Daniel Smith Water Soluble Oil Paints have the buttery, creamy brush-feel and rich appearance of classic oil color but without the toxic fumes of solvents and tedious clean up. They are made from the same vibrant, finely-gound pigments as the Daniel Smith Classic Oil Colors; the only difference is the use of Water Soluble Linseed Oil to make the paints. This is a high-grade alkali-refined linseed oil selected for its uniformity, its low acidity and its non-yellowing qualities.

You can use the Water Soluble Linseed Oil or other Daniel Smith Water Soluble Mediums to thin these paints on your palette or use up to 20% water to thin the paints. If water is used they will dry more matt.

43 colors are available, of which 41 have a Lightfastness rating of I (color stable for 100+ years). One color (Hansa Yellow Light) has a Lightfastness rating II (color stable for 100 years) and one color (Alizarin Crimson) has a Lightfastness rating III (color stable for 50 years; the range includes a replacement, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, which has excellent lightfastness). In addition to the pigment and the binder, each tube has less than 1% of additives, which are there to improve the handling and consistency of the paint, and to modify the drying time.

These paints are especially useful for painters who prefer to work in oils, but who don't have a ventilated studio space. They are perfect for use at home, in schools, en plein air, or on the move: because they can be used and cleaned with water, it is not neccessary to transport flammable and toxic chemicals in order to paint. They can be used with traditional oil paints and mediums (although the water-solubility of the paints is lost in mixing). This means that if you are considering switching to Daniel Smith Water Soluble Oils, it is perfectly practical to replace your paints one tube at a time as they run out.

Interested customers might like to read our blog post about Daniel Smith Water Soluble Oils on the Jackson’s Blog.