The 24 best oil colors brands
Winsor & Newton, Grumbacher and Holbein lead our ranking of 24 oil colors brands. Compare what each brand makes, visit its official site, or shop it online.
Oil Colors brands, ranked
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1
Winsor & Newton
Winton is the student range, while Artists' Oil Colour is the professional line with a large palette and strong pigment load.
Top products: Artists' Oil Colour· Winton Oil Colour
Website: winsornewton.com |Brands like Winsor & Newton
Popularity 10.0/10
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2
Grumbacher
Academy is the budget starter range, while Permalba offers a more professional, lightfast option for painters.
Top products: Academy Oil Colors· Permalba
Website: grumbacher.chartpak.com |Brands like Grumbacher
Popularity 5.4/10
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3
Holbein
Duo Aqua is a water-mixable oil that cleans up with water, useful for people who dislike solvents.
Top products: Duo Aqua Oil
Popularity 4.8/10
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4
Daler-Rowney
Georgian is the student-grade oil line, a more affordable entry point than the brand's professional colours.
Top products: Georgian Artists Oil Colours
Website: daler-rowney.com |Brands like Daler-Rowney
Popularity 4.0/10
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5
Gamblin
Alkyd-based oils that dry faster than traditional oils, popular with painters who want flexible drying times.
Top products: Artists Oil Colors· 1980 Oil
Website: gamblincolors.com |Brands like Gamblin
Popularity 3.9/10
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6
Bob Ross
Sized for hobby painters following his TV method, with a basic landscape set that suits beginners.
Top products: Basic Paint Set· Landscape Oil Colors
Website: bobross.com |Brands like Bob Ross
Popularity 3.8/10
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7
Sennelier
French oil colours from a company that also makes oil pastels, soft pastels and artists' watercolours.
Website: sennelier-colors.com |Brands like Sennelier
Popularity 3.5/10
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8
WILLIAMSBURG
Handmade in small batches with a high pigment load, these oils suit painters who want rich, intense colour.
Top products: Handmade Oil Colors
Website: shop.colonialwilliamsburg.com |Brands like WILLIAMSBURG
Popularity 3.2/10
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9
Maimeri
Italian premixed oils designed with restoration work in mind, with a rich consistency for detailed glazing.
Website: maimeri.it |Brands like Maimeri
Popularity 3.0/10
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10
Liquitex
Liquitex specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of artistic things. It includes colors, tools, sets, and some color add-ons. They have a variety of paint types like tubes, soft/heavy body acrylic colors, inks, markers, spray paints, etc., turning every surface...
Website: liquitex.com |Brands like Liquitex
Popularity 2.2/10
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11
Reeves
Small 12ml tubes of English oil paint in earthy and primary tones, a compact starter choice for first-time painters.
Top products: Oil Colours Set
Website: myreeves.com |Brands like Reeves
Popularity 1.9/10
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12
DaVinci
Da Vinci congratulates everyone on their upcoming wedding. The website has a vast collection of bridal gowns and bridesmaids' dresses. Each piece is breathtaking and suited to be the star of the show. They put a lot of love and...
Popularity 1.8/10
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13
Lefranc & Bourgeois
Professional paints from a French maker, sold alongside brushes and painting accessories for studio use.
Website: lefrancbourgeois.com |Brands like Lefranc & Bourgeois
Popularity 1.8/10
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14
Royal Talens
Rembrandt oils are the professional line from this Dutch maker, with a broad palette for fine art painting.
Website: royaltalens.com |Brands like Royal Talens
Popularity 1.7/10
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15
Jack Richeson
Jack Richeson provides fine art materials for all you talented artists out there. They offer products for all your artistic needs, ranging from brushes to paints. Their goods are not available directly to the consumers as they sell them through...
Popularity 1.5/10
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16
Schmincke
German artists' colours with a long-standing oil range and a strong focus on pigment quality.
Website: schmincke.de |Brands like Schmincke
Popularity 1.4/10
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17
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18
Daniel Smith
Watercolors from Daniel Smith offer high pigmentation and a broad selection of shades, including metallics, pastels, and luminescent colors. Daniel Smith also produces acrylic and oil paints, along with water-soluble oils. Its paint sets are made for watercolor and mixed...
Website: danielsmith.com |Brands like Daniel Smith
Popularity 1.1/10
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19
Old Holland
Paint your lifestyle with Old Holland! Being one of the oldest Dutch paint brands, the brand’s products highlight tradition infused with technology, thus delivering the finest of their production to customers. Improvise your painting style with Old Holland oil colors...
Website: oldholland.com |Brands like Old Holland
Popularity 0.9/10
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20
ShinHan
ShinHananart aspires to stimulate artists' enthusiasm by providing the best quality art supplies. Professional and amateur artists utilise these creative supplies in a variety of professions across the world. ShinHananart creates high-quality artist supplies. Their goods are intended for detailed...
Popularity 0.8/10
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21
Ohuhu
Ohuhu produces paintbrushes and markers at extremely reasonable costs and with excellent quality. The alcohol art markers in their collection come in a 216-color set that allows for simple blending, no smearing, and includes alcohol-based ink that dries rapidly, making...
