Michael Harding Oil Colours
Hand-made, high-pigment oil colours formulated close to the historical recipes, one of the cleanest ways to get rich, honest colour out of the tube.
Michael Harding oils are made in small batches with a high pigment load and minimal filler, mixed to recipes close to the way colours were historically made. The practical result is strong, clean colour and a buttery handling that holds a brushmark. For a painter building a balanced palette, the value is that each tube is a true, full-strength version of its pigment, so the colour you mix is the colour you intended.
Michael Harding is one of my favorite paint brands. I do not stay loyal to one line across every tube, I build a palette from whichever brand makes the best version of a specific pigment, and Harding is the one I reach for most often when I want a rich, honest colour.
The Michael Harding range is broad and excellent, and plenty of painters build a whole palette from it. These are the specific colours I use.
- Yellow Ochre Deepthe Harding colour I reach for most
What it is. Hand-made artist oil colours, high pigment load, low filler, mixed close to historical formulations.
Why it matters. A high pigment load means the colour does the work, not chalk or stabiliser. That keeps mixtures clean and lets a limited palette carry a full range, which is the whole premise of a balanced, intentional palette.
For a painter who wants clean, full-strength colour, yes. The high pigment load and low filler mean the colour mixes true and a limited palette reaches further, which is where the value shows up over a cheaper, more diluted line.
Artist grade. It is a hand-made, high-pigment professional line, not a student paint. If cost is the concern, buy fewer, better tubes and work more limited rather than filling a box with student-grade colour.