Kevin JohnsonSince ancient times, humans have relied on paints to entertain and communicate ideas and emotions. As a modern artist or DIY home décor enthusiast, the quality of your oil paints can make or break your project. You’ll need the best oil paints to deliver artistic masterpieces. Consider your preferences, painting style, and budget to select the best option. Remember, not all oil paints are created equal. The best products provide high pigment loads and historical quality. Look for a reliable, versatile, eco-friendly option with rich tones and shades. But which are the best oil paint brands?
Here is an in-depth analysis of the 15 best oil paint brands:
1. Winsor & Newton
Winsor & Newton is a British paint brand founded in 1832 by William Winsor and Henry Newton in London, UK. This company specializes in fine art products, including acrylic and oil paints, watercolor, inks, gouache, brushes, canvases, and colored pencils. Its Artists’ Oil Color lineup offers the best beginner-friendly oil paints. In 2024, Winsor & Newton released its watercolor Revival Collection with eight historical colors from their archives. Visit the Winsor & Newton store on Amazon. [1]
Image source: Winsor & Newton
Pros: The Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Color range is known for its quality and consistency. It offers over 120 oil colors with unique shades and high permanence.
Cons: Winsor & Newton oil paints cost more than the market’s average.
Starting price: $8.99/tube
2. Gamblin
Gamblin is one of the world’s leading oil paint brands, founded in 1980. The brand offers the Artist Oil Paint collection with 96 colors. Each contains high-grade modern and traditional pigments and refined linseed and safflower oils. In 2023, Gamblin announced color changes for the Indanthrone Blue in its Artist Oil Paint collection and Alizarin Crimson in its 1980 range. Buy Gamblin oil paints on Amazon. [2]
Image source: Gamblin
Pros: Gamblin is known for its high-quality, environmentally-friendly oil paints. It is the go-to brand for eco-conscious artists seeking colors with smooth consistency.
Cons: Gamblin’s Artist Oil Color range is smaller and less intense than its rival’s collections.
Starting price: $9.75/tube
3. Old Holland
Old Holland was founded in 1664, making it one of the oldest paint manufacturers. It offers the Classic Oil Color range, with 168 colors based on the Old Masters’ historical formulations. Each has a unique traditional color combo and the best lightfast pigments. Buy Old Holland oil paints on Amazon.
Image source: Old Holland
Pros: Old Holland produces high-quality oil paints with superior color intensity and richness. Its Classic Oil Color range offers easy-to-use mixtures with artist-quality, lightfast pigments.
Cons: Old Holland oil paints are pricey. Some colors require extra thinning media to flow smoothly.
Starting price: $11.79/tube
4. Vasari
Vasari is an American oil paint brand founded by Stephen Salek, a master paintmaker with over 50 years of experience. The brand develops professional-grade oil colors in its Easton, Pennsylvania workshop. Since 1995, Vasari has helped painters select their colors at its New York City and Easton showrooms. You can visit these locations to learn Vasari’s hands-on manufacturing process and choose the perfect Vasari oil paints for your next project. [3]
Image source: Vasari Colors
Pros: Vasari’s oil paint collection offers over 140 colors. The list includes traditional colors with modern pigments blended using classic paintmaking techniques of the Old Masters. Each Vasari oil paint has unique grey tones, earth colors, and smooth texture.
Cons: Vasari oil colors are perfect for glazing and thin paint applications. However, they may not deliver the best results for other oil painting techniques.
Starting price: $13.95/tube
5. Michael Harding
Michael Harding is a handmade oil paint brand founded in 1982. Its Artists’ Oil Paints range offers 98 colors with unique and traditional pigments. The brand released a new oil color set for its 40th anniversary. Buy Michael Harding oil paints on Amazon.
Image source: Michael Harding
Pros: Michael Harding offers professional-grade, handcrafted oil paints with vibrant colors. Its products have exceptional color intensity and rich texture, perfect for contemporary and classic oil painting techniques.
Cons: Some users complain about the thickness of Michael Harding oil paints.
