11 best manufacturers of art oil paints

Artists of various genres working with a brush use professional paints, in particular oil paints. They form bright flat or volumetric strokes that reliably fix the shape, the finished image is protected from fading. Here’s an overview of the 11 best oil paint manufacturers for beginners and professional artists. The rating was compiled on the basis of an analysis of manufacturers’ products and drawing reviews.

Rating of the best manufacturers of oil paints

Nomination	a place	manufacturer	rating
The best manufacturers of oil paints for professionals	1	Winsor&Newton	5.0
	2	Pebeo	4.9
	3	Schmincke	4.8
	4	Lefranc&Bourgeois	4.8
	5	Da vinci	4.7
	6	Van dyck	4.7
Best oil paints for beginners	1	Master Oil	4.8
	2	Master Class	4.7
	3	Georgian	4.6
	4	Studio	4.5
	5	Ladoga	4.4

 

The best manufacturers of oil paints for professionals

The professional line includes rich pigmented sets of different densities. They have faster drying times for large artwork and color layering.

Winsor&Newton

Rating: 5.0

British brand Winsor & Newton is on the first line of the rating. The manufacturer offers various sets of oil-based paints in tubes, as well as individual tubes – it is convenient to purchase them separately as the artist uses them.

Winsor & Newton uses high quality raw materials and mineral and organic pigments for the production, due to which the color of the paint is rich and dense. The series contains paints of classical composition and water-soluble – the latter can also be used by novice artists – they are easy to mix, dilute with water to the desired consistency, and even wash off with soapy water from a canvas or other dense surface … It is more difficult with classical formulations – they will have to be diluted with separately purchased imported oil solutions.

Winsor & Newton paints belong to the budget category, despite the average cost of a tube in a set of about 250 rubles. They have high hiding power and are well pigmented.

Advantages

• Series of dense classic and water-based paints;
• Mix well within one group of composition;
• Suitable for professional and even beginner artists;
• Tubes can be purchased separately, but more expensive – about 360 rubles apiece.

disadvantages

• Oil formulations require a quality solvent.

Pebeo

Rating: 4.9

In second place, the French manufacturer Pebeo Industries specializes in the production of professional paints for artists. The Studio XL series is a classic finely ground mix that includes both the Dyna sparkling effect and the Glaze glaze, all of which are also available in separate kits. For high-level professionals, there is a special line of Pebeo Fragonard with the densest color and ideal hiding power.

All of the manufacturer’s paints are based on natural oils of different densities, and the ultrafinely ground pigments used are resistant to fading. The palette of colors is wide, paints are sold in sets and separately for about 280 rubles per tube, in a set it will also come out about 110 rubles.

Advantages

• Several series of paints with different effects;
• Affordable price;
• High density of finely ground pigment;
• Fade resistant.

disadvantages

• Not defined.

Schmincke

Rating: 4.8

In the line of the German manufacturer Schmincke there are several series of oil-based paints: Akademie with a high concentration of pigments, including a metallic effect, Norma professional with a large selection of bright colors, Mussini based on high-density oils-resins for venerable artists, student series COLLEGE® OIL consisting of 24 basic colors.

All paints are characterized by high lightfastness, and the Mussini series in terms of quality and properties repeats the oil that the masters of the Renaissance wrote. The compositions can be bought in sets or in separate tubes of 20, 35, 50, 200 ml.

The price of a tube starts at 160 rubles per set.

Advantages

• Dense colors with finely ground pigments;
• Several specialized series;
• Different volume of tubes;
• Sale in sets and separately;
• Optimal price.

disadvantages

• Artificial pigments are somewhat inferior in lightfastness to natural ones.

Lefranc&Bourgeois

Rating: 4.8

Французский бренд Lefranc&Bourgeois предлагает масло двух серий: Lefranc с идеальной консистенцией и укрывистостью, Louvre со сбалансированной и богатой палитрой в наборах. The use of natural pigments helps to achieve the best visual effect and light fastness, the palette of reds is especially impressive.

The EXTRA-FINE OIL series is impressive, with 120 colors in a smooth pattern. HUILE FINE includes 48 color options for fine painting. Tubes of 20, 40, 150, 200 ml are completed in many sets, the price refers to the middle segment.

Advantages

• Large color palettes;
• Paints for fine painting and professional work;
• Average price category;
• Different packing.

disadvantages

• Relatively long drying time.

Da vinci

Rating: 4.7

Da Vinci oil paints named after the artist are thinly applied, dry quickly. This is an expensive professional material that retains its aesthetic properties for many years without losing color and brightness. A bright natural oil-based finely ground pigment lays down evenly and smoothly, paints are suitable for all types of painting.

