Studio Essentials
With 10 years of running workshops and working closely with both our teachers and students, I’ve developed a strong understanding of what helps a studio run smoothly and efficiently.
This collection brings together the studio essentials our students ask for time and time again - practical, reliable tools and supplies chosen with artists in mind.
I’m always discovering new favourites and adding to the collection, so be sure to check back regularly for new studio essentials.
Brush Cleaners & Soaps
Cleans and maintains the performance of your brushes
Rejuvenates old brushes
Removes dried-on oil and acrylic paint
Biodegradable formula
Non-flammable, non-toxic, no fumes
Introducing Master's Kiss Off Stain Remover – the ultimate solution for all your stain woes! Just add water and watch it effortlessly eliminate wet and dry paints, grease, makeup, blood, lipstick, coffee, red wine, grass stains, pet stains, and more from clothing, quilts, fabric, rubber stamps, autos, upholstery, shoes, sports gear, carpets, furniture, whiteboards, and many more!
Conforms to ASTM D4236
Made in USA.
Gamsol is the safest solvent that allows oil painters to utilise all traditional painting techniques without compromise.
Primary Uses for Gamsol:
Thinning oil colours. A little goes a long way; stiff oil colours relax immediately when a little Gamsol is added. Be careful not to thin oil colours too much with solvent alone, this can compromise the ability of the paint to form a paint film.
Modifying painting mediums. Gamblin's Galkyd line of painting mediums is formulated with Gamsol, so they readily accept Gamsol as a thinning agent. Note: Gamsol should not be added to painting mediums made with natural resins (dammar, copal, mastic). They require strong solvents such as turpentine.
Studio clean up: brushes, palettes, palette knives, etc.
How does Gamsol achieve this level of performance and safety? Most solvents available to artists come from the industrial paint industry where solvent power and cheapness is prized. Gamsol is special: it is made for products and processes that come into more intimate contact with the body such as cosmetics, hand cleaners, and cleaning food service equipment.
Gamsol is a petroleum distillate but all the aromatic solvents have been refined out of it, less than .005% remains. Aromatic solvents are the most harmful types of petroleum solvents.
These facts are detailed in the MSDS for Gamsol, this document shows that it has an Exposure Limit Value higher than most solvents available to artists.
All of these factors have lead to Gamsol being used widely in oil painting classrooms; in those classes there are no solvent odours, only the wonderful smell of oil colours.
Crafted from all natural ingredients, this soap for brushes and hands has a pleasant lavender scent.
All Natural and handmade
Cleans brushes completely, ensuring you have longer lasting brushes that perform well after many uses
Ⓥ VEGAN – PLANT BASED – SOLVENT FREE.
MM0 Miracle Medium is a solvent-free, odourless, vegan, and plant-based Medium that serves as an alternative to traditional turpentine. This medium offers artists a natural and sustainable option for thinning oil paints, cleaning brushes, and glazing (see our MM2 Quick Dry Dammar Varnish Miracle Medium) without the use of harsh chemicals or toxic fumes. CAN EXTEND DRYING TIME. ADD 5-10% TO OIL COLOUR AS NEEDED.
Oil paint artists use MM0 Miracle Medium in several ways:
Artists may dip their brush in MM0 Miracle Medium before applying it to the paint to achieve the desired consistency.
Clean brushes: MM0 Miracle Medium can be used to clean oil paint brushes. After painting, artists may rinse their brushes in MM0 Miracle Medium to remove excess paint and then wash the brushes with soap and water
Ingredients:
Miracle Medium.
Available in 100ml and 250ml
B&J® Original Formula “The Masters”® Artist Hand Soap cleans gently cleans hands of oil and acrylic paint, stains, grease, inks, and more. Keeps hands soft with a refreshing spearmint scent. “The Masters”® Hand Soap is specially formulated to remove petroleum-based paint or materials without harsh and messy thinners. It removes dried-on paint with just water. It's non-abrasive, and leaves hands soft. Use it in the art room and for other dirty tasks around the house. “The Masters”® conditions as it cleans and contains no lanolin.
This environmentally safe soap comes in a 4.5 oz (127 g) bar. Available in 2 sizes: 1.5 oz, 4.5 oz
Brushes, whether they are natural or synthetic hair, need some essential steps for their care. And not only to extend their useful life but also to secure brushes as an optimal tool capable of maintaining the shape. Only a well-preserved brush will allow high quality art work.
1. Cleaning
After every use, the best thing is to clean up every brush that has been used. Start by rinsing the brush in a glass with water and then applying some soap to remove the paint until the foam is colorless. Rub the brush against your hand to remove the soap foam and rinse it again.
2. Conditioning
When the brush is clean it is time to condition it. You can do this by applying some extra virgin olive oil, and putting the hair in the original position to ensure the maintenance of the form. Having hydrated and pointy tip hair will allow you more precision in your work. With the cream soap and conditioner you can clean and condition your brushes all at once because of the traditional elaboration with potassium soap and vegetable oils that do not contain perfumes, colorants, or bleach.
3. Drying
When you have your clean and conditioned brushes it is the moment to dry them. Grab a towel or paper to remove the humidity in the hair and let them air dry horizontally.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Don't leave the brushes with paint because you risk the paint drying on them which will be very hard to remove and get back to the original form.
- Don't leave the brushes immersed in water with the hair crushed in the background because they will lose shape. Also, avoid wetting the crimp and the handle because getting water can cause them to be ruined.
