Woodstock Plein Air 

Essential Plein Air Workshop Materials 2025

Oil Paint


Professional grade oil paint. Suggested brands include Utrecht, Gamblin, Winsor Newton, etc

Based on a cool and warm version for each of the primary colors
Cadmium Lemon Yellow
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Scarlet( Winsor Newton)
Yellow Ochre
Alizarin Crimson (Utrecht)
Ultramarine Blue
Cerulean Blue (Van Gogh)
Manganese Violet( Utrecht)
Viridian
Raw Umber
Titanium White

Oil Paint Medium:

Gamblin Galkyd Medium Lite
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/gamblin-galkyd-mediums

Brushes:

Oil Painting Brushes: Assortment of Hog Bristle or Synthetic brushes for painting in oils .
I prefer the resilient and soft Evergreen synthetic filbert brushes for oil made by Rosemary &Co. I’ve always used natural bristle filberts and they inevitably dry out and stiffen. Not these brushes. Be sure to clean them with the Weber Natural Turpenoid Citrus Cleaner and they will last forever.


(4) Filberts 2,4,6,8
(2) Fans 4,6
(3) Pointed rounds 1,3,5
(2) Hog Bristle Large Flat 30-50mm

Paint Surfaces:
Panels, Stretched Canvases, and Canvas Pad Sheets and Paper at conveniently transportable sizes are recommended for painting Plein Air painting.
Panels:
Linen or Cotton Canvas glued to MDF hardboard is the standard support for oil painting . It is recommended to use linen or canvas that is oil primed

Acrylic primed canvas panels which are readily available and inexpensive, will suffice but depending on manufacturer can be very absorbent and as such can limit the ability to paint transparently. Suggested oil primed and acrylic primed boards include:

Centurion OP Professional Oil Primed Archival Linen Panels
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/centurion-deluxe-oil-primed-linen-panels

Centurion LX Acrylic Primed Linen Panels
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/centurion-all-media-primed-linen-panels

Suggested sizes for beginners/intermediate include:

8” x 10”
9” x 12”
11” x 14”
12” x 16”


Stretched Canvas:

Stretched Canvas, both Linen and Canvas are traditional Oil Painting Surfaces that are readily available from all Art Supply Shops. Linen is more durable and resistant to creasing than Cotton. Cotton can deteriorate over the years and will become brittle with age. Sizes are up to the artist. For one sesion paintings, try to select sizes that can be finished in about two hours. This depends on one’s facility and experience. Suggested sizes for beginners/intermediate include:
8” x 10”
9” x 12”
11” x 14”
12” x 16”
Recommended

Centurion (OP DLX) Deluxe Professional Oil Primed Linen Stretched Canvas
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/centurion-deluxe-oil-primed-linen-canvas

Centurion DLX Acrylic Primed Linen Stretched Canvas 1-1/2″ Deep
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/centurion-artist-quality-linen-canvas-1-1-2-inch-boxes-of-three


Solvents and Cleaners:
Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/gamblin-gamsol-odorless-mineral-spirits

Turpenoid Natural Cleaner
: Citrus cleaner solvent for brush clean up only..
https://www.jerrysartarama.com/weber-turpenoid-and-turpenoid-natural
Especially good at cleaning brushes with dried on paint.


Easels:
Outdoor painting easels for Plein Air


Painting and Palette Knives:
Steel painting and palette knives are indispensable for the Plein Air painter.

Palette knives are used for cleaning the palette primarily and painting knives are used for painting- applying the paint to the surface.
Suggested Knives are:

Blick Palette Knives by RGM

Blick Painting Knife – Medium Trowel, 31
https://www.dickblick.com/items/blick-painting-knife-1-18-x-2-38-traditional-style-31-/

Kemper wipe out tool
https://www.dickblick.com/products/kemper-wipe-out-tool/

Razor blade paint scraper. Retractable

Palette:
Glass to fit paintbox painted on one side with grey primer
Disposable grey paper palette block