For Canvas I use Claessens : 13 Extra Fine Linen 210gsm. I prefer rolls to pre-stretched canvas so I can have more control over the size of the finished piece. I prime the canvas with Liquitex Professional Neutral Gray Gesso Surface Prep Medium which creates a good neutral ground; allowing for easier judgement of colours versus the natural white of the canvas. I apply around three coats on average or until I am happy with the coverage attained; sanding between each coat with 400 grit Fine Sand paper. Once the primer has been allowed to dry for at least 24 hours, I apply a thin mist of water to the back of the canvas and rub this in with my hand. This serves to pull the fibres of the canvas together creating a more taught working ground.
The colours on my palette are shown here. From left to right they comprise: Ivory Black, Prussian Blue, French Ultramarine Blue, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson Deep, Terre Vert and Titanium White. As you can they are all Windsor and Newton Artists' Quality paints. There are other paint brands out there that are of the same quality or higher that I would recommend namely Vasari Oil colours, Michael Harding paints and Old Holland Classic colours. The main difference between brands is the amount of filler used in the production process (though both Vasari and Michael Harding claim to use no filler whatsoever in their process.) The more filler the lower quality the paint and the lower the chromatic implications of the pigment. Though when it comes to portrait work such high chromas never realistically resemble the gradients of human skin tone and so inevitably have to be mixed with other paints to somewhat 'dull' the paint and bring about a closer facsimile to those tones found along the spectrum of the human form. I often supplement my palette with the following colours when necessary: Cadmium Red deep by Michael Harding, Vasari Classic Oil King's Blue Extra Pale and Flake White by Michael Harding. In truth almost all colours can be mixed with a simple palette of Titanium white, Cadmium Yellow light, Alizarin Crimson deep, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue. The reason my palette contains a fuller range is simply because it makes mixing both easier and quicker. For links to pages with more information about the aforementioned materials and recommendations on useful reading resources click here.