Holbein Oil Paint Review - Best Oil Paint Brand

The color selection that Holbein offers is incredible. Holbein Artist Oils has 145 oil colors, which is very large compared to competitors.

Holbein sells two types of oil paints, Holbein Artists Oil and Holbein Vernet Superior Oil Paint. Both are Extra-fine paints; both are milled to the most petite particle sizes, which means you also get an extremely high pigment load with each paint tube.

When was Holbein Founded?

HOLBEIN Works, Ltd was founded in Japan in 1900 and began exporting products to Europe by 1932. It was named after the Artist Hans Holbein. Since then, Holbein has become one of the world's most respected brands of artists' materials.

Holbein Artist Oils Review

Holbein Artist Oils has 145 colors and does not follow a specific dogma. Some brands, like Rublev, believe that oil paints should contain only oil and pigment without leaving room for the idea that other substances improve consistency or prevent the paint from separating in the tubes. That is not the case with Holbein Artist oils. Holbein Artist Oils are individually formulated to achieve the best paint possible, using a mixture of substances depending on the color's needs.

Usage and Texture

I made the painting above with a combination of Holbein's Artist's oils and other paints.

Holbein's Ivory White is an essential color in my palette. The infamous Misty Blue is also a core offering of Holbein, and these two colors are essential for flesh tones. Holbein Artist Oils are an old, world-renowned favorite amongst artists. The brand was recommended to me by a devout follower of Daniel Sprick.

As a matter of fact, in Daniel Sprick's painting below, you can really see how he blends this special blue into his paintings. Get Misty Blue here >>>

One plus of the Holbein Artist Oils is the wonderful lids. Artists either love or hate these lids; they have a noticeable gap.

Although from my experience, these lids have impressive longevity, other brands' caps are of different quality, and they often break after a few months.

Holbein Art Oils' texture is buttery, and the consistency is perfect. The finish on the oils is between satin and semi-gloss. The paints are made from poppy, safflower, and linseed oil. What else is in the paints is a mystery, but does it matter?

These paints are 'extra fine', meaning they have a higher pigment density than 'fine' paints like Utrecht, and much much higher pigment load than hand-ground paints like Rublev.

There is no other brand like Holbein. What I mean is, paints like Sennelier and Michael Harding are probably closer to Holbein Vernet. They follow a system - that oil paint should have a specific ratio of pigment and oil. Now this is fine, but the color Burnt Sienna is simply dirt scooped up from the ground, meaning, the color has different needs than say, Cadmium Orange, which is made from tiny particles of metal.

Each pigment would have different characteristics, so following a specific recipe is problematic. Therefore, Holbein Artist Oils are unique in that they are the most perfect paint for all colors.

Holbein Artist Oils Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Extra-Fine pigments
• Extreme pigment load
• Various oils and binders
• Best-in-class texture
• Excellent vibrance
• High tinting strength

Cons:

• A bit pricier than other paint brands
• Made of a variety of oils and binders - an issue for some

Holbein Vernet Review

Holbein Vernet has 40 colors, touted as a modern approach to an old formula. They supposedly mill their particle sizes smaller than the average in the industry. For context, the standard particle range for a professional-grade pigment is 11-44 microns, smaller than the width of a strand of hair. Some colors in the Rublev brand are as large as 10-120 microns. 

Holbein Vernet mills their pigments to 11-25 micrometers, about 50% smaller than the average. 

Pigment size significantly impacts lightfastness, opacity, tinting strength, texture, and consistency. A smaller particle size means the pigment load is higher because you can fit more particles in the binders.

Usage and Texture

Like Holbein Artist Oils, Vernet also has an exciting lid, and I'm curious to see if it lasts a long time.

Holbein Vernet oil paint is also easy to mix and manipulate. It has a smooth, buttery consistency and blends easily with other colors allowing you to achieve evenness in color. 

While testing Vermillion Vernet, I did not notice any issues with the Vernet line, and it is a beautiful paint with incomparable color intensity. However, I did see that it cost three times as much as Holbein Artist Oils. Holbein Artist oils start at $7.45, whereas Holbein Vernet begins at $24. 

It's hard to discount particle size. The Vernet line is impressive, other old-world brands like Rublev follow old-world traditions to the letter, but when I used Rublev's Burnt Sienna, the enormous particle size made it feel like I was painting with dirt. Gamblin follows old-world traditions and is of very high quality. However, also because of particle size, Gamblin oils sometimes have odd textures; take their Burnt Sienna; it has a tiny bit of drag. In summary, Holbein Vernet is one of the best old-world-inspired paints, but it is primarily due to particle size.

Holbein Vernet Oil Paint Pros And Cons

Pros:

• High pigment quality – Holbein Vernet oil paints are made from high-quality, pure pigments and linseed oil. 
• Rich, creamy texture – Holbein oil paints have a thick, creamy texture that makes it easy to blend and manipulate the paint on the canvas.
• Versatile – Holbein oil paints can be used for various techniques and styles, including traditional painting, glazing, and impasto.

Cons:

• Very expensive – Holbein Vernet oil paints are more expensive than other brands.
• Limited color selection – Holbein Vernet only offers 40 colors, which may not be suitable for some artists.

Conclusion

Overall, Holbein oil paints are an ideal choice for anyone looking to create beautiful, professional-quality paintings. With its unbeatable quality and versatile capabilities, Holbein oils are the perfect choice for any artist looking to get the most out of their painting experience.

Both brands of Holbein offer high-quality pigments that provide vibrant, long-lasting colors, while their creamy texture makes them ideal for various techniques and styles. Of course, the higher cost and limited color selection may be unsuitable for some artists. Still, overall, Holbein oil paints are an excellent choice for anyone looking for professional-grade paints.