I once believed that a tube of oil paint named Titanium White contained only that pigment. Silly, silly, me! This is not the case. Read about the paint labeling inconsistencies: Oil Paint Ingredients. Read more about choosing white paint: White Paint Ingredients: Lead, Zinc, Titanium. Below is a list white paint of several popular professional oil paint lines, including the ingredient pigments. The information is based primarily on the manufacturers' websites. Pigment codes are also noted for clarity.Blick First press non-yellowing safflower oil.
Exceptions: Cerulean Blue = poppy oil, Ivory Black,
Mars Black and Sepia = linseed oil.
Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4) + Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Blockx Iron oxides, earth pigments, and blacks are ground with linseed oil. All other pigments are ground with poppy seed oil- believed to prevent yellowing and wrinkling.
Historical pigments hand ground with poppy seed oil: Vermilion, Naples yellow light, Naples yellow dark, Lapis Lazuli.
Flake White: Lead White (PW1)
Mixed White: Lead white(PW1) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Titanium-Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4) + Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4)
Gamblin Alkali refined linseed oil
Flake White Replacement: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Quick Dry White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Radiant White: Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Titanium-Zinc White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4)
M. Graham Walnut oil (flows more freely and less tendency to crack or yellow)
Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Titanium White Alkyd (rapid dry): Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4)
Michael Harding Refined cold pressed linseed oil: neutral acidity to ensure permanence
Exceptions: Titanium White 1 = safflower oil Flake White 2 = safflower oil
Cremnitz White: Lead White (PW1)
Cremnitz White (walnut oil): Lead White (PW1)
Flake White No. 1: Lead White (PW1) + Titanium dioxide(PW6) 67/33
Flake White no. 2: Lead white(PW1) + Zinc oxide(PW4) most brilliant/white in Harding line 75/25
Foundation White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Lead White (PW1) 50/50
Titanium White No. 1: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + zinc oxide (PW4)*
Titanium White no. 2: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW5) *
Titanium White No. 3 (with driers): Titanium dioxide(PW6) + (PW5)*
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4)
Old Holland Cold pressed linseed oil from first pressing:
Old Holland Flake White 1: Lead white(PW1) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Old Holland Cremnitz White: Lead White (PW1)
Old Holland Mixed White 2: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Old Holland Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Rembrandt, Royal Talens
Mixing White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Pearl White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Tin oxide(PW15) + Mica(PW20)
Titanium White (linseed): Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Titanium White (safflower): Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Transparent White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White (linseed): Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White (safflower): Zinc oxide(PW4)
RGH Alkali refined linseed oil
Flake White: Lead White (PW1)Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4)
Sennelier Pure, first press non-yellowing safflower oils
Flake White : Lead white(PW1) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc-Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc oxide(PW4)
Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4) + Titanium dioxide(PW6)5
Williamsburg Pure, premium, alkali-refined and pH-balanced linseed oil
Williamsburg Zinc White: Zinc oxide(PW4)
Williamsburg Silver White: Lead white(PW1) + Zinc sulphide(PW7)**
Williamsburg Titanium White: Titanium dioxide(PW6)
Williamsburg Titanium-Zinc White: Titanium dioxide(PW6) + Zinc sulphide(PW7)**
Williamsburg Flake White: Lead white(PW1)
Photos are of paints that I have tubed myself. This is not as difficult as it may seem and saves a great deal of money. Although I will do a demonstration post on my method at some point, Stapleton Kearns shows us how; click here: Tubing Paint by Stapleton Kearns.
* Contact manufacturer before purchasing- Website has discrepancy
** Contact manufacturer before purchasing- PW4 may be in use, instead of PW7.
http://www.dickblick.com/items/01595-1023/#colorpigments 4/28/10
http://www.dickblick.com/items/01595-1033/#colorpigments 4/28/10
http://www.blockx.be/en/produits/huiles.asp 3/3/10
http://www.gamblincolors.com/artists.grade.oils/whites/index.html 4/28/10
http://www.mgraham.com/html/technical.asp 4/28/10
http://michaelharding.co.uk/colours.php 4/28/10
http://michaelharding.co.uk/_images/Addendum%20Colour%20Chart.pdf 4/28/10
http://www.oldholland.com/pages/english/color_oil.html 4/28/10
http://www.rghartistoilpaints.com/new/pigment_id_chart.shtml 4/28/10
http://www.sennelier.fr/fr/nuanciers/HXF.pdf 3/3/10
http://www.talens.com/uploads/products/2_C_GBR.pdf 3/3/10
http://www.williamsburgoilpaint.bizland.com/OilColors/whiteoils.htm 4/28/10
Thanks for this post. I was wondering about the RGH flake white.
ReplyDeleteHow do you find it in comparison with the Williamsburg flake white?
b-
ReplyDeleteGlad you found this research helpful. I have used Williamsburg titanium and Williamsburg zinc, but not Williamsburg flake white.
I am now using RGH flake white exclusively and am very pleased with its quality, smoothness, and handling. I also purchased RGH Flake White Extra Fine and RGH Flake White + Powdered Glass out of curiosity.
Prior to that I had been using a Winsor & Newton flake white, which I did not care for. It was not very finely ground and contained particles too large for the detail work I was doing at the time. Furthermore, it was not a pure lead white, as it also contained zinc white. Interestingly, Winsor & Newtons "Flake White Hue" is titanium and zinc- no lead at all!
Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for the info. I was not aware that so many paint manufacturers put zinc in their titanium and flake whites (even OH). I see Blockx has a 200ml flake white for about $66 but it is probably made with slow drying poppy oil. Vasari list their 175ml flake whit for about $105 and describes it as more like pearls than putty.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous-
ReplyDeleteYes, important to read paint ingredients. RGH paints has pure flake 125mL jar for about $19.00; tubed about $34. 250mL jar only $34!! They also have some flake with ground glass that makes a stiffer paint if needed. This is the brand I prefer.
~ julie susanne
I did not realize that zinc is added to other whites so much. My only question is if the label does not say titanium-zinc and says only titanium, then it should say below (15% zinc added) and not just list on the back of the tube PW6 and PW4. Manufacturers should be required to do this as some artists for whatever reason may want to use single pigments without others added.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post.
Joe