Oil Paint Brand Ratings

December 18, 2012

Latest update: 2/7/25

I’ve used oil paints from almost every producer known to man, or at least those known in the US. This photo shows my two paint cabinets. The one on the left has tubes of blue, green, yellow, and earth red. The top drawer, for example, contains only yellows. The barely-visible cabinet on the right contains reds, whites, blacks, and earths.

A lot of paint! OK, I never throw out supplies, and some of the tubes might be many years old and unusable by now, but they’re there in case I need that one particular color at midnight.

I never throw out brushes either. Some of those in the photo—little more than stubs by now—I’ve had since high school.

Cabinet with yellows, blues, greens, and earth colors

Not all paints are the same–no! Oil paints consist of pigment, binder, and (usually) additives. Pigments can be identified by their Color Index Name, which is a standard code used internationally. Vermilion red, for example, is PR106 (permanent red 106—mercuric sulfide). Of course, manufacturers have their own agendas, but you can quickly tell if a paint is a single-pigment paint or a combination. By the way, if you are curious about the pigments used to make paints, this site provides a wealth of information. Although it’s a site dedicated to watercolor, the author provides wonderful discussions about pigments and color theory. It’s one of my favorite sites on the web.

Binder refers to the medium–oil–used to grind the pigment. Alkali-refined linseed oil is most commonly used, but walnut oil is frequently seen, and others as well. Poppy is the most expensive binder, and manufacturers try to add value to paints made with it. Safflower is the cheapest. Some manufacturers claim walnut is the best all-around binder (I don’t, I prefer cold-pressed linseed). When manufacturers use more than one binder, they generally use one for some colors and other binders for others, although that’s not always the case (Blue Ridge blends walnut and linseed oils, for example).

“Additive” is a touchy subject. Almost all commercial manufacturers add something to their paint in addition to pigment and binder. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Extenders extend the shelf-life of tube paint, without which even more of the tubes in my cabinets would be dry and useless. Note, too, that adding things to paint to affect their behavior is a cottage industry, and many artists—including me—muck around with different concoctions all the time. Having said that, one of the biggest distinctions between good paint and bad is the number of additives in it: the more additives, the worse the paint.

A minority of painters grind their own paint, including this one, with whom I was an apprentice and diligent paint grinder once upon a time.

The following list is ordered by the cost of cerulean blue. Cerulean blue (PB35 cobalt tin oxide) can be very dear, and its price provides a good general guide. You won’t find many student-grade brands, like Van Gogh, listed. When I was young, I couldn’t afford “artist grade” paints and told myself it didn’t matter. Sadly—bitterly—it does matter. I haven’t used Grumbacher in years because I associate it with my student days.

Although price does not always translate into value, it’s a good rule of thumb: buy the best paints you can afford.

Most, but not all, of the brands on this list I’ve tried at some point or another. I note those I haven’t tried. The prices are found online.

