Today we’re reviewing Vasari Oil Colors. I've used these paints for years, and found their consistency to be one of the main reasons for using them. That said, I would not pick these paints for any impasto work.
Vasari colors are highly pigmented and yet have a lot of glide to them. Little to no medium is usually required with these colors (though of course that depends on your working methods).
To find out more you can check out various Vasari colors over on paintlist.com. We also have several cross-brand review articles where some of these Vasari colors are compared with other paints.
On Paint List, you can search for your favorite paints, save them, and discover new ones. 🎨
Browse the line of Vasari Artist Oil Colors on Paint List:
https://www.paintlist.com/search/oil/vasari
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Unfortunately Vasari doesn’t always list the pigments in their blends. Here are some resources on why it’s important to know the pigments in your paints.
Golden’s Research on Lightfastness and Mixing Whites from Just Paint:
https://justpaint.org/astm-lightfastness-testing-for-oil-paints/
Also Natural Pigments' video on lightfastness and mixing whites does a great job of explaining the issues involved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFn74zdaDHc
When paints don't list the pigments, you obviously won't know if a blend contains Zinc White.
Here's a link with some resources on the ongoing Zinc White conversation:
https://goldenartistcolors.com/resources/williamsburg-zinc-oxide-advisory
Key Moments:
00:00 Intro
01:10 Vasari’s Consistency
03:02 Vasari’s Tinting Strength
04:00 Vasari’s Cadmiums
05:08 Vasari’s Other Colors
06:05 Vasari’s Convenience Blends
09:53 Sets
12:04 Formulation Changes
12:33 Specialty Pigments
13:02 Thanks for Watching
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For more reviews of artist’s paints visit https://www.paintlist.com. You can search for paints by brand, by pigment, or by paint name.
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Some quick caveats:
The colors on the screen differs from the color of the paint. Everyone’s screen differs a bit and some paint colors are out of gamut.
Many important fine art materials are toxic, so please do your research and take the proper precautions- these colors are for professional use.
Please keep in mind, this is just our opinion on the paints, and it is offered for education, entertainment, and a spirit of sharing our love of artist paints (in other words, we make no warranties or guarantees and your mileage may vary).
Let us know about your experiences— we want to hear them.
Have you used this paint? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks for watching and Happy Painting! 🎨