Tools of the Trade

What Tools of the Trade do I use in oil painting? So many thoughts here to share! But before I continue, here’s a warm welcome to new and returning readers. Each year, I select a theme for my paintings. This year’s theme is “Time and Attention.” Here’s last week’s blog post where I share details about this theme.

Which Tools

There are so many tools we use in oil painting. As I set up the objects in this painting, I realized the need to pare back to the essentials. Also, I admit that I excluded some tools even after I started painting. For instance, I have this cool metal tool … pretty sure it’s just called a paint tube squeezer. It’s about the size of my hand. And, I use it everyday. Why? Because it helps you squeeze out just about every little last bit of paint from a tube. But I just could not figure out a way to incorporate it into this painting. It may be so mighty that it needs its very own painting?

And, I do wear those blue gloves to protect my skin. But I took them out of the painting. They just dominated the composition. So, out they went. Then how about my painting apron? It’s black. I got it ages ago when I ran away from day job world to Penland School of Crafts. I love that apron! But, like the metal paint tube squeezer, it had to go.

Tool Inspiration

Recently, I was in a class where I saw a student’s painting of painter’s tapes in all different colors, clothes pins, etc. Actually, it was a painting of what you might find in that “leftover drawer” in your kitchen. It was gorgeous. And, the teacher in this class was also painting really mundane stuff, too. But her still life paintings of ‘stuff’ were luminous, layered and gorgeous.

These paintings inspired me! Combine this inspiration with this year’s theme of Time and Attention and voila, I am off to paint.

My Tools of the Trade

So here’s a 9×12 inch oil painting of tools I use in this alluring and amazing oil painting trade.

It’s for sale for $350 + shipping + taxes. See the Paypal link here to make this your very own.

Here’s what I love about this painting. I love that it includes red, yellow, blue and white paint tubes. After all, that’s a snap shot of the colors I’m using this year, right? I also love that I included artist tape in this painting. Why? First, it’s a painting challenge. Second, it helps to use it to mark off canvas paper for color sketches.

Speaking of color sketches, here’s one of the color sketches I did for this painting. If runners do wind sprints to improve their running pace, painters do timed color sketches to improve paint handling and efficiency. I did four of these timed color sketches. Then I worked a little bit longer on this one. I love doing these timed color sketches but shazam my body and brain are pooped when I’m done! Whew!! Here’s a close up of the color sketch. It’s ~4×8 inches on canvas paper.

Some people love the looseness of these color sketches. So, it’s for sale, too, for $50 + shipping and taxes. Here’s a Paypal link so you can make this your very own too!

You may be wondering why there’s a small Dawn Soap bottle in the color sketch and the painting this week? I love that color blue so that’s why included it in the painting. OK, you’re right, there’s another reason. Clean up! If there’s one thing that’s important in the painting process, it’s clean up time.

Clean Up Tools

Clean up time? I know it sounds so everyday and regular, doesn’t it? But I actually have come to enjoy using time in my day to clean off the paints on my glass palette. (Thank you little razor blade that I didn’t include in this painting either. Gah!) And, I also enjoy taking time to clean my brushes with a little bit of soap. Hence the Dawn soap bottle.

And, that trusty towel in the right corner of the painting? It gets used and re-used as much as I possibly can. Waste not want not, right?

Old and New Tools

The longer I paint, the more I keep returning to reliable tools. My favorite paintbrush? Silver Grand Prix Brushes are reliable and hardworking! And, a new tool? That palette knife! I dreaded using palette knives in the past. But now, I love to mix paints with a palette knife in my right hand with my Silver Grand Prix Brush ready in my left.

The two bottles on the right are tools I use sparingly. The larger is Gamsol. I mix a smidge of it with paint in the first pass of a painting. The smaller bottle is linseed oil. I put a teenie tiny bit of it in a small metal container. I mix it with paint after the painting has several layers. I mention sparing use of each of these materials because, for the most part, I paint with whatever paint is mixed on the palette. That’s it.

One of the Most Important Tools

The last tool in this painting is a canvas panel. An empty panel represents, to me anyway, excitement, opportunity, adventure. No panel no painting, right?

It also helps to have an inquiring, analytical, intuitive mind. And, natural light but even regular light from a lamp is a beautiful thing, too. I am so grateful to be using all of these tools most days to create and problem solve in paint.

Your Tools

What about you gentle reader? What are your favorite and trusty tools in your trade? I would love to hear and hope you share in the comments below.