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The Lefranc Bourgeois oil paint collection

Formulated with first precision raw oils, each colour has a firm, homogeneous and non-greasy consistency. Depending on the chemical nature of the pigments, the colours are made exclusively from linseed oil or safflower oil, which guarantees them optimum durability.

The Lefranc Bourgeois fine oil range is available in 48 colours of 40 ml and 150 ml. With the combination of bright colours and a material with high covering power, it is to be preferred for working on large surfaces and sketches.

The Lefranc Bourgeois extra-fine oil range, produced in France, is denser and contains a wide range of pigments. It consists of 120 colours in 20 ml and 40 ml, and 7 colours in 200 ml. Exceptional colours with exceptional covering power and optimal resistance to light and time.

oil paint palette

A wide range of colours

Our products are the result of close collaboration between artists and chemists, a guarantee of quality and stability in the long term and in the light.

If Lefranc Bourgeois oil is so coveted by amateurs and professionals alike, it is because it has reached an unequalled quality.

For over 300 years, Lefranc Bourgeois has worked on the formula of its oil paint to create a fine oil with powerful pigments and an ideal texture. A pioneer in the manufacture of paint, it has been used by many painters including Monet, Cézanne and Gauguin.

Today, many renowned artists such as Olivier Masmonteil and JonOne still choose our range of oil paints, perfected by the collaboration between chemists and painters.

The grinding of the colours is still carried out in the purest respect of tradition thanks to the grinding machines in the Le Mans factory. The resulting pastes are extremely fine, homogeneous and very smooth.

The range of extra-fine oil colours is more balanced and purer, the range now contains 120 colours including 8 cadmium-free references: a world innovation created by Lefranc Bourgeois in 2017, allowing an eco-responsible alternative while retaining the strength and power of cadmium.

Iconic colours

Naples Yellow

The origin of Naples yellow goes back to the second millennium BC. Used by the glassmakers and ceramists of ancient Egypt, it was gradually replaced by lead and tin yellow. At the end of the Middle Ages it was rediscovered in Europe, but it was in the 17th century that it really took off. It is prepared from a mineral found on the slopes of Vesuvius, which is where it gets its name of Naples yellow.

"I have finally found my beautiful Naples yellow, which bears no resemblance to all the other Naples yellow I used to use" Millet to Alexandre Lefranc

High quality pigments

Each oil respects strict production conditions that make it pleasant to work with and not harmful to the painter: toxicology, lightfastness, fineness of grinding, control of shade, dry extract, pH, viscosity, gloss or adhesion. The colours are methodically tested for a guaranteed standard of excellence.

Iconic Naples Yellow
medium Lefranc Bourgeois

Additives to work the material

Viscosity of the paste, dryness, transparency and rendering: beyond the colour, Lefranc Bourgeois has been innovating for 300 years to provide you with painting mediums that will facilitate the work of colour texture.

By densifying the paste, without reducing the pigment intensity, the impasto medium makes possible texture effects for a more accurate and controlled writing. The superposition of layers and the use of colours are the basis of the glazing technique.

This is made possible by other additives such as the painting medium and the Flemish medium. By increasing the brilliance of the oil, these mediums make it possible to obtain very fine glazes giving more depth, brilliance and transparency to the paint.

The matte painting medium allows you to create velvety effects but above all a great stability of the material. When there is no undercoat on a painting it acts as a painting facilitator.

Discover all our additives for oil painting