Todd M Casey’s Advice on Paint
Todd M. Casey (Ep.24) recommends (and uses) artist grade Gamblin paints to his students. He likes Gamblin paints because they are easy to find and can be purchased at both art stores and craft stores.
As you browse a paint aisle, you’ll notice there are often several different types of paint even within a single brand. Two of the most common will be artist or professional grade paint and student grade paint.
But what’s the difference and why does it matter?
Oil paints are made up of pigment and the binder, oil.
Less expensive paints (including student grade paints) will have higher amounts of oil in them than professional grade paints. This means that the paint will move differently and likely be a bit more transparent (even colors that are normally opaque may be a bit more transparent.)
Casey recommends always reaching for the professional grade paint, especially if you are trying to learn from a teacher. Some techniques just aren’t doable with student grade paint and Casey warns that using student grade paints could make learning more difficult.
Put it to Practice:
Different guests recommend different things, but the most common advice is buy the most expensive materials you can afford and (and this is the important part) USE.
If you can afford professional grade paints but then you’re too nervous to use them, grab a less expensive version so that you’ll get painting.
Where this might change is if you are taking a workshop. Most come with materials lists. Often the instructor will have a note about how important matching that list is. But if there isn’t one, ask. For some instructors, having the specific brands and colors won’t matter. But for others it absolutely will.