What to buy for a painting workshop

What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Tips

• Count one painter’s canvas, one acrylic paint set, one brush set, one palette, and one apron per participant. Add at least 10% extra paint and a few spare brushes for damaged or forgotten supplies.
• Protect every work surface with plastic table covers and keep painter’s tape available for securing edges. Buy enough covering to overlap each table by a few centimetres, because paint and rinse water rarely stay within the working area.
• Plan shared water tubs, mixing bowls, and palette knives by table rather than by person. One water tub for every two painters and one shared mixing area per table keeps participants from waiting for tools.
• Allow a drying area before you shop for packaging. Provide one drying rack space per finished painting where possible, then use packaging cardboard to separate works that must be taken home the same day.
• Do not leave refreshments and presentation equipment until the last day. For a two-hour workshop, plan two drinks per participant, plus coffee cups, drinking glasses, and plates, and test the laptop, screen, document camera, extension cords, and power strips before setup.

Frequently asked questions

What supplies do I need for a painting workshop?

For each participant, plan a canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, a palette, a pencil, an eraser, and an apron. Add shared water tubs, mixing bowls, palette knives, table covers, labels, drying space, and packaging materials.

How many canvases should I buy for a painting workshop?

Buy one canvas per registered participant, plus 10% extra. For 20 participants, that means 22 canvases, so a damaged canvas or late addition does not stop the workshop.

How much paint and how many brushes do I need per person?

Use one acrylic paint set and one brush set per participant, with at least two spare sets for every 20 painters. Shared palettes or mixing bowls should be available at each work table rather than passed around the room.

When should I buy painting workshop supplies?

Order specialist art supplies at least one week before the workshop and complete the main shopping three to five days beforehand. Check the inventory again the day before, including refreshments, table covers, labels, and equipment cables.