Looking to get started with oil painting but not sure about the requirements? Here are the basic and best oil paint supplies to get you started.
All of these items can be found at any local art supply store or at Amazon, and are absolutely necessary for oil painters just starting out.
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Many artists use oil paints for their artworks and oil painting is considered the traditional way of painting. The main advantages of oil paints are their flexibility and depth of color.
They can be applied in many different ways, from thin glazes diluted with turpentine to dense thick impasto.
Oil painting is the best type of painting because it dries slowly and allows artists to work on the paint for a much longer period of time when compared to other types of paint.
Besides this, oil paint also stays wet for much longer than acrylic, allowing you to start a painting and then return to it the next day and continue right where you left off.
The paint on your palette will remain wet and pliable, and the colors on your canvas will remain blendable.
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Also, see our blog on the best acrylic paints.
Top 15 Best Oil Paint Supplies for Artists in 2024
- Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour Paint — Best oil paints overall
- Williamsburg Oil Traditional Colors Set — Best oil paints for excellent lightfastness
- Van Gogh Oil Color Paint — An international brand perfect for buttery or thick paint
- Gamblin 1980 Oil Color Set — One of the best oil paint sets with 48 hues
- Winsor & Newton Winton Long Handle Brush — Best long-handled brushes for artwork
- Grumbacher Academy Oil Brushes — Some of the best-rounded oil brushes
- Silver Brush Starter Set — An easy brush cap for artists getting started
- New Wave Glass Palette — A great palette for artists looking to mix colors
- Pro Art Oil Palette Pad — Best palette for mixing colors when on the go.
- Creative Mark Artist Painting Knives Set — A great set of painting knives to work with
- Arteza Palette Knife — Best palette knife for mixing colors
- Paint Solvent — A great solvent option for oil paints
- Linseed Oil — Best oil slowing down the drying process
- Silicoil Brush Cleaning Tank — Best tool for cleaning brushes efficiently
- DAVELIOU Stretched Canvas — A great canvas set to work with
Essential Oil Paint Supplies for Artists and Designers
Oil painting supplies may appear confusing and even frightening at first: in addition to paint, you’ll need turpentine and mineral spirits. However, once you understand the role that each supply plays, you’ll be able to begin painting with a solid understanding of how each supply contributes to the painting process.
What Are Some Essential Oil Paint Supplies for Artists and Designers?
Oil Paint
The first place to look for the best oil paint supplies is the tubes of oil paint themselves. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap tubes, start with a few key colors and mix them.
Here is a list of the best Oil paint brands that can be used to improve the appearance of your painting.
A Versatile Starter Palette For Oil Painting Should Contain:
- Cardinal red
- Yellow Ochre
- Cardinal Yellow
- Viridian Green
- Alizarin Crimson (Red)
- Burnt Umber
- Titanium White
- Ivory Black
Paint Palettes
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You need a palette to hold and mix your colors. It can be a large piece of glass or ceramic or even a disposable book of palette pages sold at art supply stores. Be sure that it’s large enough for what you’re doing, though.
Paint Brushes
A good oil painting brush will latch onto the oil and have a good spring in the bristles to create a good flow to the canvas. You don’t need to break the bank and buy every single type of brush when you’re just getting started with oil paint.
Once you start painting, you will quickly learn what shapes and sizes of brush you gravitate towards and what effects you’re hoping to achieve. Here is a list of the best Oil paintbrushes that can be used to improve the appearance of your painting.
Canvases
Many surfaces are acceptable for oil painting, however, a canvas is the most frequent and suitable. Canvas boards are quite cost-effective when starting off. They’re just stretched canvas on solid cardboard. They are not archival quality and tend to flex if not framed, but they are inexpensive and take up little space.
If you use paper or wood, or masonite you should coat it with Gesso first, using a big house brush. This will give you a solid, long-lasting surface that your oil paint can adhere to. So the best option is to choose canvas for oil painting.
Palette Knife For Oil Paint
A palette knife, also called a painting knife or sometimes a spatula, consists of a flexible blade, usually of steel, attached to a wooden handle, and is designed for working with paint and painted surface – most often oil or acrylic paint. A palette knife can be long and straight, or it can be more pointed or spread out in the middle, or really several variations of these basic shapes. The humble palette knife can be as important a tool as a paintbrush, a canvas, an easel, or a paint palette, and can be a brilliantly expressive and powerful way to work with oil paint.
