Why Oil Painting?
There's a reason oil painting has been the medium of choice for masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Monet. Oil paints offer a richness of colour, a buttery texture, and a slow drying time that gives you the freedom to blend, correct, and refine your work — something no other medium quite matches. If you've been curious about picking up a brush, there's never been a better time to start.
What You'll Need to Get Started
The good news: you don't need a lot to begin. Here's a simple starter list:
- Oil paints — We recommend Gamblin 1980 Oil Colors (more on these below)
- Brushes — A few flats and rounds in sizes 4, 8, and 12 will cover most needs
- A palette — Glass or tear-off paper palettes both work well
- Canvas or canvas board — Primed and ready to paint
- A medium or solvent — For thinning paint, improving flow, and cleaning brushes (more on this below)
- Paper towels or rags — You'll use a lot of these!
Not All Oil Paints Are Created Equal
Walk into any art supply store and you'll find a wide range of oil paints at very different price points. So what's the difference? It comes down to what's actually inside the tube.
Many budget brands compromise on quality by adding gels, extenders, or cheaper pigment substitutes to reduce costs. The result? Colours that look dull on the palette, mix unpredictably, and lose their vibrancy as they dry. For a beginner, this can be genuinely discouraging — you might think you're doing something wrong when the paint itself is the problem.
Gamblin 1980 Oil Colors sit in the ideal middle ground — and one ingredient sets them apart from virtually every other brand on the market: marble dust.
The Marble Dust Difference
Marble dust is Gamblin's secret ingredient — and as far as we know, no other oil paint brand uses it. Added to every tube of Gamblin 1980, marble dust gives the paint a subtle body and texture that keeps colours lively and workable on the palette far longer than standard formulas. It also contributes to the paint's characteristic buttery consistency — smooth enough to blend effortlessly, yet substantial enough to hold a brushstroke.
Combined with pure pigments and premium refined linseed oil, and made using the same meticulous processes of mixing, milling, filling, and hand-labelling as Gamblin's professional Artist's Oils, the result is a paint that performs well above its price point. No gels. No cheap fillers. Just honest, vibrant colour that behaves exactly as oil paint should.
Not Just for Beginners
While Gamblin 1980 is an outstanding choice for students, it's worth noting that many professional artists reach for these colours too — particularly for large-scale work, studies, and underpainting where using their full Artist's Oils range would be cost-prohibitive. The quality is simply that good. When a paint is trusted by both first-time painters and seasoned professionals, that says everything.
Why Gamblin 1980 Oil Colors Are Perfect for Every Level
By honouring traditional materials and techniques — including that unique marble dust formula — Gamblin empowers artists at every level to enjoy the rich texture and exceptional working properties they deserve:
- True, vibrant hues that mix predictably — no muddy surprises
- Colours that stay lively and workable on the palette
- Consistent buttery consistency straight from the tube
- Available in 37ml (great for trying new colours) and 150ml (for your most-used colours like Titanium White)
- Made in Portland, Oregon with the same rigorous standards as Gamblin's Artist's Oils
Your Starter Palette
You don't need every colour — a limited palette teaches you to mix and understand colour relationships. Start with these Gamblin 1980 colours:
- Titanium White
- Ivory Black
- Cadmium Yellow Medium
- Cadmium Red Medium
- Ultramarine Blue
- Burnt Sienna
With just these six colours, you can mix virtually any hue you need.
Basic Mixing Techniques
Gamblin 1980 colours are designed to blend beautifully. Here are four essential mixing approaches to explore:
- Tint — Add Titanium White to lighten any colour
- Tone — Mix with Portland Grey Medium for muted, earthy tones
- Shade — Deepen a colour with Chromatic Black
- Glaze — Thin with Galkyd Medium for luminous, transparent layers
Choosing the Right Medium or Solvent
Mediums and solvents are what give oil painting its flexibility. They change how the paint flows, how quickly it dries, and what kind of surface finish you get. Here's a quick guide to the Gamblin mediums and solvents we carry:
- Gamblin Galkyd Medium — Speeds drying time and increases transparency. Ideal for glazing and layered techniques. Creates a flexible, glossy film.
- Gamblin Solvent-Free Medium — Made from safflower oil and soy-based alkyd resin with no solvents. Available in Fluid and Gel. Keeps your studio air clean while enhancing flow and colour saturation.
- Gamblin Drying Oil Mediums — Enhance flow, transparency, and surface finish. Choose based on your technique — from fluid washes to stiffer impasto marks.
- Gamblin Cold Wax Medium — Natural beeswax paste that thickens oil paint for rich, matte, encaustic-like surfaces. Holds impasto peaks and palette knife marks beautifully.
- Gamblin PVA Size — A neutral-pH, animal-free canvas primer. Apply before oil ground or oil paint to protect your canvas from acidity without the risks of traditional rabbit-skin glue.
Not sure which medium is right for your work? A good rule of thumb: if you want faster drying and glazing effects, reach for Galkyd. If you want a solvent-free studio, go with the Solvent-Free mediums. And if texture and encaustic-like surfaces excite you, Cold Wax is worth exploring.
Your First Painting: Tips for Success
- Start with a toned ground — Wipe a thin layer of Burnt Sienna thinned with mineral spirits over your canvas. Let it dry slightly, then wipe back highlights with a rag. This gives you a mid-tone to work from.
- Work fat over lean — Use more medium in later layers than earlier ones to prevent cracking as the paint dries.
- Don't overwork the paint — Oil paint rewards confident, deliberate strokes. Trust your marks.
- Clean your brushes often — Wipe on a rag between colours to keep your mixes clean.
Ready to Start?
We carry the full range of Gamblin 1980 Oil Colors in both 37ml and 150ml tubes at King's Framing & Art Gallery, along with the complete lineup of Gamblin mediums and solvents. Whether you're picking up your very first tube or you're a professional looking for a reliable everyday colour, we're here to help you find exactly what you need.
Stop by in person or shop online — and enjoy the journey. Oil painting is one of those rare skills that rewards you for life.