Toscana Americana Workshops
presents
Painting the Figure en Plein Air
with Kathy Busillo
Artist & Instructor
Cortona, Italy May 3-10, 2008
June 27-July 4 2009
Supply List
What to bring...
For Oil painters:
recommended brushes: Winsor & Newton Monarch Flats in sizes 2, 6 & 10
1 large bristle brush about a size 10 or 12 for scumbling or toning the support you paint on--please don't get an expensive brush for this one as it will be used roughly.
Palette knife for scraping and mixing.
We will be using Liquin to help dry your paintings before you leave Italy. I don't believe you can bring it on a plane but I will look into this some more to be sure one way or the other.
Surfaces: Canvas board--with Masonite support not cardboard as the cardboard will warp. You may also use gessoed Masonite. Please pack plenty of boards as we will focus on working quickly. I figure on a minimum of 2 pieces per day but you may want to think about bringing a few extra boards just in case. Please do not bring stretched canvas--you will find that the sunlight goes right through them making it difficult, at best, to work and it will take up a lot more room in your bags. Do not go larger than 11x14 or smaller than 8x10.
Board carrier--there are several companies that make carriers of different materials and quality. I have one is corrugated plastic and one made of wood. The plastic one is light but doesn't hold much, the wood one is heavier but holds plenty.
Brush Cleaner and Restorer--I use "Old Masters" and find it very good for lifting paint out of my clothes too. You can buy this in small cakes or in a tub--for travel, I recommend the cakes.
Stainless steel brush washer. Empty! You are not permitted to carry turps on an airline--I clean mine out and leave the lid off in the suitcase. Yours should have a rubber gasket inside the lid, a handle to hang off your easel and latches to lock it. Anderson and Sons is one brand--it should have a strainer at the bottom to filter out paint residue. It need not be huge--it should hold about a cup of turp.
Easel--currently I use a simple field easel--wood tripod that hold 2 supports at once--Madison Art shop online has a similar one-- with Irwin quick-grip clamps clipped on to rest my palette box on top of. In the past I used a French half box but found it didn't hold up well and frankly got too heavy at the end of the day.
Palette--I use a Masterson palette with a lid and a paper palette pad inside. At the end of a session, I can put that lid on and keep the paints usable if kept in a cool place until my next painting session. When I'm done, I can toss the paper. You may prefer to use a reusable palette instead but I do recommend the Masterson to hold it and keep your paint fresh longer.
Paints: Please, do not buy student grade paints. The pigment suspension is not as great as in professional grade paints and you will become frustrated quite quickly. Also, do not get any paints that say "hue" on their label this is not a full color.
Colors:
Reds: alizarin crimson, cadmium red light, scarlet lake
Yellow: Cadmium yellow (if you like, you may add Cad yellow deep)
Greens: Thalo green
Blues: ultramarine blue, cobalt blue
Earth: raw umber, burnt sienna
Titanium white--large tube 1.5 ml
rags for wiping, cleaning or paper towels
*All cadmium colors are expensive (cobalt too), you will not likely need a large tube for the week plus you need to be prepared to carry things so only get a large tube of white.
Optional: Sketch book and pencils or Pigma pens in varying sizes.
A tote to carry your supplies--a simple backpack will do and you can also get them with wheels that works quite well. I bungee cord my palette box to my totes. I also live by the camper's thought of "If you need it, bring it. If you carry it in, be prepared to carry it out." There are many supplies available to the plein air artist, please don't feel the need to buy everything until you decide exactly what feels comfortable and manageable to you. Wear comfortable shoes--the best you can afford as you will be on your feet a lot. Wear comfortable clothing that you won't mind getting paint on--besides, it's a badge of honor to see paint on your clothes, everyone will know you're an artist. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water bottle, any medications you need, and bug repellent (lotion is preferable since the spray wanders).
If you are the veteran plein air artist and have a favorite medium, then bring the supplies you would normally use unless you prefer to give oil painting a try and you may follow the supply list above.
Recommended reading:
Sargent in Italy by Bruce Robertson, Jane Dini, Ilene Susan Fort, and Stephanie L. Herdrich
The Painter: Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida by Edmund Peel, Francisco Pons Sorolla, Carmen Gracia, and Priscilla Muller