When I first started painting around 20 years ago I tried some cheap paint. It was a miserable experience. Stiff and clumpy, I found myself having to add tons of medium just to get it onto the canvas. Poor quality paint is not worth it, no matter the cost. And you don't have to pay and arm and a leg to get good paint.

While there are a number or good paint manufacturers on the market, there are several that make good quality paint at a reasonable price. My top pick that meets both criteria is Utrecht. My other favorites are Gamblin and Blue Ridge Oil Colors.

Utrecht Oil Paint

Utrecht makes very high-quality oil paint with no fillers and at a very reasonable price. The paint is consistent and has a nice buttery feel with great color quality. It's used by many professionals and world-renown artists. You can click here to see the full list of colors that Utrecht offers on their website. My typical palette of Utrecht colors is listed below.

• Titanium White
• Cadmium Yellow Lemon
• Cadmium Yellow Light
• Cadmium Orange
• Yellow Ochre
• Transparent Red Oxide
• Cadmium Red Medium
• French Ultramarine Blue
• Cobalt Blue
• Cerulean Blue Hue
• Veridian
• Chromium Green Oxide
• Permanent Green Light

Gamblin Oil Paint

While typically a little higher in price, Gamblin is on the cutting edge of oil paint chemistry and is making some revolutionary colors and mediums. Their Alizarin Permanent is almost always on my palette. Gamblin oil colors are available at Utrecht. Gamblin colors that I use are:

• Alizarin Permanent (always on my palette)
• Chromatic Black (a nice colorful black)
• Nickel Titanate Yellow (subtle yellow color that I use on occasion)
• Warm White (I use this on occasion for warm highlights)
• Cobalt Green (similar to Viridian that I occasionally use)
• Portland Grey Light*
• Portland Grey Medium*
• Portland Grey Deep*

*Portland Greys are great for doing value studies prior to a color painting. See more info and samples on Gamblin's website.

Blue Ridge Oil Colors

A newer company that started in 2007, Blue Ridge Oil Colors are hand-made. I obtained an entire set and have been very happy with their quality. Their Permanent Crimson has a much higher pigment load than Gamlin's Alizarin Permanent, which took me some getting used to, but this just shows they don't skimp on pigment load. The paint is top-notch and I will be buying from them again.

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Jason Tako is a nationally known fine artist who specializes in western, wildlife, plein air, and Historical Native American subject matter. He spent his learning years sketching the wetlands and wooded areas of rural Minnesota. He has been featured in Plein Air Magazine and Western Art Collector Magazine and he was the Featured Artist for the 2020 Southeastern Wildlife Expo. See his work at www.JasonTako.com and his demonstrations on his YouTube Channel.