Read moreRobert Smith Manufacturer	Binder	Read moreDayton Art Institute—Fail Price (USD)	Read moreMary Cassatt and the Feminine Ideal in 19th-Century Paris Notes
Blockx	Iron oxides, earth pigments, and blacks use linseed; everything else uses poppy seed	72.15	35ml. One of the best. Quality has dropped. Read moreTimothy Callaghan—Life Slow Still Quality: B Price: F
Blue Ridge	alkali refined linseed oil & cold pressed walnut oil	Read morePainting: Mother Nursing Infant 21.00	40ml. Excellent value.Quality: B Price: B+ *My choice for mid-range* Read moreIn the Studio 12.16.12
Bob Ross	ingredients not listed	5.69	37ml. Does not make cerulean blue. All 37 ml tubes are 5.69 Quality: D Price: A Read moreThumbs-up: Bonnard; Thumbs-sideways:Vuillard
Charvin Extra Fine	poppyseed	Read moreWhite Paint--in Praise of Lead 30.10	60ml. ‘Extra fine’ line.Quality: C+ Price: B
Charvin Fine	poppyseed	9.99	150ml. Quality: D Price: A Read moreManet in Toledo Cerulean blue is useless, closer to royal blue
Chroma	linseed & safflower	14.07	40ml. Not used
Cranfield	does not describe their medium	Read moreLove Everything About It 33.92	40ml. A small assortment of colors. Quality: C Read moreCarl Gaertner Price: B
Da Vinci	alkali refined linseed (safflower for whites)	30.95	40ml. The price of the most expensive paint does not make Cerulean (something called Cerulean Hue @ 14.70. Have not used.
Daler-Rowney	linseed & wax	Read moreDavid Hickey's Air Guitar 9.98	38ml. The price of the most expensive paint does not make Cerulean. Student grade. Not used.
Daniel Smith	alkali refined linseed & safflower	10.25	37ml. “Cerulean Blue Chromium.” Quality has recently declined. Student grade; avoid except for sketches or grounds.Quality: D Price: B+
Doak	walnut & safflower	Read moreBook Thief 25.00	40ml. “Cerulean Lt. Stannate” Quality: B+ Price: B-
Gamblin	alkali refined linseed & safflower	26.21	Read moreJulie Friedman at Busta Gallery 37 ml. Can’t use, too short.Quality: C Price: B
Gapka	refined linseed	26.21	Read moreOn the Easel Feb. 10, 2013 40 ml. Does not make cerulean blue. Their most expensive paint is $30 USD. Review 1/1926. Read moreGaertner at the Cleveland Museum of Art Quality: C+ Price: A+
Geneva			Will not use.
Grumbacher	alkali refined linseed	Read moreIn the Studio 2/17/2013 17.99	37ml. ‘Pre-tested’ line. Review 1/31/16. Quality: C- Price: B+
Holbein	cold-pressed linseed	Read moreSpray Varnish 25.35	40ml. Has a Vernét Superior line (haven’t tried) @ 36.39. Good paint and value.Quality: B Price: B
Kremer Pigments	linseed or walnut	—	Kremer is known for their pigments and other rare or hard-to-find materials. They do not provide a ready-made cerulean blue. Their only ready-made oil color is white; their flake white in linseed oil is extremely good (haven’t tried the white in walnut oil).Quality: A Price: C
LeFranc and Bourgeois	safflower	Read moreTurpentine Tip 19.77	40ml. Some other colors are more expensive. Quality has recently declined. Student grade; avoid except for sketches or grounds.Quality: D- Price: B+
Lukas 1862	cold-pressed linseed, safflower, wax	15.59	37ml. Good coverage for a low-end brand. Reviewed 1/17/17. Read moreTransferring Designs to Canvas Quality: c- Price: A

M.Graham	walnut	Read moreTips for Using a Grid 17.99	37 ml. Other more expensive paints. Excellent value.Quality: B+ Price: B+
Maimeri Puro	safflower & poppy	61.99	60ml. Their top line; they have several others, not all use this binder.Quality: B Read moreThumbs-up: Neel, Thumbs-up (also): Pearlstein Price: B
Master’s Touch		—	Did not use cerulean for my test. Student grade. Read moreLawrence's Annoying Paintings at the Cleveland Museum of Art Quality: F Price: A+
Michael Harding	cold-pressed linseed	Read moreIn the Studio 3/3/2013 56.03	37ml. Very good to excellent. Flake white is very good. Quality: A Price: D+
Old Holland	cold-pressed linseed	84	40ml. Ludicrous and cynical prices. I won’t use it. 5/16/17 Read moreIn the Studio 3/10/2013 Quality: A Price: F–
Rembrandt	linseed	Read moreIn the Studio 3/17/13 20.09	40ml. Quality has recently declined. Student grade; avoid except for sketches or grounds. Quality: D Price: C
RGH	cold-pressed linseed alkali refined linseed walnut Read moreMy Prison Studio safflower	17.50	Use safflower or alkali-refined linseed for all colors. They also offer lead-based whites with walnut and cold-pressed linseed oil. Buyers can choose the binder for white. The cold-pressed white is very good. Cheap tubes that break or leak led me to downgrade their rating. Excellent value.Quality: B Price: A Read moreThumbs Down: Oz the Great and Powerful (sic) *My choice for mid-range*
Richeson	alkali-refined linseed	23.50	Have not used
Rublev	linseed	Read moreIn the Studio 3/24/2013 59.50	50ml. Cobalt Chromite. Specializes in “traditional” colors.Generally, a good value. “Historic paints” are very expensive, otherwise competitively priced. They also have a good site. Their French burnt sienna is my favorite brand for this very important color. Quality: A Price: B+ reviewed 2/7/2025
Schmincke Mussini	damar	64.73	35ml. The price of the most expensive paint does not make Cerulean Blue. Won’t use due to the dammar.
Sennelier	safflower	Read moreJason Milburn at William Busta Gallery 84.98	40ml Not used enough to rate.
Utrecht	linseed & safflower	16.17	37ml. A decent mid-range brand. Flake white is good. Reviewed 2/15/17. Read moreLake Erie Comes Alive Quality: C Price: B+
Van Gogh	safflower	Read moreEaster 2013 10.00	40ml. Student grade paint. Reviewed 11/3/22. Quality: D- Read moreUpdate to Oil Paint Brands Price: A+
Williamsburg	alkali-refined linseed oil	46.40	37ml.Quality: B Price: C-
Winsor Newton	cold-pressed linseed (sometimes mixed with safflower; safflower for whites)	Read moreThe 42nd Student Show at The Galleries at CSU 21.29	37ml. Good value. Their gouache is very good. Quality: C Read moreLost Secrets of the Masters Part I Price: B+