Website: ohuhu.com |Brands like Ohuhu
Popularity 0.7/10
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22
Sargent Art
The one-stop-shop for all kinds of art supplies, essentials, and classroom essentials, Sargent Art is the answer. In both educational and retail markets, they are thoroughly known and proclaimed, all thanks to their excellent quality of products. From packaging to...
Popularity 0.7/10
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23
Blockx
Depuis 1865, J.BLOCKX Fils fabrique des produits Beaux-Arts de qualit� destin閟 aux artistes. Couleurs extra-fines � l'huile, Aquarelles au miel, Vernis et medium � l'ambre et Pastels secs�
Website: blockx.be |Brands like Blockx
Popularity 0.6/10
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24
Royal Brush
Royal Brush is your one-stop store for anything related to painting. They provide the most exhaustive collection of brushes, paints, and other associated materials so that you may create masterpieces in any media. From oil to watercolor, their extensive product...
Website: royaldesignstudio.com |Brands like Royal Brush
Popularity 0.4/10
Official websites and social accounts
| Brand | Website | X / Twitter | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winsor & Newton | winsornewton.com | /WinsorNewton | p | – | WinsorandNewton |
| Grumbacher | grumbacher.chartpak.com | /Grumbacher | – | @grumbacherart | – |
| Daler-Rowney | daler-rowney.com | – | – | – | – |
| Gamblin | gamblincolors.com | /GamblinArtistsColors | gamblincolors | – | – |
| Bob Ross | bobross.com | /groups | bobross_thejoyofpainting | @bobrossofficial | – |
| Sennelier | sennelier-colors.com | /Sennelier | Sennelier1887 | @sennelier1887 | – |
| WILLIAMSBURG | shop.colonialwilliamsburg.com | /WMBGbrand | wmbgbrand | – | – |
| Maimeri | maimeri.it | /industriamaimeri | industriamaimeri | – | maimerispa |
| Liquitex | liquitex.com | /liquitex | liquitexofficial | @Liquitex | LiquitexArtMaterials |
Oil Colors Buying Guide
Oil colors are a popular medium used in painting, and can be a great investment for artists who want to create richly colored and textured artworks. But with so many different brands and types of oil paints available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your needs. In this buying guide, we’ll break down the key factors you should consider when shopping for oil paints.
Types of Oil Colors
Before diving into the buying process, you should understand the different types of oil colors available. Here are the most common types:
- Artist grade oil colors: These are high-quality paints made with pure pigments and high concentrations of binder, resulting in strong color intensity and longevity. They are more expensive than student grade paints and are for serious artists.
- Student grade oil colors: These paints are made with cheaper pigments and lower concentrations of binder, so they are less intense and less durable. They are more affordable and a good choice for beginners or for practice pieces.
- Hue oil colors: These are oil colors that mimic the intensity of certain pigments using a combination of other pigments. They are less expensive than artist grade paints but can still achieve a similar visual result.
Key Considerations
Now that you have a general understanding of the different types of oil colors, it’s important to consider these four key factors when making your selection:
Pigment Quality
One of the most important factors to consider when buying oil paints is the quality of the pigments. The better the quality of the pigments used, the richer and more vibrant the color will be. You should look for oil colors that use pure, high-quality pigments. Cheap, low-quality pigments do not mix well, may not last as long, and may produce unattractive colors. So, you may end up throwing them away, even before they run out.
Viscosity
The viscosity of oil colors – or how thick they are – is another important consideration. Viscosity can impact the texture of the paint and the way it feels when applied. There are two main types of viscosity: thick and thin. Thick paints are great for building up texture and are generally used for impasto, whereas thin paints are often used for glazing and creating subtle color mixtures. Artists usually prefer to work with paints of different viscosity and may even mix the two together on their palette.
Drying Time
The drying time of the oil paint can also be an important factor to consider, especially if you want to use multiple layers in one painting session. Some oil colors dry quickly, while others take longer. It’s advisable to get colors that dry to the touch within 24 hours to avoid trouble with transferring and damages.
Price
Price point is always a relevant factor when it comes to buying art materials, and oil paints are no exception. Artist grade paints usually command a much higher price than student grade paints due to their higher pigment concentration and better quality binder. However, it’s important to remember that quality oil paints will last a lot longer due to their higher pigment concentration which offers more coverage.
Popular Brands
There are many oil paint brands available, but here are some of the most popular:
- Winsor & Newton: This is one of the oldest and most esteemed brands of oil paints available. Known for their high-quality paints, Winsor & Newton offers a wide range of colors and is found all over the world.
- Old Holland: Old Holland is another premium brand of oil paints that’s been in the market for over 300 years. They offer a great range of colors with high pigment concentration and lightfastness.
- M. Graham & Co.: This is a newer brand known for producing high-quality, eco-friendly oil colors. They have a high mixability and offer a great feel when applying.
- Daler Rowney: The brand is relatively affordable and has a good range of artist and student grade paints. They use a variety of pigments in their colors and are ideal for artists on a budget.
The Bottom Line
Choosing the right oil colors means finding the right balance between pigment quality, viscosity, drying time, and price point. By understanding these key factors, you can make an informed choice that best suits your artistic needs. Don’t forget to check out the different brands and their offerings before making your final decision.
