Thanks for including Blick exclusive Utrecht Studio in this comparison! Utrecht artists' colors are still made in their Brooklyn, NY workshop. They pronounce the name like "you-trekt" for the New Utrecht neighborhood where the founders were from. Oil shedding from paint in storage is pretty common, and some colors are more prone than others. A small bead of oil in storage can protect paint from drying out, but if the paint is generally runny, that's not good. It may seem counterintuitive but some brands with the lowest amount of pigment also have the least amount of oil shed, because they tend to add more stabilizers and fillers, like aluminum stearate, resulting in a dull, pasty consistency. Thanks again for this terrific evaluation!
Thanks for this great info! Especially about the pronunciation...I don't think I said Utrecht right even once in the video. Eventually I'd like to share an updated version of this impression/review video. Overall, my opinion hasn't changed - Utrecht Studio series and Gamblin 1980 are clearly the best student grade oil paints. But I do have some context to add. I'm 5 months and 48 paintings into this hobby now, and on paper/canvass I can't tell any difference between the two. Consistency, color, durability, etc are great for both paint brands. The biggest differentiator to me at this point is price and value, which Utrecht wins on due to the larger tube at a similar or lower price. It has changed one specific thing I said in the video - I now use Utrecht for the colors I use the most of like titanium white, since it's more cost effective (I said the opposite in the video). Next, it might be fun to compare artist grade paints! I still feel like I need more practice before I'm comfortable using expensive paints though. Perhaps that would be a good "1 year of experience" video. Anyhow, I appreciate the comment! I'm generally a big fan of Blick and routinely stock up on painting and drawing supplies. Haha, in fact I was just putting together a fresh cart with my kids yesterday since I broke my palette trying to clean it 🎨
Whenever I want to try out a new paint brand, my go to is ultramarine blue. It’s a strong color and generally inexpensive in any given brand, so it can give a good indication of pigment load. An added bonus is that ultramarine blue is naturally oleophobic, which means it doesn’t like to be mixed with oil. If a brand’s ultramarine is super buttery with little to no oil separation, there are a lot of additives, usually aluminum stearate, which could be problematic as a painting ages. I have a tube of ultramarine blue from rublev, which contains no additives, and it has a very stringy, syrupy texture with a lot of oil separation. I have found that shaking the tube can help incorporate some of the oil back into the paint.
Great insight, thanks for sharing it! I've mostly stuck to various browns for comparison just because I happen to have them, but I like the notion of using ultramarine blue for another comparison. I also tend to use a lot of it to build blacks, so it would be useful in painting beyond the comparison too. Maybe I should do an update video since I've got more experience under my belt now! It might be fun to compare Gamblin and Utrecht's student grade to their mid-tier offerings as well
Definitely a good point - I think it would be nice to eventually do another one of these with a few changes. Another is I'd like to do one with more vivid colors and compare the exact same one, instead of showing an umber and yellow ochre. I actually have enough ultramarine blues across different brands that I think that could work. Although it might be fun to go even brighter with like a cadmium red or something
Just a quick tip. The more you get oozing of oil out of the paint tubes when you go to squeeze out paint, usually the LESS additives have been used. The main additive used in all grades of oil paint is a suspending agent. (Usually, either aluminium stearate or castor wax.) This keeps the pigment particles suspended in the oil medium and hence less oozing. Normally ooze is caused by either not having enough suspending agent, or simply that the paint is quite old, has not been mixed properly or exposed to heat etc and has started to separate.
I appreciate you sharing the insight! It really mirrors what Blick Art Materials posted in their comment too. I'm still learning all the ins-and-outs of all this stuff, with about 6 months or so under my belt with painting. But it's good to hear details like what you've provided. I would really like to do an update video eventually, hopefully incorporating some comparisons with slightly upgraded tiers of paint (like mid-tier stuff maybe). And of course, adding the additional details about what this ooze is
i've know mr amdall for a great many years, and he has always been steadfast in his criticism of oozing, and of leakage. its good to see that, in this day and age of ever-evolving cultural norms, mr amdall continues to stand by his principles, condemning oozing and leakage, wherever it may occur, in all endeavors both artistic and otherwise.
