Product Articles
Five Great Reasons That Artists' Products Are Worth the Cost
Reprinted by permission from Liquitex Artist Materials
Just like you, we hear it all the time. Whenever we're teaching programs in colleges and universities, or working with artists at consumer shows, we get the question over and over: "How come art materials are so expensive?" Below are key points that help explain the value of products made for artists.
1) Fine pigment is, by far, the greatest contributor to the cost of fine colour. And a single tube of artists' quality colour contains as much or more highly refined pigment than much larger buckets of household-quality paint.
2) Every single pigment is unique, and every single colour is formulated differently. In a range of 96 colours (like Liquitex High Viscosity Professional Acrylics), that means 96 different formulations to take full advantage of the distinct characteristics of each pigment.
3) Every colour is intended to make for the most stable and permanent film possible. House paints, by contrast, are formulated to last a decade or two, at most. With proper application, fine artist colours are formulated to last generations or centuries.
4) Raw materials come from all over the planet, including some very obscure locations. For example, fine acrylic resins may come from Europe, while the best and most suitable pigments may come from North America, Europe, or Asia.
5) Last but not least, artists' quality products enhance the process. Never doubt that the quality of the materials will show up in the quality of the work.
Opus Customer Service: