The color makers at Charvin expertly and slowly produce oil color paints muchin the same way as wine makers; to ensure that their products will have a true character and lovely finish. It is this dedication to detail and hands-on approach by the owners that makes these oil colors one of the world's great art supplies treasures. Both the Extra Fine Oil Colors and the Fine Oils have wide ranges that allow them to be used for traditional techniques, modern expressions and most importantly for Plein Air painting for duplicating the brilliance and color of the world around you. No other line has a range of colors as unique with a brilliance, freshness and creamy texture to match Charvin Oil Colors.
The Charvin line of oil paints provide artists with colors that can be used right out of the tube, allowing the artist to concentrate on their painting and creative process. These highly concentrated colors may be blended to an almost limitless array of shades.
Charvin Oils use some of the oldest known recipes (founded in 1830), which were used to make oil colors for artists such as Cezanne, Bonnard and Ambrogiani. They are made without compromise, selecting only the finest pigments no matter how rare and expensive. The colors for the artist paints are made from finely ground pigments milled in the same equipment used to make the most expensive cosmetics in the world. This creates a luxurious color like no other.
High quality pigments are combined to form a natural progression of colors that an artist needs. Less time spent fussing with color means more time spent in the creative process, and unlike mixing on your own, the colors of Charvin are always consistent, super clean and beautiful.
The main binder of Charvin oil colors is poppy seed oil. Compared to linseed oil, poppyseed oil gives oil colors a unique character and creaminess. Poppy oil is more expensive than traditional linseed, but will not yellow over time. Another advantage is how clean and bright colors look as compared to colors formulated with inseed oil. Some linseed is used to insure that the finished painting has a strong film but only to the degree required by the pigment.