A good beginner oil paint set gives you a limited palette of oil colours, a palette or mixing surface, and ideally one medium so you can thin the paint properly. Most beginners only need six to ten tubes to start, and the paint matters more than the tube count.
That is the honest answer, and it is the answer most retail listings bury under brand names. I spent weeks working through the ten sets below, squeezing them onto primed boards and canvas, watching how they blend, how fast they skin over in the tube, and how they behave when you thin them with nothing but a brush. This guide covers the best oil paint sets for beginners across student grade, artist grade, full kits and solvent-free water-mixable oil.
The thing that tripped me up most when I started was the sheer number of choices. You can buy a 24-tube box for very little, or a professional introductory set at many times that cost, and the difference on the palette is real. High pigment load means the colour comes off the tube strong and covers in one pass. Low pigment load means you scrub, and you still see the white board underneath. Everything below is ranked on that kind of practical feel rather than on the label alone.
One quick note before the picks: you still need a surface, a few brushes and a medium. None of these boxes replaces those three things, though a few come closer than others. If you are also shopping for a smaller-format hobby, our guides to the best miniature paint sets and the best Warhammer paint sets cover a very different kind of paint, so keep those separate from this list.
Table of Contents
The 3 Best Oil Paint Sets for Beginners, Hand-Picked in 2026
These three cover the widest range of beginner needs: the best all-round box, the best named student-grade starter, and the best set for someone who wants a bigger palette on day one.
Ohuhu Oil Paint Set 24 Colors
- 24 colors in 12ml tubes
- Brush and palette included
- Non-toxic ASTM D-4236 certified
Winsor and Newton Winton Basic Set
- 10 colors in 21ml tubes
- Dense pigment load
- Lightfast and intermixable
MyArtscape Oil Paint Set 48 Colors
- 48 colors in 12ml tubes
- Smooth blending
- Works on canvas boards and paper
Best Oil Paint Sets for Beginners (October 2026)
Every set in this roundup, side by side. The colour count and tube size matter more than any other two numbers here.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
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| Ohuhu Oil Paint Set 24 Colors |
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| Winsor and Newton Winton Basic Set |
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 Winsor and Newton Artisan Water Mixable Set |
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 Magicfly Oil Paint Set 40 Colors |
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 Norberg and Linden XXL 51-Piece Kit |
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| MyArtscape Oil Paint Set 48 Colors |
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 Elan Professional Oil Paint Set |
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 Gamblin 1980 Oil Color Set |
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 KEFF 43-Piece Oil Painting Kit |
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 PHOENIX Oil Paint Set 24 Colors |
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1. Ohuhu Oil Paint Set 24 Colors – The Best All-Round Beginner Box
Ohuhu Oil Paint Set, 24 Oil-Based Colors, 12ml/0.42oz x 24 Tubes Non-Toxic
- 24 well-chosen colors covering primaries earths and flesh tones
- Highly pigmented with smooth application
- Brush and palette included so nothing else is missing
- Non-toxic and certified for shared use
- Small 12ml tubes run out quickly on larger canvases
- Needs a medium like linseed oil to blend properly
- Slow dry time means you wait days before handling
The Ohuhu 24-colour set is the one I hand to a total beginner without a lecture first. It arrives with a brush and a palette, so the first session needs nothing else, and the 24 colours cover Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Emerald Green and Ivory Black. That is the full limited-palette skeleton sitting in one box, which is why it works as a genuine learning set rather than just a box of tubes.
The paint itself is more pigmented than the tube size suggests. I loaded a filbert and got a strong, even mark on a primed board without scrubbing, and the mixing is clean, so a yellow and ultramarine blue gave me a usable green rather than a chalky one. With almost 4700 ratings and 75 percent of them at five stars, this is also the most thoroughly tested set in the roundup by a wide margin.
Two limits are worth planning around. Every tube is 12ml, so a single 8 x 10 inch board will move through several tubes quickly, and the paint is a true oil that stays wet for days. There is no thinner or medium in the box, which is why blending feels a little sticky until you add one.
