A reader asks wether I prefer Utrecht flake white or RGH’s. To answer the question directly: I prefer Utrecht (barely). Utrecht covers better and has more body. To demonstrate this, I share a simple side-by-side comparison. (Note: I currently have some of RGH’s extra fine white. The extra-fine paint is ground in safflower oil, which…
Here is today’s activity. As usual, both paintings are unfinished. Both are part of the Playhouse Square series. Lately, I’ve been using Utrecht’s flake white. It performs decently and is decently priced too. I actually like it better than Winsor Newton’s flake white.
The most important color–by far–is white. White oil paint comes in three flavors: Zinc white (zinc oxide, PW4, usually called Chinese White when used in watercolors). Although known from ancient times, its common usage is relatively modern, dating from the 18th century when it was developed as a replacement for lead white, which was long known to be…