Tempera & Acrylic Materials List

In lieu of a textbook for this course, we have provided a list of materials for you to obtain in order to complete your hands-on assignments. Some of these materials you may already own or may be able to obtain from your school. Others you may need to purchase or order. Below you will see three lists: Required, Found Objects, and Optional. Some harder-to-find materials are linked to supply stores in this handout to help you as you acquire supplies. Please note: Any links are included for your convenience only. Feel free to order or purchase supplies anywhere you wish. 

We strongly recommend that you read the entire syllabus and look through the materials lists early on in the class to ensure you have everything you need for each of the weekly assignments! 

Required Materials

The following materials are required for this course. Many of these items will be used multiple times throughout the course as well. 

  • Tempera Paint in a variety of colors (either liquid or tempera cakes)
  • Drawing Paper (80 lb. or heavier)
  • Painting surfaces (At least two different surfaces of your choice: pre-gessoed canvas, canvas boards, canvas paper, or unprimed canvas and gesso, 8 x 10 or larger.)
  • Variety of brushes and sizes. (We suggest small and large filberts, flats, and rounds, a script or liner brush, a fan brush. Synthetic bristles work best with acrylic. Softer brushes are great for washes while those that are stiff get into the canvas texture better.)
  • Palette knife
  • Palette (purchased or disposable)
  • Acrylic paints including heavy body and fluid (The primary colors, black, and white are required. Additional colors are optional.)
  • Acrylic mediums (Two or more of your choice. This handout explains the different options for acrylic gels and mediums.)

Golden A-Z Acrylic Sets are a nice starter option and contain a variety of both acrylic paints and mediums to experiment with.

Found Objects

This list includes materials that you may need to use throughout the duration of the course. These materials might be found in your home, school, or at a local hardware or craft store.

  • Water container
  • Paper towels or rags
  • Placemat

Optional Materials

This list includes materials that you may want to consider depending upon the assignment path and unique projects you choose to complete.

  • Stencil or scrubber brush
  • Easel
  • Mixed media items – paper, markers, stamps, and inks, etc.
  • Texture Tools (plastic forks, texture scrapers, sponges, foam texture brushes/rollers)
  • Q-Tips
  • Pipettes