John Helms Gallery - acrylic painting class supplies

Adult Acrylic Painting Class

Instructor: John Helms

Hobby Lobby in Bartlett on Stage Rd.

Acrylic Supplies List

You may want to print out this page for reference when buying your supplies.

( Get exactly what’s on this list – Please, no substitutes )

 ( Links to Watercolor and Oil Class Supplies List pages are at the bottom of this page. )

 

Paint:

“Liquitex Basics” brand acrylic fine art paint in tubes is what I recommend for beginners – “Liquitex Basics”’ is cheaper and more fluid than Liquitex “High Viscosity”, and “Heavy Body, ”which are thicker and cost more. Buy the “Basics”for my class – the only exceptions are Orange, and Thalo Green Light - substitute Grumbacher Academy or Amsterdam brands for these colors.

 

  1. Hooker’s Green
  2. Cadmium Yellow Light 
  3. Cadmium Orange ( Grumbacher Academy Acrylic or Amsterdam brand acrylics – a better, truer orange than the Basics brand ).
  4. Yellow Ochre
  5. Burnt Sienna
  6. Burnt Umber
  7. French Ultramarine Blue
  8. Alizarin Crimson 
  9. Cadmium Red Medium
  10. Titanium White
  11. Dioxazine Purple 
  12. Thalo Yellow-Green ( Grumbacher Academy Acrylic or Amsterdam brand acrylics – a better, truer yellow-green than the Basics brand ).
  13. Liquitex Gesso ( The thick kind sold at Michaels )

 

Gesso: There are two different types of gesso - thick and thin. You want the thick kind. The gesso that's is sold at Hobby Lobby is the thin variety and has a dark blue label - don't buy it there. The gesso that's sold at Michaels and the Art Center is the thick kind and has a white label with big black letters, "Liquitex Basics Gesso" on the front - buy it there, or if you buy it at some other art supply store be sure to ask the clerk for the thick gesso. This is very important.

 

Brushes:

The brushes you'll need are No. 6, & 1 0 natural "hogs hair" bright bristle brushes. I  recommend the "Masterpiece or “Robert Simmons" brand that Hobby Lobby sell- they have long brown handles and gold ferrules. The hogs hair is long and flat at the end and are called "Brights". Hobby Lobby has sales on brushes regularly. There is another cheap brush set I like for making leaves, shrubs and grass - they are natural colored long handles and natural long hogs hair, bristle brushes called "Flats" and sell for about $8.00 for a set of 10 brushes. It is in a flat, plastic blister pack with a blue backing card and says" Paint Brush Set" at the top .

 

There is also an inexpensive assortment of small brushes wrapped in black canvas in a round plastic tube. It sells for under $10 retail and is a good buy for the money for smaller detailed work.

Number 5 Rigger Brush ( a long, thin Brush for painting branches of trees and grass. ) I recommend "American Painter" brand for this brush.

 

 

  1. Small Size Palette Knife – the metal ones with wooden handles - no plastic.
  2. Numbers 4, 6, and 10  Natural Bristle Brushes “MasterpieceBrand” 
  3. There is also an inexpensive assortment of small brushes wrapped in black canvas in a round plastic tube. It sells for under $10 retail and is a good buy for the money for smaller detailed work.
  4. Number 5 Rigger Brush ( a long, thin brush for painting branches of trees and grass. )
  5. Number 4 Synthetic Brush
  6. Cheap Brush Set of 10 Brushes ( Description above under "Brushes" )  

 

Painting Palette:

 

  1. 12 x 16” Disposable Tear-off  at top Paper Palette – comes in a Pad ( Strathmore brand is yellow )
  2. “Stay-Wet” or “Masterson” brand white plastic palette holder with blue lid to keep acrylic paint from drying out- made for above palette. Put Vaseline all around the seal on inside and on the top edge of the palette – this makes it easier to take it on and off.

 

Painting Surface and Related Items:

  1. 16 x 20” stretched canvas – in the Fine Art section
  2. 12 x 16” Canvas Pad ( Strafmore brand, comes in a pad – tear off at top )
  3. A desk-top easel like the wooden ones Hobby Lobby sells for $8.00.
  4. “Liquitex” or “Basics” White Gesso – comes in white plastic bottles - on paint isle.
  5. Emory cloth ( black in color ) for sanding down dried layers of gesso on painting surface.
  6. 3”disposable sponge brush for priming canvas with gesso.

 

Miscellaneous Items – You’ll need all of these.

  1. Kneaded Eraser - ( Gray - on graphics supplies isle at art supply stores.)  
  2. Ebony ( Gray ) Drawing Pencil. ( on graphic art isle ). 
  3. One black and one white charcoal pencil - "General" brand ( on graphic art isle ).
  4. Thin Soft Vine Charcoal sticks-comes in small boxes - on graphic art isle. 
  5. Paper towels ( Viva brand are the best ) or rags-old t-shirts make good painting rags, old clothes, or apron to paint in.
  6. Art box, fishing tackle box, or toolbox with carrying handle for paints, brushes and misc. supplies. $5.00 up
  7. Small Size Color Wheel – usually on paint isle in art supply stores.
  8. Large or medium container to hold water and to clean brushes in. $1.00 at Family Dollar stores.
  9. Small container of dishwashing liquid for cleaning out brushes –doesn’t matter what brand.
  10. Sponges – You can buy a whole bag of flat, yellow sponges at Family Dollar Stores for a dollar.

 

Recommended Art Books:

I switch between the following acrylic books by Jerry Yarnell for teaching in class- Each book has color step-by-step  instructions and several paintings to choose from. The average class painting usually takes 6 to 8 weeks ( 12-16 hours ) to complete.

 

 

 Other Recommended Art Books:

 

  1. Color and How to Use It by William F. Powell ( a Walter Foster paper-back ) This is a good introductory book on beginner color theory with step by step painting demos. / $8.95
  2. Brush With Acrylics by Terry Harrison, artist ( Search Press ) large paper-back – Various painting techniques and step by step painting demos. /  $24.95
  3. Paint With Acrylics by Jerry Yarnell, artist ( A Leisure Arts Publication ) Over-sized paper-back, with step by step painting demos. /  $7.95

 

Recommended Viewing on TV:

 

·         Jerry Yarnell, acrylic artist, on BYUTV, Channel 9403 - Dish Network Only on Saturdays at 9:30am ( sometimes ) and 3:30pm CST.

·         Every now and then Channel 10, WKNO ( PBS Network ) will have an fine-art related program on.

·         Also AMC Network.

 

 

 Art Supplies and Student Discounts: Since art supplies are so expensive buy them wherever you can find them on sale. My students get a discount off their art supplies at some art supply stores if you show them your art supplies list. Ask the cashier if there is a student discount at Hobby Lobby. Other sources for buying art supplies is www.dickblick.com , www.cheapjoes.com, www.jerrysartarama.com, www.hofcraf.com,   - They will also mail you a free catalogue if you ask for it.

 

Recommended Artist Forums on the Internet: www.wetcanvas.com  This is by far the largest international forum on the internet for artists. There are many channels on many categories to choose from and in each of these channels are many, many  forums chock full with good information and good artists to learn from. Any artist on any level of experience can benefit from these forums.

 

Click here to go to Watercolor Class Supplies

 

Click here to go to Oil Class Supplies

 

Click Here to go to Pics of Art Supplies Page

 

Click Here to go to Painting Class Info.

 

 

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Last modified: 04/12/10

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