Behind the Brand

MICHAEL HARDING

THE POSSIBILITY OF COLOUR

The story of Michael Harding oil colours goes back to the early 1980s. As a painter, Michael Harding found that the paints he was using could not achieve the qualities that he saw in the paintings of the Old Masters. This inspired him to make his own oil colours, using the same techniques that artists of the past did. Formulated without fillers, extenders, or driers, their high pigment content makes for vibrant and buttery oil colours.

Having relocated to South Wales from their original site in London in 2010, Michael and his team have been making superior quality paints and mediums, which have an international reputation, used by some of the world’s most celebrated artists including David Hockney, Chis Ofili, and the late Sir Howard Hodgkin. In 2022 he introduced a range of watercolours which have been carefully developed to the same high standards as his oil colours.

ON LOCATION AT MICHAEL HARDING

We visited Michael Harding at his South Wales workshop to see how his paints are made and catch a glimpse of his watercolour range before it was released. The workshop is based in a large warehouse divided into sections for each stage of the production process. On one wall an elaborate system of hangers is strung with sheets of handpainted paper, like brightly coloured sails. Hung out to dry, these will become the paint labels on each tube. In another area, large paint-splatted industrial machines churn and mix colours, while in a further section, paints are meticulously tested and sampled.

WHAT GOES INTO MICHAEL HARDING OIL COLOURS?

Oil paints are made of two essential ingredients – dry pigment and linseed oil. Choosing the best raw materials is key to the quality and longevity of the oil colours. Michael Harding oil paints are made with linseed oil that has been cold pressed and which is then further refined (with the exception of Cremnitz White in walnut oil, and Titanium White No.1 which is made using safflower oil).

The Michael Harding oil paint range includes a broad spectrum of pigments, from modern synthetic pigments like Phthalocyanine Blue Lake and Napthol Red, to Old Master paints like Genuine Lapis Lazuli, Genuine Rose Madder, and Genuine Chinese Vermilion. Each pigment is individual, with a particular set of characteristics which need to be taken into account when making oil colours, and which are also important for the artist to know when using oil paints. On each tube, the label states the oil content, opacity, drying time, pigment index number, pigment chemical composition, and tinting capacity of the colour.

Some ranges of oil colours homogenise the individual properties of pigments by adding fillers, extenders, or driers to even out consistency, level of gloss, and drying time. While some artists find consistency helpful, what this takes away is an authentic experience of the properties of colour – whether it is a slow drying Alizarin Crimson which packs a punch in mixtures, or a gently tinting, fast drying Italian Green Umber.

THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE COLOURS

To begin with, dry pigment and linseed oil are combined in a mixer. Different pigments require a unique amount of oil, and the proportions must be honed to precise amounts. After mixing, the pigment has been wetted throughout the oil, but the individual pigment particles need to be dispersed evenly throughout the oil paint. This is achieved using a mill.

Several large mills are used to grind the pigments, some with stone rollers and some with steel rollers. Which one is used depends on the pigment being worked. The paint could go through the mill several times, depending on the needs of each pigment. The result is rich oil paint with a buttery consistency.

MICHAEL HARDING’S WATERCOLOUR RANGE

With his attention to detail, Michael Harding took over twenty years to develop his watercolour range. On the day we visited, we got the chance to see what was then his highly anticipated watercolour paints in production.

With a range of over 130 colours, he has strived to achieve the same colour intensity and clarity that he developed with his oil paints. At the heart of Michael Harding’s approach is his knowledge about the physical properties of colour, and this shines through in the paints he creates.

The spectrum offered is comprehensive, with a broad choice of historical and modern clarity colours. A wide selection of greens have been included for plein air, and traditional cadmium colours for their robustness. Rarer colours such as Lapis Lazuli and Rose Madder have been carefully transposed from the oil paint range. Michael Harding’s watercolours offer a rich and vibrant luminosity with the aim that every colour offers a distinct character to justify its inclusion in this exciting collection.

IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL HARDING

"I want to shock you with colour, or what I call the possibility of colour. I want you to do things with paint that no other paint has allowed you to do before."

We invited Michael Harding to join us in the Jackson’s Studio as part of our In Conversation series. In part one, he discusses his journey as a colourmaker, and how the materials of the Old Masters have inspired him.

IN CONVERSATION  - PART TWO

In this second part, Michael explains his thinking behind formulating his paints, the importance of bringing out the character of each colour, what oil content means for oil painters, and how it relates to the fat over lean principle.

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS SELECTION

The Tunbridge Wells Selection is named after the town where Michael first started making paints. He introduces each of the ten colours from the collection, the pigments they contain, and the possibilities they offer for artists. 

NEW ARRIVAL - THE BRICK LANE SELECTION

In this film, Michael Harding introduces each of the ten oil colours in the Brick Lane Selection, discussing their unique characteristics and how they can be used in your painting practice.

MIRACLE MEDIUM FOR OIL PAINTING 

In this film, Michael Harding explains how his eco-friendly Miracle Medium for oils differs from traditional solvents, and how it can be used as part of a solvent-free painting practice. 

PROFESSIONAL WATERCOLOUR PAINT

In this film, Michael Harding returns to the Jackson’s Studio to share his twenty-year journey in realising his watercolour collection. He tells us how he carefully developed the range, his love of colour, and his plans for the future.

THE MICHAEL HARDING RANGE

OIL

Michael Harding’s oil paints are made by hand, using techniques which date back to the days of the Old Masters. The result is a range of highly pigmented, beautiful paints that provide the greatest possible coverage with brilliant, vivid, and true colour.

PROFESSIONAL WATERCOLOUR

Michael Harding's watercolours have been meticulously developed to create a highly saturated and vivid colour, with each pigment carefully researched and formulated to perform to its maximum potential and bring out its distinct character. 

MEDIUMS

Based on recipes developed since the Renaissance, Michael Harding's oil painting mediums are designed to alter the viscosity, surface finish, or drying time of oil paint. They include resin-based glaze mediums and beeswax paste for increasing the body of oil colour.

PRIMERS

Made with a non-absorbent resin base, Michael Harding acrylic primers are designed to ensure a smooth painting surface and provide a strong bond to the layers of paint applied, with just enough tooth so as not to feel greasy. They are available in a selection of lightfast colours.


Customer Reviews

“A glorious pigment. These oils make painting a truly sensual experience.” Feefo Reviewer

“These paints are of very high quality. The paint glides on the paper like silk.” N. Ali

“There is so much pigment in the paint that it's hard to believe! ” V. Metsenatova


MICHAEL HARDING's OILS OVER THE YEARS.