What's your favorite brand of oil paint?

[jon.N]

I have not used oil paints in at least a decade so I have no personal opinion, but I have two adult children who use oil paints and when I gift them items one uses Gamblin and the other W&N or Sennelier.

 

[WFMartin]

My favorite brand of oil paint is M. Graham. Their binder is Walnut Oil, and I prefer that. Another very good brand (but with less choices of colors) is The Art Treehouse. Very good Walnut Oil paints.

 

[Maybenartist]

I ordered some Michael Harding paint, I figured because I use the same colours all the time they won't be as expensive to buy when I replace those colours I use most. When I first began I bought cheap available oil paints. Then I only ever used Windsor Newton artist grade. To be honest, I think I painted better with the cheap available stuff, maybe it's the psychology that I thought I had to try harder with the cheaper varieties.

 

[ntl]

I inherited most of my paint, which, in 1970 was grumbacher, some permanent pigments, and possibly winsor newton.
I still have some of them, but have purchased a couple Old Holland, a couple of da Vinci's, and M Grahams. I thought I'd love the Grahams, but don't. I'll use what I have, so maybe I'll change my mind. I have a few Gamblin's and Harding's, both have other colors I'd like, but I doubt I'll buy any paint--other than possibly white--for a long time. I do like the ones I have. If I do get more, it may be from Gamblin or Harding.

 

[snoball]

I haven't bought paint in some time. I bought and used various brands and had a huge stash of paint and then I inherited all my mom's paints when she passed away. I have to pitch a dried up tube once in a while but for the most part I only have to replace frequently used colors and white. I don't try for the expensive brands at all, just buy the color I need in whatever brand. If I find a brand that I hate, I just don't buy it again.

 

[Artyczar]

If I find a brand that I hate, I just don't buy it again.

Well that makes a lot of sense! Doesn't it?

 

[stlukesguild]

You are right. I had no idea they were more than three times the price of Gamblin. I thought I was paying a lot at $60 a tube for Cadmium red light, when Old Holland is $166 for 25 ml. less!

Maybe that's another reason I switched from oils to pastel and acrylic: that RED! ❤

As if $7 for a single stick of pastel by Sennelier or Schmincke is a bargain!

 

[Artyczar]

I use Sennelier oil pastels--when I use them.

 

[P. Barrie]

I have several different brands: Many Grumbacher (older stock); Many Winsor Newton (older stock made in England); a few tubes of old LeFranc & B; Gamblin; Utrecht; M Graham; Holbein; Many Rembrandt, both older stock and new.
When I started painting again after a long hiatus, I started buying lots of new and used oils on eBay, not paying more than $7 per tube on Avg. I kept only the single pigment colors that were in the lots, reselling the multi pigment colors.
As far as favorites it depends on the pigment. It seems to me that the paints vary between Mfgs. In pigment load and hue. As I determine which paints I like better, the search for those continues. What’s frustrating is trying to find older stock in Rembrandt or Winsor Newton.
As far as new stock I prefer M Graham because it has good pigment load, I like Walnut oil for its slickness, and it has good price per quality. Not impressed with Holbein, Newer stock Rembrandt, Newer stock Winsor Newton, or Utrecht (Utrecht white is OK) For me, Old Holland has too many colors with multiple pigments and I don’t trust their pricing structure per pigments. If I fork over that kind of $, I’ll try Vasari or one of the smaller makers like R&H or that guy who talks a lot. Probably that would be better for the sake of consistency in paint characteristics.

 

[WFMartin]

I still have many left-over paints in my box from times gone by, but lately, I have gravitated to either M. Graham, or Art Treehouse colors.
I use many paints from The Art Treehouse, but their offering is rather limited in colors, so when I want a color they don't offer, I add colors from M. Graham. Both brands have a Walnut Oil base, which I like.

 

[tinkertrain]

I started painting in oils recently (less than 1 year) after previously using acrylics for a few years. Given that I was not a complete beginner in painting in general but a beginner in oils, I decided to get 2 sets, one for practice and another one for "serious" painting.

