FINEST QUALITY OIL PAINT

Michael Harding Oil Colours are regarded among the finest oil paints available to artists today. The colours are completely free of fillers and utilise top-quality pigments.

First manufactured in 1982, Michael Harding Artists’ Oil Colours are popular with some of the world’s finest artists, including David Hockney, Chris Ofili, and the late Howard Hodgkin.

My paints are made by hand, using techniques which date back to the days of the Old Masters. There is a very simple reason for this painstaking process. As an artist and painter I wanted to create colours that were true and vibrant, and paint which was beautiful and durable.

The greater the pigment content of a paint the greater the resistance it has to fading. Nearly all manufacturers use various fillers to extend the volume of the oil paint. It may increase profits but it compromises on quality. I totally refuse to do this. Why make something exceptional and then dilute it?

I will not claim that my paints will turn you into a great painter, but I can promise they will have a profound effect on your work. Your colours will be stronger and richer, and you will find the texture of the paint incomparable. You will love working with them.

Try them. You will be amazed

-Michael Harding

 *Exclusive to The French Art Shop Auckland

View the full range of colours here.

Established in 1865 and the favourite paint of Salvador Dali. Blockx Paints are highly pigmented, pure, rich colours all with an exceptional degree of lightfastness.

The BLOCKX extra-fine oil paint line consists of 105 vibrant shades, all with an exceptional degree of lightfastness (rated 7/8 on the international BWS scale).
BLOCKX extra-fine oils are, for the most part, made from pure mono-pigment, without the addition of fillers and additives.
Through a unique traditional manufacturing method of grinding on porphyry stone, mixed with traditional binders, BLOCKX oils with smooth textures are highly concentrated in color.

Founded in 1865 in Belgium by Jacques Blockx I, today the brand BLOCKX is recognised by artists from around the world for the quality of its oil-based colours. At the time, the founder’s Belgian artist friends were despairing at the scarcity of the beautiful traditional colours made in artists’ studios, which had been replaced by industrial methods. Jacques Blockx I, a chemist passionate about colours and pigments, therefore decided to make some for them, at a small laboratory located on his property.
«The goal I have strived to achieve is finding a formula that will give the oil-based colours the required qualities of resistance, brilliance and beauty.» J.B

To find their colour chart follow – https://blockx.be/en/extra-fine-oils/

Sennelier was the supplier to Paul Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence.

Cezanne used 18 Sennelier fine oil colours, and they are still available today as part of the current extra-fine oil range.

Since it was founded in 1887, some of the greatest names in the history of art have placed their trust in the unique quality of Sennelier colours. This extraordinary group of clients includes Paul Gauguin, Alfred Sisley, and even Vincent Van Gogh, who would ask his brother Théo to go to Sennelier to buy his colours for him. The impressionist and precursor to modern art Paul Cézanne was another.

Dense, yet buttery, Sennelier oils are highly pigmented and firmer. The reformulated homogeneous consistency is better suited to the diversity of modern techniques and pictorial sensitivities. The slightly heavier body retains its unique creaminess, while offering greater versatility.
Sennelier’s carefully selected pigments are ground longer, to provide the finest, most vivid colouration possible. Sennelier strives to provide the purest, most concentrated stable pigments. With improved lightfastness, the colour intensity will endure for generations.
Safflower oil, a binder with balanced drying power, provides the creamy texture that dries with an attractive satin finish in a uniform manner over the entire range. Unlike linseed oil, safflower oil is non-yellowing.
Also available in 200ml tubes.

Paul Cézanne used the following 18 oil paints:

116 – white
208 – Raw Sienna
211 – Burnt Sienna
213 – Green earth
252 – Yellow ochre
259 – Red ochre
307 – Cobalt blue
314 – French ultramarine blue
318 – Prussian blue
511 – Bright yellow
567 – Naples yellow
674 – Vermilion
688 – Crimson lake
689 – Madder lake deep
690 – Rose madder lake
757 – Peach black
847 – Viridian
837 – Emerald green

View the full range of 144 colours here.

From its earliest days, Paris has been Sennelier’s source of inspiration and that is what makes it such a Parisian brand.

Dries twice as fast : Whilst retaining the key characteristics of oil painting, Rive Gauche fine oils dry twice as fast as classic oils. The outcome of this is a shortened drying time that does not restrict an artist’s possibilities of working with fresh paint.

