Equipment
Easel
I have a variety of outdoor easels. Bring whatever you have and if you don’t have an outdoor easel I recommend the full or half French easel as a workhorse that’ll do just about anything you’ll need.
Brushes
I use hog bristle brushes and a few synthetics (soft hair). Flats, seem to do the job although I’ve used brights quite a lot and occasionally filberts… Use what you’re comfortable with but I’d recommend having a good size selection of hog hairs bristles sizes 2-12, 2-8 if you don’t want to paint larger. For the soft hair brushes I only have a few: 4 or 7 round, 2,4, 6 flats.
I want to emphasize you don’t need a million brushes. I often paint with just a couple of each size 12,8,4 bristle brushes and a couple synthetics for finer work.
Palette
Basic: White, Yellow, Red, Blue (Titanium/Zinc, Cad Lemon or Cad Yellow Light, Cad Red or Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine)
It’s only necessary to use the “Basic” palette to work from. If one has a lot of experience feel free to bring an expanded palette of whatever.
Medium: I just use thinner and sometimes a 5/1 ratio of thinner to galkyd lite or liquin in a palette cup. Just the thinner will be adequate. You’ll need a container for the thinner anything from a jam jar to something commercially made does the job.
As an aside, bring a larger empty gallon or ½ gallon container to change out the thinner each day. Once this settles you can reuse the old thinner.
Canvases
I use everything from gessoed homemade panels to oil primed linen on stretcher bars. The oil primed linen takes the paint nicely while the acrylic primed stuff allows the oil to sink allowing layer after layer. If using a gesso priming it can helpful to apply a light value ground (thin layer of oil paint) to reduce some of the absorbency. So, it’s really up to you and your budget.
I would recommend working in sizes you are comfortable with as this is a 3-day workshop with less time to experiment. Nevertheless, I often work larger 16x20, 20x24 etc. and if you’re very experienced go for it. If not, 6x8”,8x10”, 9x12”, 11x14”up to 12x16” are good sizes for outdoor work. Bring enough for 2-4 a day.
Extras
Rags, paper towels, or tissues
Plastic grocery bags or something to carry used towels etc. + small clamps to secure bags
Vine charcoal to draw on canvas (optional)
Sketch Pad and pencil for thumbnails (IMPORTANT)
Sunscreen
Hat
Water
Snack
Insect repellant
Umbrella w easel attachment