Oil Painting Basics: What is the Best Oil Paint Brand?

There are so many oil paint brands both here in the US and across the pond. Historically American-made oil paints couldn't come close to their European counterparts. However, and with many thanks to the ingenuity of several determined craftspeople, over the last few decades that is no longer the case. This leaves us with just one problem...which brand of oil paint is the best brand when there are so many brands?

To help make this decision a little bit easier, below I have listed some of the best and most common oil paint brands from most to least expensive. In this post I am also going to explain what paints I use and why.

Brands

Below I have a listed out some of the best brands you can purchase. Note, this list is by no means exhaustive, however each brand has been picked for its general affordability and accessibility (Blue Ridge being the exception here. It is a one man show that I have always wanted to try, but you can only purchase from his website).

My price comparison was done with Yellow Ochre, as it is a paint everyone needs and a color that every company makes. The prices came from dickblick.com, note the prices may have changed over time, you can also see what other artists think of these brands here.

Any of these brands are excellent picks and have similar qualities. So then what brand is the perfect brand? Sadly, your perfect brand is the one your wallet can handle. Do I want to try every shade that Old Holland has to offer? Yes I do! Can my wallet handle Old Holland? Not really...

If you want a tried and true, good paint that will give you buttery consistency and the best bang for you buck, you can't go wrong with the last four options. All are about the same when it comes to both price and quality. You can read more about each brand by selecting their image here and learn things like how Old Holland has been around for almost 400 years! What!

My Brand Picks

I use M. Graham and Gamblin interchangeably, although I do have a few Rembrandt. Both Graham and Gamblin are American brands that are pro-environment and eco-friendly, which is of prime importance to me. I slightly prefer M. Graham's paint but don't love their packaging. The tube opening is so large that I always squeeze out way more paint than is necessary. I highly recommend either brand as a good starting point for beginners and professionals alike.

And that is about it, did I miss anything? In the comments tell me what brand you love and why. Is there a brand you think was wrongfully snubbed? Let me know!

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This is a rewrite of my original blog post, Paint Brands: Student vs Professional