Many thanks, Mr. Hodges. As you know, I try to cover all topics thoroughly. Welcome to my TED talk on ooze, may I direct your attention to slide 77. As you can see, these turtles found a canister of ooze which caused them to become ninjas and love pizza…
I appreciate the recommendation! I hadn’t heard of the brand before, but I just did some searching on Blick, and it looks like it’s something available here in the US. And the price isn’t too bad either. I’m going to have to try it out! The reviews look good
@@Amdall I think Schmincke outside of Europe is best known for their watercolor series "Horadam". Anyways, if you try the oil paints, let me know if you like them - I'm curious 😃
Gamblin 1980 is perhaps the best 'student' grade I have ever used. It is as good as some brands artist quality. Utrecht, I have no experience. Masters Touch is the WORST paint I have ever had the displeasure to attempt to use.
I am with you on this! It’s been more than a year (and roughly 200ish paintings) since I originally did this video, and I certainly agree. I still mostly use student grade paints and Gamblin 1980 is still my go to. I also really like the Utrecht though, it’s right up there. Some of the really cheap ones that I tried early on, like Masters Touch, held up really poorly. One in particular has yellowed and the colors have become very muted after only a year. I was really surprised how quickly that happened!
Oops apologies I thought I responded to you already - I do as well! I don’t use a ton of Alizarin Crimson, but the tube I’ve been using is a big Utrecht tube. It’s great! I love mixing it with Ultramarine Blue, the purples are really fun
@@Amdall It is a German name and not so easy for us English speakers :) I loved the video and the information is excellent. I am looking forward to more as I have subscribed.
@@TimothyJohnLukeSmithPSA I appreciate that! Haha and maybe someday, I'll actually pronounce Utrecht right (I think I butchered it again in a walkthrough video last week)
Don't listen to this guy. he doesn't know what is he talking about, at all. It's a dutch name, to make things more clear it is an actualy city in The Netherlands where i live. Greetings@@Amdall
Thanks for including Blick exclusive Utrecht Studio in this comparison! Utrecht artists' colors are still made in their Brooklyn, NY workshop. They pronounce the name like "you-trekt" for the New Utrecht neighborhood where the founders were from. Oil shedding from paint in storage is pretty common, and some colors are more prone than others. A small bead of oil in storage can protect paint from drying out, but if the paint is generally runny, that's not good. It may seem counterintuitive but some brands with the lowest amount of pigment also have the least amount of oil shed, because they tend to add more stabilizers and fillers, like aluminum stearate, resulting in a dull, pasty consistency. Thanks again for this terrific evaluation!
Thanks for this great info! Especially about the pronunciation...I don't think I said Utrecht right even once in the video. Eventually I'd like to share an updated version of this impression/review video. Overall, my opinion hasn't changed - Utrecht Studio series and Gamblin 1980 are clearly the best student grade oil paints. But I do have some context to add. I'm 5 months and 48 paintings into this hobby now, and on paper/canvass I can't tell any difference between the two. Consistency, color, durability, etc are great for both paint brands.
The biggest differentiator to me at this point is price and value, which Utrecht wins on due to the larger tube at a similar or lower price. It has changed one specific thing I said in the video - I now use Utrecht for the colors I use the most of like titanium white, since it's more cost effective (I said the opposite in the video). Next, it might be fun to compare artist grade paints! I still feel like I need more practice before I'm comfortable using expensive paints though. Perhaps that would be a good "1 year of experience" video.
Anyhow, I appreciate the comment! I'm generally a big fan of Blick and routinely stock up on painting and drawing supplies. Haha, in fact I was just putting together a fresh cart with my kids yesterday since I broke my palette trying to clean it 🎨
Whenever I want to try out a new paint brand, my go to is ultramarine blue. It’s a strong color and generally inexpensive in any given brand, so it can give a good indication of pigment load. An added bonus is that ultramarine blue is naturally oleophobic, which means it doesn’t like to be mixed with oil. If a brand’s ultramarine is super buttery with little to no oil separation, there are a lot of additives, usually aluminum stearate, which could be problematic as a painting ages. I have a tube of ultramarine blue from rublev, which contains no additives, and it has a very stringy, syrupy texture with a lot of oil separation. I have found that shaking the tube can help incorporate some of the oil back into the paint.
