I quite often get questions about what specific materials I use to create my oil paintings so I've put together a list with links to all of the most important things I use below ↓

Surface

I prefer to paint on Fredrix Knickerbocker Canvas paired with Blick Standard Stretcher Bars.  I love this surface as it has a super fine weave. The canvas has a natural, varied weave that avoids a mechanical appearance. Its irregular texture adds a unique character and depth to the surface, enhancing the overall look of the painting.

Canvas Priming/Toning

Even though the Knickerbocker canvas I use is already pre-gessoed, I like to add a layer of Liquitex Clear Gesso for the extra tooth it provides. It creates a slightly gritty/absorbent surface that really grabs the paint, giving me more control and making brushwork feel more intentional. If you prefer a super smooth or slippery surface, this might not be for you—but if you enjoy that subtle texture under your brush, I highly recommend trying it. The combination of the fine weave of the Knickerbocker canvas and the clear gesso’s tooth makes for a surface I absolutely love painting on.

Occasionally, I’ll mix in a bit of pure pigment—like burnt umber from Gamblin—when I want to tone the surface. It’s not something I do all the time, but it adds a nice touch of color while keeping that texture intact.

Sketch/Underpainting

As I strive to maintain a non-toxic studio and avoid using solvents, for my underpainting, I opt for water-mixable oil paint thinned with a bit of water. I prefer Winsor & Newton Water Mixable Burnt Umber because it dries quickly and creates a paint film that is identical to that of traditional oil paint thinned with solvent. Be sure to let this dry thoroughly if you plan to paint the remainder of your work in regular oils like I do.

Oil Paints

I love using Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors. These paints are packed with a generous amount of pigment and have a perfect consistency — neither too soft nor too stiff. As a personal choice, I avoid cadmiums, cobalts, and any paints containing heavy metals, choosing instead non-toxic pigments. I prioritize using the most lightfast colors available. I like to build my palette around warmer and cooler primary colors, along with strong, single-pigment secondaries and reliable single-pigment earth colors. I also keep a couple of options for blacks and whites, depending on the level of opacity or transparency I need for a painting.

My palette typically includes the following shades, all rated at the highest level of lightfastness:

  • Ultramarine Blue (PB29)
  • Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) (PB15:3)
  • Phthalo Green (Blue Shade) (PG7)
  • Hansa Yellow Medium (PY74)
  • Permanent Orange (PO62)
  • Perylene Red (PR149)
  • Quinacridone Red (PV19)
  • Dioxazine Violet (PV23)
  • Burnt Umber (PBr7)
  • Yellow Ochre (PY43)
  • Ivory Black (PBk9)
  • Titanium White (PW6)
  • Chromatic Black
  • Flake White Replacement

Mediums & Cleanup

While painting, I use Gamblin’s solvent-free gel and fluid mediums to extend my paints. An added benefit of these mediums is that they speed up the drying time of the oil paints, usually making them dry to the touch by the next day, allowing me to continue working on my painting right away.

I typically clean my brushes between colors while painting using Utrecht safflower oil, which I keep in a stainless steel brush cleaner. The cleaner has a removable strainer insert that extends the life of the safflower oil by allowing solids to sink to the bottom, keeping the oil above cleaner for longer. For the final cleanup, I use safflower oil followed by Murphy’s Oil Soap to get my brushes squeaky clean.

Brushes

I use both Winsor & Newton University Round Brushes and Silver Ruby Satin Round Brushes with short handles.  These brushes are great for getting in those tiny details and they have the perfect snap to them.

The Rosemary & Co Long Flats and Long Filberts are incredibly versatile. Their long bristles make them perfect for blocking in larger areas as well as even working into fine details, providing excellent control and flexibility for a wide range of painting techniques.

When I need to subtly blend edges, I use the Princeton Velvetouch 1/4” Mop brush. By softly dabbing this brush on the area I’m working on, I can retain the initial subtle brushstrokes I laid down while giving them a softer appearance.

Varnish

When the oil painting is touch-dry I finish it with Gamblin Gamvar Varnish. I prefer to use a 50/50 mix of Gloss and Matte over using the Satin option. The great thing about Gamvar varnish is that you don't have to wait the standard 6 or so months for the painting to completely dry. You can simply apply this varnish when the painting is touch-dry and the oils can continue to safely fully oxidize beneath the protective surface.

Other Tools

I use both the Richeson Tabletop Easel and Meeden Versatile Studio H-Frame Easel. Both of these easels are highly customizable for the height and angle that you prefer to work at. My preferred artwork illumination is the Easel Lamp Go from The Daylight Company. This highly adjustable light attaches straight to your easel and produces impeccable color reproduction with 95+ CRI Daylight LEDs. I also enjoy using a glass palette vs an acrylic palette as it is so easy to clean up when you're done painting. The tempered glass is super durable and available in clear, grey and white.

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