Oils that yellow two times less : Safflower oil is used to make the 60 colours. It is characterised by its low level of yellowing (50% less than linseed oil) and its excellent compatibility with pigments.

High-performance cadmium substitutes : Rive Gauche fine oils use new pigments, which are high-performance cadmium substitutes that offer opaqueness and luminosity properties that are almost equivalent to real cadmium-based oils.

A rich, balanced palette of colours : 60 colours in 40ml tubes – 56 colours in 200ml tubes 52 opaque colours | 6 semi-opaque colours | 2 transparent colours | 4 iridescent colours.

With Rive Gauche, Sennelier has placed the colours of Paris into tubes so that artists from all over the world can experience the pleasure of using them.

For their full colour chart click here

Allows to thin the paint while maintaining its initial appearance.

Purified oil, naturally a little amber, extracted from flax seeds. More drier and more resistant than most other oils. Tends to turn yellow over time. Preferably used with dark or slightly drying tones. Presents extreme transparency. Gives body to the dough. Avoid excess.

For Oil and Acrylic Painting

Matt Varnish with UV Protection

Transparent, non-yellowing, flexible permanent varnish.

Apply over dried colour for a matt finish. For best results, apply in several light coats rather than one heavy application.

For Oil and Acrylic Painting

Satin Varnish with UV Protection

Transparent, non-yellowing, flexible permanent varnish.

Apply over dried colour for a satin finish. For best results, apply in several light coats rather than one heavy application.

For Oil and Acrylic Painting

Gloss Varnish with UV Protection

Transparent, non-yellowing, flexible permanent varnish.

Apply over dried colour for a gloss finish. For best results, apply in several light coats rather than one heavy application.

Allows you to significantly attenuate or smooth thin brush strokes.

Linseed oil polymerised in the absence of air. Full bodied, very bright, clear,
honey-like viscosity, medium made by heating pure linseed. Improves transparency, fluidity and smooths brushstrokes. Can be used straight but, due to high viscosity, it is preferable to thin with spirits. Excellent medium for glazing and detail work. Reduces possible appearance of cracking. Slows drying. Slightly yellowing. Favors gloss.

Cobra Artist Quality Watermixable 40ml Oils

The range consists of 70 transparent, semi-transparent, semi-opaque and opaque colours. They all have the highest degree of lightfastness (+++) and will remain unchanged for at least 100 years under museum conditions.

During the grinding process, the paint is ground on the triple roller mill until it reaches an artists’ quality fineness.

The range includes 32 mono-pigmented colours, including ten colours based on exclusive pigments – such as cadmiums, cobalt and chromium oxides – as well as a beautifully transparent oxide red or yellow.

For a full colour chart, click here

Van Gogh Oil Paint, 60ml & 200ml

Dutch-crafted Van Gogh is a buttery oil that features excellent tinting strength, a high level of pigmentation for intense colours, and a uniform degree of gloss and thickness amongst colours.

Easy to mix and use.

These oils are great for beginners, students in advanced studies, and working artists.

For a full colour chart, click here

The Oil Stick is a composition of oil paint. A proportion of the oil is substituted with a neutral mineral wax, resulting in the stick appearance.

These colours are of perfect quality: pure pigments are ground into vegetable oils (siccatives), selected for their low degree of yellowing with time. The choice and high concentration of pigments enables excellent light resistance to be achieved. These colours are applied discreetly to conventional oil painting supports (oil-proof or universal) and demand quality background preparation.

Supports: canvas, canvas boards, laminated panels, paper.
Solid oil paint should be applied in a relatively thin film (no more than 1mm). Layers can be overlapped, in the same manner as paste oil paint, and can, if necessary, be thinned with petroleum or turpentine. Before use, the surface film should be removed. This latter will re-form after a few days of non-use. Paint applied dries within 2 to 5 days depending on layer thickness and atmospheric conditions. A clear medium is available allowing transparency and glazing effects
to be achieved.

Solid artists’ quality colours are available in opaque or transparent shades, depending on the shades of the pigments used. The product may be stored for extended periods of time and requires no special attention, apart from avoiding heat sources that may damage it.

Once dry, the paint may be varnished like conventional oil paint, after a minimum drying period of 6 months, using an oil paint finishing varnish.

View the full colour range here.

Langridge Low Toxic Solvent is supplied as a low toxicity alternative to traditional artists’ solvents, reducing exposure to the more harmful compounds associated with turpentine, etc.

