I checked further into whether Grumbacher is, indeed, making Liquitex
paints.  Seems it is, according to Art Graham, maker of M.Graham paints and
formerly with Grumbacher and Daniel Smith.

Seems Liquitex (formerly Permanent Pigments) decided it cost too much (more
than 74 cents a tube) to make its own paints in its plant in Winfield, KS.
Grumbacher offered a deal, which was accepted, and presumably uses
Liquitex's materials and formulae.  Meanwhile, Liquitex was bought by
Crayola, which was bought by Hallmark.

And Grumbacher is owned by Koh-I-Noor, which is owned by Rotring in Germany.

[Winsor & Newton is part of Colart, LeFranc & Bourgouis (spelling wrong, I
am sure), and Beckers (?).  Just more of the art world consolidation.]

A bit of history told me:  Henry Levinson started Liquitex.  It was the
first acrylic paint commercially available to artists in the late 1950's.
Earlier acrylic was developed in Germany as a house paint.  I remember
using it when it was relatively new for artists in the early 1960's, when I
painted backgrounds for mass production of paintings for hotel rooms.
Colors tended toward earth tones and were not many.  I have a painting of
my collie/shepherd done then - it has held up very well, same brightness of
color and no cracking.

Are there no icons left in the art materials world?

Elaine

Elaine R.S. Hodges      [log in to unmask]
85253 Ridgetop Drive
Eugene, OR  97405-9535  Phone: 541-684-0484, Fax: 541-684-9662
        USA