Q

How does M. Graham Color compare to other national brands?

Higher quality. We are not a high speed, high volume oriented company rather we are more like a micro-brewery. All colors are made one batch at a time with ingredients selected for the highest quality and reliability. The result, better looking paintings.

Why do you use walnut oil instead of linseed oil?

Artists’ throughout history have chosen walnut oil over linseed oil for its resistance to yellowing and cracking. While walnut oil is far more expensive, we found that it gives a unique flow to the color, allows acceptance of higher pigment load and increased ease of use. More importantly, the colors look better.

Does walnut oil go rancid?

In terms of a vegetable drying oil, “going rancid” means oxidizing or drying. If walnut oil didn’t “go rancid” you could not use it to build a painting. Since linseed oil dries faster than walnut oil, it goes rancid faster (the classic odor of linseed oil is rancidity). Concern over rancidity in walnut oil is only applicable if you are using it as edible salad dressing where taste is of concern.

Does honey in watercolor attract bugs?

All watercolor formulations that we know of contain some form of sugar-usually inexpensive corn syrup. We chose honey because it creates smoother washes and keeps the color moist on the palette. Bugs are attracted to paper, sizing and many things but are not any more interested in honey than corn syrup.

Is your gouache a “designers paint”?

Our color is an artists’ color. We consider “designers paint” to be for creating temporary work that is meant to be reproduced. Our gouache is made with the same lightfast pigments as our watercolor for use in permanent pieces of fine art and for mixed media application.

What makes your acrylic different than other brands?

The acrylic resin in our color is about 33% higher in resin solids (60% solids instead of 45%). This gives our color its creamy texture, slightly longer open time and film strength.

I want to switch to M. Graham color but I still have left over tubes of paint from other lines. Can I use them together?

While our color and mediums work best together, our products are compatible with other brands of traditional colors.