Keep your brushes looking like new with this specially formulated brush cleaner and preserver. It's made for removing today's paints, including oil, acrylic, and watercolor. It even restores hard oil paint brushes, all with no thinners or harsh chemicals just use it with water! This package contains 21/2 ounce tubs of cleaner. Conforms to ASTM D 4236. Made in USA.
Practical things you’ll love…
The Paint Saver™ - designed to help you make most of every precious drop of paint.
Available either 100% Stainless Steel, or with the plastic casing - both options have been tried and tested on many of our students this year! They are perfect for oil, acrylic or watercolour tubes.
A studio essential for every serious artist, trust us!
The Brush Butler™ is a sleek, sturdy and practical studio essential.
Crafted for durability and ease, this clever clip keeps your paintbrushes secure within reach, where you’re working at the easel or en Plein Air.
Grey samples allow for better and more accurate readings and also provide ample area for testing colour samples.
4" x 6" (10.2 x 15.2 cm).
The Colour Wheel in a compact, convenient size!
Diameter 5-1/8“ (13.0 cm).
Clean oil or acrylic paint off your POSH® Glass Palette with a metal safety scraper.
Comes with 10 blades.
Retractable blade to protect blade during storage
Heavy duty metal frame makes sure your blade is sturdy and secure for safe, reliable use
Rust resistant coating allows for premium performance during extended periods of heavy usage
Fits all standard size razor blades
For use with glass palettes only
Compact practical tool
Great for planning compositions
Neutral grey finish for ascertaining true colour
Can be oriented horizontally or vertically
Adjustable aperture
This wooden two-piece mahl stick is designed to act as a rest or support, helping to steady the hand or brush during detailed and precision work. It provides reliable control for artists working on fine or exacting passages.
The ball end is covered in leather to minimise the risk of marking or damaging the canvas, offering a soft, secure point of contact while working.
Details:
Total length: 84 cm (87 cm including the ball)
Top section length: 45.5 cm
Two-piece wooden construction
Cork ball end covered with chamois leather
A practical and dependable studio tool for controlled, accurate painting.
Compact, comfortable and conversational, the Expressionist Confidant palette is perfect for artists who desire a small "go to" palette in their studio or for working en plein air. The New Wave unique three point design distributes the palette weight between the hand, rear forearm, and torso providing maximum balance and comfort. This significantly reduces stress on muscles and tendons in the hand, wrist, arm and shoulder.
This open palette design features an open hand grasp to hold brushes or a mahlstick, and a lower quadrant that can be used for additional mixing, or to hold your medium palette cup and/or paint cloth. The surface area has ample room for colour, and is ideal for finishing or detail work because the design will allow you to work extremely close to your canvas.
Little things that help…
Excellent for painting and mixing, RGM's high-quality palette knives offer functionality and versatility in a range of 42 shapes.
Material: Tempered Stainless Steel
Shape: No. 1
Handle Length: 100mm
Blade Length: 32mm
Ⓥ VEGAN
When mixed with oil paint, Michael Harding’s linseed oil increases the gloss and transparency of the paint, thins the paint for easier flow, and reduces visible brush marks. It also slows the drying time of the paint. However, using too much can cause yellowing due to the natural color of the oil and can lead to defects like wrinkling if layers are applied too thickly.
Alkali Refined Pale Linseed Oil, a pale oil extracted from flax seeds, is used in many of Michael Harding’s paints. This oil ensures a strong paint film during drying, contributing to the longevity of each painting. It is also suitable for use with dry ground pigments.
Please note: Soft materials soaked in linseed oil should be stored in sealed containers to prevent oxidation, which can generate heat and potentially cause spontaneous combustion. Ensure the container is securely closed and stored in a cool place. Brushes and tools used with linseed oil should be cleaned with white spirit.
Michael Harding’s Refined Linseed Oil is crafted from the finest materials. Michael Harding continually develops, tests, and releases new artist supplies, maintaining a commitment to sourcing the highest quality materials. Using Michael Harding products means working with materials that meet the standards of the Old Masters, combined with modern innovation.
Each package contains:
2 x H (5mm)
2 x HB (5mm)
2 x B (5mm)
2 x B+ (6mm)
H - Hard, perfect for fine lines and detail
HB - Medium, for drawing and sketching
B - Soft, for dark notes and shading
B+ - Extra Soft, for rich blacks
Save paint, time and money using the Masterson Palette Seal. The airtight container safely holds any type of paint palette between sessions and keeps paints fresh for up to weeks at a time.
Charcoal & Graphite Holder
Designed to hold Nitram Mignonette & 4mm graphite sticks
This well made, functional charcoal and graphite holder is ideal for all forms of drawing and sketching in the studio or plein aire. It’s 8” length provides greater reach and allows the artist to stand back from their work while drawing. Perfect for expressive, gestural strokes when drawing from life. Constructed from stainless steel & polycarbonate.
EACH PACKAGE CONTAINS:
• ONE (1) NITRAM BÂTON 2.0
• ONE (1) NITRAM MIGNONETTE FUSAIN
• ONE (1) NITRAM GRAPHITE 3B
The u.go® Plein Air Wet Panel Carrier provides the ultimate durability and the flexibility to transport multiple sized wet painting panels hanging from your shoulder or from your shoulder across your chest for weight distribution.
ALLA PRIMA II - Expanded Edition
Everything I Know About Painting — and More
By Richard Schmid
328 pages, 262 images