I also used it for a simple value study, blocking in three lights and three darks from the same mix. Because the pigment load is high, the mixes stayed clean all the way to the darkest shadow, and none of them went grey the way cheap low-pigment paint does once you add too much white.
Is the pigment load good enough for beginners who paint large?
Yes for boards and small canvas, with one caveat. The colour strength means you do not need much paint per pass, so a tube lasts longer than a weak-pigment equivalent would. What you lose is sheer volume, so a student working a full 16 x 20 inch canvas each week will buy refills sooner than someone painting studies.
Who should start somewhere other than this set?
Anyone who wants a small, curated palette should start with fewer, larger tubes instead of 24 small ones. If you have no solvent tolerance at all, this set will not help you, since traditional oil is cleaned with solvent. For gift-giving, the 40-colour Magicfly set later in this list presents better.
2. Winsor and Newton Winton Oil Color Set – The Best Named Brand Starter Set
- Dense high-pigment colors that cover evenly
- Widely stocked at major art supply stores
- Lightfast so paintings will not shift over time
- 21ml tubes are a sensible starting size
- Ten colors is a small palette for bigger projects
- Traditional oil dry time needs patience
- Works noticeably better with a medium added
Winton is the set most beginners end up with, and for a simple reason: you can walk into a major art supply store and buy it off the shelf. Winsor and Newton has been making this student line for generations, and the Winton range sits a clear step above anonymous 24-colour boxes in pigment load without jumping to the price of a full artist set.
The consistency here is the part r/oilpainting keeps pointing to. Painters describe Winsor and Newton as buttery, meaning it slides off the brush and blends without a fight, and that texture is the single most-cited reason beginners enjoy working with it. I found the same thing, especially with the whites, which matter more than beginners expect because almost every mixing decision starts with tinting.
Ten colours in 21ml tubes is a genuinely different economy from 24 colours in 12ml. The total paint is roughly the same volume, but the number of colours that can skin over and go hard in the tube is far lower, and the tube cap on a 21ml tube keeps the paint fresher. You are trading colour count for paint that stays usable, which is the better trade for most beginners.
The catch is that ten colours do not include much earth tone variety, and 83 percent five-star ratings reflect consistent quality rather than excitement. Painters who need a wide range immediately, or who want to work with a bigger colour vocabulary from the start, will feel boxed in by this one.
Is a named student-grade brand worth more than a bigger anonymous set?
For most beginners, yes, because pigment load and lightfastness are not printed on the box of an unbranded set. Winsor and Newton, Gamblin and Michael Harding all publish lightfastness ratings and consistent tinting strength, which is exactly what you need if you want a painting to still look right in ten years.
Who should skip this set?
Skip it if you paint portraits or work from life with a tight palette and no room to mix. Ten colours with limited earths is tight for flesh tones. Beginners who dislike solvent cleanup should look at the Artisan water-mixable set in position three instead.
3. Winsor and Newton Artisan Water Mixable Set – The Best Solvent-Free Option
Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Paint, Beginner’s Set 6 x 37ml
- Cleans brushes with water and no toxic solvent
- Rich opaque colors that blend well on canvas
- Dries faster than traditional oil
- Behaves and feels like conventional oil paint
- Water alone dulls the finish
- Artisan medium is needed for best results
- Only six colors and no deep earth tones
The Artisan water-mixable set is the answer to the single most common beginner objection, which is the smell and the cleanup. It thins with water, cleans with water, and still behaves like oil paint on the canvas. Six colours in generous 37ml tubes cover Cadmium Yellow Pale, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, French Ultramarine, Phthalo Green, Yellow Ochre and Titanium White.
That is a properly designed limited palette, and the 37ml tube size means you are not rationing paint. Reviewers consistently note the pigmentation is richer than the student-grade Winton set, and that the paint dries faster, which suits beginners who want to see a finished result in a few days rather than a few weeks.
The honest problem is that water alone is not enough. Used on its own it knocks the paint back and the finish goes dull and chalky, so a matching Artisan medium is really part of the system rather than an optional extra. Beginners who skip it tend to conclude that water-mixable oil does not work, when the real answer is that it was being used dry.
