Best Acrylic Paints in 2023
Are you an aspiring or professional artist looking for a reliable set of acrylic paints? With so many brands and types out there today, it can be challenging to narrow down the best options. To help you on your journey...
Best Oil Paints in 2023
Creating a beautiful oil painting requires the use of quality materials, and now more than ever, there is an incredible selection of high-end oil paints available to suit every artist’s needs. Choosing the appropriate oil paints can prove to be a challenge, given their diverse types and quality levels, regardless of whether you are a professional or amateur artist. With this in mind, we have put together our top picks for the best oil paints for artists in 2023, helping to make your art supply shopping experience smoother and more enjoyable! Read on to discover which paint brand most suits your style!
Tips To Get Started with Oil Painting
Here are some pointers to help beginning oil painters get started:
- Invest in good quality materials: Quality paints, brushes, and canvas can make a huge difference in the outcome of your painting. It's worth investing in good materials to ensure the best results.
- Learn the basics: To ensure a well-rounded painting, consider taking the time to understand oil painting fundamentals such as colour mixing, layering, and brush strokes. Strengthening these skills will benefit your art work significantly by providing excellent groundwork for further progress.
- Start with simple compositions: To nurture your creativity and hone in on those artistic talents, start by taking small steps with basic compositions. Sharpening your skills and building self-confidence is something that can be achieved by taking advantage of this opportunity. As you become more comfortable, you can progress to more complex work.
- Be patient: Oil painting is a slow-drying medium, so it requires patience and time. Don't be impatient - give each layer the proper amount of time to dry for a flawless finished product.
- Regular practice can be the key to unlocking your talent and perfecting a skill. Through dedication, one's abilities flourish - take time for those deliberate strides forward! Take the time to paint regularly and experiment with different techniques and styles.
- Don't fear imperfection - mistakes are a fundamental and essential part of artistic growth. Use them as beacons to guide your journey, allowing you to accelerate the learning process and evolve in ways that would not have been possible without encountering those missteps along the way.
Our Recommendation List for The Best Oil Paints
Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Paint
Winton Oil Colour has revolutionised the way artists buy oil paint. By combining traditional and modern pigments, Winsor & Newton has created a range of professional-grade paints that are accessible to everyone, from hobbyists to experienced professionals who require large volumes for their projects. From students starting out in art classes to accomplished painters tackling bigger canvases, this affordable yet high-quality solution is ideal for all levels of artistic endeavour!
The Winton range offers superior consistency, providing a greater level of control over brush and palette knife strokes. With this product's slightly firmer texture, it facilitates the exploration of complex oil painting techniques - making it an ideal choice for any artist trying to build their skill set.
Benefits
- Ideal for those starting out with oil painting, and also a good option for experienced painters
- High-quality paints at an economical price point
- More uniform consistency and slightly stiffer than Artists' Oil Colour
- Excellent retention of brush and palette knife strokes
Specifications
Art Spectrum Artist Oil Paint
Art Spectrum Professional Quality Artists Oil Colour is the premier oil paint in Australia, created with only the finest quality pigments and triple-milled employing traditional techniques and pure linseed oil. These amazing colours are lightfast and offer excellent blending ability without muddying. Plus, this range includes many exclusive colours formulated for authentically capturing the beauty of Australia's natural landscape.
Benefits
- Made with the highest quality pigments and triple-milled using traditional methods
- Lightfast colours that ensure your artwork lasts
- Superior mixing ability without muddying
- Includes unique colours developed to reflect the Australian landscape
Specification
- Tube size: 40ml, 150ml, 300ml (cartridge), 500ml, 1 litre tin (white only) & 4 litre tin (white only)
- Colour Range: 105 oil colour range with series from 1 to 5
Langridge Handmade Artist Oil Paints
Langridge Handmade Oil Paints have been expertly crafted to meet the highest standards of both colour saturation and physical handling. Formulated specifically with artists in mind, they strike a perfect balance between purity and maximum pigment loading; delivering rich colours with exceptional tinting power that mix cleanly - an ideal choice for any budding or experienced artist alike. Furthermore, their distinct range boasts contemporary shades reminiscent of Australia's intense light source, making them world-renowned as the first 21st-century oil paints! With such features available in multiple sizes and hues catering to all levels of expertise, be sure you're never without creative inspiration by choosing from our extensive selection today!