Starting price: $9.76/tube
6. M. Graham
Graham is a 25-year-old oil paint brand founded by two oil painting artists. The brand is a pioneer in reviving the traditional handcrafted, small-batch paints made with natural walnut oil and honey bases. Graham’s high pigment load ensures small amounts of paint stretch for long on the canvas. Buy Graham oil paints on Amazon. [4]
Image source: M. Graham
Pros: Graham makes its artist oil colors with pure walnut oil. This natural ingredient gives the paint its brilliance, clarity, smooth texture, and resistance to fading and yellowing.
Cons: Graham’s Fast-drying White contains an alkyd resin, which may not suit some artists and art projects.
Starting price: $10.19/tube
7. Sennelier
Sennelier is a French art-focused brand founded in 1887. The company produces art materials, including acrylic and oil paints, watercolors, gouaches, pastels, and inks. If you seek creamy and smooth colors for your art project, consider the Sennelier artists’ oil paints range. This collection offers 144 colors with unique shades and hand-selected pigments.
Image source: Sennelier
Pros: Sennelier is known for its high-quality, easy-to-blend oil paints with a creamy texture and high pigment concentration. The brand developed eco-friendly solvents for its Green for Oil range, minimizing their products’ environmental impact.
Cons: Sennelier offers slow-drying oil paints, which may not suit time-sensitive art projects. Many impatient artists prefer quick-drying paints.
Starting price: $11.97/tube
8. Rembrandt
Rembrandt is an oil paint brand owned and produced by Royal Talens. The brand has refined and improved its formulations for over a century. Its oil paint range offers 120 colors with modern and traditional shades. Check Rembrandt oil paints on Amazon.
Image source: Royal Talens/Rembrandt
Pros: Rembrandt has produced high-quality paints for over 100 years. It is one of the most respected brands in the oil painting niche. Many professional artists use and recommend its colors.
Cons: Rembrandt artists’ oil colors are expensive.
Starting price: $12.71/tube
9. Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney has manufactured the finest art materials for over 240 years. The brand started as Daler Board Co. in 1783 and merged with George Rowney Co. in 1983, becoming Daler-Rowney Limited. Since 2016, Daler-Rowney has operated under the FILA Group. The brand produces three oil paint color ranges – Artists’, Georgian, and Graduate oils. Visit the Daler-Rowney store on Amazon. [5]
Image source: Daler-Rowney
Pros: Daler-Rowney is one of the most affordable oil paint brands. Its cheapest paint tube costs only $3.88. The brand offers the Artists’, Georgian, and Graduate ranges to cater to all oil painting enthusiasts. For example, Daler-Rowney Graduate oil paints are perfect for beginners and hobbyists.
Cons: Daler-Rowney Georgian and Graduate ranges prioritize ease of use over color quality, intensity, and consistency. For professional art projects, you’ll need Daler-Rowney Artists’ oil paints.
Starting price: $3.88/tube
10. Schmincke
Schmincke is a German oil paint brand founded in 1881. The brand offers Mussini, a high-quality artist-grade oil paint developed by Professor Cesare Mussini. Using Mussini, artists can elevate masterpieces with radiant intensity and maximum lightfastness. Visit the Schmincke store on Amazon.
Image source: Schmincke
Pros: Schmincke Mussini offers 108 unique colors. Although Mussini contains resin, it isn’t a closed color system. Expand and enhance your palette by combining Mussini paints with oil colors without resin.
Cons: Schmincke Mussini is one of the most expensive oil paint brands. A Mussini oil color tube costs over $15.
Starts price: $15.55/tube
11. Williamsburg
Williamsburg is an oil paint brand founded in Brooklyn and produced in New Berlin, NY. Its oil paint collection has over 170 professional-grade colors with unique shades and textures. The brand mills each color in small batches with different textures, elevating the expression of the pigments. Buy Williamsburg oil paints on Amazon.
Image source: Williamsburg Oil Colors
Pros: Williamsburg has an excellent oil paint selection with over 170 high-quality, intense, and lightfast colors.
Cons: Williamsburg’s unique color milling approach delivers paints with different textures. Its oil paints are not homogeneous. Some are rich and smooth, while others are gritty.