My Choice for Mid-Range Brand 2/1/25

I’ve used a lot of paints and a number of them for an extended period. Among the mid-range brands, there are several excellent values, such as RGH and Blue Ridge.

Winsor Newton and Gapka get honorable mention, but neither makes the all-important lead white. Gapka doesn’t make cerulean blue either, which is an important color.

My Choice for High-end Brand

Harding, Rublev

Harding’s quality is dependable. Rublev’s quality is varied, but they get points for their dedication to lead-based paints. Rublev (Natural Pigment) offers a wide range of historically inspired paints and other hard-to-find items. They are in a class of their own: good quality and reasonable prices.

I no longer use Old Holland due to their price gouging.

My previous choice, Blockx, has slipped a lot.

Notes

1/19/26 Added Gapka review

2/7/25 several rating changes

2/1/25 Updated to reflect Rublev’s higher rating.

11/3/22 Added Van Gogh review

1/22/22 Added Cranfield review

10/31/21 Updated Maimeri Puro rating

10/19/21 Added Bob Ross.

5/16/21 Downgraded Rembrandt’s price rating.

1/3/21 Master’s Touch review.

8/2/20 Added Geneva non-review.

5/16/17 Downgraded Old Holland.

2/15/17 Review Utrecht.

1/17/17 Added Lukas 1862.

11/30/16 RGH and Blue Ridge supplant Winsor Newton for my top spots for the mid-range brands.

1/31/16 Added rating for Grumbacher. See review.

12/9/14 added Kremer Pigments

10/27/14 added a note about Natural Pigments’ French burnt sienna

Comments (26)

