Toolkit

Toolkit

To paint furniture, you need a good selection of equipment - and if you invest in quality tools, they'll stand the test of time and become treasured objects.

List of Equipment

All the items you'll need can be found in good art and hardware shops. I have also developed my own range of equipment for painting projects, based on my years of experience and knowing exactly how I need each tool to perform - these are all available from my website.

• large oval shape brushes and flat brushes
• smaller detail brushes in oval, flat and pointy shapes
• wax brushes
• wall paint brushes
• cutting-in brushes
• stencilling brushes
• range of rollers
• mixing sticks
• a nice box for storing everything
• string to create straight lines
• pencils
• craft knife
• paint tin opener
• permanent marker
• scissors
• frog tape
• masking tape
• mix mat
• talcum powder
• foam kneeling pad
• lint-free cloths
• clean-up cloths
• sketchbooks

The Bare Essentials

While I think it's important to build up a really good kit, don't be put off by thinking you need to get everything all at once to get started.

If you're just beginning your painting journey, I would suggest getting one really good natural bristle oval-shaped brush and a wax brush.

Caring for Your Brushes

Wash the brushes out with warm water and soap. Ensure all the paint is gone by waiting until the water runs clear.

Do the same for a wax brush, but just be sure to include the soap as wax is insoluble in water alone. Make sure to repeat the process several times to get rid of any dried wax.

You can even use a little hair conditioner on your brushes to keep them nice and soft.

Don't leave your brushes soaking in water - it's not very good for them. Instead, utilise the hole in the handle to hang them to dry, or lay them on their side.

Rollers and detail brushes should also be washed out really well.

Caring for Your Paint

In this course, I'll be using my own chalk paint. It's a water-based paint and it can thicken up, so once you've finished with it, make sure you put the lid back on really firmly.

If you're putting the paint away for a long time, I would recommend sealing it with tape. You could also put a tiny bit of water in to sit on top of the paint as a protective layer to prevent it from drying out.

When opening up a new tin, mix the paint with your mixing stick - get right down to the bottom to ensure it's all thoroughly mixed.