Which "snob paints" (Artist quality) to buy?

[mariposa-art]

I wanted to update this thread because the chickens have hatched. Some of the inheritance has come in and is currently burning a hole in my PayPal account.

I also got some more mongoose brushes and love, love, love them, so more mongoose brushes too!

One problem though—I think I am genetically barred from spending more than maybe $35 for the smaller tubes. I looked at Vasari's site and they are so pricey and don't know if I can do it. I am willing to get one of their big tubes of white and maybe some of the cheaper tubes ($20 or under) but I am going to take some more strength to pay more than that for a single tube.

Another question—I am in need of a good tube of Cadmium Red Light and Cadmium Yellow Medium. I was thinking of ordering from Blue Ridge because they have a coupon on right now, but is there some other brand that is especially sublime?

Thank you again everyone for all your advice and tips.

[stapeliad]

Personally, I would not get white in Vasari, only because it is the paint which is used the most, and it isn't worth the price. Many other brands have excellent whites for way less money. Buy colors in Vasari, They will last you a really long time.

I have a Williamsburg Cad Red Light and I like it very much.

[blackdogpaint]

I'm just getting back into painting and my very vintage stock of Grumbacher and WN is still full, almost unfortunately, and so my lust for Williamsburg and OH will ahve to wait.

Brushes, I used to use Robert Simmons Signet a lot and they are OK. I tried the Dick Blick Master Stroke (with the nice copper furule and the black handle) and I do like those a lot so far. Both white bristle, by the way. Sable seems way too soft for my work...with the exception of some fine linework at the end...like telephone wire and fencing.

[mariposa-art]

Thank you again everybody! Thank you Jessica, I took your advice and didn't get Vasari's white. I am a bit obsessed with whites—I think I am collecting them. Lots of BIG WHITE TUBES in my paint box. I always feel like I need just one more! But I restrained myself. With Vasari, anyway.

So, since I last posted I made three orders to art supply stores:

Blue Ridge: Ordered the Cadmiums I was lusting after, the real lead Naples Yellow, and . . . a large white. (Tit/Zinc mix.) Couldn't help myself, had to get the big white.

Vasari: Just ordered enough to make the minimum $50. Two earth tones and some convenience mixes that sounded pretty.

Jerry's Artarama: BIG order (for me!). I got an easel (not anything fancy—I still paint pretty small), some mongoose brushes, various paint brush cleaners, etc., and some BIG TUBES of snob paint. A 225 mL of Blockx Tit/Zinc mix (HAD to get the white, don't you know), plus 225 mL of Blockx Venetian Red. Ultramarine Blue and Perm Rose by W&N (200 mL tubes) and Yellow Ochre (200 mL) by Lukas 1862. It added up but that was the whole point—I would have NEVER splurged on all these paints ordinarily. I made myself do it!

Also earlier this week I did jump the gun a little and got the "Introductory Palette" from Natural Pigments (Rublev brand). I read a long, dramatic thread about Rublev on Wet Canvas and it got me intrigued. So I have a LOT of goodies and paints coming, and I will think very fondly of my relative every time I use them. Especially the big tubes—I hope they last a long time so I can think of her for many years to come, every time I use them.

Thank you again all for your advice. In the future I will splurge some more (I want more BIG tubes and I'm sure there are more large whites in my future) but this is good for now.

[Red 9]

Congrats! Blockx is good stuff. How'd you like the Crimson that came in the try out set? I been meaning to buy that set myself. And do you own any Cremnitz/Lead white? That should be your next big tube if you don't have any. I love having 2 different whites to use.

[tomasis]

really good idea buying only big tubes

i have only big tubes too.. and color goes fast

i love mongoose brushes too (from rosemary?)

[mariposa-art]

Originally Posted by tomasis

really good idea buying only big tubes

i have only big tubes too.. and color goes fast

i love mongoose brushes too (from rosemary?)

I am loving my mongoose brushes and definitely built upon the collection!

Yes, I really wanted big tubes! That was something I was really fixed on, and later on I think I will add to the Big Tube Blockx collection, but I couldn't bring myself to buy too many in one pop.

I just got synthetic mongoose by Winsor & Newton. That's what I've been using up until now. Maybe in the future I'll get some "snobbier" mongoose brushes!

