Winsor & Newton Artist oils tube design? - WetCanvas: Online Living for Artists

This topic has 12 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 2 months ago by Charlies Mum Administrator (Maureen).

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January 11, 2019 at 4:49 pm #467406
Marc Kingsland
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Does anyone find the present tube cover of W&N problematic? I don’t myself have any of the latest tubes. Just the previous ones made in England. But I was in an Art store a few days ago and I noticed the great stand of gleaming whiteness that was the W&N artist oil range.

On each tube the Winsor and Newton logo stands large and proud at the top. Then about halfway down the name of the range ‘Artists’ oil colour’, then the colour name, then a small patch of colour starting in the bottom third. On the back there is at the top a very small half strip of colour somewhere around a cm or 1/4in perhaps. Then a pigment number (But not the name) oil types and colour permanence.

When I use a colour I roll up my tube as I go, so as I’d pass the one third mark I’d lose the front colour patch. Then at the halfway used point I’d lose the colour name only having a small colour bar on the back and try to remember what that pigment number meant, which I’d manage, but many won’t. On top of this like many painters I use a shallow drawer beside the easel. Though the tubes are mostly only one deep, they’re all over the place and it’s surprising how easy it is to mislay a tube. “I used that tube yesterday! Where the hell is it!” “Do I really have to take these all out!” “Oh…. there it is on top.”

It seems like a bad design, these W&N tubes would be a nightmare to me to use. I only positive I can see from these is due to enameled like surface, the tubes would easily wipe clean.
‘

insert pithy comment here.
January 11, 2019 at 4:52 pm #761359
kinasi
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It’s bad design, it should be crystal clear from all sides of the tube which color you’re holding.

Also the tube caps are badly designed, they break way too easily.

No complaints about the paint itself though, it’s excellent.
January 11, 2019 at 5:27 pm #761357
savras
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I don’t know why they have changed tubes but I think it was an awful idea for multiple reasons.

Here’s what they did to watercolors. As you may notice there are three different designs of the tubes.
Well, after third redesign they kinda did it right – color strip is on the top and paint name can actually be read without magnifying glass.
January 11, 2019 at 5:51 pm #761354
Marc Kingsland
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Those first two watercolour tubes are, if anything, worse than the oil paints. “I know let’s take the really, really small tubes and make them reflective so there’s no consistent contrast to read the print!…..And! Place the colour swatch at the bottom so that it’ll disappear when the tube’s rolled up!”

insert pithy comment here.
January 11, 2019 at 8:47 pm #761358
Harold Roth
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I have dealt with this by making labels with an abbreviation of the color name and the pigment number with a big sharpie on the label right by the cap. Works.

https://www.haroldroth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/haroldrothart
https://www.facebook.com/haroldrothartist
January 11, 2019 at 11:04 pm #761356
Anonymous
I don’t like WN newer designs at all, none of them, companies always just seem to have to mess up something that people like and is good. I worked at a company that was expert at ruining stuff that was working great. Remember the new Coke? it was an utter and complete disaster.
January 12, 2019 at 5:34 am #761353
vhere
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I always put a small blob of the colour on the top of the lid anyway as the labels often come adrift

MY WEBSITE:http://vivienblackburn.com MY BLOG:http://vivienb.blogspot.com/ ETSY for original paintings http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6150568
January 12, 2019 at 2:49 pm #761363
Richard P
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I like the design of the logo and text more than most other brands. But as others said the paint swatch and name should be at the top. The caps are also not as good as Rembrandt ones for me.
January 12, 2019 at 2:55 pm #761360
kinasi
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The caps are also not as good as Rembrandt ones for me.

I put the (excellent) rembrandt caps on my W&N tubes. They are the same diameter (maybe 1/4 millimeter difference).

All caps should be designed like Rembrandt caps (the 40ml ones, the 15ml caps are crap too), they are large, easy to put pressure on, and never had one break.

In theory you should clean the screw thread of paint tubes before you’re done painting, so you never have to put any pressure on them trying to open them and they never break. But honestly, who does that.
January 12, 2019 at 3:20 pm #761364
Richard P
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That’s a great idea of reusing the caps! Thank you very much for sharing that
January 20, 2019 at 10:41 pm #761355
Marc Kingsland
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Forgive the poor photo shop, but I think this gives the general impression for a re-design idea I’ve just had.

Winsor and Newton keeps their logo high on the tube, while users get to see to the last squeeze of paint which colour they’re using. The griffin is printed as white line space instead of black line on all colours, except whites, where the griffin stays in black. The colour patch at the bottom is replaced by a coloured square displaying the opaqueness/transparency of each tube of paint.

Send me a standard cheque, Winsor & Newton.

insert pithy comment here.
January 20, 2019 at 11:18 pm #761362
Pinguino
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… this gives the general impression for a re-design idea I’ve just had. …

Good idea! In the unlikely event they do send you a check, it’s deserved. Also, showing the amount of transparency on front is helpful: Some sites (I am thinking of you, Blick) don’t mention it, and the photo of existing tube designs doesn’t reveal anything either (since the info on on back of tube).
January 20, 2019 at 11:27 pm #761361
marksmomagain
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In theory you should clean the screw thread of paint tubes before you’re done painting, so you never have to put any pressure on them trying to open them and they never break. But honestly, who does that.

I do. Every cap. every time.:)
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