Years ago when I first started painting with oil paints there were only two white paints available – Titanium and Zinc. Now, Gamblin Paint provides an artist with seven different kinds of whites and each one gives a different effect, drying time, temperature, opacity and flexibility .
I have been experimenting with them the past few months and have developed some preferences, depending on my painting time or the effect I want. Gamblin also has given an enormous amount of information about each of the whites on their website, so I won’t go into all of the differences, but I have come to enjoy at least four of the different whites so far.
THE FOUR WHITES I USE
Titanium White – good tinting strength, fast drying and buttery feel.
Radiant White – one of my favorites for a spectacular glow to the painted surface. It is soft to brush, but is the slowest drying, so I need to allow more time between layers.
Flake White Replacement – another favorite, but the paint is stiffer. It has a very fast drying time and replaces the old Flake White which contained lead.
Quick Dry White – I use this white to draw on a dry darker color to add details. Usually, this is over the sky or ground area which I have completed previously. Most of the leaves of my landscapes are painted with this white first and the leaves are then slightly raised from the background.
THE REMAINING THREE WHITES
Titanium Zinc White – described as similar to Titanium, but more subtle.
FastMatte Titanium White – thin layers dry in 24 hours with a matte surface.
Zinc White – transparent and best used in glazes.
I have been painting a lot of aspen trees lately and found that Radiant White mixed with a small amount of Dorland’s wax makes a good texture for the bark of the trees. Below is a 36″ x 48″ oil on canvas painting – “Mountain Aspens with Vine Maple Trees”.
