Can anyone recommend a good brand of oil paints?

Im buying my budding artist mother, some oil paints for Christmas but would like to know a good (not cheap but as reasonably priced as possible) brand. Any ideas?





ThanksCan anyone recommend a good brand of oil paints?
There are several levels of product available to the oil painter ranging from poor to premium. The contents and the knowledge of individual pigment characteristics is evident in some while not apparent in others. This is not to be confused with student vs. professional grade paint. Some brands offer a higher grade and student grade line.





This list is not representative of every brand out there, just what comes to mind this moment.





Premium:


Vasari %26lt;= the absolute best pre-tubed oil paint available


Old Holland


Robert Doak


Michael Harding


Williamsburg


Rublev (this is not a good gift unless you know this artist uses the product. It is too specialized. It is the closest thing to old hand-ground paint with many traditional pigments no longer available in any other product).





Mid-quality:


Blue Ridge


Maimeri (Puro)


Sennelier


Windsor %26amp; Newton


Daniel Smith


M Graham


Blockx


Lefranc %26amp; Bourgeois


Grumbacher





Mixed quality depending on the pigment:


Cennini


Rembrandt (often soupy/runny)


Gamblin (a few are unmatched while others are poor)





Generic average paint:


Utrecht


Dick Blick


Charvin


Holbein





Poor:


Lukas


Shiva


Da Vinci


All of the student grade paints have the least pigment, substituted mixtures for original pigment whenever possible and economical and contain the largest proportion of fillers.








Misinformation must be stamped out:





';Artist, Dick Blick, Rembrandt'; %26lt;=Avoid, lower tier brands.





';Oils aren't like acrylics and there is no way to make them cheaply or stay in the market with a bad product.'; %26lt;= This is incorrect. There are several poor quality paints promoted as high grade to the hobbyist market. They have been around for years taking advantage of the average consumer's lack in knowledge of materials. Buyer Beware!





';Artist's know and those companies fail fast.'; %26lt;= Not true. Not only beginners and hobbyists but many professional artists do not have adequate knowledge of materials or techniques.





';Just buy whatver you feel like.'; %26lt;= BAD ADVICE!!! Always seek knowledge and make informed choices. Artists at the end of lifelong careers continue to discover new things about materials and techniques. Unfortunately this is often the hard way once they have been around long enough to observe their work deteriorating from inferior materials and techniques.





';Liquin or Turpenoid Natural more. Especially the Turpenoid natural.....great stuff, healthier for the artist, better for the enviroment, and no toxic fumes when thinning your paint or washing your brushes!'; %26lt;=Turpenoid and especially the Natural Turpenoid are terrible substitutes for gum turpentine and mineral spirits. The only thing they should be used for, if anything, are to clean brushes. Never use them in a mixture or medium with the paint. Liquin, is known for several problems not the least is causing delamination.Can anyone recommend a good brand of oil paints?
I have used oils in the past, and acrylics for the last ten years. Recently, however, I wanted to get back to oils, and did some research and tests with the water-soluble oils and find I like them very much. You can use water instead of turp to mix and clean brushes which makes life much easier. You can also mix regular oils up to a point (I would go to sites such as Dick Blick that explain this in detail). Once the water evaporates, the oils dry slowly just as regular oils will. There are only a few brands out and all seem to work well, with good color. I have used Holbein's Duo Aqua Oils and Grumbacher Max water soluble oils with great success. I should mention that you will also need linseed (or other) water soluble oils as well for mixing.
Windsor %26amp; Newton are excellent.
Artist, Dick Blick, Rembrandt, really you can't go wrong. Oils aren't like acrylics and there is no way to make them cheaply or sty in the market with a bad product. Artist's know and those companies fail fast. Just buy whatver you feel like. She might like Liquin or Turpenoid Natural more. Especially the Turpenoid natural. It's great stuff, healthier for the artist, better for the enviroment, and no toxic fumes when thinning your paint or washing your brushes!