There are so many oil paint brands. Historically American-made oil paints couldn't come close to their European counterparts. However! Happily, and many thanks to the ingenuity of several determined craftspeople, over the last few decades that is no longer the case. This leaves us with just one problem...which brand of oil paint is the best brand when there are so many brands?
To help make this decision a little bit easier, below I have listed some of the best and most common oil paint brands from most to least expensive. In this post I am also going to explain what paints I use and why, and why we should never use student grade paints.
Brands
Below I have a listed out some of the best brands you can purchase. Note, this list is by no means exhaustive, however each brand has been picked for its general affordability and accessibility (Blue Ridge being the exception here. It is a one man show that I have always wanted to try, but you can only purchase from his website).
My price comparison was done with Yellow Ochre, as it is a paint everyone needs and a color that every company makes. Prices come from dickblick.com, you can also see what other artists think of these brands here.
Any of these brands are excellent picks and have similar qualities. What works for you comes down to your wallet. The last four options are all about the same when it comes to price and are what I use. You can read more about each brand here and learn things like how Old Holland has been around for almost 400 years! What!
My Brand Picks
I use M. Graham and Gamblin interchangeably, although I do have a few Rembrandt. Both Graham and Gamblin are American brands that are pro-environment and eco-friendly, which is of prime importance to me. I slightly prefer M. Graham's paint but don't love their packaging. The tube opening is so large I always squeeze out way more paint than necessary. I highly recommend either brand as a good starting point for beginners and professionals alike.
Student vs Professional Grade
Straight out of the tube student and professional paints kind of look similar, but they are not.
On the left is my terrible illustration of a student grade paint, and on the right is a professional grade. Student grades are made with less pigment and have fillers added to them to compensate for the loss of texture. This leaves us with a cheaper paint that doesn't cover the canvas at the same rate as a professional. In the end you will need to use more of it for the same job, and the fillers make mixing paints together a muddy mess.
Be careful not to confuse a brand's student paint with their professional brand. Avoid Winton by Winsor and Newton, Grumbacher Artisan Paints by Grumbacher, 1980 by Gamblin, and Utrecht. Winton, Grumbacher Artisan, and 1980 are their respective company's student brands, and while Utrecht was THE paint to have decades ago, through the years they have been purchased a couple of times and the quality has suffered.
And that is about it, did I miss anything? In the comments tell me what brand you love and why. Is there a brand you think was wrongfully snubbed? Let me know!
You should try blockx 😊