Artist Grade VS. Student Grade Paints

There are so many different products on the market that it can be overwhelming when you’re trying to decide what paint to buy. Are you ever shopping around and see two of the SAME colours just a different price tag and wonder why? I hope with this post I am able to give you some useful information to make your next shopping haul a little easier.

There are typically two grades of colour available-

  1. STUDENT GRADE

  2. ARTIST GRADE

What’s the difference?

ARTIST QUALITY

  • Highly pigmented

    • An artist grade paint most often has the maximum amount of pigment that the binder can take…. this varies based on the pigment that’s used. As a result, the colour laydown is more rich and you will need less of it to cover a surface.

  • Largest colour range

    • Artists typically will mix their own colours rather than use a colour straight from the tube

  • Most vibrant colours/ less colour shift

    • Artist grade paints may have more single pigment colours in the range. This means that they can be intermixed with more colours without appearing ‘muddy’. The more you mix pigments/colours, the closer they get to the grey scale.

  • Varied price range

    • Paint pigments can be very expensive and vary in cost. Cadmiums is an expensive raw pigment so they are usually the one of the more expensive paints.

    • An Artist Grade will be split into series (ex. Series A or 1, Series B or 2)- the higher the number or letter, the more expensive the paint.

  • Permanence

    • Each pigment is rated on their permanence to light (lightfast) A and AA rated are recommended for Artists’ use. Typically all colours in a Artist Grade paint should have excellent lightfast

STUDENT QUALITY

  • Less pigmented

    • A student grade paint may have less pigment and more binder. Therefore, you may need more paint to cover a surface.

  • Smaller colour range

    • Students are more likely to use paint straight from the tube than an Artist. This is why some student grade paints may have more than one pigment in the tube (check the pigment codes on the back of the tube)…..the manufacturer has essentially already done the colour mixing for you.

  • More colour shift

    • Because there are multiple colours/pigments already mixed into one tube, when you go to mix this colour with other colours, you will arrive at the grey scale that much faster. Like I said, the more colours you mix, the closer to the grey scale you’ll get.

  • More affordable price range

    • This is based on the quality of raw materials used as well as the quantity (ex. less pigment, more binder/fillers)

  • May have more ‘hues’ in the colour range

    • Cadmium Red HUE and Cadmium Red are very different which is why you’ll see a big difference in the price of a cadmium hue vs a real cadmium. A ‘hue’ is essentially a combination of more inexpensive pigments to make a colour that is close to a raw pigment.

  • Permanence

    • May not have lightfast colours across the whole line. As a result, colours may fade quicker.

If you are just starting out, I just want to say that it is not necessary to buy the best paint out there! A better paint does not mean a better artist. It’s important to know what suits YOUR needs. I hope this helps you to make an informed decision next time you go to pick your paint!

Kelly Baskin