Chris Kolupski (www.kolupski.com)

For landscapes I premix color to match the subject before painting. I divide the scene into 6-8 zones of color and try to get the hue, value and chroma relationships correct on the palette. My medium is simply odorless mineral spirits, which I use as a dilutant during the wash-in. I work on a canvas panel toned an orange-brown mixture of burnt sienna and burnt umber. On this I first mass-in all major darks in thin paint. Then I lay on the premixed colors, usually working from background to foreground. My brushes are Trekell flats sizes 4 and 6. Trekell flats are longer than competitive brands and give the snap I need. Plus they last longer because of the extra length.

For portrait and figurative work I almost exclusively use Trekell long filberts. These are halfway between a filbert an egbert. They give perfect control and form a precise point when I need it.