FAQs

• The principal difference lies in the linseed oil and the method by which it is refined.

We use only award-winning, first-cold-pressed linseed oil from Northern Europe, chosen because the region's climate provides particularly high-quality raw material.

We refine the oil by hand, in small batches, following a method used by Artists since the 16th century. This is in contrast to various other refining methods introduced during the 20th century, whose long-term performance has not yet been demonstrated over comparable periods of time.

• On this basis, we select the best-quality pigments, not only for their lightfastness and purity, but also for their clarity and chroma: we only select pigments from around the world which we test thoroughly for their quality and hue, comparing them to old pigments – cobalt to smalt, Ultramarine Blue to lapis lazuli, etc.
• We also give particular attention to Artist safety. Our cadmium and cobalt pigments are selected and formulated to be safe for human health and the environment when used as designated — namely, as Oil Colours for artists’ use.
• We focus particularly on earth pigments because we believe Nature is the best teacher and provides us with an almost complete palette.
• Our Oil Colours contain no fillers, either in name or in essence — including materials categorised as pigments but used primarily as fillers, such as blanc fixe etc. They contain no zinc oxide, which is sometimes used to improve handling, no siccatives, whether artificial or natural, and no waxes.

They contain only pigment, our refined first-cold-pressed linseed oil (or the highest-quality poppyseed oil where appropriate), and the minimum additives necessary for preservation in the tube.

• Based on the feedback we continually receive from Artists, their mixability is exceptional: mixtures do not become muddy, but instead produce the colour the Artist expects — providing total control and, according to Artists who have been using our Oil Colours, a “magical osmosis”.

• First and foremost, “traditional” is the most appropriate description for the method we use to refine the award-winning, first-cold-pressed linseed oil that serves as our raw material.

This method has been used since the 16th century, particularly in Venice, and we follow it scrupulously.

We grind all our Oil Colours with this traditionally refined linseed oil, with the exception of whites and blues, which we grind in equally high-quality poppyseed oil because of their tendency to yellow.

• Our research and development is Tradition-oriented.

We have designed all our Oil Colours with the Grand Maîtres and their preferred pigments and recipes in mind.

For example, our low-oil-content Titanium Whites have the texture and mixability of Flake White, without containing any zinc oxide or, of course, any lead white, or a similar formulation.

Our Cobalt Blue is chromatically as close as possible to smalt, while our palette of traditional earth pigments is extensive — and will continue to expand.

We research and source pigments that have been used since prehistoric times: the exact same minerals where they remain naturally available.

The refining of our first-cold-pressed linseed oil is carried out exclusively by hand, in small batches.

It is true that we use three-roll mills to grind all our Oil Colours — traditional granite mills or state-of-the-art metallic mills, depending on the pigment.

Each pigment has its own personality and character, and we have become deeply acquainted with these differences through our extensive research and development experience.

We also use mixers to prepare the mill base before it is ground on the three-roll mill. Nevertheless, the entire process is carried out by hand.

Even the colour samples applied to each tube are made by hand, so that the Artist can see exactly what is inside the tube. No printed image could fully capture the chroma or texture of each Oil Colour.

Bringing a clearly identified tradition to the modern market has been thoroughly researched, described and proven by Dr Leda Dorikou to be innovation [Dorikou, L., ‘Unleashing the power of Innovation: Tradition as Competitive Strategy’, 2011, Ph.D Thesis. Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan].

In our case, it is a clearly recognisable tradition — the refinement of the raw material — brought into the context of modern Oil Colours. This is Innovation.

It is a new product with new characteristics, combining the tested advantages of the traditional refinement of first-cold-pressed linseed oil — including longevity and a higher pigment load — with the advantages of modern, state-of-the-art formulation and preservation techniques.

These include the absence of waxes, zinc oxide and pigments that effectively function as fillers or, much worse, extenders, together with the use of modern pigments that did not exist at the time when the traditional methods were developed.

You can simply find our order form here and send it together with your preferred quantities, to us here.

Please note that, because the refined linseed oil we use requires approximately 6–7 weeks to prepare, production is necessarily limited. This may result in a waiting list.

We will contact you to let you know when your order can be prepared and discuss the available options based on current stock and availability.

We aim to fulfill orders within approximately one month, or slightly longer, under normal circumstances.