Associated issues with prolonged contact with traditional artists’ solvents such as dermatitis, skin and respiratory organ irritation, headaches, etc. can be dramatically reduced or removed by using Langridge Low Toxic Solvent.

Because its’ Permisable Exposure Level (PEL) is higher than other solvents the artists exposure will not be as harmful in comparison to traditional solvents. Langridge still recommends the use of good studio ventilation, a minimum of two open windows, preferably a properly installed exhaust system.

It can be used as a diluent when used in small quantities with oil colours. Extreme care should be taken, however, in diluting purely with Low Toxic Solvent as its over-use can easily underbind paint and lead to a dull, dry lifeless film with potential for dusting or flaking off. Artists wishing to create very fluid working qualities should refer to painting mediums constructed for that purpose.

Available in 100ml, 500ml, 1 Litre, 4 Litre

Highly volatile, gives a matt finish, also called White Spirit.
This solvent is purely of mineral origin. Its principal quality is that it evaporates completely, leaving no trace.

Available in 75ml, 250ml, 500ml and 1liter bottles

Turpentine is  obtained by distilling the gum from pine trees. It is then rectified, which makes it colourless and increases its fluiditiy. It is mainly used for thinning oil colours, therby making them easier to use for the basic sketch by fluidifying them without altering their hue.

Less volatile than Quick drying petroleum, it gives less of a matt appearence to the work.

Available in 75ml, 250ml, 500ml and 1liter bottles

Lavender oil comes from the distillation of lavender. Thanks to its slow volatility, it gives body the colours as well as a certain amount of bite, which improves adhesion to the lower layers.

Available in 75ml and 250ml bottles

Ideal for artists who are sensetive to the odor of turpentine. Used for the cleaning of brushes and as a replacement when making up mediums.

Keep away from naked flame and heat. Use in a well ventilated area.

Available in 500ml and 1 litre.

Double distilled for artist’s use. Use in the preparation of painting mediums and for cleaning equipment.

Do not use neat as a diluent for oil paint. Use in a well ventilated area.

Available in 500ml and 1 litre.

Linseed is the most widely used oil because when dry it forms the toughest, most resilient paint films.

Used in small quantities, it adds a soft, slippery quality when added to oil colours. The paint film will stay open and is easily moved or reworked for up to 24 hours.

Because linseed oils yellow or darken with time, some more dramatically than others, it is recommended that the use of linseed oil should be kept to a minimum as a medium to aid fluidity or transparency.

Further information on the use of refined linseed oil is available here.

Available in 100ml, 500ml and 1 litre.

Cold Pressed Linseed Oil has greater wetting power than refined linseed oils and is often recommended for hand milling of oil  paints. When used to mill oil colours or even when mixed with prepared oil colours produces a pronounced stroke to the brushmark, so that strokes of  different directions and application show a marked ‘suede’ effect.

Used even in small quantities, it adds a loose, slippery quality when added to oil colours. The paint film will stay open and is easily moved or reworked for up to 24 hours. Cold Pressed Linseed Oil creates a flexible paint film longer than any other artist’s drying oil.

Further information on the use of Cold Pressed Linseed Oil can be found here.

Available in 100ml, 500ml and 1 litre.

Stand Oil is a virtually non-yellowing drying oil. Thick and honey-like, it cannot be used without the addition of Distilled Gum Turpentine or equivalent solvent. It has pronounced levelling qualities and produces an enamel-like effect when mixed with oil paints.

Stand Oil based mediums will set-up to a tack that grabs any succeeding brush strokes. The wet, but tacky paint surface can be readily painted into without moving freshly applied paint. Excellent for controlled paint manipulation.

For further information on the use of Stand Oil is available here.

Available in 100ml, 500ml and 1 litre.

Used to reduce the consistency and to speed up the drying time of oil colours. Also improves gloss and transparency.

Available in 75ml and 250ml.

Extracted from poppy seeds. Used to reduce the consistency and speed up the drying time of oil colours. Also improves flow and transparency.  Does not yellow with age and as such is traditionally used in more delicate colours. Not siccative.

Available in 75ml and 250ml.

Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour has been specifically developed to appear and work just like conventional oil colour.   

The key difference between Artisan and conventional oils is its ability to thin and clean up with water.  Hazardous solvents are not necessary for Artisan and artists can enjoy a safer painting environment, making it ideal for artists who share a work space, schools or painting at home. 

View the full range of colours here.

