There are two types of painters: The ones who can sit in a dress shirt and paint very technically, and the ones who need a smock and paint instinctively. The former put their paint tubes back with the cap on, dispensing what they need in a regimented manner. The latter squeezes out pigments as they go, allowing the color to speak to their intuition. Can you guess which type I am?
For painters who may be interested, my preference for oil paint products are thus:
Gamblin, for its quality and price point. Their mediums and solvents are pricey, but of the highest quality and incredible thought goes into their functionality and toxicity levels.
Winsor and Newton Aritst Color: Good quality paint for the buy
Charvin Extra Fine: Pricey, and about the same quality as a Gamblin, but if you can get it on sale, they carry some beautiful colors. I actaully don't like how they omit the exact pigments used, however, their alternatives for red and orange are fantastic. So, instead of buying a Winsor Cadmium red, orange or yellow, I go for the Charvin versions, which mix wonderfully and are much less pricey.