To ensure high-quality long-lasting artworks I only buy materials from suppliers specialising in art supplies. I use the following:
- Winsor & Newton Artisan water mixable oil paints
- Winsor & Newton oil mediums and thinner
- Cobra artist quality water mixable oil paints
- GOLDEN heavy body acrylics
- GOLDEN high flow acrylics
- GOLDEN gloss glazing liquid
- GOLDEN gloss polymer varnish w/UVLS
- GOLDEN soft gel gloss
- Lefranc Bourgeois gesso
- Talens 1001 gesso
- Pentart crackle medium
- Pinko quality canvases
NOTE: For an excellent painting surface and to increase the longevity of my paintings, I prime my canvases 4 times and sand twice in between gesso coats with fine sanding paper.
I only use water for clean-up and thinning gesso, not for thinning my paints.
Generally I don’t varnish my oil paintings, due to the slow drying time of this medium. Estimates about how long an oil painting should dry properly before varnishing range from 6 months to 1 year. Water mixable oil paint hardens faster than traditional oil paint. Because I use water mixable oils, and generally paint in thin layers, I would recommend waiting 6 months before varnishing my artworks. Varnishing is not compulsory, but it does help to protect an artwork and adds sheen.
I use a wide range of brushes, silicon shapers, palette knives and other tools made by numerous companies.
Special mention: da vinci VARIO-TIP brush (wider spacing of hairs at tip of brush; good for floral details).