Retouching varnish is used to eliminate sinking (areas of a painting that become matt owing to the absorption of the resin and/or oil by the underlying layers). It is also essential when retouching old paint that has dried out, to ensure a link between the old layer and the new layer of colour.

Finally, it is also used as a temporary varnish while waiting until the final varnish can be applied. Caution: Never apply the final varnish to an oil painting before 6 months to 1 year. The consequences are serious because any future varnish removal and restoration will become impossible.

With acrylic resin, quick drying petroleum. Dry extract: 17%

Available in 200ml and 400ml.

Retouching varnish is used to eliminate sinking (areas of a painting that become matt owing to the absorption of the resin and/or oil by the underlying layers). It is also essential when retouching old paint that has dried out, to ensure a link between the old layer and the new layer of colour. Finally, it is also used as a temporary varnish while waiting until the final varnish can be applied.

Caution: Never apply the final varnish to an oil painting before 6 months to 1 year. The consequences are serious because any future varnish removal and restoration will become impossible.

With acrylic and ketone resin,quick drying petroleum. It contains the most resin with 25% dry
extract after drying.

Based on a composition of Dammar resin and linseed oil, rectified turpentine. Very glossy (40% dry extract).

Available in 75ml and 250ml.

This UV resistant gloss varnish provides protection for paintings achieved with Artisan Water-Mixable Oil Colour and is removable with Artisan Varnish Remover. Painting must be completely dry (6-12 months). Use only as a final varnish.

For use with Winsor & Newton Water-Mixable Oil Paints. This oil reduces the consistency and improves flow of Artisan oil colours. It also increases gloss and transparency. Slows drying. Can be cleaned up with water.

This reliable favourite is a general purpose semi gloss medium which speeds drying, improves flow and reduces brush stroke retention.

Halves the drying time of conventional oil colour (touch dry in 1-6 days depending on  colour & film thickness). Resists yellowing.

Colourless painting medium, ketone resin, heated oil, rectified turpentine. Rapid setting (1h), increases the transparency and brightness of the colours.

Available in 75ml, 250ml, 500ml and 1 liter bottles.

Contains ketone and acrylic resin, poppyoil, quick drying petroleum. Very slow setting and transparent, satin paint film.

Available in 75ml, 250ml, 500ml bottles

New medium for oil painting, that gives a matt finish to the layers, regular and smooth.

Available in 75ml and 250ml bottles

To speed up the drying of oil colours. The most powerful siccative drier, reduces the difference of drying time which exists naturally between certain colours. When working with pale colours use the colourless White Courtrai Drier.

To speed up the drying time of oil colours. Hardens the paint film rather than making it dry more quickly, making the paint film dry regularly and in depth.

Colourless and perfect for use with pale colours.

Beeswax, linseed oil, essence of spike lavender, cobalt-zirconium siccative. Smooth painting gel enabling strokes to be juxtaposed in the style of the impressionists. Smoothes the edges of the paint or knife strokes. Very rapid setting (1h), matt-satin finish.

Flemish medium emulsion with water and opaque extender. Structuring gel with firm consistency that increases the gel texture to create impasto effects that do not sink. For thick layers (5 mm max.), this medium must be softened with 20% of Flemish medium.

Art Spectrum Wax Medium is a mixture of oil and wax. Mix with oil colour to achieve a translucent effect. Not suitable for heavy impasto. Imparts a satin finish.

This slow drying medium reduces consistency, increases luminosity & flexibility of Artisan Oil Colour. It is ideal for oiling out & enriching dull patches.

Artisan Fast Drying Medium improves the flow and speeds the drying of Artisan oil colours, smoothes brushwork and increases gloss and transparency. It is excellent for glazing and producing fine detail and is resistant to yellowing.

This is a very popular medium as it speeds the drying of oil colour by about 50%, allowing further layers to be applied more quickly. The formulation has been improved and this has helped to wet the colour better. It thins the colour and increases gloss and transparency. When painting in layers it can substitute linseed oil and be combined with water and/ or thinner to maintain ‘fat over lean.’

This thinner has been specially developed to maintain the oily feel & keeps Winsor & Newton Artisan colour open longer than water.

Although water is suitable as a diluent for the colour, its speedy evaporation can make the colour thicken upon the palette much quicker than conventional oil colour would when used with turpentine. As Artisan thinner does not form an emulsion with the colour, there is less colour change than there would be with water.