What brand of paints do you use?

M. Graham, Jackson own brand (a UK art store), Utrecht, Michael Harding, and Richeson. Or whatever I happen to have.

What brushes do you use?

For gouache and casein: cheap synthetic brushes, some from Michaels, a couple from Rosemary & Co. Like this. Also more recently synthetics from Jacksons.

For oil paints: Rosemary & Co, Jacksons, Princeton, Robert Simmons, cheap sythetics from Michaels.

What surface do you paint on?

Ampersand Gessobord for oil, particularly in the smaller sizes. It has a nice tooth and a good amount of absorbency.

Ampersand Hardbord if I want to control the surface (e.g gesso myself or glue canvas). Fredrix ultrasmooth polycotton canvas or Centurion deluxe oil primed linen. Both are very affordable and decent. 

For gouache and casein: Ampersand Claybord, Ampersand Aquabord, or Crescent illustration boards. I also occassionally use Fredrix watercolor pads mounted to Ampersand Hardbord using an archival PVA glue by Lineco.

Which do you prefer, gouache or casein?

Whichever I’m not currently using at the time. Casein usually when the painting size is 8"x10" and over, as the tubes are far larger.

What sketchbook do you recommend for gouache?

5x8" Pentalic Aqua Journal, Strathmore mixed media toned sketchpads. 

How do you varnish / seal / protect your gouache or casein paintings?

Spectrafix spray casein sealer.
 
What is the tin you use while painting gouache from life?

An A5(6x8"ish) metal tin from Tinware Direct in the UK. They don’t ship to the US, but if you’re in europe you can order a sample of up to 10 items from their site.

What markers are you using for your value studies?

Copic sketch markers N0, N2, N4, N6, and N8 and a whiteout pen.

Which books would you recommend for learning to paint?

Alla Prima II by Richard Schmid
Color & Light by James Gurney
Imaginative Realism by James Gurney
Fill your paintings with Light and Color by Kevin Macpherson
Landscape Painting Inside & Out by Kevin Macpherson
The Landscapes by Richard Schmid (inspiration)
My Still Life Art by Richard Schmid (inspiration)
Anything by David Curtis
Anything by Trevor Chamberlain

Where did you learn to paint / how long have you been painting?

Since 2018. Self taught and have attended a Mark Boedges Workshop in 2021, and a Joe Paquet workshop in 2022. Both great experiences, highly recommend them.

Which videos would you recommend for learning to paint?

Richard Schmids’ videos.

James Gurney: YouTube channel
You can find his videos to buy here.
Peter Brown (aka Pete the Street), David Curtis, Ken Howard, etc - APV have many great videos.

Do you teach workshops / have videos?

No I don’t - I’m a full time Software Engineer working in Finance.