My workspace, the studio north side.
The studio, south side. If at all possible, it is important to have some sort of workspace dedicated to painting. It could be as simple as a corner of a room. There, you can start (or continue) to work on your art without dragging a lot of stuff out and storing it all when you’re done. My last two homes had a dedicated studio, and I have worked out the perfect space for me to create my art.
When we purchased our present condo, we were able to design and rearrange the standard layout of rooms to include my studio as the focal point of the home. From front entrance, you step directly into my studio. This room was originally supposed to be the living room. The room is 16 X 23 feet, and has a vaulted ceiling 13 feet high. I had the walls covered with 1/2 inch plywood before the sheet rock was installed. This provides an excellent surface for hanging pictures. Everywhere you place a picture hanger, you have solid nailing, even all the way to the ceiling.
There are four recessed ceiling lights, and the ceiling is wired for track lighting. The ceiling fan has a four-bulb light, and provides another source of lighting for evening painting. The ceiling is white and walls are light grey. The north wall has a large bay window that lets in wonderful north light. The south side has a standard sash window.
The floors are oak, and we have a couple of throw rugs on it. The studio doubles as a multi-purpose area for exercise equipment, a computer work station, a television, and bookshelves for my reference collection. From the studio, you walk through an eight foot opening to a large open area with a dining room, kitchen and living room.
The equipment and furniture in the studio is all movable, either on rollers or felt pads. From the left, there is a Sears Craftsman tool cabinet with a four drawer bottom unit, and nine drawer top unit. This stores all my paints, brushes, and shipbuilding tools and equipment. If you use this type of unit, be sure to grind down the ridge on the rubber wheels from the wheel casting process. The ridge down the center of the tire will damage your flooring. The cabinet is heavy enough even when empty to mar the flooring. Sometimes I have to learn a lesson the hard way!
The easel is a solidly built unit and is fully adjustable. You need a high space for this kind of easel, as the center track moves up when you lift the tray to a high working position. It can hold a very large canvas, has a tray, and the whole thing can collapse for storage or transport. I placed ¾ inch felt pads on the feet, and it easily slides around the hardwood floor. I found it best to drape an old, folded flannel sheet with spring clips at the tray level. This keeps a large rag handy to clean and wipe brushes so I don’t need to reach over to the work table. I can slip the plastic food tray I use as as palette into the slot in the wood tray.
Attached to the wood tray is a removable plastic tray that holds a jar of water. I hang my painting apron and small stick on the back of the easel. The stick has a wad of cloth tied around it and is used for a hand rest when held against the painting. The wad of cloth protects the surface. Between these first two items is a large portfolio. This is a must-have to protect your smaller work while transporting it off-site. I use this to transport a lot of blank panels, paper pads, etc. the weekly class I teach at the local Senior Center.
The work table is made up of four kitchen cabinet top units, each measuring 18 X 12 X 30 inches, and have adjustable shelves. They are screwed together as a single unit, and a set of hard rubber swivel casters (don’t forget to grind off the wheel ridge) are screwed to a frame around the bottom of the cabinet. The work table is an old Formica table top, 48 X 30 inches, fastened to the cabinets. I attached a power strip with an eight-foot cord to the left side of the cabinets. There is a roll of paper towels and a mini-vacuum attached to the right side, and I hang a hair dryer on a hook on the front. The four cabinets provide a lot of storage.
The work table has an extension I can add to the back top of the cabinet doors to increase the tabletop depth by another 12 inches. This is all topped off with a small Halogen desk lamp. I added a good stool with a back rest to complete the furniture. All of this can be easily shifted around to position the painting in the best light, day or night. This wonderful space contributes a large part to the whole painting and creative experience.
Palettes
Top row from the left: a 10 X 14 styrene palette, a Styrofoam food tray and plate, another styrene pallet with a years worth of dried paint leavings.
