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Brushes
While I suggest inexpensive student colors for beginners, I recommend that you buy the best brushes you can afford. Properly cared for, a good brush will hold its shape and resiliency and will last a long time. In Brush Handling, page 26, advice is given on the care of brushes and the use of other types of brushes.
The following sizes should enable you to accomplish all the work necessary on canvases from 9 x 12 to 20 x 24 inches: Long-haired brushes numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8 Short-haired brushes numbers 4 and 6 In addition to the bristle brushes, you may find a sma]] pointed or round sable brush handy for fine lines and details.
No.1 Flat The long-haired bristle brush known as a "flat." It will serve for the bulk of your work.
No.2 Bright Also a bristle brush but with a shorter hair. Using the edge of the brush produces a thin line, excellent for outlining.
No.3 Round The round brush is available in both bristle and sable hair. It does not hold much paint but is useful for details.
No.4 Filbert Combines the characteristics of a flat and a round bristle brush. A very fluent stroke, particularly useful for head and figure painting, can be produced with it.
No.5 Rigger Made with sable hair, the rigger is used for delineating fine lines and sharp details.
No.6 Flat Sable The flat sable is the most effective brush for producing a smooth finish. Its soft quality lends itself well to glazing effects.
THE HOME STUDIO
Not all of us can have the ideal studio with skylight and north light. However, a room with average-size windows that do not face the afternoon sun is satisfactory for most painters. In portrait painting the quality of light striking both the sitter and the canvas is of major importance, but for other work the light problem is less acute. A white ceiling and neutral gray walls will help when working with color in either natural or artificial light. It is important to avoid disturbing shadows and strong reflected light.
Working under artificial light has always been a problem, but today's fluorescent lamps give a fair approximation of daylight. If you find such lighting a bit on the cool side, supplement it with the light from an ordinary incandescent bulb. I find that a blend of the two crossing my working area is most satisfactory. For mixing colors it is important that the source of light be of the same quality as that for the surface upon which you are working.
A daylight bulb can be substituted for the fluorescent lamp. Since it too has a bluish cast, an ordinary incandescent bulb should also be added to it.
A taboret or small table placed close to the easel is a good idea. Many artists, with the exception of portrait painters, have given up constantly holding their palette while working. Instead, they rest it on a table of convenient height close to the canvas.
An extra table for setting up a still-life subject and for general utility use should complete-your immediate needs.
Continue to Care of equipment & brush handling
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AN INTRODUCTION TO OIL PAINTING
Material & Equipment for Oil Painting
> Introduction & Colors
> Working with Canvases
> More about Using Canvases
> The Paint Box and Palette
> The Palette Knife and Other Tools
> Oil Painting Brushes & the Home Studio
> Care of Equipment & Brush Handling
> More about Brush Handling
> Arranging Colors on the Palette & Color Mixing
> More About Color Mixing
> Color Mixing Exercises