Today’s question comes from Jack and he writes:
I am thinking about making the switch from acrylics to oils. Can anyone recommend a good student grade oil paint to buy? I cannot afford artist quality paints at this time. I heard good things about Winsor & Newton and Grumbacher but wanted to see what other artists use. Thanks!
Do you have any information that may help Jack? Please leave your response on the comments box below.
I wouldn’t encourage you to bother with student grade paints but here are some ideas that won’t cost you a ton of money.
Paint with a limited palette, 8-10 colors tops. To start, warm red, warm blue, warm yellow, burnt sienna and white, then add cool blue, red and yellow colors. It’s called a Split Primary Palette and a good way to learn how to mix colors. Add the secondaries, orange, green, and violet, later.
Look on Craigslist.com if there is one in your area. You can find people to took art classes and quit selling their supplies. Be patient.
Bob Ross paints are a bit less expensive and good quality (so I was told)
Winsor Newton has a water soluble line called Artisan. They are artist quality or near artist quality, depending on who you talk to. They sell a six pack of starter colors.
Finally, visit the mothership of online sales, Ebay.com. You can find any kind of paint, new or used, at your price. Plenty of Ross and W&N paints on Ebay. And, they often have that W&n starter six pack for around $25.
Finally, paint with thinned washes to conserve paint. Covering your palette with plastic wrap and sticking it in the freezer will extend the life of the paint inbetween sessions. You can find other good money saving ideas so you don’t have to use student grade paints. Good luck.
Hi Jack,
Before you make that jump, try the water-soluble oils. Easy clean up, no odor, and they stay wet and workable. If you’re used to oils and the workability of them, the acrylics might take some time getting used to.
But, if you’re set on acrylics, go with whatever’s on sale. Play with ’em until you get a feel for it.
I did the same thing as you, and the transition to acrylic was tough.
Good luck!!
IMO, there are no good student grade oils or much of anything else at student grade. If you wish to switch mediums, go for the basics (red, yellow, blue) and mix your own. Expand your palatte as your wallet expands. Hope this helps.
Cranky Steve
Hey Jack, I am just learning too and I recently switched like you are planning. There are several differences between acrylic and oil paint, but the one that made the difference for me financially is the fact that oil paint dries so slow! I found that if I paint every day I rarely wasted any paint. Also, for me anyway, oils seem to mix better so I don’t buy so many different colors. A couple each of the primary’s, a paynes gray, and white. Hope that helps
I started with student grade many years ago because I didn’t know that there was difference. I saw that those that had hue on the tubes were cheaper so I bought them. No one at the store (Blick’s) said anything to me about the difference. Over the years, I have read from “real” artists to not use student grade. I agree with the others to buy the reds, yellows, and blues in warm and cool, plus Titanium white. I just started putting my palettes in the freezer. As a result, I am not wasting any paint. Each artist that you see in the various art magazines or tutorials has a favorite list of colors. Most of them you won’t use. Again, use the 3 basics and white. You will expand with experience.
I am a self taught oil painter, learning thru instructional books and videos. I am taking that next step to improve my paintings and learning about glazing. I have learned already about student paints. What I would like to understand now is what are “warm and cool paints” of the same color?
Hi Jack, I’ve also just started trying oils and have been through several brands of student-grade, which tend to be weak (meaning you have to use a lot in mixes) and gooshy. I did not like the Winton or Grumbacher Academy. Then I tried some ‘artist grade’ and they were so powerful that white had to be mixed in to everything to see what color it is, ok if you want white in everything! I’ve now been using Daler-Rowney Georgian paints which seem to be in between, pick the paints carefully and they are nice, and on sale, very cheap!
Hi,
I am also beginner in oil paints. I just started with basic color such as red, green, yellow. I have Chroma 2 student paints it is a creamy paint and easy to remove from brush.
I would recommend a limited palette of good artist grade colors. Avoid Student grade paints if at all possible, especially the Winsor & Newton student grade – they are extremely oily and inconsistent IMO.
I currently use and am very satisfied with Utrecht brand artist grade paint.
Student grade paint contains a lot of filler, and often substandard pigment. For lowest cost and an education in color mixing, start with mid-grade paints and a limited palette. Kathleen Dunphy’s limited palette is Titanium White, Cad Yellow Lemon (Utrecht), Perm. Red Med. (Rembrandt), Ultramarine Blue, Naples Yellow Deep (Rembrandt), Cold Gray (Rembrandt). Visit her website to see what she accomplishes with four colors plus black and white. Her blog will help you, too.
I have tubes of Winsor Newton Artist paints,and Winton student grade…the artist grade are better,but not so much that I wanted to throw my Wintons in the trash….some colors I can’t tell the difference….French Ultramarine,for example….the Wintons look the same as the Winsors…..I have seen people paint amazing art with all kinds of “substandard”mediums…..buy what you can afford….the main thing is to paint….
I started out using Winton oil colours years ago with great results. Sold a number of paintings. Recently, Windsor and Newton changed hands, Now the paint is sub-standard and a person at Blick told me that the Wintons are made in China. I tried Gamblin didn’t like it weak for artist grade and then Old holland too stiff. The best in my opinion is M. Graham great paint which uses walnut oil as a binder to reduce the yellowing and maintain brightness, however walnut oil does not produce as good of paint film as linseed oil base paints. For a palette of colors just use the following: Cad. yellow light, Alizr. crimson, Cobalt blue or ultra. blue, Prussian blue and of course Titan. white. With ultra blue I include Thalo green blue shade to mix with the ultra blue gives a good sky color. All of the above colors contain all three primaries so you don’t have to purchase a lot of costly paint tubes.