Gamblin Artist Grade Oil Color, 37ml, Venetian Red

I have always liked this paint... and yes, I do like Gamblin, and yes, they are trustworthy... but be sure to understand what the code number/letters are on the back, and how to use them. For this one, I believe it will be pg17 for your info. This color is great because it is a raw looking pigment when you use it (unlike, say, pthalos), and not a rich one. As you progress, you will find that using only rich pigments, and straight from the tube, will make your art look like a cartoon. As a novice/hobbiest you may like this, but as you progress, you will want more. This is a good pigment to mix with. Still, this is a strongly opaque paint. A good tilting paint for this reason is viridian... which is costly, but a great paint to use for this reason. This color will shift the overall color, and viridian will tilt it. Ultramarine blue is a cheaper way to tilt it because it is also transparent, it won't take over the mix, and also a cool color... plus it is much cheaper.

There are nothing like cobalt colors. If all you care about is the hue/color of a pant, chances are you are a novice, and there is no need to spend a ton of money on Cobalts. Stick with Pthalos. But at some point you are going to learn that saturation and value is as important or more than the hue of a color. Plus, at that point you will find that the maneuverability of that pigment is paramount to creating good art. It's all about control. Creating oil paintings is like creating a series of magic tricks on canvas. It may be beneficial to use a dye like pthalo to learn on, but in time, the former explained above will come into play. Also, pthalo colors are just a mess. Also they can easily move all over your art and ruin it. They get everywhere, and if you are like me, you will drag them in to your home and ruin your floors and furniture. Cobalts go exactly where you put them. However, if you have kids that can get to them, or you like to sand, stick to pthalo. Cobalts, cadmiums, and other heavy metals can be deadly when airborne. Even the binder of all the paints can be deadly if you sand them and you breath them in. Use a p100 mask or better if you choose to sand. still, as soon as you become a good enough painter that you can keep most of the paint on the canvas, and not on your body, I would suggest at least adding cobalts to your palette next to your pthalos. It's like learning to drive on a pinto, and switching to a Lamborghini/cobalts...it's like night and day. As for Gamblin, they create some great paint, and at a fair price. Five stars. The only thing I do not care for are the caps. They are hard to close.