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Mitchell Albala: Landscape painting, plein air painting, art workshops, author

“Getting the White Right” from Robert Gamblin: Zinc, Flake or Titanium?

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By on Painting Technique, Materials

zinc white, flake white, titanium whiteEvery once in a while, I come across an article on another website that is so informative that it precludes the necessity of writing about the subject myself. In this post I’d like to feature a very enlightening article from the Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors website. Robert Gamblin, the founder of Gamblin Oil Colors, takes us on an in-depth tour of all the different types of white. What’s the difference between zinc, flake and titanium whites? Learn about temperature, drying time, and opacity. And what are Gamblin’s own Quick Dry White (of which I am a great fan) and Radiant White? Here is the direct link to the story:

Getting the White Right at the Gamblin Artist’s Oil Colors website

While you’re at their site, I encourage you to take a look at the Gamblin Studio Notes section. This is their vault — the place where all their informative articles about materials and painting methods are archived, all in downloadable PDF format. I know of no other oil paint manufacturer that is as dedicated to customer education and service as Gamblin.

Additional Resources

Neutrals: Selecting the Right Neutral Pigment for Your Palette

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About Author

Mitchell Albala is a painter, workshop instructor, and author. His semi-abstract and atmospheric landscapes have been exhibited nationally and are represented in corporate and private collections. He is the author of the two best selling books on landscape painting in the nation: "The Landscape Painter's Workbook: Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color” (Rockport Publishers, 2021) and “Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice" (Watson-Guptill, 2009). In addition to leading plein air workshops in Italy, Mitchell also teaches workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest. He has lectured on Impressionism and landscape painting at the Seattle Art Museum and has written for "International Artist" and "Artists & Illustrators" magazines. He also hosts a popular painting blog, which holds a top 20 spot on Feedspot.com's "Top 90 Painting Blogs for Artists."

2 Comments

  1. Kathy Bush on

    Thanks for the heads up on Gamblin Studio Notes about Getting the White Right. Great read about the properties of each white Gamblin makes and its best application use. Just what I needed to hear right now.

    Kathy

  2. Mitchell Albala on

    What I recall hearing from Scott Gellatley, the technical consultant at Gamblin Colors, is that once mixed the Gamvar is good for a year. However, I am not one hundred percent certain of that. Your safest best is to contact Scott Gellatley directly — scott@gamblincolors.com — and he’ll have an reliable answer for you in short order. Good luck.