M. Graham & Co.: Oregon-Made Paints with a Distinctive Formula

M. Graham and Co. is an Oregon-based manufacturer of professional watercolours, oil paints, acrylics, and gouache that has built a devoted following among professional painters through a combination of distinctive formulations, genuine quality, and a commitment to producing paints that handle differently from the mainstream alternatives. Founded in 1985 and operating from West Linn, Oregon, the company produces all of its paints in the United States using formulations that reflect genuine innovation in paint chemistry.

The most distinctive aspect of M. Graham's watercolour formulation is the use of blackstrap molasses as a humectant, replacing or supplementing the honey used in many other professional watercolour formulations. Blackstrap molasses gives M. Graham watercolours a distinctive handling quality, keeping the paint moist and workable for longer than conventional formulations and giving the paint a slight viscosity that many watercolourists find pleasant to work with. The molasses also contributes to the paint's ability to rewet easily from dried pans, making M. Graham paints particularly practical for artists who use pan sets.

The Watercolour Range

The M. Graham watercolour range covers more than 60 colours, formulated with the highest available pigment loads and the blackstrap molasses humectant that gives the paints their distinctive handling quality. The range focuses on the most important professional colours rather than attempting to cover every possible hue, reflecting a philosophy of quality over quantity that is characteristic of the company's approach.

The rewetting properties of M. Graham watercolours are one of their most practically valuable characteristics. Many watercolour paints, when dried in a pan or on a palette, become difficult to rewet and lose some of their handling quality. M. Graham watercolours rewet easily and recover their full handling quality when moistened, making them particularly practical for artists who work from pan sets or who leave paint on their palettes between sessions.

The pigment load in M. Graham watercolours is high, producing colours of exceptional intensity and luminosity. The paints are formulated with single pigments wherever possible, with detailed pigment information published for every colour. This transparency allows watercolourists to make informed decisions about their palette and to understand exactly what they are working with.

The Walnut Oil Paints

The M. Graham oil paints are formulated with walnut oil rather than the linseed oil used in most professional oil paints. Walnut oil has several advantages over linseed oil for certain applications: it yellows less over time, it has a slightly longer drying time that many painters find advantageous, and it produces a paint film with a slightly different surface quality that some painters prefer.

The walnut oil formulation gives M. Graham oil paints a distinctive handling quality that is noticeably different from linseed oil paints. The paint flows more smoothly and has a slightly more fluid consistency than comparable linseed oil paints, which many painters find makes it easier to blend and work on the canvas. The longer drying time provides more working time for blending and correction, which is particularly valuable for painters who work in wet-into-wet techniques.

The oil paint range covers more than 50 colours, with a focus on the most important professional pigments and single pigment formulations wherever possible. The range includes genuine cadmiums, genuine cobalts, and a comprehensive selection of earth pigments, alongside the full range of modern synthetic pigments.

The Acrylic and Gouache Ranges

M. Graham's acrylic range applies the same philosophy of quality and distinctive formulation to acrylic paint, producing acrylics with a high pigment load and a handling quality that reflects the company's commitment to professional performance. The acrylic range is smaller than the watercolour and oil ranges but covers the most important professional colours with the same attention to pigment quality and single pigment formulations.

The gouache range is one of the most distinctive products in the M. Graham lineup, formulated with the same blackstrap molasses humectant as the watercolours and producing a gouache with exceptional rewetting properties and a handling quality that many gouache painters find superior to conventional formulations. The gouache range covers a selection of the most important professional colours, with a focus on the pigments that are most useful for the specific applications of gouache in illustration and fine art.

Made in the USA

M. Graham's commitment to manufacturing in the United States is one of the company's defining characteristics and a point of genuine pride. All of the company's paints are produced in West Linn, Oregon, using American-sourced ingredients wherever possible. This commitment to domestic manufacturing reflects both the company's values and its understanding that controlling the production process is essential to maintaining the quality standards that its reputation depends on.

For American artists who want to support domestic manufacturing and who value the quality assurance that comes from a company that controls its entire production process, M. Graham's commitment to American manufacturing is a meaningful distinction.

International Distribution

M. Graham products are distributed internationally through specialist art supply retailers. In the UK, they are available through Jackson's Art Supplies and other specialist retailers. In the United States, they are available through Blick Art Materials, Jerry's Artarama, and other professional art supply stores. The company also sells directly through its website for US customers.

The international distribution reflects the global reputation that M. Graham has built among professional painters. The paints are used by exhibiting painters, art school faculty, and serious amateur painters in dozens of countries, and the company's reputation for quality and distinctive formulation has spread primarily through word of mouth among working artists.

The Bottom Line

M. Graham and Co. produces professional watercolours, oil paints, acrylics, and gouache with distinctive formulations that set them apart from the mainstream alternatives. The blackstrap molasses watercolours with their exceptional rewetting properties, the walnut oil paints with their distinctive handling quality, and the company's commitment to American manufacturing and professional quality make M. Graham one of the most interesting and distinctive art materials manufacturers available to professional painters today.