Paint Solvent
Paint solvent is used to break down the oil in your paint. The solvent will help increase the fluidity of your paint, dilute the paint (making it great for thin washes), and speed up the drying time of your oil paint dramatically.
Linseed Oil
Your oil paint already has oil in it, but you can add additional oil to change the consistency of your paint. There are many different types of drying oils to use in oil painting, but linseed is easily the most popular.
Oil painting involves a steady balance between the amount of oil and solvent that you use. Oil medium is the counter to paint thinner. It is used to fatten up your paint and will increase the fluidity of your paint, slow the drying time and increase the transparency of your paint by making it perfect for glazing.
Brush Cleaning Tank
When it comes to cleaning your brushes when oil painting making use of a brush cleaning can help save artists a large amount of time in their creative process. While there may be little
15 Best Oil Paint Supplies for Artists in 2024
1. Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour Paint
Unit Count: 7.1 FI Oz | Package Information: Tube | Size: 10 counts | Item Volume: 21 Milliliters
The best oil paint is Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour Paint. Winton Oil Colour provides quality and affordability by utilizing reasonably priced pigments rather than reducing the pigment load and compromising color quality.
From our experience, these paints have a high level of pigmentation to ensure excellent coverage and tinting strength in your paints and paintings.
While it cannot compete with the superior pigment load of Artists’ Oil Colors, the Winton range is far superior to many other artists’ quality ranges.
We also observed that the Winton range is slightly stiffer and has a more uniform consistency than Artists’ Oil Color. It retains brush and palette knife strokes very well.
Winton’s sheen is largely due to the pigments used, so the gloss level varies between individual colors.
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Great beginner oil paint | ➖ Linseed oil base may yellow with time |
| ➕ Slightly stiff consistency | |
| ➕ Lightfastness/permanence rating is easy to find online |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Sold as a Set of 10 colors
- Individually formulated colors
- High quality oil colors at a moderate price
- Lightfast, permanent and intermixable with other brands
- Convenient 21ml. tubes
2. Williamsburg Oil Traditional Colors Set
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Unit Count: 4.22 FI Oz | Package Information: Tube | Size: 9 pieces Item Volume: 37 Milliliters
Williamsburg Oil Traditional Colors is a highly recommended paint brand that is handmade Oil Colors known for their excellent lightfastness.
Many expert artists may seek out these slightly grainy oils for their texture. However, we noticed that the texture isn’t the most appealing aspect of these oils.
Like any true artist’s quality oil, they have one of the most diverse color palettes available. This not only provides your artwork with unrivaled brilliance and vibrancy but also allows you to be as expressive as possible.
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Massive color selection | ➖ Some paints have a gritty texture |
| ➕ Established brand | ➖ Expensive |
| ➕ Great color chart | ➖ |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Williamsburg Oils - Traditional Colors Set of 9
- Traditional Colors Set
3. Van Gogh Oil Color Paint
Unit Count: 6.76 FI Oz | Finish Type: Gloss | Package Information: Tube
Van Gogh oils, manufactured in the Netherlands, have a buttery consistency and exceptional tinting strength. After testing the product, we found that all colors boast a high pigmentation level, maintain a consistent gloss level, and exhibit even thickness.
The lightfastness of this collection of oil colors ranges from acceptable to outstanding. We love how these oil paints are of professional quality at student pricing.
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Terrific lightfastness ratings | ➖ Is a bit pricey |
| ➕ High pigment concentration | ➖ |
| ➕ Can purchase individually | ➖ |
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Dutch-made Van Gogh oils have a buttery consistency with excellent tinting strength.
- All colors have a high level of pigmentation, uniform level of gloss, and consistent thickness.
- This range of oil colors has good to excellent lightfastness ratings.
- These oil paints are at an artist grade quality with student grade prices.
- See the description for content details of this set.
4. Gamblin 1980 Oil Color Set
Unit Count: 1.25 Oz | Package Information: Tube | Size: 9 pieces Item Volume: 37 Milliliters
While the lack of a lightfastness and permanence grade for Gamblin’s oils was disappointing, we were able to find both the pigments used and the transparency ratings for each oil.
More than half of Gamblin’s 48 hues are made from a single pigment source, resulting in significantly more brilliant and brighter colors than others.
Because these paints are made with refined linseed oil as a basis, expect some fading after a few years. If a set isn’t what you’re searching for, Gamblin also sells these tubes separately on Amazon.
