The Old Lyme artists used oil paints for the most part. Oil paints are slow drying paints which are made by combining small particles of pigment (the color) with oil (the binder). Paints are made by grinding down their pigment source mineral into a powder before mixing it with the oil. Both linseed and poppy oils were popular. Linseed oil was prone to yellow over time, but poppy oil offered a smooth and even paint that was slow drying. This would be useful for artists wanting to rework sections of their painting days or even weeks later. For a thinner consistency, painters could add more oil or even a varnish to the paint.

This labor-intensive process of preparing the paint was most likely performed in the studio close to where the artist painted. However, with the increased interest in painting en plein air, or in the open air, the painters required a convenient way to transport their paints. Early on, artists had used pig bladders to hold their paint, sealing the ends with thread and puncturing the skin with an ivory tack when they wanted to squeeze out paint. The tack would then be used to plug the hole. The bladders were not air tight, however, and would quickly dry up.

“But, in 1854, came an invention that marked the first change. It was that of the collapsible tube. Previous to this time every artist had each morning to take his paints out of the bag, get out his slab of glass, and grind up the colour with a little oil and varnish for the day’s work. The collapsible tube saved all this time and labour.”

~ Artist Henry Ward Ranger, 1914

In the 1840s, two forms of tin tubes emerged as a solution. One worked like a syringe and the other collapsed like a tube of toothpaste. The collapsible tube became an instant hit. Artists could buy empty tubes and fill them with their paint. They would crimp the bottom closed and use the screw cap end for dispensing the paint with a gentle squeeze. The tubes were airtight, light, and unbreakable—perfect for working outdoors.

By the 1870s, commercial paints were being sold in stores by color merchants. The high cost of certain minerals caused manufacturers to find synthetic sources for certain pigments and through experimentation many new colors became available. Likewise, some artists desired a thicker paint that would allow them to create dramatic brushstrokes on the canvas. Manufacturers would mix inert materials into the paint to achieve a more buttery consistency. Indeed, the Impressionists were at the forefront of painting technology and had the most modern materials, paint colors, and paint textures available than ever before in history.

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