I continue to update the survey of oil paint brands.
I have been using a lot of paint from the small producer Blue Ridge Colors. I am constantly on the lookout for reliable day-to-day paints, that is, paints that are good quality and reasonably priced. In this pursuit, I’ve recently used Rembrandt, Winsor Newton, and Williamsburg.
Rembrandt’s quality has declined. While some colors are still acceptable, the overall quality has degraded. Too bad because they are the cheapest of those discussed here. Paint quality: C-, price A.
Winsor Newton is generally reliable but I bought two 200ml tubes of flake white that were so grainy they were useless. Before this incident, I never had a problem with their stuff. Their prices are higher than Rembrandt’s. Paint quality: C+, price A-.
Willamsburg is excellent but they are too expensive for day-to-day use. Their prices are close to the high-end brands–Old Holland and Blockx.
Williamsburg: Paint quality: B+, price C-
Blockx: Paint quality: A+, price F-
Old Holland rating: Paint quality: A, price F
This brings us to Blue Ridge. Their paint is generally excellent and the price is reasonable–just a little more than Winsor Newton. But…the 150ml tube of cerulean blue ($50) I recently purchased is a glob-by, runny mess. Obviously there is too much oil in this batch. But unlike the grainy flake white from WN, it is still usable–just. Boutique producers often have QA problems.
At any rate, I recently purchased three more 150ml tubes–ivory black, burnt sienna, yellow ochre–and if I discover anymore disasters, I will stop using them.
Current Rating for Blue Ridge: Paint quality: B+, price B+