layers (especially if you use a complimentary colour as your ground colour) and I like to scratch into my upper layers and find this original colour peeping through underneath.

• Acrylic paint is my main medium.  I like using it because the colours are great, it doesn’t have a lingering smell, it cleans up really well and dries quickly. I rarely add mediums to my paint (like extenders, gel mediums, gloss, slow dry mediums etc).  Sometimes if I want the paint to stay quite wet on the canvas so I can blend it and move it over a large area I will use a slow dry/retarder.  But this tends cause the paint colour to dry glossy, and I don’t like that effect.   I will also use a small amount of impasto paste in some areas and then mark it or scratch into it, allow it to dry and this becomes surface texture.

  The only “medium” I regularly add is water.  Acrylic is a water-based paint and will thin, mix and washout in water while it is still wet.  My paintings tend to include mixed media and I use marks in pencils, oil pastels, collage, more paint, water spray and scratch marks.

• Brushes – Brushes can be very particular to an artist.  Some artists chew through brushes, I tend to keep mine for a while and it will be the ferrule or handles that deteriorate before the bristles, even though I tend to be rough on some of my brushes. Like canvas, buy the best you can afford. Most of the brushes I use are either flat/bright (squared off bristles) or angled.  I don’t like the shape a filbert brush produces and I only use tiny rounds for touch ups or small paintings.  Synthetic bristle brushes like Neef Bagalon, or a nylon, taklon bristle works well for me.  Hogs’ hair tends to leave deposits on my paintings, which I don’t’ like, but I do have them and use them for dry scumbling jobs.

• Rags and cloths – I try to use 100% cotton, and these take the form of old T-shirts, my husband’s old business shirts, sheets and pillow cases that wear out.  I purchased a large pile of terry towelling nappies when my first child was born, and I use these all the time.  They wash really well and I keep a pile in my studio for drying my hands, brushes, containers and palette knives.

• Sealer/Varnish - to finish the paintings off and protect them from dirt and your walls from paint marks, I finish the full front and sides of the paintings with at least 2 coats of sealer/varnish.  I use either a matte varnish or a satin varnish.  I don’t like gloss for my work, but you might prefer that look.  Again, buy the best you can afford for your stage of painting.  I prefer a liquid varnish that I paint on, but will use a spray if I need to seal tricky areas.  Also, my tip, if you use a liquid varnish, you need a dedicated varnish brush with very fine bristles.  Make sure you don’t use it for anything else, and wash it out immediately once you’re finished.

  
  

That’s pretty much what I use on a regular basis.  For my own shopping list, I definitely need to get a few more of these things – so, see you at the art shop.