Durable and versatile, oil paint is a classic medium that has stood the test of time for hundreds of years. Oil colors are comprised of pigments suspended in a binder, generally linseed oil. They are very opaque, but they can be thinned to varying degrees of transparency. Oils also have a slow drying time, so artists can rework the paint for a longer amount of time.

Oil Colors contain a full pigment load suspended in a binder, generally linseed oil or another drying oil such as safflower oil, poppyseed oil, or walnut oil. Use them on stretched canvas or boards that have been primed to accept oil paints. Usually made with a single pigment, professional-grade paints mix more cleanly and have better tinting strength than lower-grade paints.

Student Grade Oil Colors have working characteristics similar to professional oils, but with lower pigment concentrations and a smaller range of colors — typically only one series. Student oils often have pigment mixes instead of single pigments, and more expensive pigments are generally replicated by hues, which may not have the same mixing characteristics as full-strength colors.