Thick vs. Thin Paint

The Vasari Difference: Handling Highly Pigmented Oil Colors

We do not thicken our paint with fillers. Instead, we mill our paint with the highest pigment load possible. Soft metallic pigments, such as the cadmiums, whites, synthetic iron oxides, and other mineral colors turn out buttery and long in consistency at this high pigment level.

The addition of chalk-like additives and extenders would easily produce a dry, heavier and dense paint, but the color strength and beauty would be sacrificed. Even though these fillers are considered “pigments” in the paint industry, we don’t use them, causing our paint to go further, physically and visually, and be more useful for direct painting.  

This is why Vasari Classic Artists’ Oil Colors are so different in handling compared to other brands. Many artists find it “freeing” to just paint and not need a medium to make the color more fluid or lush. Others find it challenging to use a looser consistency paint. Traditional wood palettes are helpful for this.  

Storage and Managing Oil Separation  

Cadmiums and other 19th century mineral colors are best kept with the cap facing downward to avoid oil separation in the tube when not in use or for long term storage. Because our colors are so intensely pigmented, thus greater chance for separation, we store all the tubes vertically, with the cap facing downward. That way gravity will concentrate the pigment (color) towards the opening of the tube. It’s a lot like natural peanut butter in a jar, that you have to turn upside down.  

Another remedy would be to put the cap back on the tube if oil is present at top, and turn the tube upside down and give it a few heavy whacks on a flat surface to get gravity to jerk the color and pigment particles towards the opening and displace that oil to the back, crimped end of the tube. It might take a few taps, but once you open the tube again, you should get color. Some painters will also just put the paint out on newsprint to absorb extra oil before placing it on their palette.

The separation tends to happen also when the tube is new and has the greatest weight. Once it’s used most colors are just fine, although some of the heavier oxides do need a tap or two if they have been lying flat. But colors as beautiful as Chromium Oxide, Titanium, Flake, Cadmiums, or the Mars colors are worth that extra effort! At this pigment load, even small tubes can last a long while!

Travel Considerations

Another tip is not to keep your paint in the trunk of your car in hot weather, bring a cooler instead to contain your paint in transit.