For the past 30+ years since I bought my first verlinden how-to book on painting figures, I’ve been using Windsor Newton artist oils to paint figures and to also weather my armor models and vehicles.
But a fellow modeler told me about Abltilung 502 oils and he says that it’s the best quality oils he has ever used and he has used a gambit of oils.
So, I would like to know all of your pros and cons on this product, so I can make a decision on weather to drop my WN oils and go with Abltilung 502.
I’ve been using them for many years- they are indeed good quality with quite a few military and weathering focused colors. They tend not to have too much carrier oil which helps speed the drying process. I haven’t used regular artist oils in ages so I can’t compare them but I can say they work nicely.
I use Winsor & Newton oils and I bought 1 tube of the Abteilung 502. Comparatively, the W&N are better and less expensive, finer grained, and come in more colors. I’ve stuck with the Winsor & Newton.
It seems like the advantage of the Abt 502 is particular colors, but for what I use oils for, precision isn’t very important and mixing oils is easy. I’m surprised someone thinks they are better qualitatively than W&N.
Bear in mind there is more than one range of W&N oils, the pricier Artists range and the cheaper Winton range.
I think I recall that when Abteilung oils were launched it was claimed that the pigments were ground more finely than oils aimed at those painting on canvas. I always thought this sounded unlikely, and assumed that this claim was just marketing hype. I recall there were some other examples of what might be described as “over enthusiastic” marketing on the part of at least one of those working for the company at that time. I may be wrong though.