Acrylic Painting: Painting an Ocean Sunset

Supplies needed for the class:

#1. Paint:  Acrylic paint in a variety of colors. You can purchase acrylic craft paint from your local craft store, such as Plaid or Americana. For a more expensive option, there is Liquitex or Windsor Newton. I recommend the following colors: white, black, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, purple, pink, brown.
#2. Paintbrushes: You will need a few different brushes. A large flat brush for large areas, such as backgrounds. A few smaller flat brushes (we use those for the majority of the painting). A medium and a small round tip brush for the final details. For most of my paintings I find that these brushes are enough: # 12 Flat, # 8 Flat, # 12 Round, # 8 Round, # 2 Round, and a flat brush that measures anywhere between 2 to 4 inches wide. 
#3. Canvas: Canvas board or stretch canvas work well. Sizes between 9 by 12 inches, and 11 by 14 inches will work well. 
#4. Palette: No need to buy a fancy pallet. A paper plate, or a recycled plastic container will work well. 
#5. Cup with water to wash brushes in, an old towel, or paper towels to wipe the brush with. 

Don't forget to wear appropriate clothing for painting! 

Dear parents, 
Please go over the supply list. The most important thing is proper brushes! Without a correct set of brushes, the learner might find the experience of painting with acrylics less enjoyable. It is VERY IMPORTANT that they have a large flat brush for the background, a few medium to small brushes, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY A TINY ROUND BRUSH FOR ALL THE DETAILS. The tiny brush can be size 0, 1 or 2. 
These paintings are MINI, so a canvas size 5 by 7, 6 by 8 or 8 by 10 maximum. What I normally get is a large canvas pad (16 by 20) from a local craft store, then I cut the sheets in quarters. If you are using canvas sheets instead of regular canvas, I recommend taping the edges with masking tape. 
For this class, the right supplies will make all the difference!