When I go to the page, my “Tab” in Firefox says “Etude Oil” which would confirm my suspicion that these are student grade. The fact that they say they dry twice as fast makes me wonder if they are Alkyd paints or are loaded with driers. Just my speculation.

Don

I preferred oil paints if they can dry twice slower than regular oil paints. China Maries are one of them. They can stay workable on palette twice longer and they can give me more time to detailed work on canvases surface. Slowly drying paint I love most of all, Cobalt drier I hate most of all. Hope, my paint do not contains industrial cobalt dries because several repetitive scandals with Chinese products helps to remove Cobalt drier as it is listed as a “toxic” human carcinogen. But I hate cobalt drier not because of toxicity, but because it turn workable paint to sticky crap while it’s hard drying potential are not effective. Oil paint just quickly forms soft sticky gel, but this gel do not dries during decades.

Yeah, I noticed that title saying “Etude Oils” too. But I think the Etudes are a separate line. In the menu at the top, it lists “Artist Oils,” “fine oils Rive Gauche,” although the Etudes are’t on the list, so who knows. I also wondered about whether they might include alkyd, but I also wondered if the oil might be treated, for example by water-washing or some other process that both speeds drying and reduces yellowing. I wish Sennelier would be more transparent.

It seems like Sennelier no longer makes Etude oils and when I search for Etude oils I get the Sennelier page for the new Rive Gauche oils:

http://www.sennelier-colors.com/en/Etude-oil_9.html

So my guess is that they have expanded the Etude Student grade line to 60 colors (from 36) and have renamed them. Just a guess, but since most paint companies sell an artist grade and a student grade, this would fit that pattern.

I haven’t compared the price – which is usually the obvious giveaway when a line is student grade.

Don

Don, from what you say, you’re probably right about these being a replacement for the Etudes. But they don’t seem to be marketing them as student grade, and some of the info in the review I linked sounded as if they are superior to the typical student paint.

They may well indeed. Since Artist Grade and Student Grade are purely marketing terms and there is no official distinction that separates the two. So they may well be “higher end” student grade, or “lower end” artist grade, so to speak! As is usually the case, categories are limiting and don’t necessarily tell the story. If the paints do the job, it doesn’t really matter what category they are in.

Don

I’m new to this forum, which I’ve found to be a very useful source of information. Thank you!

I did some digging into the Rive gauche line shorly after they were introduced and two important points stuck out for me. Sennelier makes a distinction between “extra-fine,” which is their highest quality of oil paint, and “fine,” which is a step down from their best product. You’ve already mentioned that Rive gauche is being marketed as “fine.” Secondly, you’ll find that if you download the color chart for RG, ALL colors are listed as being OPAQUE. For this reason alone, along with the “secret” recipe that alledgedly allows these colors to dry quicker than normal oils, I declined. Why would I want to use an Ultramarine blue that isn’t transparent?

…you’ll find that if you download the color chart for RG, ALL colors are listed as being OPAQUE. For this reason alone, along with the “secret” recipe that alledgedly allows these colors to dry quicker than normal oils, I declined. Why would I want to use an Ultramarine blue that isn’t transparent?

Actually, 52 Opaque, 6 semi-opaque and 2 transparent (Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow).

http://www.sennelier-colors.com/article/photo/dossier502/RIVE-GAUCHE-COLORCHART-NUANCIER

Don

Pros:
-The colors are rich, smooth and brilliant – (certainly not a dull or gritty student grade).
-No chemical or alkyd drier-type smells (let alone any strong “oil smell” from their safflower binder)
– Dries fast, brilliant and satin, as advertised (T. White and B Umber seem slower to me, so far)
– Cad subtitutes seem nice enough (Liquitex Acrylics are also touting their own effective cad substitutes – so maybe these are simply a new, uncataloged family of pigments)
– The line also offers a bigger variety of blues that you don’t often see at these prices, (like genuine Prussian, Anthraquinone, and 2 kinds of Ultramarine).
-Current discount pricing is unbelievable, considering the quality and pigmentation. I can’t imagine much competition at these prices.

Cons:
– Some paints will come separated out of tube – (No problem for me, as I usually squeeze most oils out on cardboard first.)
– At these prices, no real cadmiums, cobalts or ceruleans offered.
– Sennelier not forthcoming on what’s in their new Cad Substitutes.
– Sennelier not forthcoming on how they’re made to dry faster.
– Harder to find Sennelier products at most local and US stores.