Benefits
- Uniquely handmade in their Melbourne factory
- Unadulterated paint with maximum pigment loading
- Full chromatic strength and exceptional tinting power
- Intense colour and light specifically based on contemporary colours of the 21st Century
Specification
Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Paint
Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oils offer an exceptional painting experience without the hazardous risks of traditional oil paints. The innovative formulas blend modified linseed and safflower oils to create a colour that performs similarly to conventional painted hues with regard to vibrancy, texture, lightfastness, and drying times, but can be easily cleaned up with water! Perfect for those sharing workspaces or concerned about solvents in their home lives, these versatile mediums give artists the best of both worlds: producing works as beautiful as any classic masterpiece but far safer than ever before.
Benefits
- No need for hazardous solvents, such as turpentine or white spirit (mineral spirits).
- Clean up with water instead.
- Ideal for those who want to avoid solvents, the smell of turpentine, or have allergies.
- Thick and buttery consistency similar to conventional oil paints.
- Compatible range of oils, mediums and varnishes to achieve all oil painting techniques.
Specifications
Winsor & Newton Artist Oil Paint
Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colour has earned a world-wide reputation with artists due to its unparalleled purity, quality, and reliability. There are 120 colours in the range - offering the widest spectrum of all Winsor & Newton oil paints. Every colour is individually formulated to bring out the greatest characteristics of each pigment while ensuring the stability of colour. Since 1835, they have been perfecting these colours by implementing strict standards throughout production and selecting ideal drying oils and methods of pigment dispersion. This combined knowledge and experience allows Artist's Oil Colour to provide users with the best raw materials for creating true works of art.
With Artists' Oil Colour, you not only get maximum pigmentation that leads to superior covering power, but also a stiffer consistency than other oil paints which contributes to greater thickness of coloration for richer hues. Moreover - "artists' quality goes further" thanks to increased tinting strength and pigmentation power!
Benefits
- Unparalleled purity, quality, and reliability
- The widest colour spectrum of all Winsor & Newton oil paints
- Each colour is individually formulated to bring out their unique characteristics while ensuring stability of colour
- 170 years of knowledge and expertise in production and quality control produces superior raw materials for creating artworks
- Maximum pigmentation leads to superior covering power and increased tinting strength
- Stiffer consistency than other oil paints contributes to greater thickness of coloration for richer hues
Specifications
Schmincke Norma Professional Oil Paint
Norma Professional is a superior oil colour for serious painters and artisans looking to create brilliant, unique works of art. The product features an impressive range of 84 colours perfect for traditional or modern compositions, from lightfast chrome yellows, rare poppy reds, and turquoises to shimmering golds, silvers, and bronzes. Each hue has been carefully formulated with the environment in mind while achieving a maximum lightfastness rating of 4-5 stars.
This ecologically friendly formulation utilises only natural, sustainable raw materials for superior adhesion and assured pigment uptake. Combined with the finest classical and modern pigments in a high concentration, this paint delivers superior luminosity that surpasses industry standards. Furthermore, every product goes through an extensive preparation process to ensure optimal development as well as ageing for three months prior to bottling - firmly establishing each colour's brilliance within our pure oil paints.
An array of colours boasting an unbelievably smooth and creamy consistency stands ready for use. Sculptured through a precise formulation, each colour offers optimal painting features with shorter drying times than ever before - delivering vibrant results sure to last the test of time.
