Brushes are where quality matters, but they’re pricey, so they’re where most artists flinch. Start by encouraging your artist to take care of the ones he or she has. Oil and acrylic painters need Rowan Branch Brush Soap. My daughter Mary makes it for me, and I’ve used it for several years with great results. (Watercolor brushes don’t need or want brush soap.)
Watercolor brushes
My current watercolor brush love is the 3/8” Silver Brush Limited 3/8” Black Velvet Dagger Striper Paintbrush. Its full belly means it carries a lot of paint, while its fine point means you can slip from fat to fine in the same brushstrokes. I have a collection of very expensive watercolor brushes but the ones I continually grab are Princeton Neptunes. This nifty travel kit would make any watercolor painter happy.
Oil and acrylic brushes
I’m a fan of hog bristle brushes for oils and acrylics but I borrowed a Rosemary & Co. Evergreen from Olena Babak. It was enough to make me get a few for when control is more important than heft.
But for most alla prima painting I like muscular hog-bristle brushes. Isabey is a French company that makes very nice interlocking bristle brushes that stand up to hard use without splaying. Here’s a #8 bright, #6 flat, #8 filbert and #8 round that will give more mileage than three times the number of lesser brushes.
It’s easy to wipe out tiny brushes, so I have a few of these Princeton 9650 size 2 around for when I need to sign my name or paint a squiggle.
Eric Jacobsen, that incomparable mark-maker, got me a Princeton Catalyst W-06 wedge, and it’s become an indispensable part of my kit. Last month I noticed Krystal Brown using the same wedge for mark-making. You can’t be precise, so it’s a great tool for loosening up your brushwork. In fact, the whole series of these wedges are fun. They’re meant for any heavy-body paints, and they’d be especially appreciated by any encaustic painter on your list.
Gouache and other colorful things
Many painters are interested in experimenting with gouache, and for good reason—its results are completely on-trend. Schmincke Horadam is a fabulous, high-pigment brand. M. Graham has a primary-color starter set that’s about half the price and nearly as luscious.
A great combo for mixed media experimentation is oil paint and oil pastels. Sennelier’s 24 color starter kit is a great introduction.
Similarly, you can add chalk pastels to watercolor or acrylic paintings. My preferred soft pastel is Unison. I love NuPastel hard pastels for both underdrawing and blending instead of with a stump. For just plain fun, try these Caran d’Ache Classic Neocolor II Aquarelle watercolor crayons.
Easels: the good, the bad, and the ugly
If your painter struggles with a knock-off Gloucester-style easel, you can make him or her ecstatic by buying the Take-It Easel, which costs twice as much and is worth every penny. After breaking one of the cheap ones and then buying a second one that arrived warped, I shelled out for the real thing. I’m glad I did.
As a teacher, I see a lot of pochade boxes and easels, and can steer you away from the bad ones as well as recommend good ones. I’ve had a version of the Mabef Field Painting Easel for decades and recommend it highly as a good starter tool for plein air. It has a swing head so can be used for oils and watercolor. The Leder Easel is simple, effective and light-weight, and the more I use it, the more I like it for all media. Tell Ed I sent you and he’ll give you 10% off (and, no, I don’t get a spiff for that).
I use an EasyL Pro on a carbon-fiber Manfrotto tripod with a ball head. It is very lightweight and has survived incredible abuse (including saltwater), but it’s not a cheap combination.
For studio work, I swear by the Stanrite #700 Professional Studio Easel. I use its little brother, the Testrite #500, for students. The difference between the two models is in the maximum size canvas they’ll accept. They’re aluminum so they don’t warp or crack. I’ve had them for decades. The only maintenance I’ve ever done was replace parts that wandered off.
Miscellany
The danger of “park and paint” plein air is other drivers. One of the nicest gifts I ever received was a pair of safety cones. This set of collapsible ones is more practical: they’re reflective, come with LED lights, and will fit easily in a car trunk.
I have an Artwork Essentials umbrella, but I also like the Shade Buddy, which won’t pull your pochade box over in heavy wind.
I have more than one taboret cabinet but my current favorite is this simple six drawer rolling cart. Mine sits under my teaching desk and holds all the art supplies I might need while teaching. Watch for discounts; I got mine on a Woot daily deal.
If your artist is starting to frame and sell work, the Fletcher FrameMaster point driver will save him or her a world of aggravation. Mine is decades old and still works fine.
Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:
- Canyon Color for the Painter | Sedona, AZ, March 9-13, 2026
- Advanced Plein Air Painting | Rockport, ME, July 13-17, 2026
- Sea & Sky | Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
- Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air | Berkshires, MA, August 10-14, 2026
- New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
- New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
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