I'm in love...

Something you should know about artists (if you aren't one yourself) is that some of us have a geeky tendency to get overexcited to the point of lunacy about certain materials that we use.  I don't typically do that very often.  I get more excited about a great painting, and couldn't care less what materials were used for it.  But for example, a particular type of canvas material, usually linen, will get some artists panting and drooling like Pavlov's dog.  Personally, I don't get that excited over linen.  I've used it and it's nice, but I wouldn't say it has done anything particularly special for my painting that regular cotton canvas does.  I'm not that particular over surface materials.  I've painted on cotton, linen, wood, and paper, and I like them all. 
Another example would be certain types of medium.  I have a couple of different kinds in my stash of materials that I use and absolutely love.  But I don't really divulge that information to just anyone.  Gotta keep some of it a secret.
But I will say this, lately I've been shifting to a different brand of oils, and I have to give Williamsburg Handmade Oils at least my word-of-mouth endorsement.  They aren't the only brand I use, but right now they are my favorite, and it became official as I finished this painting recently:

Woman in a Red Headscarf
oil on canvas
20x16 inches
2014

I've been using certain colors by Williamsburg for the past year, and of course I used some of them in this painting.  But the new one I am most excited about, officially in love with, and will probably use exclusively from now on is the ridiculously beautiful red of her headscarf and top.  It is called Cadmium Red Vermilion.  Even when I dulled it down for some of the darker areas, I couldn't believe how awesome and strong it was as soon as I started applying it to the painting.  I will say, it was a little pricey for a 40 mL tube, but you get what you pay for.  I painted all the red areas alla prima, so I don't know how it looks as far as glazing goes, but I'm eager to find out.
So, if you're an artist looking for an awesome vermilion, here it is.  And if you're just looking for a great brand of professional oils, give Williamsburg a shot.  Some of the colors have a long consistency, and they won't dry out on you if you're the type to store your paint in containers for later use.
Okay, done with my commercial.  Happy painting, y'all!