Oil Paints

Not all oils are created equal!   I recently had a conversation with someone who thought oil paint is oil paint…. Not true.  Each brand has  unique qualities that make it perform differently.  When I started out (awhile ago!) I was using what my father had laying around in his paint sets.  These turned out to be rembrandt which I think are nice but I didn’t know any better at the time.   When I was in college I kinda got into the “student” oils with Winton and the occasional nicer Winsor Newton. I found it to be a lot of work to paint and get good coverage as well as move it around the way I wanted.  It wasn’t until fairly recently in my life that I was talked into paying more for a smaller tube of something really special. 

Personally there are a few factors that set good paint aside from the rest.  Pigment depth, texture/flow, and color vibrance are what I look for.  Some brands tend to have great quality but are stiff or other brands are very creamy but don’t hold  up to mixing well.  It’s a tradeoff sometimes and other times it’s a match made in heaven.  Usually that tube is the $20 dollar one. 

My favorite brands include:
Gamblin
Rembrandt (thanks dad)
Old Holland
Holbein
Shmincki Mussini

I like Gamblin a lot especially since it’s made in the US, and their Radiant series is sweet. Rembrandt just has a really rich and creamy movement to it, and I tend to use this most for blocking out as well as large areas of color.  Old Holland is reaaaally nice but pricey and it’s reserved for the highlights and small but important places.   Holbein has some great, unique colors but I find it to be a little “hard” to move around.  I usually subject it to my chemistry set to make it softer.  Lastly Schmincki Mussini I only own the translucents.  They may make other good paint but I love these for glazing.

 These aren’t necessarily rules but  just the way I usually handle them.  Also mind you that this is how I paint so it may be completely different for you.  Other factors may play a part like how much thinner you use (I tend to be sparing so I don’t get high from fumes) as well as any flow mediums or the age of the paint. 
If you get your hands on some old paint be sure to watch out for lead!  I recently found some older paint and realized a couple of the tubes of white were made with lead.  Yuck!  Titanium filled in where lead left off and it’s made things a lot safer.  It’s the same stuff as in heavy suntan lotion!

Well I guess the moral is if you’re not getting the potent results you’re looking for then try looking for something in the A series of manufacturers.  It costs a bit more but it’s worth it in my opinion. 

-Rob

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