Red9, so far I really like the Blockx Crimson. I am going to wait a while until I've depleted that little tube from the tryout set and maybe by that time I'll be ready to fund some more Big Tubes.

Yes, I have Big Tubes of the other Blockx whites—the 125 mL tubes, which are big but not BIG like the 200 mL ones. I've got one each of Mixed White, Flake White, and Titanium White. (I did mention I have a slight obsession with getting big tubes of white? )

[monkhaus]

Good on you for the synthetic instead of real mongoose.

And for skipping the Vasari whites. As much as I like their paint in general the white you can live without. Do try the Rublev lead whites # 1&2, also the Harding Cremnitz is well worth it.

What Vasari convenience colors did you get? Which earths?

[Red 9]

Nothing wrong with that obsession! Right now I have 2 big tubes of white, an M Graham titanium white and an W&N Cremnitz white. Next up is the Harding Cremnitz in linseed oil...

[mariposa-art]

Harding Cremnitz? Well! I'll put that on the list! (You know you're being an enabler, right? )

I looked at the Rublev Lead Whites and I think the prices are a little too high. Though I'll look again!

The Vasari colors I got are Red Umber, Naples Orange, Pompeian Red, Video Blue Extra Pale. They all looked intriguing.

Yeah, synthetics are fine with me, I usually select synthetics when given a choice, but there are probably some natural brushes in my collection as well.

Red9, I also had my eye on the W&N Cremnitz White. But I really have a lot of Big Tubes of white . . . like a 200 mL tube of W&N Foundation White. (I am ashamed to admit to how many tubes of white I have. Seriously! )

[Red 9]

I should probably tell you the W&N Cremnitz white is no good and you don't need it...But I couldn't bring myself to lie. It's an amazing paint! What I really love about it is the consistency. It is firm out of the tube, but brushes out very smoothly. It's like painting with fluffy cream cheese frosting

[monkhaus]

Oh trust me, the Rublev leads are not priced too high.

I like the Vasari selection, that's pretty decent. I really like their Burnt Umber and Indian Red. I've been using the Vasari BU pretty much exclusively for this year out of my BU collection.

Do add Harding Cremnitz to the list.

[mariposa-art]

I hope it's okay to bump this up again because I succumbed and added more to my collection! This is the last, probably for quite a while.

I got the Harding Cremnitz. Dick Blick's 20% sale could not go unnoticed and your recommendations for the Harding have been so tempting. I also got Harding's Titanium white. (You knew I couldn't resist!) I got both with linseed oil, the 225 mL tubes. I'm not sure about the linseed oil. I am reading a book on traditional oil painting (by Virgil Elliot) and I get the impression that linseed oil in white isn't that bad, and I hardly have any whites with linseed. So I got some. What does everyone else think?

Red 9, I vacillated on whether to get some W&N Cremnitz, but thought I would wait, because it is affordable enough that I can see myself getting it later. It does sound luscious.

Also added to the order were a 125 mL tube each of Old Holland's Prussian Blue Extra and Old Holland Naples Yellow Deep. I have already sampled both these colors and know I like them, so felt confident in investing in a big tube of each.

Today came some of the paints I ordered last week. Very exciting! BIG TUBES of paint and the easel! Woo hoo!

Because I made a big enough order (I guess?), Jerry's Artarama sent me a free sample set of Charvin's Extra Fine—four 20 mL tubes of the primaries plus white. What does everyone else think of Charvin? I'm glad I got the sample set because I've been hesitant to get much from Charvin's Extra Fine. I felt a bit burned after spending (what I considered) a lot of money for a 20 mL tube of "Cobalt Violet" and finding out that it was a "hue."

[Red 9]

Oooh nice, what a great order! I've never used a Naples Yellow deep but I love my Naples Yellow Italian. I bet it's a great color.

I can't recall if you said you've tried Blue Ridge's Flemish White? I've heard good things so I am tempted to buy a tube.

[sidbledsoe]

my BR flemish came in a glass jar, it is too thin for a tube, settles out and you need to stir before using. Like in gunz's picture. Maybe Eric has changed it now though because I see it is now sold in tubes