You can buy it in professional stores and official Da Vinci representatives at a price of about $ 9.5 or 640 rubles for a 35 ml tube.

Advantages

• Accelerated drying;
• Mineral pigments;
• Plastic smear of the required thickness;
• Perfect color retention for many years.

disadvantages

• High price;
• Difficult to find on sale.

Van dyck

Rating: 4.7

Van Dyck paints are probably the thinnest in the rating, while they have a rich, dense color, ideal hiding power, sufficient lightfastness. The manufacturer used natural and artificial pigments, achieving the optimal ratio of the cost of paints and their quality.

Van Dyck’s palette is wide, besides the classic colors, it contains paints with metallic effects. Tubes of 20, 60, 150 ml are sold mainly separately – because of the high cost of the material, it is beneficial for artists to choose a palette for their own needs.

The average price of a 20 ml tube with a silver effect is about 500 rubles.

Advantages

• Wide range of classic and metallic colors;
• Subtle but rich smear;
• Different volume of tubes.

disadvantages

• High price;
• Not easy to find on sale.

Best oil paints for beginners

Paints for beginner artists are not as dense as professional paints, they have a consistency more malleable to mixing, and their cost is somewhat lower than that of oil for an advanced level.

Master Oil

Rating: 4.8

Master Oil paints from the Italian brand Ferrario are universal, they are suitable for application to any substrate – the composition has increased adhesion even to smooth surfaces. Drying time is relatively short; another advantage is the possibility of uniform mixing with paints from other domestic manufacturers. After drying, the image retains its color for a long time, and mixed natural and artificial pigments do not change aesthetic properties in the sun and under lamps.

The production is based on classical technologies for preparing oil paints, which provides a reasonable ratio of price and quality. The range consists of 50 basic shades of classic colors, you will have to purchase them separately at different prices from 330 rubles for a 60 ml tube.

Advantages

• Good covering ability;
• Many shades of basic colors;
• Tubes of 60 or 150 ml to choose from;
• Accelerated drying.

disadvantages

• High price;
• Lack of ready-made sets.

Master Class

Rating: 4.7

The domestic brand ‘Master-class’ offers beginners and professional artists high-quality paints with natural and mineral pigments. The range is predominantly saturated, but some colors are inferior to those of other brands. In particular, orange paint is not dense and bright enough, not all artists like it.

A total of 99 colors in the Master Class palette, which can be purchased separately in 46 ml tubes, the manufacturer also offers ready-made sets of 6 colors, 8 or 12 in small 18 ml tubes. Note: the paints can be mixed with the colors of other brands of this manufacturer.

Advantages

• Highly pigmented paints, 99 colors;
• Tubes of different sizes;
• There are ready-made sets;
• Good covering ability.

disadvantages

• Some colors are not sufficiently pigmented.

Georgian

Rating: 4.6

The English brand Georgian produces oil paints perfect for aspiring artists. They are made on the basis of artificial dyes, but they fit well on the canvas, forming a decorated shiny stroke. It mixes well due to its creamy consistency, dries relatively quickly, is resistant to light and fading.

The average price of a 38 ml tube is about 340 rubles.

Advantages

• Good covering ability;
• Fits perfectly on canvas;
• 58 colors.

disadvantages

• The high price of the tube.

Studio

Rating: 4.5

Oil paints ‘Studio’ from the domestic Gamma of the basic color palette are created with the use of artificial pigments that imitate natural ones. This color does not turn out to be fully saturated, but for novice artists they will be quite enough. The creamy texture is convenient for applying the first strokes during the ‘tamping’ stage of the hand.

They are completed in sets of 6, 9 and 10 colors, the average price of one 18 ml tube is 82-90 rubles.

Advantages

• Basic colors;
• Synthetic pigments determine a low price;
• 3 set options.

disadvantages

• Scarce palette;
• Low pigmentation.

Ladoga

Rating: 4.4

It is advisable to purchase a set or separate tubes of oil paints ‘Ladoga’ for young artists who are just getting acquainted with painting. The pigmentation of the oil is average, the colors are not fully saturated, but the consistency of the paint is suitable for studying strokes, mastering mixing and selecting shades.

The average price of a set of 12 colors is about 1100 rubles.

Advantages

• Convenient consistency for novice artists;
• 54 colors in the palette;
• Possibility of purchasing paints in sets and separately.

disadvantages

• Insufficient color saturation.