Artists should always use the best materials available and their budget will allow. Not only does it make a significant difference in the final aesthetic outcome and archival longevity, but the actual process becomes a pleasure. Painting is difficult enough as to not detract oneself with poor materials and tools. Patrons and collectors expect to purchase a work that will last.

Brushes:
A variety of brush sizes and shapes - from flats to rounds, from hog hair to synthetics.

Surface:
Claessens Belgian Linen - Double primed 13DP (Double Primed) - Stretched or glued on panels

Medium:
Sparingly - Natural Pigments Rublev "Impasto Medium" (for thicker work), Natural Pigments Rublev "Oleogel" (for glazing), Old Master's Maroger, or Gamblin Neo Megilp

Thinner:
Gamblin Gamsol odorless spirits

Varnish:
Gamblin "Gamvar"

Safety:
I recommend using latex gloves (or similar) and a good ventilation system when handling thinner and toxic pigments.

Paints:
These are the colors used most often. Not all of these colors are put out every time a painting is visited. Most are used very sparingly as accent colors or for glazing. The bullets represent the most common full palette used on most paintings. Often only 5 (+/-) colors are used on a painting to maintain harmony, but the following colors are available to tweak hue and temperature.

• Lead flake white
• Titanium White
• Gamblin Portland Grays
• Ivory Black

• Cad. Yellow light
• Cad. Yellow Med
• Cad. Lemon
• Cad. yellow deep
• Naples Yellow
• Lead Tin Yellow
• Yellow Ochre
• Indian Yellow
• Trans Yellow Lake

• Raw Umber
• Burnt Umber
• Cad. Orange
• Trans Orange
• Gold Ochre
• Trans Earth Orange
• Raw Sienna
• Burnt Sienna
• Van Dyke Brown

• Cad. Red lt
• Cad Red Med
• Vermillion
• Alizarin
• Red Ochre
• Trans Earth Red
• Venetian Red
• Trans oxide Red lake
• Rose Madder
• Terra Rosa

• Viridian
• Olive Green
• Terra Verte
• Sap Green
• Cad Green

• Cobalt Blue
• Ultramarine Blue
• Cerulean
• Prussian
• Lazurite
• Smalt

Here are a few places to get quality art materials:
www.naturalpigments.com
www.nycentralart.com
www.italianartstore.com
www.signaturecanvas.com
www.newtraditionsartpanels.com
www.canvaspanels.com
www.oldmastersmaroger.com