jennykyngartthoughts
October 21, 2017 at 7:24 pm
Hi Tom. Thanks for a very useful website. Just wondering about your review above for RGH paints. When you say “cheap tubes that break or leak” did you by any chance mean their jars? I noticed on your paint raring table you complained about them not selling their paint in tubes which has made me wonder about the above comment ie thinking you might have meant to make reference to their jars rather than their tubes. I’d really like to know as I was just about to buy some of their lead in walnut oil. Cheers, Jenny
Tom Hudson
October 22, 2017 at 4:43 pm
Hi, My RGH paints have come in jars and tubes. Originally, the tubes they used were cheap. My comment refers to those early tubes. Since I wrote that, RGH has moved to better quality tubes, which I find perfectly acceptable. I buy whites in jars because of price (jar prices are better). I find that I can prevent the jarred-paint from drying by storing the jars in baggies. Their flake white is my favorite white these days.
jennykyngartthoughts
October 24, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Many thanks, Thomas.
yechiel Liberman
March 2, 2018 at 4:56 am
Hi Tom Did you tried to use Lead white from Rublev (natural pigments) ? If so what you think about it. Thanks ly
Tom Hudson
March 2, 2018 at 11:11 am
Hi, My review on this page captures my view about their paint. My preference for RGH white is based on price. I've tried a variety of Rublev's other products. Some of it is very good; some of it is useless. Their oil gound, for example, is a useless watery mess. Their black oil is good.
yechiel liberman
March 2, 2018 at 11:26 am
Hi Tom Thanks ly
jennykyngartthoughts
December 31, 2018 at 6:41 pm
Hi Tom Sorry, it looks like I failed to respond to your comment on RGH paints way back when. Thanks so much for the info. Kind regards, Jenny
Andrew
March 1, 2019 at 5:47 am
What is the practical difference between Flake White (PW-1,PW6) and Flemish White(PW-2) beside pigments ? Thank you
Maddy
March 28, 2019 at 11:12 pm
Thank you for taking your time and knowledge to write your views on the different Companies. i was holding my breath on Winsor&Newton evaluation and then let out a great sigh of relieve coz I seem to stick to what I like without experimenting with different companies.
Tom Hudson
March 29, 2019 at 11:02 am
Hi Maddy. I still like W & N. Pretty good paint at (still) good prices. I have a grudge with them, however, since they stopped making the all-important flake white.
Oil paint brands update
September 30, 2021 at 5:22 pm
[…] update my oil paint brands review and reference, I bought some paints that I don’t normally use. I have never used Cranfield or Bob Ross. I […]
Review: Cranfield oil paint
January 22, 2022 at 8:14 pm
[…] I’ve updated the oil paint reference. […]
Trish Karter
April 5, 2022 at 8:58 am
HI Tom - Thanks for doing this review. After 30 years in business and sneaking away when possible, I have finally gotten back to my paints. I studied with Frank Mason at the Art Student's League and in his outdoor atelier in Stow for 5 years. Back then (1980's) he thought WN was the best bet other than grinding your own. Some of his students did and I was right in there for the zen of it but didn't have the time and wanted to use the little I had to try to learn to paint. I sure makes you appreciate what goes into a beautiful material. Frank was always passionate about conservation, even for students. Meanwhile have you tried https://www.instagram.com/wallace_seymour/ Thanks so much for publishing your thoughts. Best, Trish
Tom Hudson
April 11, 2022 at 1:42 pm
Hi Trish, I studied with Frank too back in the 80's. Many of his students were dedicated to him. I moved around to different teachers to match my schedule. I remember a Winter afternoon in Frank's class when the monitors refused to turn on the lights. By the end of the class, I couldn't see my hand let alone the model across the room. WN was good up until recently. Art supply manufacturers frequently hide their cost-cutting moves behind green PR campaigns. I checked the Wallace Seymour site but they're in the UK and they don't make lead white, which is a bad sign.
Bill Miller
May 3, 2022 at 2:18 pm
Have you tried Galla paints? I just ran across this brand and have never heard of them. I know about Rublev and Williamsburg and Blue Ridge et Al, but Galla is new to me. Anyway thanks for this service you provide .
Tom Hudson
May 4, 2022 at 4:52 pm
The Galla website describes their watercolor paint but says nothing about oils, is that right? I haven't tried this brand. https://www.agallocolors.com/
Justin Ayers
May 8, 2022 at 3:29 am
Andrew, Fleming White is a completely different pigment (lead sulfate) from the lead white almost everyone is familiar with (basic lead carbonate). Despite having lead in it, it won't behave the same way. That may be good and bad. Lead carbonate is known for improving the flexibility of paint films but it's also (I think) becoming known for causing increased transparency over time. So, while you get the benefit of not getting cracking and delamination (as long as the lead carbonate is ground in linseed not poppy or safflower) you may find that the painting layers become more transparent. How many years that takes I don't know but I think it's a long time. Lead sulfate is currently made for use in plastic for piping. From what I vaguely know about it it's not the whitest form of lead sulfate white that has been produced in the industrial era, because a super-white (higher grade) isn't as important as cost when it's being used in plastic piping for added stability. Even ignoring the claim about the chlorinated version (which I'll mention in the next paragraph), there may be a way to make the pigment that yields a brighter white. I haven't used any lead sulfate white paint so I don't really know from first-hand experience how white it is when compared with others. I have only seen some swatches in yellowing comparisons people have done. None of them had RGH's Flemish white. Long ago, in the quest for a less-toxic lead white, one type of lead sulfate white was made with chlorine in the manufacturing process. According to the documentation it had better opacity and was a brighter white than the lead sulfate we find today. As with some other whites, there are apparently grades of lead sulfate in terms of how white they are. I recall reading, for instance, that there is a pH difference (two types of contemporary lead sulfate, one with a different pH from the other — tetrabasic being preferable for artistic use). It has been so many