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Student grade paints | ➖ Lightfastness ratings missing |
| ➕ Affordable | |
| ➕ Great consistency and texture |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- GB101110
- 729911011102
- Brand New Item / Unopened Product
- Gamblin
5. Winsor & Newton Winton Long Handle Brush
Size: 5 pieces | Material: Natural and Hog | Item Volume: 3.17 Oz
With 5 distinct styles at a medium size, this brush set is versatile in many ways. Long-handle brushes generally come in handy when working on larger canvases with a lot of surface area to cover.
While not the most comfortable brush to use for smaller artwork on paper, it still is quite versatile to use. In this 5-pack, you receive all the essentials to get you started right away, which includes the following:
- Round
- Filbert
- Flat
- Bright
- Fan
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Great starter set | ➖ Constrained to mid/small size pieces |
| ➕ Medium-sized brushes | |
| ➕ Respected art brand |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Made From Quality Hog Bristles, Hand-Set Into Corrosion-Resistant Ferrules
- The Natural Curve Of The Hog Bristle Produces A Resilient Brush Which Retains Its Shape Even After Heavy Use
- Allows The Artist More Control And Accuracy, Whether Painting With Oil, Alkyds Or Acrylics
- Country Of Origin : United Kingdom
6. Grumbacher Academy Oil Brushes
Size: 3 pieces | Material: Nylon | Item Volume: 1.6 Oz
With 3 different flat brush sizes (6, 8, and 10), these brushes are great for mid-sized pieces, but you’ll have some constraints around technique—therefore we recommend you choose a round brush like this one as well.
With an oversized center as well as an extended handle, these brushes are going to be incredibly comfortable to use for several hours.
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Versatile synthetic bristle | ➖ Slightly expensive |
| ➕ Oversized handle grip | ➖ Limited brush types |
| ➕ Perfect for beginners |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Includes brushes: Flat 6, Flat 8 and Flat 10
- Soft, white nylon bristles ensure even strokes and excellent color carrying qualities
- Brushes have a thicker middle for holding more water and paint; Long handles
- Good for filling in large areas, blocking and impasto
- Sweeping layers can be easily created by dragging the brush across the surface
7. Silver Brush Starter Set
Size: 6 pieces | Material: Synthetic | Item Volume: 0.8 Oz
Silver Brush is the best brush to work perfectly between all the most popular mediums including watercolors, acrylics, and of course oils, they not only load well but have a rather stiff fiber that has a nice spring.
The shorter and thicker handles are perfect for both control and comfort. In this 6-pack, you receive all the essentials to get you started right away, which includes the following:
- Angular
- Round
- Medium Triangle
- Filbert Grass Comb
- Monogram Liner
- Bright
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Stiff and springy bristles | ➖ Fairly expensive for synthetics |
| ➕ Perfect for intermediates | |
| ➕ Comfortable handle prevents fatigue |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- RUBY SATIN: Our Ruby Satin line was created for artists who use a variety of paint types. Each brush is designed with synthetic-fiber tips that imitate mongoose. They are durable and firm enough to...
- MATERIALS: Our Ruby Satin professional artist brushes are expertly crafted with synthetic-mongoose filament and are fit for rough painting surfaces. Each brush has a short handle that is finished with...
- ART SET: This Ruby Satin brush kit includes round, triangle, angled, Bright, monogram liner, and filbert comb brushes. This is the perfect brush set to create broad strokes, abstracts, crisp detail,...
- PAINTS: Each Ruby Satin synthetic brush can be paired with heavy-bodied acrylic or oil paint. These professional paintbrushes also work well with watercolor and gouache, proving they are extremely...
- OUR STORY: Silver Brush Limited is the premier supplier of fine painting supplies in the United States. We have created a remarkable collection of first-rate artist brushes. We believe that...
8. New Wave Glass Palette
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 16.56x 12.31x 0.36 Inches | Material: Tempered Glass | Item Volume: 1.06 Pounds
A new wave glass palette is a glass palette. The paint in the palette can be scrapped completely clean with a razor, and it’s the smoothest surface to use when mixing your paints with a brush or palette knife.
You have a generous mixing area and never feel overly cramped. The rubber-reinforced corners also help to prevent any incidental cracks, or chips while using.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- The POSH Glass Artist Palette is made of tempered glass for strength and safety. The painting palette is available with a grey or white finished underside, or clear. Key features include custom corner...
- Uses: The perfect addition to your artist painting supplies. The New Wave glass palette can be used with all paint media. The glass artists palette can be used as an oil paint palette, palette for...
