Print and include in your luggage
Attention Airline Inspectors​
Thank you in advance for keeping us safe. This is a professional Artist Paint Kit. It contains vegetable oil or watercolor paints and wet paintings. Take care when inspecting to prevent paint from getting on clothing.
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All these paints have a flashpoint of above 550°F (288°C). They are not hazardous and not flammable. There are not solvents in this kit. Please do not discard paints, as they are expensive.
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Thank you. If you need to reach me to confirm, my contact is:
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Name
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Phone
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Watercolor Workshop Supply List
The followings are necessary for beginners and just suggestions for advanced painters. Make sure you have quality grade paper, pigments and brushes. Clean water and passion would help as well!
Paper
1 full sheet (22 x 30”) every two workshop days, 140lb (300 gr/mq) cold pressed paper. Arches, Fabriano Artistico or equal pro brand. A quarter sheet is my typical size. Blocks with glued edges 11 x 15” will do as well.
Board
A stretching board for lose sheets, 1/2 inches (1 cm) larger in each side than your paper size.
Easel
Indoor we may use a table top. Outdoor a light collapsing easel (1,5 Kg) is a good choice. Check W&N or competitors has a reclining board holder. Other option can be seen at https://www.enpleinairpro.com Two camping seats are a great alternative outdoor: one to seat and hold the board, the second seat to hold palette, water pot, and brushes.
Palette
A squared porcelain plate is the best for me. I prefer to drag the paint rather than dig into wells. When a folding travel palette is needed I use a (plastic) Mjiello 18 Airtight / Leak-Proof Watercolor Palette. Enameled metal is definitely better than plastic, which tends to stain. I generally do not use pans, to also save brush tips from wearing.
Paint
I use tubes. Start with a short number of hues but definitely get artist grade paint. More pigment concentration, less paint waste. I paint in a limited palette, 90% supply is a selection of extra fine colors by Daniel Smith. Their quinacridrone pigments are my favorite. And Indigo is my choice as dark modifier (I have not converted to the use of black yet!). Basically you want to have in a priority order: primaries, secondaries and earth colors. I rarely use opaque white.
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Hansa Yellow Medium, New Camboge, Permanent Yellow
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Quinacridone Gold, Quin Burnt Orange, Quin Siena
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Permanent Red Deep, Alazarin Crimson, Rose Ultramarine
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Imperial Purple, Indanthrone Blue, French Ultramarine
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Phtalo Blue GS, Ultramarine Turquoise, Green Apatite
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Blood Stone Genuine, Burnt Umber, Indigo, (Chinese White)
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Brushes
Hake and large flat synthetic (Rosemary&Co, Princeton))
Flat rectangular medium synthetic (Pricenton)
Mop squirrel and filbert (Princeton)
Round large mix sable / synthetic (DaVinci)
Round medium* kolinsky sable (Rosemary&Co)
Round medium synthetic (Princeton, Eleganza by Springer Pinsel )
Round small synthetic (Princeton)
Spotter very tiny round (Princeton, Eleganza by Springer Pinsel)
* Medium = the size of a well sharpened pencil
Round brushes with fat belly and tiny tip are necessary. I also love flat brushes. Sometimes I cut straight an old pointed brush! As for size every brand goes by its own scale. Pure Kolinski sable is the finest and pricey one. You can find mixed sable / synthetic hair at a reasonable price.
Even the most costly sable tends to wear its tip especially if you use pans and wells in your palette. Currently I am happy with some Rosemary’s & Co sable brushes. Also working with DaVinci mixed hair and other German brands for synthetic Springer Pinsel (Eleganza). Also use good Chinese calligraphy brushes, as well as some squirrel mops.
Other tools
Masking tape around 1 inc / 2 cm, sketch / note book, soft pencils, rubber, kneaded eraser, cutter, water container (no glass, collapsible if you travel) and a small spray bottle. A sponge, paper towels and tissues. Brush pens (optional) full black, mid grey, light grey for tonal studies. Hair dryer indoor is a smart tool and a cordless one outdoor a real luxury!
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References for indoor workshop
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Please bring pictures of your favorite subjects.
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Any subject, not necessary cityscapes.
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But please photos you have taken!
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Print them in color and/or black and white.
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Your own drawings are welcome as well.
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Be prepared to share them with the group.
No guarantee that your pictures will be chosen as a demo reference or assignment, but I'll consider your suggestions.
Not least
Hat or cap with visor, wind breaker jacket, sweater, hiking shoes, umbrella (sun or rain)
NB Watercolors are not hazardous. If you need to confirm this, please contact TSA at 866-289-9673 or their Hazardous Materials Research Center at 800-467-4922. Better put them on a checked in luggage.
Francesco Fontana Fine Artist, www.francescofontana.com
Updated May 5, 2019 Questions? Email workshops@francescofontana.com​
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Francesco Fontana
Oil Workshop Supply List
This list includes the typical equipment I use and suggest for oil painting, mainly en plein air. Expert painters can use their own usual material. Items with asterisk * or printed in bold are however the very essentials needed. You cannot fly with solvents at all; no paint, liquids or blades in the cabin of an airplane.
Paint
Tubes of 60 ml to 200 ml: *Yellow, cadmium, *Red, magenta / Alazarin crimson, *Blue, cobalt, *Burnt sienna or Red oxyde, *White, titanium
Yellow, lemon - Yellow ochre - Orange, cadmium - Red, cadmium medium - Violet red shade - Blue, ultramarine deep - Green, sap green - Burnt umber - Black, ivory
Brushes
Rosemary's&Co, Uk brushes. They are synthetic but perfectly simulate the hog bristle
*Ivory long flat: #0, #2, 4,
Long Filbert: #0, #4, #8
Pointed round: #0 or #1
A 2 inc / 5 cm large flat wall paintbrush helps.
:: Supports You can either:
a) *Use canvas or linen panels, bring 2-3 small per day, from size 18x24 cm (6x10 inc) to 24 x 36 cm (10 x 12 inc) Jackson’s UK, Raymar US,
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*Drying box / Wet panel carrier sized according to panels Raymar US
Outdoor
Expert painters would check US's brands as Sienna, Easyel, Strada, etc. Beginners in Europe may consider more affordable and duty free UK's supplies as follows:
*Pochade Box, (smaller PB) mounted on a camera tripod via a *1/4 inch screw bracket.
or Half French Easel or collapsible tripod + forearm hold palette.
Camping seat
Tools and Mediums
Palettes. Pochade boxes and French easels have their own.
For tripod you need a rectangular palette with thumb hole 23 x 31 cms (9 x12 inc) either wooden or disposable paper pad, better if toned Soho, Urban Artist UK. Nice to cover pochade as well.
Palette knife, large
Linseed oil or better *gel and/or fast drying medium (Liquin / Oilin)
*Masking tape (19 mm) 3/4 Inch
Paper towel roll
Solvent, Turpentine or Mineral spirit, 1/2 lt (Do not fly this, get it at destination)
Sketcking
*Sketch (and note) book
*Soft 3b - 5B pencils,
*kneaded rubber, cutter,
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Clothing
*Hat or cap with visor, wind breaker jacket, sweater, hiking shoes, umbrella (sun or rain
NB Oil pain is not hazardous. If you need to confirm this, please contact TSA at 866-289-9673 or their Hazardous Materials Research Center at 800-467-4922.”
Francesco Fontana Fine Artist, www.francescofontana.com
Updated Jan 10, 2019 Questions? Email workshops@francescofontana.com
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