Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colours

The legendary Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colours are used by some of the world’s most famous artists whose work can be found in places such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the National Gallery in Washington. These small-batch paints are now made by the excellent Golden Acrylics company, just 20 miles away from their original premises. Golden will continue to make the paint with a commitment and passion that makes Williamsburg truly a “painter’s paint.” If my favourite acrylic company has elected to take on the manufacturing of these paints I know they must be incredible. I will be trying them soon! 🙂

Read more here about the history of these excellent handmade paints.

We now stock the Williamsburg colours at Jackson’s Art Supplies.

Available in 145 special colours in tubes of 37ml + three whites and ultramarine blue in 150ml.

Williamsburg’s paintmaking philosophy:
“Getting the proper pigment is just the beginning. So much of the quality of oil paint is in the grinding. Each color is ground to enhance the beauty and luminosity specific to that particular pigment. Some colors will feel slightly gritty; others extremely smooth. Our Cerulean Blue will have a beautiful velvet, light-absorbing surface with an extremely strong covering power; our Siennas will often be chunky or gritty to allow light to travel through the vehicle, exposing rich golden or mahogany undertones instead of just heavy, dull browns.”
Most Williamsburg Oil Colours are considered to have excellent lightfastness (LF I), with the exception of Alizarin Crimson and Van Dyke Brown which have very poor lightfastness (LFIII).