Starting price: $11.12/tube
12. Holbein
Holbein is a North American art-focused brand founded in 1977 by Peter Hopper. Its parent company, Japan-based Holbein Artist Materials, took the name of the revered European artist Hans Holbein. The Holbein brand offers Artist Oil Color and Duo Aqua Oils. Both use pure pigments and deliver rich hues, high chroma, and excellent lightfast ratings. However, Duo Aqua’s pigmented artist-grade colors are suspended in a water-soluble and refined linseed oil. Buy Holbein oil paints on Amazon.
Image source: Holbein Artist Materials
Pros: Holbein’s Artists’ Oil Paint line offers 167 colors: 145 open stock, 11 transparent glazing, and 7 whites. Each color is smooth, highly pigmented, and ground up to 10 times to achieve a uniform viscosity.
Cons: Holbein doesn’t produce entry-level or student-quality oil paints. It only caters to pros and intermediate artists, not beginners. [6]
Starting price: $7.31/tube
13. Utrecht Art Supplies
Utrecht is an American oil paint brand founded in 1949. Its historic Brooklyn, NY, mill has handcrafted high-quality paints for over 70 years. The brand offers the Studio and Artists’ Series. Both collections have brilliant oil colors, buttery textures, outstanding lightfastness, and excellent long-term performance. Visit the Utrecht store on Amazon.
Image source: Utrecht Art Supplies
Pros: Utrecht oil paints have a high pigment load, ensuring superior tinting strength and vibrancy. Its Artists’ Oil Colors range is revered by pros for its brilliant buttery texture, ease of mixing, and performance.
Cons: Utrecht has a limited color range.
Starting price: $7.20/tube for Artists’ colors and $4.32/tube for Studio oil paints
14. Bob Ross
The Bob Ross paint brand was founded to continue the legacy of American artist Bob Ross. Ross strived to make art accessible to everyone through “The Joy of Painting” TV programs and instructional painting books. His painting techniques and philosophies live on with the Bob Ross paint brand. This brand offers everything you need as an artist, from professional-grade oil paints to brushes and expert tips based on Ross’s teachings. Buy Bob Ross painting supplies on Amazon. [7]
Image source: Bob Ross
Pros: Bob Ross is an affordable oil paint brand. Its cheapest paint tube costs less than $6, about half the price of alternatives from Rembrandt, Williamsburg, and Old Holland. This brand also offers access to insights, teachings, and techniques of the legendary Bob Ross.
Cons: Bob Ross oil paints have a limited color range.
Starting price: $5.93/tube
15. Blick
Blick is a leading art materials retailer with an extensive inventory. The brand also offers two paint ranges developed by its in-house team – Blick Studio and Artists’ Oil Paints and Sets. Consider the Blick Artists’ Oil Paints range if you need artist-grade paints. This collection is formulated using hand-ground pigments and pure safflower, poppy, and linseed oils. Blick Studio Oils offers high-performance, affordable oil paints for all artists, from students to pros.
Image source: Blick
Pros: Blick caters to all oil painting enthusiasts with its extensive studio and artists’ ranges. Its artist-grade collection offers responsive oil paints with high pigment load, buttery texture, and luminous satin finish.
Cons: Although Blick Studio is affordable, the collection has a limited color range and quality.
Starting price: $3.49/tube for Studio Oil Paints and $6.43/tube for Artists’ Oil Paints
References & more information
- Juxtapoz Staff (2024, Oct 16). What is this History of Color?: Winsor & Newton Revive the Legacy of Their Archives. Juxtapoz.com
- Takahashi, L. (2024, Mar 5). A Closer Look at Gamblin Color Changes. Jackson Art
- Vasari Colors (2023, Jan 14). Vasari Classic Artists’ Oil Colors: Our story. Vasari.com
- Bailey, M. (2023, Aug 15). Why I Use M. Graham Colors by Mike Bailey. M. Graham
- Daler-Rowney Limited (2023, Dec 10). Daler-Rowney: Our story. Daler-Rowney.com
- HK Holbein Inc. (2023, Mar 23). Holbein Artist Materials: Our story. Holbein.com
- Bob Ross (2024, Aug 8). Art for Everyone: Bob Ross. BobRoss.com
- Featured Image by Anthony Camp
Tell us what you think? Did you find this article interesting? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
Add comment