Not at all. While I prefer a size 8 or 10 flat for structural architectural layouts, you can easily substitute them with whatever medium-to-large flat and filbert brushes you currently have in your studio. The specific brand matters less than learning how to manage your brush edges and pressure.

Absolutely. Standard stretched cotton canvas are fantastic for quick practice sketches and value studies. I recommend upgrading to double-primed panels specifically for your finished landscape pieces because the tight weave holds onto paint layers beautifully and won’t warp when exposed to moisture during outdoor plein air sessions.

You can certainly try, but acrylics dry incredibly fast, which makes it challenging to achieve the soft, blended edges and wet-on-wet paint mixing that defines contemporary oil impressionism. If you are working exclusively in acrylics, I highly recommend mixing an acrylic “retardant medium” into your palette to slow down your drying time as much as possible.

Yes! Many of the completed oil landscapes and studio paintings highlighted throughout these guides are available for purchase. Because this blog is dedicated entirely to art education, all original physical art sales are handled securely over at my formal storefront: Carisa Mitchell Fine Art.