Every artist will have their own preferred brand of oil paints, based on things such as the colors available, the consistency of the paint, and price. I believe in rather buying a few tubes of artist’s colors than a whole range of cheap paints as the colors are more saturated, for starters, and you’ll get better results when mixing colors. There is little to differentiate the best artist’s oil paints other than price and availability, so I’d recommend assessing a tube of a similar color in various brands to see how you feel about each.
1. Michael Harding Oil Paints
Photo © Marion Boddy-Evans
2. Williamsburg Oil Paints
Also made by an artist, this time in the USA, and not cheap either. But again, it’s the intensity of the color you’re paying for. Range includes iridescent and interference color (full color list).
3. M Graham Oil Paints
Another small paint manufacturer in the USA created by an artist to produce high quality, traditional-style oil paints. Walnut oil is used as a binder instead of linseed oil; it’s a slow-drying oil with less tendency to yellow. It also has a lower viscosity (is more free spreading) so works well for glazing and thinner applications of paint without adding turps. (Full color list)
4. Winsor and Newton Oil Paints
A tube of Rose Madder Genuine, a W&N lake color made from rose madder root. Photo © M Boddy-Evans
5. Gamblin Oil Paints
Gamblin Artists’ Colors is an USA paint company founded by colorman Robert Gamblin that aims to produce quality paints that are safe to use. Its turps replacement or solvent, Gamsol, has a lower evaporation rate and higher flashpoint than turps, making it safer to use in the studio. A wide range of colors is available, including various grays (color list), a flake white replacement with working properties like lead white, and a chromatic black. Gamblin also produces an alkyd-based medium, Galkyd, which speeds up the drying time of oils.
6. Schmincke Mussini Oil Paints
Photo © Marion Boddy-Evans
7. Bob Ross Oil Paints
There are three categories of painters: those who’s never heard of Bob Ross and his TV program “The Joy of Painting”, those who hate him, and those who love his approach and style. If you’re in the latter category, don’t fall the marketing hype that you can’t paint in a similar style without using the Bob Ross branded paint. Wet-on-wet painting isn’t about the brand of paint you use, it’s a technique. You can make your own equivalent to Liquid White or Liquid Clear from other oil paints and mediums. So as you expand your oil painting skills, be sure to expand the brands of paint you try too.
8. Other Brands of Oil Paint
Photo © Marion Boddy-Evans
9. Student Grade Oil Paints
I believe it’s better to buy artist’s quality paint than students’ because you get more pigment in a tube and the results from color mixing are more intense and brighter. If the cost of paint is an issue, consider painting smaller canvases rather than buying cheaper paints. Test how far a tube of top-quality paint goes compared to a cheap one, especially if you’re glazing; it may be a false economy. Check the information on the paint tube label and try to buy colors made from single pigments rather than a mixture. And compare the prices of student paints with the less expensive pigments in artist’s ranges.
10. Water Soluble Oil Paints
Water-soluble or water-miscible oil paints are designed to thin and clean up with water. It’s a good option if working with solvents is a problem, whether because of allergies, having a small painting space, or children visiting your studio. Water-soluble oil paints can be mixed with traditional oil paints, though they do then have to be used with traditional mediums. The major brands produce water-soluble oils, including Winsor & Newton, Grumbacher, and Holbein.