Great insight, thanks for sharing it! I've mostly stuck to various browns for comparison just because I happen to have them, but I like the notion of using ultramarine blue for another comparison. I also tend to use a lot of it to build blacks, so it would be useful in painting beyond the comparison too. Maybe I should do an update video since I've got more experience under my belt now! It might be fun to compare Gamblin and Utrecht's student grade to their mid-tier offerings as well
Better to just wipe your brush off on paper towels between tests. The solvent may be affecting the paints tested after the Gamblin.
Definitely a good point - I think it would be nice to eventually do another one of these with a few changes. Another is I'd like to do one with more vivid colors and compare the exact same one, instead of showing an umber and yellow ochre. I actually have enough ultramarine blues across different brands that I think that could work. Although it might be fun to go even brighter with like a cadmium red or something
Just a quick tip. The more you get oozing of oil out of the paint tubes when you go to squeeze out paint, usually the LESS additives have been used. The main additive used in all grades of oil paint is a suspending agent. (Usually, either aluminium stearate or castor wax.) This keeps the pigment particles suspended in the oil medium and hence less oozing. Normally ooze is caused by either not having enough suspending agent, or simply that the paint is quite old, has not been mixed properly or exposed to heat etc and has started to separate.
I appreciate you sharing the insight! It really mirrors what Blick Art Materials posted in their comment too. I'm still learning all the ins-and-outs of all this stuff, with about 6 months or so under my belt with painting. But it's good to hear details like what you've provided. I would really like to do an update video eventually, hopefully incorporating some comparisons with slightly upgraded tiers of paint (like mid-tier stuff maybe). And of course, adding the additional details about what this ooze is
i've know mr amdall for a great many years, and he has always been steadfast in his criticism of oozing, and of leakage. its good to see that, in this day and age of ever-evolving cultural norms, mr amdall continues to stand by his principles, condemning oozing and leakage, wherever it may occur, in all endeavors both artistic and otherwise.
Many thanks, Mr. Hodges. As you know, I try to cover all topics thoroughly. Welcome to my TED talk on ooze, may I direct your attention to slide 77. As you can see, these turtles found a canister of ooze which caused them to become ninjas and love pizza…
I really like the Schmincke Norma, they are somewhere between student and artist grade and at least here in Europe not too expensive,
I appreciate the recommendation! I hadn’t heard of the brand before, but I just did some searching on Blick, and it looks like it’s something available here in the US. And the price isn’t too bad either. I’m going to have to try it out! The reviews look good
@@Amdall I think Schmincke outside of Europe is best known for their watercolor series "Horadam".
Anyways, if you try the oil paints, let me know if you like them - I'm curious 😃
I certainly will! It looks like Blick has a paint sale going right now, so I might have to treat myself to some. Thanks again for the suggestion!
Gamblin 1980 is perhaps the best 'student' grade I have ever used. It is as good as some brands artist quality. Utrecht, I have no experience. Masters Touch is the WORST paint I have ever had the displeasure to attempt to use.
I am with you on this! It’s been more than a year (and roughly 200ish paintings) since I originally did this video, and I certainly agree. I still mostly use student grade paints and Gamblin 1980 is still my go to. I also really like the Utrecht though, it’s right up there.
Some of the really cheap ones that I tried early on, like Masters Touch, held up really poorly. One in particular has yellowed and the colors have become very muted after only a year. I was really surprised how quickly that happened!
Hi 😊
Hello!
I love the Alizarim Crimson that Utrecht makes.
Oops apologies I thought I responded to you already - I do as well! I don’t use a ton of Alizarin Crimson, but the tube I’ve been using is a big Utrecht tube. It’s great! I love mixing it with Ultramarine Blue, the purples are really fun
You Trekt
Much appreciated - I'm not sure why I have such a mental block against saying it the right way
@@Amdall It is a German name and not so easy for us English speakers :) I loved the video and the information is excellent. I am looking forward to more as I have subscribed.
@@TimothyJohnLukeSmithPSA I appreciate that! Haha and maybe someday, I'll actually pronounce Utrecht right (I think I butchered it again in a walkthrough video last week)
Don't listen to this guy. he doesn't know what is he talking about, at all. It's a dutch name, to make things more clear it is an actualy city in The Netherlands where i live. Greetings@@Amdall