{"id":14107,"date":"2026-01-19T10:22:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T15:22:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=14107"},"modified":"2026-01-19T10:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T15:28:19","slug":"gapka-oils-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2026\/01\/gapka-oils-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Gapka oils: Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gapka generously sent me a large assortment of their oils to try<\/a>. I’ve used their paints daily in order to write a fair review.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Gapka is following a clever strategy<\/a>. They make single-pigment paints aimed at professionals, as well as others for weekend warriors and hobbyists, such as their neon pink paint.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio Oct. 14 2012<\/span><\/a><\/div>

In this photo of my palette, you can see some of their paints: pyrrole red, venetian red, yellow ochre, chromium green oxide, prussian blue, and neon yellow. The neon yellow is the runny yellow paint in the top row.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For a new manufacturer, their paint tubes are solid and better than those of their close competitor, RGH. The messiness of some of my tubes, shown here, is not a negative. If, as they claim, their paints contain no fillers, you expect to see something like this tube of transparent red oxide. Pigments differ in how well they combine with the binder. The runny neon yellow on my palette is an example of a pigment that is poorly combined with the linseed oil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Read more<\/span>Stephen Pentak at Bonfoey<\/span><\/a><\/div>

The neon yellow is the only dud in my paint assortment. The rest are full-bodied and well behaved. Gapka uses refined linseed oil, which is a plus. I prefer linseed to other oils. The term ‘refined’<\/em> is ambiguous,<\/span> but their paints mix well with my medium and handle crisply.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the photo of the paints they sent to me, many of the tubes display the pigment used, including several that use multiple pigments. This is what I expect for professional-level paints. Others, those I assume are aimed at the hobbyist, don’t display the pigments they contain. The outlier is cadmium yellow medium. For professional-grade paint, I’d expect to see the pigment employed. Most manufacturers who fudge this expensive paint might label it something like cadmium yellow medium hue<\/em>, or some such. Because this tube is the only one with hand labeling, I assume it’s from an early production run.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Read more<\/span>Cleveland Museum of Art Staff Exhibition<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Gapka makes solid professional-level paint. Combined with terrific pricing, I can easily recommend them. On the negative side, while I can ignore their neon boutique extravaganza, their lack of lead white is a serious failing. Having said that, I will buy their paint. I like their Prussian blue, chromium green oxide, pyrrole red, and mauve umber. I really like the last-named.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Rating:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio—10\/28\/12<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Quality: C+<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Price: A+<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Read more<\/span>Hurricane Sandy<\/span><\/a><\/div>

I’ve updated my Oil Paint Brand Ratings with Gapka’s rating<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gapka generously sent me a large assortment of their oils to try. I’ve used their paints daily in order to write a fair review. Gapka is following a clever strategy. They make single-pigment paints aimed at professionals, as well as others for weekend warriors and hobbyists, such as their neon pink paint. Read moreIn the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":14031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[332,208,550,46,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grumpy-review","category-materials","category-oil-paint","category-reviews","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251007_154547.jpg?fit=1200%2C1600&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14032,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2025\/10\/new-oil-paint-maker-gapka\/","url_meta":{"origin":14107,"position":0},"title":"New oil paint maker Gapka","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"October 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Gapka oil paint maker was unknown to me when they reached out to ask if I would be interested in trying their paints. I am always ready to try new materials, and was impressed that they had read enough of my blog to know my proclivities. \"We don't make\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251007_154253.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251007_154253.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251007_154253.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20251007_154253.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":573,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2012\/12\/oil-paint-brands\/","url_meta":{"origin":14107,"position":1},"title":"Oil Paint Brand Ratings","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"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. \u00a0This photo shows my two paint cabinets. \u00a0The one on the left has tubes of blue, green, yellow, and earth red. \u00a0The top drawer, for example, contains only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Shop Talk"","block_context":{"text":"Shop Talk","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/shop_talk\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh4.jpg?fit=800%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh4.jpg?fit=800%2C783&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh4.jpg?fit=800%2C783&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/flesh4.jpg?fit=800%2C783&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9898,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2021\/10\/review-bob-ross-oil-paint\/","url_meta":{"origin":14107,"position":2},"title":"Review: Bob Ross oil paint","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"October 19, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Bob Ross oils are low-end. Cheap. Their intended audience is people inspired by Bob Ross to try their hand at painting. I bought a tube of Ross Indian yellow as part of a recent purchase of paints that I intend to review, shown here. Bob Ross oils do not have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Grumpy review"","block_context":{"text":"Grumpy review","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/grumpy-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/b-ross2a.jpg?fit=1000%2C717&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/b-ross2a.jpg?fit=1000%2C717&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/b-ross2a.jpg?fit=1000%2C717&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/b-ross2a.jpg?fit=1000%2C717&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5796,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/02\/blue-ridge-paints-back-in-business\/","url_meta":{"origin":14107,"position":3},"title":"Blue Ridge paints back in business","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"February 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I am really glad that Blue Ridge Paints is taking orders again. \u00a0I learned last month about their fire when I went to their web site to place an order. \u00a0 I was concerned that they might not be able to recover. \u00a0Their paints\u00a0are very good and are offered at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Blue_Ridge_Paints.jpg?fit=600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Blue_Ridge_Paints.jpg?fit=600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Blue_Ridge_Paints.jpg?fit=600%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9911,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2021\/10\/review-maimeri-puro-oil-paint\/","url_meta":{"origin":14107,"position":4},"title":"Review: Maimeri Puro oil paint","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"October 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I got my tube of Maimeri Puro Naples yellow with my last paint purchase. All paints purchased that day were unrated on my oil paint reference. I've used this brand before and put it on the list but I hadn't used it enough to rate it. I'm not sure why\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pal-test-1.jpg?fit=800%2C396&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pal-test-1.jpg?fit=800%2C396&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pal-test-1.jpg?fit=800%2C396&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pal-test-1.jpg?fit=800%2C396&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6728,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2017\/02\/review-utrecht-oils\/","url_meta":{"origin":14107,"position":5},"title":"Review: Utrecht oils","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"February 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It's hard for me to understand this but until this week I never used Utrecht brand oils. \u00a0I'm not sure why this is. \u00a0I've visited their shops in NYC and Cleveland and ordered plenty of other things from them. \u00a0True, I was disappointed with the easel I bought from them,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/utrecht-tubes.gif?fit=800%2C538&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/utrecht-tubes.gif?fit=800%2C538&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/utrecht-tubes.gif?fit=800%2C538&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/utrecht-tubes.gif?fit=800%2C538&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-3Fx","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14107"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14131,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14107\/revisions\/14131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}