We consulted artist professionals and researched the best oil paint brands, looking for consistency, texture, and pigmentation. The Michael Harding Oil Paints impressed us the most, due to its high quality paints, buttery texture, and smooth consistency among all paint colors. Here are the best oil paint brands. Its high-quality paint, which is made by hand, creates rich and vibrant colors that spread and mix well. Used by famous artists such as Picasso, Cézanne, and Pissarro, this brand is a good value option with a buttery texture. Blick Studio Oils at Dick Blick The paints in this brand have a bright pigmentation, come in 50 colors, and are great for beginners or students. Blockx Artist Oil Colors at Dick Blick These paints are highly pigmented with vivid and delightful colors that you can depend on each time you open a new tube. At an affordable price, these student-grade oil paints come in 40 colors; mix well; and have a smooth, soft texture. Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour at Dick Blick With good consistency and a reasonable price, these paints are ideal for students looking to save on supplies. Old Holland Classic Oil Colors at Jerry’s Artarama Created in the 1600s, this brand offers a luxurious experience with many high-quality paint color options. M. Graham & Co. Oil Color at Dick Blick Their paints are created without solvents, extenders, fillers, or adulterants and do not have a noxious smell. The paints are made by hand, resulting in vibrant colors. You’ll find that this paint has a buttery consistency—it spreads and mixes well and won’t crack with time. The safflower oil used in the preparation of these paints prevents yellowing and provides a silky smooth finish. However, it can have a negative side effect of causing paint separation and drying out the paints faster than linseed oil. Offering a good value and a buttery texture, Sennelier paints are an ideal option for contemporary artists inspired by using the same brand as historical greats. This brand was formed in 1887, and while you can purchase its paints online, Sennelier also maintains its original store across the street from the Louvre in Paris. Even at a reasonable, accessible price, you’ll find that Blick Studio Oils have bright pigmentation. Like Sennelier, Blick oils are formulated with safflower oil (in place of linseed). The brand’s paint is available in 50 colors and has a creamy texture. By using poppyseed oil, the paints avoid yellowing and wrinkling when the paint dries. A few of the pigments contain linseed oil instead. These paints are highly pigmented, leading to delightful and vivid colors. Another pro of these paints: They’re consistent. If you buy a tube, you’ll find the same color and texture as a tube purchased years prior. Quality is a priority for this manufacturer. Blockx keeps a sample from each batch made. Fashion illustrator and oil painter Sofia Struk swears by this brand. “They are affordable, have great consistency and vibrant colors, and are made in the USA,” she shares. Using walnut oil also reduces the yellowing that can develop as paintings age. Per the manufacturer, paintings made with walnut oil maintain their luster for centuries. The company prides itself on being environmentally friendly, and the paints are all created without solvents, extenders, fillers, or adulterants. The downside to using walnut oil in place of linseed is the paint will dry slowly, which might frustrate some artists. The price you pay should be based on your experience level and how often you plan to use your paints. “Typically the super cheap options means less pigment and more filler,” says Chicago-based painter Yola Pilch. However, these may be suitable for artists just starting out. On the other hand, professionals may be comfortable spending more money because they plan to use the products more often. No matter your budget or skill level, you can find an oil paint option that’s perfect for you.
Vibrancy
The difference between low-quality and high-quality paints is their vibrancy, or brightness. More vibrant oil paints will likely cost more because they are often made from a pure single pigment source. These will lead to brighter colors overall. Oftentimes, the brighter the paints, the less you will need to use at one time. Vibrant colors go a long way for a little dot, often justifying the high price tag. “I always look for a professional-grade oil paints,” says Struk, “as they have higher pigment concentration.” She shares that you don’t have to be a professional to start oil painting and you only need a few colors to begin. “It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a professional; you only need several tubes of paint—seven exactly. This is a starting point for those who are learning how to mix colors,” she says.
Materials
Different brands use different materials to create their oil paints that can affect how the paints perform. Safflower oil prevents yellowing over time, but can often lead to separation. Walnut oil can be a more environmentally friendly option without a strong scent, but can cause the paints to dry out more quickly. Poppyseed oil prevents yellowing and wrinkling. Most oil paints use linseed oil, which slows down the drying rate of paints so the artist has more time to work with it. All of these ingredients have advantages and disadvantages. Just consider the factors that are most important to you when painting and look for a composition that correlates. “As far as composition, it’s good to look at the opacity or transparency of the paint,” says Pilch. She explains that if you are painting over something, you will do it more quickly using an opaque color versus a semitransparent one. Ultimately, the materials will determine the consistency and texture of the paints, and every artist may have a different preference. “Some paints are thicker than others, and it’s up to us to decide what consistency we like,” Struk shares.
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Madeleine Burry is a dedicated crafter. She’s written for the Spruce brands since 2019, covering crafts, pets, kitchenware, and home furnishings. You’ll find her writing on a wide array of sites, including Apartment Therapy, the Kitchn, Women’s Health, Livestrong, and others. Additional reporting was done by Julia Fields, a lifestyle writer for The Spruce brands covering all things surrounding toys, gifts, and the holidays. She’s also covered similar topics in other roles, including toy reviews, product roundups, expert-focused articles, and more. Expert advice was provided by Chicago-based painted Yola Pilch and Los Angeles-based fashion illustrator and oil painter Sofia Struk.
