Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors: Historical Pigments and Handcrafted Quality

Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors is one of the most distinctive and respected professional oil paint manufacturers in the United States, producing handcrafted oil paints with an unusually wide range of historical and unusual pigments that are not available from most other manufacturers. Founded in Brooklyn in 1938 and now part of the Golden Artist Colors family of brands, Williamsburg maintains the artisanal production methods and commitment to unusual pigments that have made it a favourite among painters who want access to the full historical range of oil painting materials.

The company's most distinctive characteristic is its pigment range, which includes colours that are simply not available from other professional oil paint manufacturers. Williamsburg produces paints using genuine lead white, genuine Naples yellow, genuine vermilion, and a range of historical earth pigments and organic pigments that were used by painters throughout the history of oil painting but that most contemporary manufacturers have discontinued. For painters who want to work with the actual materials used by the old masters, or who want to explore the full historical range of oil painting pigments, Williamsburg is an essential resource.

The Historical Pigment Range

The historical pigment range is what most clearly distinguishes Williamsburg from other professional oil paint manufacturers. The company produces paints using pigments that have been part of the painter's palette for centuries, including:

Lead white (Flake White), the traditional white pigment used in oil painting from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century, is available from Williamsburg in several formulations. Lead white has handling properties that are genuinely different from titanium white and zinc white, with a faster drying time, a more buttery consistency, and a tendency to form a more flexible paint film that is less prone to cracking over time. For painters who work in historical techniques or who want to understand the actual materials used by the old masters, lead white is an important part of the palette.

Genuine Naples yellow, made from lead antimonate rather than the modern cadmium-based substitutes, has a warmth and opacity that is genuinely different from modern alternatives. The historical Naples yellow was one of the most important pigments in the eighteenth-century painter's palette, and Williamsburg's genuine formulation provides access to this historical colour in a way that no other major manufacturer offers.

Genuine vermilion, made from mercuric sulphide, has a warmth and intensity that cadmium red substitutes do not fully replicate. Williamsburg produces genuine vermilion in several formulations, providing access to a pigment that was central to the painter's palette from the medieval period through the nineteenth century.

Historical earth pigments sourced from specific geological deposits are another area of strength, with colours including genuine Italian ochres, siennas, and umbers that have subtly different colours and handling properties from generic earth pigments.

The Slow Drying Formulation

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Williamsburg oil paints is their slow drying time, which is significantly longer than most other professional oil paints. This slow drying time is a deliberate formulation choice that reflects the company's understanding that many painters prefer more working time, particularly for blending and wet-into-wet techniques.

The slow drying time is achieved through the use of specific oils and the avoidance of driers that are commonly added to speed up drying in other professional paints. The result is a paint that remains workable for an extended period, giving painters the time to blend, adjust, and rework their paintings without the pressure of paint that is drying too quickly.

For painters who work in the Flemish or Dutch tradition, where extended blending and glazing are central to the technique, the slow drying time of Williamsburg paints is a genuine practical advantage. For painters who prefer faster drying times, the slow drying can be addressed through the addition of driers or the use of faster-drying mediums.

The Handmade Production Process

Williamsburg's paints are produced using handmade production methods that reflect the company's commitment to the artisanal tradition of paint making. Each batch of paint is produced in small quantities, with careful attention to the specific properties of each pigment and the specific requirements of each colour.

The handmade production process allows Williamsburg to produce paints with a consistency and quality that is difficult to achieve with fully automated production, and it allows the company to produce small batches of unusual colours that would not be economically viable for larger manufacturers. This flexibility is one of the key advantages of the handmade approach, allowing Williamsburg to offer a range of colours that no other manufacturer can match.

The Golden Artist Colors Connection

Williamsburg is now part of the Golden Artist Colors family of brands, which also includes Golden Acrylics and QoR Watercolors. This connection provides Williamsburg with the resources and distribution infrastructure of a larger company while maintaining the artisanal production methods and commitment to unusual pigments that define the brand.

The Golden connection has also brought Williamsburg's paints to a wider audience, making them available through the same distribution network that carries Golden Acrylics. For painters who already use Golden Acrylics and who want to explore oil painting with the same commitment to quality and unusual pigments, Williamsburg is a natural choice.

International Distribution

Williamsburg paints 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 Bottom Line

Williamsburg Handmade Oil Colors is one of the most distinctive and historically informed professional oil paint manufacturers available, offering a range of historical and unusual pigments that are simply not available from other manufacturers, combined with slow drying times and handmade production methods that reflect a genuine commitment to the artisanal tradition of oil paint making. For painters who want access to the full historical range of oil painting materials, or who want paints with the extended working time that historical techniques require, Williamsburg is an essential and irreplaceable resource.