We are so fortunate.  Imagine back in the day when Rembrandt Van Rijn and other artists needed new paints for their work.  No convenient art store like Artsavingsclub where you could order the world’s finest oil paints.  No, you needed to be an apothecary to create paint by hand and storing the paint was a nuisance too.  I admit feeling a twinge of guilt when I opened a new box of Rembrandt oil paints recently.  But mostly I felt excited to try out these famous paints made by Royal Talens.

What to expect from artist’s quality paint

I recently reviewed Royal Talens’ Van Gogh oil paints. Those are excellent student quality paints. But when you purchase Rembrandt artists paints you do expect something more. Much more actually since these paints do require some extra financial investment. So what you will find is:

• High pigment concentration with a visible improvement in vibrancy.
• Buttery and easily workable (no binder and fillers to thicken the paint).
• Excellent lightfastness. No compromise on this.
• Pure pigment and carrier oil only.
• Luminous transparent colors.
• Powerful opaque colors.
• Distinctive fine texture.

How do Rembrandt paints stack up?

I have used artist’s quality paints from other brands, but this was my first attempt with Rembrandt paints.  I obtained a starter set of ten tubes with a typical colour range.  I selected a lemon yellow and intended to compare it to a Van Gogh lemon yellow.  Who would win the clash of the Dutch masters?  Okay enough of that.

My first impression of the Rembrandt lemon yellow was its buttery oiliness.  This is an excellent quality in any paint.  You want to see oil and paint coming out of the tube.  This means no binders and fillers are used to make paint resemble toothpaste.

On working the paint with a palette knife I was surprised by how fine textured the paint is. It is so smooth and buttery that the palette knife glides over the paint. Then the vibrancy is at another level too.  I compared the paint alongside the Van Gogh lemon yellow and the difference is marked.  The vibrancy and workability of the Rembrandt paint exceeded my expectations.

Old master techniques and modern applications

If you like to paint in the old master tradition of glazes then Rembrandt paints will be superb.  Their extreme fine texture will produce beautiful glazes with a little medium.  Their transparent colours are justifiably popular for this reason.

Of course impasto techniques will be possible too.  Personally I find that as the colors are so vibrant I can achieve the punch of colour I need far easier with these paints.  A factor to consider when assessing the value of premium paints over student paints.

Who will benefit using Rembrandt paints?

In short anyone that wants a superior paint that will provide exceptional professional results.  More vibrancy and powerful pigments means paintings that stand out. Warms, cools, lights and darks will all be enhanced with these paints.

Of course collectors will simply enjoy beautiful looking colours when they admire your painting.  Professionals will feel confident that their works will last for generations too.

What about amateur artists? You do not need to be a professional to enjoy these paints.  That is the beauty of today where you can access top quality materials when you need to.  Many keen artists fall in love with a few important colours from the Rembrandt range.  For example the portrait artist may insist on Rembrandt’s transparent oxide red.  Landscape artists the cobalt blue or alizarin crimson. In this way amateurs can build up a selection of significant pigments relevant to their painting.

Conclusion

A premium quality paint that is world renowned and fittingly named after one of the greatest artists ever. You will not be disappointed.

The Paint Pro – Malcolm Dewey

Malcolm Dewey is a full-time artist living in South Africa. Together with a loose brushwork style Malcolm’s paintings are filled with light, colour and movement.
Malcolm’s favourite painting mediums are oils, acrylics and watercolour. He aims to describe his painting with an economy of shape, but without compromising on paint and generous brushwork.

Website: www.malcolmdeweyfineart.com

Instagram: @malcolmdeweyfineart

Facebook: Malcolm Dewey Fine Art