Reference

Oil Paint: There are several basic quality levels of paint which all blend into each other. For lack of a better grading system let's say A, B, C and D.

• A: Old Holland, Blockx, Schmincke, Sennelier -- Great quality, Very expensive
• B: Windsor & Newton, Utrecht -- Good quality, Expensive to Affordable
• C: Grumbacher -- Acceptable in a pinch, Affordable
• D: Winton, Georgian, Anything labeled "Student Grade" -- Avoid these at any cost!

If you're unsure of which paint to use, try a small amount of different brands. My favorite is Utrecht, not because it's the best quality but because it's the best quality for the price. Here is my palette:

• Ultramarine Blue
• Cerulean Blue Hue
• Viridian
• Yellow Ocher
• Cadmium Yellow Light
• Cadmium Red Light
• Alizarin Crimson
• Titanium White

The colors are somewhat different from brand to brand so you'll need to adjust how you mix them. Some manufacturers like Old Holland use an older naming system altogether. To introduce these colors to your palette look at a color chart or visit a store that carries them and ask to look at the actual paint. Some of the better stores will have a color chart made from actual paint.

Brushes: Brushes fall into four basic shapes: Round, Flat, Bright and Filbert. Rounds are barrel shaped with a pointed tip. They have a terrible consistency in there stroke, leaving the center thin while pushing most of the paint to the sides leaving a heavy build-up or bead. Flats are configured into a rectangular shape (the better quality Flats taper inward slightly at the tip); Brights are the same as Flats but shorter. Flats and Brights leave a good center area in the stroke but still leave a pronounced bead on the edges. Filberts are something of a hybrid of round and flat. They are flat with a rounded tip so that the beads that are produced with the other brushes are smoothed away leaving an even, brush stroke. I prefer to use Filberts, both in Bristle and Synthetic Sable. 

Utrecht makes a decent, affordable brush. Here is what I use:

• Utrecht Series 209F (Natural Bristle, Filbert): #4, #6, #8, #10, #12
• Utrecht Series 325F (Synthetic, Filbert): #8, #10, #12

Now, I know that I said Rounds leave an inconsistent stroke but I have found them to be Invaluable when working on smaller work. I use:

•  Utrecht Series 235R: #4, #6, #8. These small brushes allow for a more delicate stroke when applying the right amount of pressure.

Easels: There are many factors to consider when choosing an easel, not the least of which is cost. My suggestion is that you purchase the best quality that you can afford. In other words, don't try to save money on your easel, especially if you consider that it is a piece of equipment that you'll need to create most of your work for probably a long time. There are many other ways of saving money as an artist. Another consideration will be the size of most of your work. With easels, bigger is not always better. Finally, consider your work space. You don't want an easel that doesn't allow you to walk into your studio.

Easels fall into two basic categories, Studio and Landscape or Portable.

• Studio: Best, Santa Fe II, or any Best Easel -- There are many good studio easels on the market, just be sure that you try them out. Find a store that carries different types. Make certain that they don't wobble. Put a canvas on it and make sure that it holds it steadily.
• Landscape: Jullian, French Box Easel -- I've had mine for 30 years and it still works beautifully. I have seen many other brands and no other easel comes close. The Jullian Half Box Easel is a good alliterative. It's smaller and slightly less expensive.

Easels are big ticket items (at least they should be) so shop around. The Internet makes this a relatively easy process.