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The Quest of Purchasing Oil Paints

© Susan A. Wenz-Denise

It may be the fact that I am a shopper at heart, or simply my love of painting, but I get a real charge out of buying oil paints. The selection makes my mouth water, and I get absolutely giddy when I realize there is a sale or a bargain to be had. I haven’t always felt this way, as there were times when I lacked the knowledge and thus the confidence to stand up to the rows and rows of oil paint selections. I often found myself at the mercy of a cocky know-it-all salesperson. Knowledge is power, however, so I eventually gained a good grasp on the technical specifics of oil paint and learned what my own particular preferences are through education and experience. Now I find that I secretly enjoy the thrill of turning the game around on the salesperson, shocking them into realizing I am not an ignorant customer, but a painter who clearly knows what she wants. Toward that end, I would like to show you elements of the oil paint selection process that I find to be the most valuable in establishing the knowledge and power required to cast down the arrogant sales clerk that may be lurking in your art store.

Setting a Precedent
I find that showing you already possess some educated involvement with oil paint is the most important strategy when beginning your art store adventure. Looking to get the upper hand, the salesperson will be expecting to ask, “how can I help you” and in turn get an ambivalent response with little relevant content like “uh, I need….oil paint”. That scenario will only set you up to be the vulnerable shopper. Instead you want to show this person that you know what you came into the store to buy. Tell the salesperson upfront that you are looking for a specific type or brand of oil paint even if you are a beginner, and assert yourself. This way, you won’t be conned into buying the most expensive paint in the store, and you might even impress them.

Artist Grade vs. Student Grade
In order to be confident in the type of paint you are seeking, you must evaluate the purpose of your painting and how much expense you want to incur in your endeavor. Specifically, you must consider artist grade versus student grade oil paints. Student grade oil colours are blended replicas of the real thing. They tend to come in larger quantities and are quite economical. You may choose to use these paints if you are a student, a beginner, or hobbyist. Or perhaps your budget allows only for economical paint, but in any case realize that if you haven’t worked with professional oils you most likely won’t notice a difference with student grade ones.

Price Chart

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