Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

As everyone has already said, the longevity and quality of these paints seems unparalleled. For years Winsor and Newton (Not Winton) oil paints were my preferred brand, but with some resolve I made the investment to try out the much revered Old Hollands.

Yes, the tubes feel heavier somehow, the paint thicker and creamier, less likely to separate. And yes the labels with actual paint chips eliminate a huge amount of guess work. Sure, the lack of other information on said labels isn't so bad if you know already that the carrying medium is cold pressed linseed oil.

But above all else, I love the color! With my old oil paints there were colors that I simply could not seem to recreate, and even if I did, they would shift after drying or prove impossible to re-mix or brush on nearly transparently. This makes me appreciate the Old Hollands that much more. In particular, the cobalts and cadmiums exude an opaque brilliance that loses nothing in the transition from tube to canvas. The earthy colors perform like any other brand, but the bright, pure, heavy-metal hues are where Old Holland literally shines.

I could go on and on about what wonderful colors can be achieved with these paints that would be impossible with budget-minded brands, so I'll leave it at that. Truly awesome stuff. Even if you can't afford a whole set (who can?), consider individual tubes to supplement your current palette.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. OH is simply the best and this is why in my opinion they are the most expensive. The paint is thick and creamy out of the tube and easily thinned out to whatever thickness you need.

Some people describe OH as stiff but I respectfully disagree. If you can afford OH, buy it and enjoy beautiful pigments without any obnoxious oily discharge or drying up in the tube. I bought some other professional brands to compare and I prefer the consistent thick and creamy texture of OH. The fact that the paint comes out thick makes impasto painting a dream. If you paint with thin glazes, the paint thins out easily with any medium or mineral spirits. I paint both thick and thin and like the option OH offers in this regard.

The only criticism I read about OH is price and the lack of specific paint information on the tube. As for price, if you can't afford it then simply don't buy it. There are plenty of fine less expensive paints out there but I don't think their quality and usability match up to OH. As for paint information, I find a little research about each color can easily be done on line, and on the Dick Blick or OH website, with detailed pigment descriptions about content, transparency, etc. Personally, I like to research each color and read everything about it because it makes me a better color mixer, color harmonists and ultimately a better painter. It's really an individual choice to be made by the painter. Some people buy an expensive sports car and never read the owners manuel. Sure you can drive the car and enjoy it and may ultimately stumble upon many of the features, but in my opinion if one takes a little more time in the beginning to really understand the features, it makes the driving that much better in the end.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

There are more reasons to buy oil paint than the least expensive, or great for the price. Old Holland IS great for the price. I believe, less expensive due to the tinting power of every single color. I've drawn all my life and been an art educator for 12 years. I began, knowing it would be a good idea to buy good materials. Every time I try another brand, I miss the power of Old Holland. Not to mention, they last twice as long as some other names. Really amazing. I want to fly to Holland and kiss them for sticking to their guns all these years .. uh ... centuries. I began painting seriously only three years ago. Yes, they are stiff. But, you can always butter them down. You can't go in the other direction, that is, concentrate pigment in another paint. I love OH. They make high quality lightfast paint.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

Good quality paint for my oil paintings

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

Love these paints, they're beautifully compounded and the colors are delicious. They don't separate in the tube, or have other obnoxious issues, and the price is decent. Most people consider these expensive, but when you consider that it may take a year or more to use up one tube, the prices is quite reasonable for the quality you get.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

The new OH Color Chart is absolutely fantastic. It is incredibly well done, heavy duty and a feast for the eyes - not to mention very practical! It's made choosing colors sooooooo much easier! Thank you OH!

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

Thanks for offering this staple in my paint stable for a great price. The consistency in body and opacity are spot on.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

What I like about Old Holland is that they still grind their pigments in cold pressed linseed oil in stone rollers. I find that their paints, although dense, flow better from the brush once thinned and are better driers than those paints I have that are ground in refined linseed oil or other oils (safflower, etc.) Truly an awesome paint and worth every penny.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

okay. i see alot of people think that old holland is overpriced. it actually isn't.
it has the highest pigment load of nearly any paint on the market. in comparison to other high end oil paints, you're getting what you pay for. each tube is almost three quarters pigment.
and just because a paint is 'thick' doesn't mean it's better. i noticed a lot of people equating thickness to pigment load. they are definitely linked, but not the same. additives can be added to the mixture to thicken it up without adding any pigment.
old holland contains *nothing* but pigment and cold pressed linseed oil. you pay for what you get, and as paints go, old holland is up at the top.
i also noticed a couple people disparaging cold press linseed oil for *not* being chemically refined. funny enough, cold press linseed oil is the most effective and archival binder for pigment because of it's heightened acidity and unaltered chemical structure. when linseed oil is chemically refined, better known as 'hot pressed', it alters the structure of the oil and the pH. the reason cold press isn't more readily used has nothing to do with it's behavior over time, it has everything to do with it being the most difficult and expensive way to produce linseed oil.
honestly, if i began comparing brands to price, old holland's price isn't outlandish at all. take williamsburg for instance. in price, it's not far off from old holland. yet, the pigment load and the oil vehicle are inferior. why wouldn't i pay a little more and get old holland?

personally, my initial draw to old holland was it's unbelievable pigment load. i use very sparse amounts of color in thin glazing layers, so a paint as pigment heavy as old holland is exceptionally helpful to me.

in short, would recommend it over and over. it's fantastic stuff. it's tried and tested. they use top grade materials. they have a humongous color selection. there are no fillers or artificial driers in it. it's a brilliant paint. once you try it, you'll never go back.

Comments about Old Holland Classic Oil Colors:

Okay, a little overpriced. But they charge for the pigment, not just a tube of paint. The paint is heavily loaded with pigment; just enough oil to bind it into a paint and make it squeeze out of a tube. Wonderfully saturated colors, it doesn't get much better than this. They also offer a REAL lead white, Cremnitz White, that is the heaviest (most pure lead pigment) and most thick creamy texture and bright warm white than any other lead white I have tried.

Large selection, although do your homework, go to THEIR website, and figure out if that color you like is a blend you can accomplish yourself if needed, or if it is a blend you use so often it is better to get it this way.

Also mind that certain colors, certain pigments, get labeled oddly. And ones you may be looking for at that. For instance, instead of azo yellow lemon and phthalo green, they call them Scheveningen Yellow Lemon and Green respectively. This is a minor nuisance as it creates more difficulty in rooting out the true composition of the paint, and if you are familiar with pigments, then the names just become a hindrance.

But for these nuisances, the paint is top quality.