• Good brushes, odorless turpentine or turpenoid, brush cleaner, and Viva paper towels are a few items necessary to render a good oil paining.
• Investing in artist grade oil paints will give better coverage and use less paint.
• I prefer working on a stretched canvas as opposed to a board canvas because it does not cause as much damage to your brushes over time.
• A paper palette saves clean-up time. After a painting session, transfer your unused oil paint onto a clean palette and place in a sealed container.
• Arranging your paints from light values to dark values or in the same place ever time will organize your palette.
• Having a color wheel on hand is a valuable tool for painting in any medium. I keep one on my wall in my studio for quick reference.
• It is imperative to clean your oil painting brushes after every session. However, if you are pressed for time, emerce your brushes in a heavy mineral oil, place on a porcelain plate until you can properly clean your brushes.
• If you paint from reference photos, place in a plastic sleeve to prevent damage to photographs.
• I store my oil brushes with heavy mineral oil in the bristles if I will not be using them for a long period of time.