White is often thought to be as much as 20% of a typical painting. Used for grounds, for opacifying, for lightening or brightening deep colors, its importance cannot be overlooked. Not only is it a critical component coloristically, but understanding the whites in your oil painting will also aid the structural integrity of your … Read more
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Editor’s Note: Added April 26, 2022 For some time, our recommendation for artists using oils over acrylic has been to work over harder, matte acrylic surfaces and avoid working on softer gels and gloss products. Our intention was to optimize the level of adhesion that would be achieved on a toothier surface as well as … Read more
When oil painters visit our factory, we always show them these colors. The response is unanimously positive, especially from those who use darker tones or blacks in their work. Williamsburg has six chromatic darks that we want to feature in this article. These colors are all blends, containing a natural iron oxide or Ivory … Read more
EDITOR’S NOTE (4/14/21): Please note our recommendation for sizing before applying Oil Ground is currently being retested and this article has been changed to reflect this development. Grounds are selected to provide the proper color, level of absorbency and tooth to meet an artist’s needs. Oil painters have the extra concern of protecting from oil … Read more
Due to pigment availability issues, Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors will unfortunately be discontinuing French Noir Indien and French Cassel Earth. We will also be changing our Van Dyke Brown from a Bituminous Earth and Raw Umber blend to a new mixture of Ivory Black and synthetic iron oxide. The pigment used to make French … Read more
For oil painters who want to reduce the amount of solvent in their studio, we would like to share a solvent-free brush cleaning option that can be used during and after painting. All you need for this process are paper towels and a container with 2-3 inches of drying oil such as linseed, safflower, walnut … Read more
Editor’s Note: Added April 26, 2022 For some time, our recommendation for artists using oils over acrylic has been to work over harder, matte acrylic surfaces and avoid working on softer gels and gloss products. Our intention was to optimize the level of adhesion that would be achieved on a toothier surface as well as … Read more
Mediums are important additions to the oil painter’s toolbox. They modify the feel of paint, change the surface sheen, build or reduce viscosity, and in some cases, can be the driving factor behind the aesthetic of a work. Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors Alkyd Resin can be mixed with oil paints to improve leveling, increase transparency … Read more
Linseed oil comes from flax seeds which are harvested from the same flax plant that produces the fibers used to make linen. Artists have been using linseed oil for centuries to make paints, mediums and varnishes. It is widely used today, not only in artist materials, but also for a wide range of industrial applications … Read more
Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors is excited to introduce seven new colors to its line-up: three warm, highly saturated hues, three transparent earth colors and a light color tint. Bismuth Vanadate Yellow, Pyrrole Orange, Pyrrole Red, Nickel Azo Yellow, Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, Transparent Red Iron Oxide and Titan Buff all have ASTM lightfastness ratings of … Read more
