Pastels

There are many brands of pastel in varying degree of softness. I use Schmincke, Sennelier, Great American, Terry Ludwig, Rembrandt, NuPastel and others.   An assortment of colors is very helpful.  If you’re just getting started get a set of half-sticks.  This gets you more colors at a more reasonable price. 

If you’re buying your first set, start with this nice range of very soft pastels (click on any of the white links to see these products at Blick's online store): 

        Sennelier Set of 80, Plein Air Landscape

The Sennelier set is sufficient for the workshop. If you want to augment the Sennelier set, I’d add a set of hard pastels such as the NuPastel 96 color set:

Prismacolor NuPastel Color Sets

The next set I’d add a set of neutral colors like the Great American 39 Greys

Great American Art Works Pastel Sets

You do NOT want oil pastel sticks.  This is a different media entirely.

Paper

You need a paper designed to hold the pastel, and one which is durable enough to accept applications of water, mineral spirits and aggressive scrubbing/erasing. There are a few commercial offerings that are my favorites:

Wallis paper 9x12 or 12x18.  I recommend getting it in white, but it also comes in a Belgian Mist color (sometimes called grey) which is also lots of fun to use.

Uart paper is also a great choice.  It is a finer surface than Wallis.  I like the more heavily textured surface of Wallis.

PastelMat, which is a smooth surface made with cork is a wonderful new product that is quickly becoming one of my favorite materials to work on.

PastelMat Selection A Colors

I will also discuss making your own sanded paper in the workshop.

Drawing board 

Larger than the paper size you choose and light in weight, such as hardboard, masonite or gatorfoam. 16"x20" is a good size.

Thumbnail sketching supplies

Small sketchbook - 5"x7"  (any size will do)

Drawing pencil or grey–scale markers

Other

Drafting tape - 1" wide

Hard Eraser (often pink or white - the harder the better and make sure it isn't gummy or tacky feeling).

Paper towels – Viva are best but I'm not picky

Wet Underpainting Supplies (optional)

I often demo underpainting techniques where I wash down an initial layer of pastel. I use isopropyl alcohol. You can also try mineral spirits if you prefer.

Paint brush – ½ to 1” wide.  Synthetic is best since it holds up better when working on sanded paper, but bristle brushes also work well. 

Liquid container.

Optional - watercolors or gouache paints. Bring them if you already have them and this is a medium you're already comfortable with.

I also use a dry underpainting technique, more suitable to architecture and other subjects that require a tighter rendering. A value study in charcoal is followed with a thin layer of dry pastel.

Vine Charcoal - both thin and extra thick

Fixative - it is best to have both Blair fixative and Spectrafix. Blair you can get at most art stores, while Spectrafix is so new that it's not widely available. You can get it at Accent Arts, Dakota Pastel or directly from the artist.

I use both fixatives as I build up underpaintings because Blair is cheap and works well with charcoal while Spectrafix is safe to use indoors and imparts less of a color shift. If you're only going to get a single fixative, then go with Spectrafix.

Plein Air Equipment

If you are taking a workshop where we will be working outdoors (plein air) you’ll also need the following:

French Easel (Mabef or Julian) - half box will do and is more portable than a full-size. Julian makes an economy version of their easel (called the 'Julian Escort') which is a great option.

Pastel Box - it is very useful to have a pastel box for painting plein air. It is not required if you're just trying plein air for the first time, but you'll want to get one if you get hooked and you're headed outdoors frequently. I recommend the Heilman Pastel Box and a bungee cord for hooking the box to the french easel.

The same Wallis paper I recommend for the studio class is also great for plein air work, but you probably want to work smaller when starting out in plein air. 9x12 is a good size. You can cut the 12x18 down into 9x12 sizes very easily with an exacto knife. You might find you like working even smaller as it lets you complete each piece more quickly which is important since the light is changing constantly.

Wide-brim hat - for shade and to reduce glare from direct sunlight. It is helpful if the inside of the hat is a dark material - this reduces the glare from reflected light.

Sun block

Bug repellent

Drinking water (stay hydrated!)

Camping chair or stool (optional - I personally stand when painting)

Umbrella (optional). I like the Shadebuddy by Guerrilla Painter because it is free standing and can be stacked into the ground.

Lunch (if it’s an all-day workshop)

Paints

Limited Palette:

Cadmium Lemon Yellow
Rose Violet (pigment - PR122)
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White

Extended Palette:

Cadmium Yellow Medium
Cadmium Red Light

The limited palette is a great place to start, and are my workhorse colors. I supplement with my extended palette, but if you're just getting started stick with just these colors.

I use Holbein duo paints. These are water mixable, but I don't paint with water. They work just like regular oils, but the water mixabiilty eases cleanup. You can use any artist quality oil paints.

Other good brands are WINSOR & NEWTON, GAMBLIN, UTREHT, or SENNELIER.

Supports

Canvas, Linen or gessoed panels. Bring small (8x10 or 9x12) sizes, at least 2 per day.

Brushes

An assortment of good quality brushes. Hog hair bristle or bristle-like synthetic. I like Silver Bristlon bright synthetic brushes.

No soft watercolor brushes or sable. Avoid worn out old brushes. It is best to have large sharp flats or brights that hold a nice point.

Palette

You need a large flat surface for mixing paint. Timon mixes in his Easy-L pochade box.

Solvent

A large container of the finest artist grade ODORLESS PAINT THINNER. I highly recommend Gamblin's Gamsol.

I also use an Liquin (Winsor Newton) or Gamblin GALKYD LITE.

Easel

For plein air work, you need an outdoor working easel. A french easel, Open Box M or Easy-L are all good choices.