Oil portrait painting
2/100
This is my first time trying the Gamblin 1980s oil series. I’ve heard so many good things about this paint from professional artists that I wanted to give it a try. It’s suppose to be slightly less quality than their other paint, which is why I was hesitant. I’ve wasted money on cheap crappy oil paints before, and I didn’t want that to be the case here. I’m glad I finally decided to go for it because I’ve had amazingly good results.
If you missed the unboxing post about this paint, you can find it here.
If you want to see better details,
click to enlarge photos to full size.
After having spent the past few days testing out the paint, dare I say I like this 1980s series better than other Gamblin paints I have tried? Yeah, I’m gonna say it, and I’ll tell you why. These paints need very little medium, and feel like butter on my brush. I’ve always thought that the artist grade Gamblin oils were a bit stiff, and I prefer oils slightly looser. Not as loose and runny as Cobra (UGH), but more like Williamsburg, which is why Williamsburg is still my absolute favorite oil paint.
If you want to see more details,
click to enlarge photos.
Unfortunately, Williamsburg is extremely expensive, and my paintings are not, so I have to use it sparingly/accordingly.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence wondering if you should try Gamblin 1980 oils, I definitely recommend it. The price can’t be beat, and the quality is right up there with the best. You won’t have to use much medium, and it’s a great painting experience overall.
To give you more info about this paint, I’m coping this directly from the Gamblin site:
Gamblin 1980 Oil Colors are made with the same dedication and pure pigments that go into our Artist’s Oils. In addition, we use the same process of mixing, milling, filling, and hand labeling.
In order to reduce the cost of oil colors, some manufacturers use gels and waxes to stiffen colors and replace traditional pigments with less expensive ones.
Our approach is different. 1980 colors are formulated with pure pigments, the finest refined linseed oil and marble dust (calcium carbonate). More affordable colors have been made with these three ingredients since oil painting began.
With 1980 colors, artists experience colors that are true, without homogenized texture or muddy color mixtures. Our approach of using both traditional raw materials and processes ensures that artists experience the luscious working properties that they expect from their oil colors.
Note: not all paint used in this painting was from the 1980 series. I don’t have all the colors I need to paint a portrait. One of the reds I used was Williamsburg Cad Red, and another was Gamblin Alizarin Crimson.
