Cobra Water-Mixable Oil Paints by Royal Talens -Full Review

Bruce Black's art studio and palette. 2022

I am excited to write to you about Cobra water-mixable oil paints made by Royal Talens.  I first came upon them when researching oil painting options for high school art students.  I teach 11th and 12th grade high school art, but I have never been able to teach them oil painting due to the harsh chemicals that are usually required.  I stumbled upon them, and they sounded good, so I purchased a small set to practice. Immediately, I was hooked and bought several more sets for my class.  In addition, I made my own switch from watercolor painting to oil painting and am now pursuing oil painting almost exclusively.  After two years of using Cobra paints, I feel confident in writing this review.

The Good: There are a lot of good things to write about regarding these paints.

1. First, is the fact that no solvents are necessary.  I was dubious, but it is true! Your brushes clean up easily with just soap and water, and you can dip your brush in a can of water the same as you would with acrylic or watercolor paint.  Furthermore, you can thin your paint with just water, similar to using mineral spirits or other solvents in traditional oil painting.
   
2. These paints also come out of clothing remarkably well, even better than acrylic!  I discovered fairly quickly that if you get paint on your clothing, assuming that you catch it before it dries, it washes out without much trouble.  Because of their quick drying time, acrylics tend to be far more permanent on your clothing.  I never seem to notice before it is too late! However, the Cobra paints wash out easily. 
   
3. No solvents! Again, the real beauty of water-mixable paints is the ability to have a solvent free studio.  That is why I can use these paints with my high school students.  And it is why I am able to now paint with oil paints in my home studio.  No solvents, amazing!
   
4. They operate just like traditional oils.  That means that you apply them using the usual fat over lean methods, and you can use a variety of water-mixable mediums to work with fatter (slower drying) layers of paint. (Painting thin to fat rule)
   
5. They dry fast! If you thin your paint with a little water, it will be mostly dry in one day.  It is tacky within a few hours. There are mediums that will slow the drying time if you need it.  
   

The Not So Good: I don’t have a lot of negatives, but here are a few thoughts.

1. They dry fast! I know I just listed that above as a positive, but it is also somewhat of a negative.  If I mix some paint on my palette and leave it out overnight, the thin layers will be hard, and the thicker layers will have a skin over them. I would like my paints to stay open longer. I'm sure there is a solution to this, I just need to work on it.  I might end up emptying my tubes into separate jars and mixing in a slower drying medium for all of them. Furthermore, I know they make plastic containers with lids for acrylic painting pallets, and I did look into that, however, my glass palette is too large to fit.  I will keep working on it. 
   
2. They are dense coming out of the tube.  Do not get me wrong, they are workable, and Royal Talons Cobra paints are the best of the water-mixable brands in terms of their viscosity.  However, I like to paint with softer brushes (probably a throwback from so many years of watercolor painting) and I find the Cobra paints are just a bit too stiff.  I must loosen them up with something.
   
3. Another issue, though minor, is the saturation of some of the paint.  I found most of the tubes to be rich with color, but there are a few that seem a bit anemic.  The King's Blue, Permanent Green-Light, and Permanent Yellow-Light feel like it takes a lot of paint to shift a color when mixing it with another. 
   
4. Finally, there remains some uncertainty and skepticism about their archival nature. I don’t really worry about this, as I believe they have been around long enough for Royal Talens to figure out how to do this right.  They do know how to make paint, after all. However, when I am selling paintings and need to reassure my collectors that the paintings are stable, I feel compelled to mention to them that they are made with water-mixable oils.  I am hopeful that will not affect sales or prices.
   

Mediums: I have also tried some of the mediums.  Cobra has a nice basic medium.  It looks like, and acts like, standard linseed oil and will make your paint feel more buttery.  What I have done is set up three small jars.  Into each jar, I have poured a portion of filtered water.  Then, I have added increasing amounts of the Cobra medium to each jar.  I label the jars, thin, medium, and fat and use them just as I would use a standard painting medium, using the thinner one first and the fat medium towards the end. Eventually I get to the pure medium.  If I need to glaze a layer in or want to rework a painting after I have set it aside for a while, I will use the Cobra glazing medium, which is thick and fat.  It works great! Note, the mediums are emulsions and will turn white when you add water to them, but they dry clear. 
   
So, do I recommend Cobra water-mixable oil paints by Royal Talens? Yes, I do! I continue to work with them, and I am enjoying them immensely.  They have reinvigorated my creativity and I love being able to go back to oil painting after so many years.  I would suggest to anyone, that they give them a try. 
Here is a link to Royal Talens website (I have no affiliation). They have tons of great information on how to get started with Cobra paint. COBRA PAINTS INFORMATION HERE.

Bruce Black's Art studio with a small painting of Sedona Arizona. 2022

Cobra water-mixable oils by Royal Talons (From the studio of Bruce Black)

Check out more of my paintings done with water-mixable oils HERE.