The White Test. . . 5 Years in the Making

I've been preparing this blog entry for about 5 years.

In the aforementioned year of yore, I performed a thoroughly unscientific White Test wherein different brands of oil paint were applied to a little panel and allowed to cure so as to observe their aged properties.  I was focusing primarily on how much they yellowed.  The results led to some concern so I broadened the test to include more brands/kinds of oil paint, and now . . . after two years of drying. . . I give you the results of this expanded White Test (or Off-White Test, as it is known in-house.)

PAINTS TESTED:
Winsor & Newton (Artist Oil Colors)
    Titanium White  37 ml
     Zinc White  37ml
     Flake White #1  37 ml
     Foundation White  37 ml
     Cremnitz White  37 ml
     Transparent White  120 ml
Winsor & Newton (Griffin Alkyd)
    Titanium White  37 ml
     Mixed White  37 ml
Gamblin (Artist Oil Colors)
    Titanium White  37 ml
     Radiant White  37 ml
     Titanium Zinc White  37 ml
     Zinc White  37 ml
     Quick Dry White  37 ml
     Flake White Replacement  37 ml
     Flake White  37 ml
Grumbacher (Artist Oil Colors Pretested)
    Titanium White (soft form)  1.25 fl. oz.
     Titanium White (original form)  1.25 fl. oz.
     Zinc White  37 ml
     Flake White  37 ml
Holbein (Extra Fine Artist Oil Colors)
     Ceramic White  50 ml
     Zinc White  50 ml
Lukas 1862 (Finest Artist Oil Colors)
     Opaque White  37 ml
     Zinc White  37 ml
     Titanium White  37 ml
Old Holland (Classic Oil Colors)
     Mixed White #2 (zinc & titanium)  40 ml
     Titanium White  40 ml
     Cremnitz White  40 ml
     Flake White #1 Cremnitz & Zinc  40 ml
Vasari  (Classic Artist Oil Color)
     Titanium Zinc White  40 ml
     Zinc White  40 ml
     Titanium White  40 ml
Permalba (Artist Oil Color)
     Original White  150 ml
     Zinc White  37 ml
     Titanium White  37 ml
     Iridescent White  37 ml
Chroma (Archival Permanently Flexible Artists Oils)
     Titanium White  40 ml
Chroma (Professional Artists Oils)
     Tinting White (Pearl/Titanium)  40 ml
C.A.S. Alkyd Pro
     White Luster  70 ml
     Titanium White  70 ml
Rembrandt (Extra Fine Oil Colors)
     Transparent White  40 ml
  

The Entire Chart

Flake Whites

Quick Dry Whites

Supposedly White Whites

Titanium Whites 1

Titanium Whites 2

Titanium Zinc Whites

Zinc Whites

Transparent Whites

Specialty "Whites"

THE WINNERS (Still White):

 • Permalba (Artist Oil Color) - Original White

 • Lukas 1862 (Finest Artist Oil Colors) - Titanium White

 • Grumbacher (Artist Oil Colors Pretested) - Titanium White (soft form)

PRACTICALLY ORANGE:

 • Gamblin (Artist Oil Colors) - Radiant White

 • Grumbacher (Artist Oil Colors Pretested) - Flake White

 • Permalba (Artist Oil Color) - Zinc White

 • Permalba (Artist Oil Color) - Titanium White

LEMONY YELLOW:

 • Winsor & Newton (Artist Oil Colors) - Cremnitz White

 • Winsor & Newton (Artist Oil Colors) - Transparent White
 • Rembrandt (Extra Fine Oil Colors) - Transparent White

VERDICT:
The culprit seems to be the vehicle (or binder) used.  Since safflower oil yellows less than linseed oil, I'm sticking with whites made with safflower oil.

(All of these paints are applied to the same gessoed linen panel, so there should be no inconsistency in the ground.  We were also careful to wear gloves when touching the surface, so that there would be no inadvertent addition of oil from fingers to confuse the results.  No animals were harmed through the testing of these paints - including rabbits.  Obviously overly optimistic, I left plenty of space for additional paints to be added eventually - feel free to submit any requests.)