Bottom row: a 12 X 16 tempered glass palette. I applied three coats of gesso to the back of the glass then cut a piece of foam-core and attached it to the back of the glass with blue painters tape. The white paint on the back of the glass is better for seeing your color mixes than on the blue plastic food trays. You could skip the gesso and just use the white of the foam core too. I cut a second piece of foam-core and made a cover with a tape hinge to protect the glass during transport and storage. When the paint dries, you can wet it with the spray bottle and scrape it off with the single edge razor blade. This palette is also useful for rolling out the gesso during the preparation of your painting surface. I usually work with this palette when painting with the work flat on the table or, with the painting in the easel and the palette close by on the top of the work table.
Next is a cheap, plastic food tray with four shallow compartments. This fits right into the slot on the easel tray and is easy to clean. I can only fine these around the Fourth of July in the picnic section of Wal-Mart. Buy two and you can put the second tray face down on the first and use binder clips on the edges to keep the paint wet for a few days. I wish I had bought more! The plastic is very slippery and cleans up well after the paint dries, with warm soap and water.In the middle of these is the ever present misting bottle with a water/soap mix.
My standard kit of tools for painting sessions:
This is the standard setup of tools I use for all of my paintings. It’s simple and cheap and has worked very well for years without significant changes.
You should have a couple of pickle jars with cold tap water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid soap in each. Use one for cleaning brushes only and the other for dipping the brush into for mixing with the paint. Refresh the second one frequently if the water gets murky. It will help keep your colors bright.
I use a Shur-Line 3” short nap roller to gesso all of my panels and canvas with a minimum of three coats of gesso. Ace Hardware carries a similar model that works well. Allow each coat to dry completely. For more information on this process, look in Surface Preparation, Canvas and Surface Preparation, Masonite for additional tips. These come with foam rollers too, but I haven’t tried those yet.
I use a 120 grit sandpaper to sand the gesso and occasionally, the paint between applications.
An 8 ounce and 2 ounce spray bottle. The 8 ounce has an adjustable spray and is great for flooding the surface when laying in washes. The 2 ounce bottle is perfect for lightly misting the surface of the canvas or keeping the paint on your palette from drying out. Each should have a few drops of liquid dish washing soap in the water. Wal-Mart carries both in the travel cosmetic section.
A piece or two of natural sponge. These are good for washes, spills and adding texture to your work.
A single edge razor blade with a plastic holder is perfect for scraping down layers of paint on Masonite. You can get these at Home depot for a buck. It doesn’t work so well on canvas and will ruin it if too much pressure is used. Better to use sandpaper on canvas.
Any palette knife will do well for cleaning your palette. I use this then the single edge razor blade to clean off the glass palette.
For most paintings I use a Grumbacher, Golden Edge 1 inch brush to lay in background washes and to apply thinned, clear flat acrylic medium to a finished painting. A Loew-Cornell, Comfort, Ultra Round # 8 or # 6 brush for almost all of the painting and, occasionally a Grumbacher Golden Edge #4 (4623) brush for fine feather work and other details. Don’t go broke buying all sorts of brushes. Try a few decent brushes and settle on those that work well for you. Keep them wet all the time you are using them and clean them thoroughly at the end of each session. I’ve been using some of the same Grumbacher brushes for years.
And last is the palette. This photo shows a piece of 12” X 15” tempered window pane that has two coats of gesso rolled on the back. I cut a piece of foam core the size of the glass and used blue painter’s tape around the glass and foam core for a backing. I even made hinged foam core cover to flip over on it for safe storage. The white gesso on the back of the glass helps when mixing colors. I use this for rolling out the gesso on raw panels and canvas and when working at the flat workbench.
When working at the easel, I use a cheap, plastic food tray with four shallow compartments. This fits right into the slot on the easel tray and is easy to clean. I can only fine these around the Fourth of July in the picnic section of Wal-Mart. Buy two and you can put the second tray face down on the first and use binder clips on the edges to keep the paint wet for a few days. I wish I had bought more! The plastic is very slippery and cleans up well after the paint dries, with warm soap and water.