I did quite a bit of research in the old wetcanvas (such an immense resource! makes me sad to think about it now, anyways...) and for practicing and getting used to the medium I got a "Carder Palette" of colours on what it was said it was the best "student" brand out there, Maimeri Classico (and one Royal Talens Van Gogh). FYI the palette is Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red (real cadmiums not hues), Burnt Umber, Titanium White all in Maimeri and Ultramarine Blue in Van Gogh as it was out of stock in Maimeri at the time, all in big 200ml tubes.

I also got multiple tubes of different brands of artist grade paint, I searched several threads where people were recommending their favourite color per brand and so I got tubes from Winsor & Newton, Blockxx, Michael Harding, Lefranc & B, St. Petersburg Master Class, Schmincke Mussini, Old Holland and Maimeri Puro. Sounds like a lot and expensive , but I avoided expensive pigments for the most part, and also I'm an art supply addict.

Oh, and I visited the US in February (remember when flying was a thing?) and couldn't resist getting a couple of Williamsburg (cheaper there than Europe) and this beauty on offer at the time: Ancient Earth set by Vasari.

Needless to say I haven't tried them all yet!

 

[Enyaw]

Paint is like views on art. Very personal. What works for me might not for you and vice versa. The type of art you do also dictates the quality of the paint you need. I don't have a preference as long as it works for me. When I get one that I don't like I cross it off my list but it might be one that would works for you so I won't give that list either.

 

[Marksmomagain]

In the mid 1980's I purchased several hundred tubes of Bellini, Winsor & Newton, Grumbacher, LeFranc & Bourgeois, Weber and Shiva. I also acquired several hundred Fredrix (Red Lion) and Grumbacher (mostly Plyex) stretched canvas and canvas boards, and prepared panels. I still have and use most of it today, It came from the estate of a fairly well-known artist, and I purchased most of the entire lot. Many many many of those little 3-4 tube cardboard boxes unopened, and new Grumbachers in plastic cases. I still remember loading all that into my little car. I couldn't afford groceries or gas that week and had to borrow...

Over the years I purchased those brands and other old oil paint in mom & pop hardware stores, small-time art stores and yard & barn sales. I've found Vasari paint twice at yard sales! Geez, families dont always research what they have... I love making thrilling finds like that, so few and far between now....I have other brands, also. I cherish my old paint; genuine leads, cobalts and cadmiums. I do use them fairly sparingly.

I dont really have an all-around favorite brand. It's more dependent upon the particular color.

 

[16ga]

I mostly use Grumbacher. Its what my grandmother mostly used plus I'm cheap. Unless I can get other brands cheaper or they dont have the color I want I tend to stick with them.

But I also use Shiva, Winsor & Newton and Gamblin. All from their artist grade lines. Lastly I have a few tubes of old Bob Ross paint including the phthalo blue I've been using.

That said probably half of my tubes are still from the 70s and 80s.

 

[WFMartin]

I mostly use Grumbacher. Its what my grandmother mostly used plus I'm cheap. Unless I can get other brands cheaper or they dont have the color I want I tend to stick with them.

But I also use Shiva, Winsor & Newton and Gamblin. All from their artist grade lines. Lastly I have a few tubes of old Bob Ross paint including the phthalo blue I've been using.

That said probably half of my tubes are still from the 70s and 80s.

Well, in my opinion, Grumbacher Oils represent the most bang for the buck of any professional paint being sold today! I have no idea who makes them, any more, but for the money, they are the most useful and utilitarian oil paint on the market, for their reasonable price!!

And, to add to that, I consider Winsor & Newton to be the most overrated, overpriced, mediocre (not poor,; just average/mediocre) paints that exist. Their penchant for adding Safflower Oil to their lighter colors falls flat on my scale of "importance". The small degree of "less yellowing" that may be inherent by this characteristic is far outweighed by the weaker film strength of Saffllower Oil. I use one color only from Winsor and Newton, and the reason is that almost no other manufacturer makes it-----Transparent Yellow 653 (PY128).

Can't beat Grumbacher for quality, and cost.

 

[Artyczar]

I tend to agree about how WN can be overrated.

 

[WFMartin]

I tend to agree about how WN can be overrated.

It wouldn't be so bad, if they weren't so over-priced, as well.