years since I researched all this that it's hard to remember every detail. As far as I know, lead sulfate doesn't form the lead soaps like lead carbonate. Those give lead carbonate a thixotropic/slippery quality that many painters like as well as both the more flexible paint film benefit and the transparency over time drawback. Since it doesn't form those soaps, as far as I know, lead sulfate probably behaves more like titanium white than lead carbonate, although with certainly less opacity. Lithopone (zinc sulfide) is (according to one or more sources) supposed to have the problem of darkening with time. Zinc oxide has very serious problems in oils, causing very brittle paint films. So, perhaps lead sulfate is a good alternative to lithopone and zinc white. I don't know. I would be really interested in seeing someone with a lab make some of that chlorine-process lead sulfate. The most common use of lead sulfate white in industrial-era oil painting has been in primrose chrome yellow, where the lead sulfate was added to the palest form of pure lead chromate to make it paler and more greenish. That particular chromate paint is the least stable of all of them, blackening very rapidly. So, I would want to have testing to demonstrate that lead sulfate doesn't darken and that that darkening was just because the chrome yellow was more diluted. Rublev's Flemish White, as I recall, is a mixture of lead carbonate and lead sulfate. The same goes for Blue Ridge, as far as I recall. RGH apparently makes one that is just lead sulfate. It would be interesting to get some of that one and test it for darkening. If it passes, perhaps it could be a good "mixing white" alternative to zinc white.
Justin Ayers
May 8, 2022 at 3:30 am
Flemish white, that is.
Justin Ayers
May 8, 2022 at 3:48 am
The parent company of Williamsburg oils did some testing for cracking with zinc white added to titanium. A massive oversight was that safflower oil wasn't included. However, there were some very interesting results. Titanium white by itself looked really bad in a thicker layer. The surface was very pitted and ugly and the color was quite yellow. The addition of zinc helped very dramatically, although to get the full benefit it had to be added at a 5% rate. The problem is that 5% shows a lot of added brittleness. Their testing also claims that titanium white paint films can handle more zinc white than lead white paint films can handle, which is counterintuitive since lead white on its own offers the most flexible paint film. It's unclear if a different production method for zinc white will have a strong effect in reducing the problems. I read one article that claimed Van Gogh used a lot of zinc white and that it hasn't been a problem, in contrast with more recent paintings. The claim is that that is due to a different production method. The Williamsburg testing also found that poppy oil is the least yellow initially and over time but their swatch developed a lot of cracks with the poppy and not with the linseed oils. Of course, there was no swatch with safflower (nor walnut as I recall). They don't sell poppy oil paints but do sell some in safflower. Also, the lead white in their tests looked nice without any zinc added, unlike the titanium which, again, looked terrible.
Justin Ayers
May 8, 2022 at 4:10 am
The optical superiority of poppy oil (at least when wet/fresh) is something I have seen myself. I had tubes of Blockx real manganese blue and cobalt violet light. Both of those pigments benefitted quite a bit from the reduced yellowness. The beauty of those Blockx paints was something to behold. I have had other brands of cobalt violet light (including Williamsburg, Old Holland, and LeFranc — which is ground in safflower) and none of them were as vivid as the Blockx. Old Holland's manganese blue, ground in linseed, was especially dulled by the yellow of the oil. If the Williamsburg testing is to be believed, though, poppy oil's reduced yellowing comes with the very serious problem of cracking. Their tester said adding extra oil helps a lot when it comes to preventing oils from cracking when painted over various acrylic layers but if adding extra poppy oil to poppy paint to reduce cracking is a sound solution, how much can be added before the poppy oil's less yellowness benefit is negated? My understanding is that the yellowing of oils as they dry is the same thing that causes them to form strong paint films. (That isn't the same thing as the phenomenon of oil paint yellowing much worse when dried away from light exposure.) I read that perilla oil yellows more than linseed but forms an even stronger paint film. So, it seems very logical to see poppy oil being the least-yellowing and the most crack-prone. There seems to be no free lunch in anything. Lead white, as I mentioned, not only has the toxicity but may cause paint layers to become more transparent over time. Zinc white causes extreme cracking and delamination, at least with the common production form. Titanium white, if the Williamsburg tests are demonstrative, looks terrible when applied thickly. It also is often disliked for its opacity in mixes and doesn't strengthen paint films like lead carbonate white does.
Bill Miller
June 9, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Tom, re: Galla paints - my bad apparently did not take note of them being only available as water colors.
Review: Michael Harding oil paint
November 10, 2022 at 9:54 pm
[…] the past, I used enough Michael Harding paint to add it to my oil paint reference. My initial rating was “good.” Later, I tried their titanium white and was surprised to […]
Bill Miller
February 4, 2023 at 2:11 pm
Tom, I just got an email from Gapka paints located in Allentown PA since 2005. Have you heard of them yet or tried their paints? They show a color chart with 38 colors so not a large selection. Anyway,, happy painting!
Tom Hudson
February 11, 2023 at 10:17 pm
I haven't heard of them. Normally, I'm happy to test small vendors but Gapka seems narrowly specialized with a small selection including a lot of neon colors. Sadly, no lead white.
B Burman
August 16, 2025 at 7:32 pm
Coming back to oils, I still have my old Blockx blues I really like but not much left. Hesitant to buy more after your downgrade - what about their quality has decline? I know they were bought out a few years back so I was already concerned.
Tom Hudson
August 17, 2025 at 10:21 am
Hi B Burman, When Blockx stopped making lead white, that signaled they were no longer producing for the professional painter. I suspect they are going the same route as Lefranc Bourgeois.