Benefits
- 84 brilliant, traditional and modern colours including 27 high-quality transparent colours
- Many natural and sustainable raw materials used
- The highest concentration of classical and latest technical pigments guarantees maximum spreading rate and an exceptional luminosity
- Carefully prepared to ensure optimal development in pure oil paint
- Balanced, creamy-buttery consistency for best painting features and optimum working traces
- Optimised formulation produces shorter, even drying of all colours.
Specification
Factors to Consider When Choosing Oil Paint
There are a number of things to take into consideration when choosing oil paint in order to make the best decision possible for your piece of art. Some of the most crucial things to bear in mind are listed below:
- Quality: The quality of the oil paint can greatly affect the outcome of your artwork. High-quality oil paint will have a higher pigment concentration, which can result in more vibrant colours and a better overall finish.
- Colour: Creating a lasting work of art calls for the careful selection of true, vibrant colours. A well-executed oil painting begins with choosing hues that will stand the test of time. Envision how colours can work together harmoniously, and carefully consider their lightfastness before making any decisions; this factor should be central to selecting a successful palette!
- Consistency: When it comes to oil painting, the key is choosing a paint consistency that complements your technique and desired results. Thin or thick paints each provide their own unique characteristics; pick wisely for an optimal finished piece!
- Drying Time: When considering which oil paints to use, it's essential to factor in the drying time of each. Selecting a brand and colour that gives you adequate working times yet still dry within an acceptable period is key to producing quality results!
- Price: Oil painting provides a world of variety - from high-end artworks with premium quality supplies to more affordable options for budding artists. There's something available for everyone and every budget. While selecting the right paint for your budget is essential, investing in high-quality supplies can pay dividends by delivering superior results.
- Brand: Explore the myriad of oil painting possibilities and discover your favourite! Different brands provide a variety of unique characteristics, so try several out to find which works best for you as an artist.
Creative expression can be enhanced when selecting the appropriate oil paint. By weighing factors such as composition, colour saturation, and quality of pigment, you will have all the tools needed to create a stunning masterpiece!
Oil Paint FAQs
Explore the answers to some of the most commonly-asked questions about oil painting. Learn all you need to know, from materials used and tools required right through to care instructions and more
What are oil paints made of?
Oil paints are a popular medium for creating art, crafted from a combination of vibrantly coloured pigments and an oil binder. Linseed has traditionally been used as the binding agent but can alternately be swapped out with other oils such as safflower, poppy seed, or walnut oil to create unique effects.
How long do oil paints take to dry?
Working with oil paints can be an exciting journey of discovery, as the drying duration differs significantly between applications. Factors such as humidity, temperature, and paint thickness are individually influential in how long each stroke or layer takes to set!
How do I clean my oil painting brushes?
You can clean your oil painting brushes with odourless mineral spirits or a brush cleaner specifically designed for oil paints. Make sure to thoroughly clean the brushes to prevent the buildup of paint and oil.
What surfaces can I paint on with oil paints?
Unleash the creative potential of oil paints! From canvas to wood, paper, and metal - with careful preparation of your surface before painting, you can enjoy the optimal colour vibrancy and maximum paint adhesion.
How do I thin out my oil paints?
Painters can adjust the viscosity of their oil paints to suit specific needs by using a medium, such as a linseed oil, or a solvent like turpentine or mineral spirits. Always be mindful when working with solvents and consult the manufacturer's instructions for proper use.
How do I varnish my oil painting?
Once your oil painting is completely dry, you can varnish it to protect the surface and enhance the colours. Use a clear varnish specifically designed for oil paintings, and apply it in thin, even layers with a brush.
By understanding these key topics, you can better navigate the medium and create beautiful works of art.
In 2023, artists will have a wide range of options when it comes to the best oil paints. With an array of colours, pigments, and lightfastness ratings that are second to none, brands like Winsor & Newton and Schmincke offer the highest level of quality in terms of pigmentation, covering power, and durability. By exercising strict quality control throughout their manufacturing process, these brands provide artists with professional-grade art materials that are sure to deliver the desired results.
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