Don't start painting until everything is within arm's reach. Once your hands have paint on them, you don't want to be searching for a brush or a rag. Treat this like surgery prep — everything laid out, clean, ready. Check off each item below as you gather it.
Basquiat's primary medium. Oil sticks are solid tubes of oil paint — like giant crayons made of real oil pigment. You draw with them directly. No brush needed. Get at least: White, Black, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Ultramarine Blue, Flesh (if available), Burnt Umber.
For flat background washes applied with house brushes. Basquiat used cheap acrylic for backgrounds. The oil sticks go on top.
For gestural marks, crossing out, and raw graffiti energy. Basquiat came from the street art world. The spray can is part of the vocabulary.
Seriously. Basquiat drew with oil sticks held like crayons and smeared with his fingers. No precision tools. No delicate brushes. Your hands are the primary tools.
For background acrylic washes. A cheap hardware store brush. Not an art brush. The rougher the better. Like painting a fence.
For text, annotations, words, scribbled notes. Basquiat covered his paintings with words. Names. Lists. Crossed-out phrases. The text IS part of the painting.
Basquiat painted BIG. On canvas, on doors, on window frames, on wood panels. The bigger the surface, the better. The surface should feel raw — not precious. You should not be afraid to attack it.
Not optional. Basquiat painted with music playing constantly. Charlie Parker. Dizzy Gillespie. Early hip hop. The rhythm enters the marks. Put your phone on a speaker. Turn it up.
Have a book, a dictionary, an anatomy textbook nearby. Basquiat referenced text constantly — body part names, historical figures, jazz musicians, prices, lists. The words are as important as the images.
Upload your photo. Click Basquiat. Raw expressive marks, skull-like simplification, bold primary colour. Use as energy reference, not a copying guide.
A4 PDF with your ticks. Save it, share it, or print it.
Easel or table? An easel is ideal — it keeps the canvas at eye level and lets you step back easily. But a table works fine if you prop the canvas at a slight angle.
Lighting is critical for Caravaggio. You need whatever. Basquiat did not have a lighting setup. He painted on the floor, on the wall, on doors. Put the surface where it feels right and work in whatever light exists — a desk lamp, clamp light, or single window with all other curtains closed. Turn the music up. Basquiat painted with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and hip hop playing loud. The energy of the room matters more than the lighting. You are recreating Basquiat's actual studio: music playing loud — jazz, hip hop, whatever feeds your energy. If you can see a energy in the room — the music, the vibe, that matters more than perfect studio light, you have the right setup.
How to hold your brush. Not squeezed tight like a pen. Grip it in the middle of the handle — like holding a conductor's baton. For bold strokes, move your whole arm from the shoulder. Your wrist does detail work. Your shoulder does confidence. If your hand cramps, you are gripping too hard. Relax. The brush does the work, not your muscles.
Lighting. Natural daylight from a window is best. If painting at night, use a daylight-balanced bulb (5000-6500K) positioned to your left. Never paint under warm yellow tungsten light — it shifts all your colour decisions warm, and the painting looks wrong in daylight.
Your device. Place your phone or tablet where you can see the VOLUX reference. Prop it 30-60cm from your painting spot, screen facing you.
Choose only one master — Nature.
Attributed to Rembrandt van RijnEach step expands when you tap it. Take as long as you need, and move on only when you're satisfied with your work.