- Care: POSH Glass Palettes are easy to clean when used as an artist mixing tray or painting tray. Dried acrylic paints peel away from the glass artist palette and dried oil paint can be removed with a...
- Compatibility: The 9"x12" and 12"x16" painting palette glass is designed to fit inside the Masterson Art Products Artist Palette Seal (blue lid) and Masterson Sta-Wet Premier Palette (red lid) for...
- Dimensions: 12”x 16”x 0.13” Weight: 2.00 LB.
9. Pro Art Oil Palette Pad
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 12 x 0.25 x 16 Inches | Style: Disposal oil palette | Item Volume: 0.59 Pounds
The oil media palette is the best palette pad by Pro Art and is a great disposable pick if you are painting on the go. With easily tear-away sheets, you can mix your oil paint and throw it away once you are done.
The biggest gripe about this pad from some artists was that it can tear away from the binding while you are using it.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Pro Art Palette Disposable Pad Oil 12"x 16" 50pc
- Disposable paper eliminates clean up.
- Specially treated disposable paper is impervious to oil.
- Full mixing surface has no die cut or wasted space.
10. Creative Mark Artist Painting Knives Set
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 13.5 x 8.75 x 0.13Inches | Material: Walnut steel | Item Volume: 3.2 Oz
The Creative Mark Artist Painting Knife Set is an Italian-style painting knife set that includes 3 different blade styles that include trowel, flat, and scraper which are suitable for all media. Made of polished, tempered stainless steel blades fixed into wooden handles by a brass collar.
Specially tempered to provide just the right amount of giving for the perfect painting response and handles are comfortable to grip and feature a deep walnut stain. This set includes one of each style: 3T, 15T, 35T, 36T, and 38T.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Paint Palette: This palette knife Features polished stainless-steel blades that are speciAlly tempered to provide the perfect Painting response. The blades are carefully fixed into Wooden handles...
- Versatile Oil Painting Supplies: These palette knives are suitable for oil Paint, acrylic Paint, and more. They are essential oil Painting supplies and versatile Painting tools that can be Used for a...
- Grip and Durability: The handles of these Paint tools are crafted with finished hardWood and feature a deep walnut stain, offering both beauty and durability. The comfortable grip Allows for precise...
- Multiple Shapes and Sets: With 60 different shapes and 5 sets to choose from, you get everything you need. The "T" knives have offset, trowel-shaped blades, "F" knives feature traditional flat blades,...
- Acrylic Paint Palette: These Italian-style Painting tools are meant for artists of All levels. These versatile oil Painting supplies will enhance your Painting experience and provide you with the...
11. Arteza Palette Knife
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 9 x 3x 1.3 Inches | Material: Stainless steel | Item Volume: 4.8 Oz
This painting knife is extremely flexible, super-thin, yet durable, and break-resistant. The material of the blade is easy to clean and suitable for all painting projects.
This stainless steel palette knife allows you to mix, spread, and layer colors with ease. Designed with a wooden handle, this Palette Knife is a must-have for anyone wanting to add dimension to their art pieces.
This blunt, metal painting tool is perfect for mixing colors and can be used with many different types of paint. This Palette Knife is a must-have for anyone wanting to add dimension to their art pieces.
This blunt, metal painting tool is perfect for mixing colors and can be used with many different types of paint.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Thin & Flexible Blade: This painting knife is extremely flexible, super-thin, yet durable and break-resistant.
12. Winsor and Newton Paint Solvent
Unit Count: 2.8 FI Oz | Color: Clear, Black | Size: 2.53 FI Oz | Item Volume: 75 Milliliters
Winsor & Newton solvent is a low-odor solvent that evaporates slowly, increases blending time, and is suitable for thinning oil colors and cleaning brushes.
It is suitable for oil and alkyd color and well suited to artists who prefer to avoid exposure to turpentine.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- A low odor solvent which evaporates slowly, increases blending time and is suitable for thinning oil colors and cleaning brushes
- Suitable for oil and alkyd color
- Well suited to artists who prefer to avoid exposure to turpentine
13. Linseed Oil
Unit Count: 2.536 FI Oz | Color: PaleYellow | Size: 2.53 FI Oz | Item Volume: 75 Milliliters
Linseed stand oil is a pale viscous oil that slows drying while imparting a tough, smooth enamel finish with no brush marks that increases film durability.
