Category: Reviews

Review: Bob Ross oil paint

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 their pigments listed on the…

Oil paint brands update

To 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 list Maimeri Puro and Richeson in my reference but I haven’t used them enough to rate them. This purchase allows me to correct that. I previously rated M.…

Thomas Crow

Thomas Crow is an American art historian. For a short time, his interests overlapped with mine, which is how I became aware of him. Some readers might know that I am a fan of the French artist J.L David. Early in his career, Crow wrote a book focused on David and his circle, Emulation: Making…

Grumpy book review: 1177 B.C.

The book’s complete title is 1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed. The book addresses the mysterious collapse of the Iron Age civilization. The author, Eric Cline, claims that recent findings prompted him to update his book that was originally published in 2014. I am reviewing the Audible version. If you’re asking “What is the Iron…

Grumpy review: Kindles

I’ve used my Kindle Oasis for several years and thought I’d share my impressions with you. Let’s start with the negatives. Cons Goodreads. Amazon embeds Goodreads in the Kindle. You cannot turn it off, even if you do not have or want a Goodreads account. I almost returned my Kindle when I discovered this ‘feature.’…

What’s wrong with Rembrandt oils

When I was starting, my budget restricted my paint choices to the cheapest brands. When I had some extra money (haha), I’d treat myself to a tube of Rembrandt paint. Rembrandt was decidedly low-end among the professional-grade oils, but a step up from my day-to-day paints. Rembrandt oils are still at the lower end of…

RGH’s atelier series

RGH’s atelier series of refined painting oils is good stuff. I’ve used most of the pictured 4-oz jar and I’m very happy with the results. I just placed an order for a full pint. Good oil is critical for painting. RGH refines their oil by “historical methods.” I put that in scare quotes because one…