Choosing the Right Winsor & Newton Oil Paint

Choosing the Right Winsor & Newton Oil Paint

Winsor and Newton Oil Paints: Artists’, Artisan or Winton?

With so many oil paints on the market, finding the right one can be overwhelming – especially when they all come from a brand as trusted as Winsor & Newton. Whether you're a professional artist looking for premium performance, someone wanting a safer studio setup, or you're just starting out and exploring oil paints, Winsor & Newton has a range suited to every style and skill level. In this post, we’ll break down the key features of the three main ranges: Artists' Oil Colour, Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour, and Winton Oil Colour, to help you find the perfect match for your practice.

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Artists’ Oil Colour: Professional-Grade Excellence

Winsor & Newton Artists' Oil Colours are the flagship oil range – trusted by professionals for their exceptional quality, purity, and reliability. These paints boast a high pigment load, delivering strong colour intensity and outstanding tinting strength. The buttery consistency allows for expressive brushwork, thick impasto, or refined glazing techniques. Each colour is individually formulated for optimised drying times, reducing issues like cracking from underlayers drying too slowly. What sets this range apart is its use of pure pigments, offering clean, vibrant mixtures and excellent colour clarity. With superior lightfastness and permanence ratings, this range is built for artworks that last generations.

Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour: Safer, Solvent-Free Oil Painting

Ideal for artists seeking a safer, more convenient alternative to traditional oils, Winsor & Newton’s Artisan range offers water-mixable oil paints that clean up with just water – no need for turpentine or harsh solvents. Perfect for shared studios, schools, or home use, Artisan paints are formulated with modified linseed and safflower oils that allow them to behave like traditional oils while offering a faster drying time and a less toxic setup. Their buttery feel makes them versatile for both fine detail and expressive techniques, and once dry, the paint becomes permanent and durable just like classic oils. They’re a brilliant solution for artists wanting the oil painting experience with added peace of mind.

Winton Oil Colour: Reliable Quality at a Student-Friendly Price

For artists seeking great value without sacrificing too much on performance, Winton Oil Colours are an excellent choice. Designed with accessibility and affordability in mind, Winton oils are popular among students, hobbyists, and those working on large-scale projects. They feature a higher pigment load than many other student-grade paints, providing stronger colour payoff and decent opacity. The consistency is slightly stiffer and more uniform, allowing for controlled application and layering. Winton paints also offer good lightfastness and permanence, ensuring your artwork stays vibrant over time. With a wide range of colours tailored to each pigment’s unique qualities, this range strikes the perfect balance between quality and cost.

Each Winsor & Newton oil paint line brings something unique to the table. If you're after professional quality and total control over every aspect of your painting, the Artists’ Oil Colour range is the gold standard. For those prioritising a safer and easier clean-up without sacrificing the oil painting experience, Artisan Water Mixable Oils are a standout. And if you’re experimenting, learning, or working at a larger scale, Winton Oils provide reliable quality at a price that’s kind to your art budget.

Still unsure? Visit us in-store or browse online at Art Shed Brisbane – our team is always happy to help you find the right materials for your creative journey.

  • Winsor and Newton Liquin Original 75ml
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    Winsor and Newton Liquin Original

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  • Winsor and Newton Artists Oil Colour 200ml
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    Winsor and Newton Artists Oil Colour 200ml

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  • Winsor and Newton Artists Gloss Oil Varnish
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  • Winsor and Newton Drying Poppy Oil 75ml Default Title
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