It is ideal for glazing and fine detail when mixed with the solvent. Newton & Winsor Drying Oils, when used with oil color, change the consistency, gloss, and drying time of the color.
Oils preserve the elasticity of paint films, especially when working fat over lean and avoid over-thinning, which can occur with solvents.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- A pale viscous oil that slows drying while imparting a tough, smooth enamel finish with no brush marks
- Increases film durability
- Ideal for glazing and Fine detail when mixed with solvent
- Made in the US
14. Silicoil Brush Cleaning Tank
Item Dimensions LxWxH: 7.62 x 7.62 x 7.62 cm | Design: Coil | Item Volume: 349 grams
A brush washer is a container that holds solvent and features a grating or wire coil for washing the paint from the brush. This also prevents the brush from becoming encrusted in the sludge at the bottom.
Because the coil does not damage the bristles, this Silicoil alternative is a more delicate approach than designs that employ a grate, yet it is still an effective scrubber and is raised above any silt. The clear jar also allows you to see how unclean the solvent is.
This brush washer, like most brush washers, might leak, making it unsuitable for storing solvent, especially when traveling.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- For the proper cleaning of fine artist brushes
- The aluminum coil in the base of the glass tank has a nondamaging surface
- For wiping away paint from brush hairs as well as holding bristles above the sediment
- Package Dimension : 5inches L x 5inches W x 5inches H
15. DAVELIOU Stretched Canvas
Material : 100% pure woven cotton | Color: Non-Toxic Gesso: Titanium white | Size: 11 x 14 | Item Weight : 0.85 Killograms
This collection of 5 Daveliou flat canvas frames is perfect for any situation or mood including classroom, art class, studio, or simply going outside to paint. These Canvas are portable, rugged, waterproof, and durable. The surface of the Daveliou flat canvas is non-yellowing.
No more time-consuming preparation. Get straight to work with Daveliou blank canvas frames. Perfect for applying your creativity, these canvas frames can be hung in your studio or home without additional framing costs and delays.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- THESE VERSATILE INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED PLAIN CANVAS FRAMES stay clean till used. The staple free edges and taut spring-like surface is an ideal base for your best artwork. Unlike other canvas surfaces...
- IDEAL FOR ALL TYPES OF MEDIA – Daveliou stretched canvas panels are the perfect surface for oil, acrylic, watercolor, tempera, casein, and college media. These canvas frames offer all painters from...
- PREMIUM-GRADE STRETCHED FRAMES This high-quality surface texture is derived from closely woven 100% pure 3-ply / 280-gsm cotton. Meticulously stretched and wrapped on a 15.8mm kiln-dried, bevelled...
- UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY on these ready-to-go blank canvas frames – No more time-consuming preparation. Get straight to work with Daveliou blank canvas frames. Perfect for applying your creativity,...
- SATISFACTION GUARANTEED - If for any reason you’re not satisfied, simply contact us for a no hassle refund. Our 1-year money back guarantee means you can try our blank stretched canvas at zero risk!...
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need solvent for oil painting?
Solvents (typically turpentine) are used to thin the paint and clean the brushes in traditional oil painting. These solvents produce obnoxious fumes that might cause headaches and dry up your skin.
Can you oil paint directly on Canvas?
You can paint on a variety of materials, including canvas, wood, and paper, but it's critical to use a form of primer called gesso to prevent the oil from soaking into the surface, protect the surface from the acids in the paint, and offer a surface to which the paint will stick better.
What is the best material for oil painting?
The greatest medium for oil painting is a canvas. Canvas has been used by artists for almost 300 years, so it is highly recommended. The cloth's weave, in combination with the spring of the stretched material, makes it ideal for oil painting. Cotton or linen are commonly used to make a canvas.
What are the best oil paint supplies?
The best oil paint supplies are include Oil paintbrushes, Palettes, Palette Knifes, Paint solvent and Linseed oil.
Silicon brush cleaning tank
Canvas
Best Oil Paint Supplies for Artists Summary
Investing in the best oil paint supplies can completely transform your artwork because oil painting necessitates specialized equipment, thus both professionals and beginners will profit from high-quality equipment.
Paints, brushes, and canvas are obviously the most vital oil painting supplies, but there is also a variety of other equipment, some of which may be considered necessary.
The best oil paint supplies mentioned above are some of the most suitable for newbie artists just getting started.
If you have any other recommendations or feel like we’ve missed out on any important oil paint supplies on our list be sure to let us know in the comments below!