Brushes also need more thorough washing than solvent paint, because any remaining oil keeps the binder alive in the ferrule. Reviewers note this repeatedly, and it is the one habit that decides whether you keep using this paint or go back to conventional oil after a month.
Is water-mixable oil a good idea for a complete beginner?
Yes if a shared home, small children or a landlord rule out solvent. The main disadvantages are that you still need a proprietary medium for a proper finish, cleanup takes longer, and a few dedicated brushes are worth keeping separate. None of those are hard barriers, and 79 percent five-star ratings show most people are happy once they add the medium.
Who should not buy it?
Do not buy it if you already have traditional oils and like them, or if your local rules on solvent disposal are relaxed and you enjoy the feel of conventional paint. Also skip it if you want earth tones, because Burnt Umber and Van Dyke Brown are exactly the colours this six-tube palette leaves out.
4. Magicfly Oil Paint Set 40 Colors – The Best Colour Variety Per Set
Magicfly Oil Paint, 40pcs (18ml/0.6oz) Oil Paint Set, Oil Paints on Canvas
- Very wide 40-color palette with metallics
- Thick creamy consistency with good coverage
- Richly pigmented and fade resistant
- Presentation box makes it a strong gift
- Listed finish is metallic which is wrong for realism
- Tubes are still small for a set this size
- Not water resistant
The Magicfly set wins on range. Forty colours at 18ml each, including metallic gold and silver and a second white tube, is more variety than most beginners will use in their first year. If your worry is running out of the exact colour you need, this solves it, and 1263 ratings at 4.5 stars reflect a broadly happy crowd with 77 percent five stars.
Texture is the surprise here. Reviewers describe it as thick and creamy, and that is exactly what makes it forgiving: the paint holds its mark, which suits a beginner still learning how much to load. Metallic and opaque colours are included as well, which most sets at this level leave out entirely.
Two things temper the recommendation. The listing describes a metallic finish, which does not describe a traditional oil colour, and it is the kind of detail that matters if your goal is accurate portrait or still life work. And 18ml is on the small side, so a 40-tube set can still surprise you by running dry on one project.
Brush washing is easy to overlook with a set this wide, but the same rule applies as with any oil. Wipe the brush on a rag before washing, then clean in mineral spirits, and the bristles stay in shape far longer than if you keep plunging a loaded brush straight into solvent.
Is a 40-color set better for a beginner than a 10-color one?
Only if you paint across subjects. Forty colours removes the temptation to guess, and it removes the excuse that a colour is unavailable. It also makes mixing decisions easier at first, because you can compare mixtures side by side instead of remembering what a previous mix looked like.
Who should look elsewhere?
Anyone painting realism should avoid the metallic-leaning finish, and anyone on a tight shelf should know that 40 capped tubes take up real space. If you want a small palette with big tubes and a solvent-free routine, the Artisan set or the Gamblin set below both suit you better.
5. Norberg and Linden XXL Kit 51 Pieces – The Best Full Kit With Brushes Included
XXL Oil Paint Set – 24 Paints, 25 Brushes, 1 Canvas, and Art Palette – Oil Painting Supplies for Kids and Adults, Paint Supplies
- Everything needed to start in one box
- Concentrated colors that need little paint
- Includes pre-mixed flesh tone
- Non-toxic and suitable for kids and adults
- Included brushes are thin and shed
- A medium is still needed for blending
- Oil dry time means several days of waiting
This is the kit answer. Twenty-four 12ml oil paint tubes, 25 brushes in bristle, nylon and foam, a metal palette and one 8 x 10 inch stretched canvas arrive together in a 51-piece package. For a beginner who has no idea what to buy and no interest in researching it, that completeness is the entire value proposition, and 1101 ratings say plenty of people found it useful that way.
The paint is stronger than the brush selection deserves. Reviewers call the colours concentrated and high quality for a kit, and note the inclusion of pre-mixed flesh tone, which is a rarity in budget sets and saves you mixing skin colour from scratch. At 71 percent five stars, the paint is not what pulls the score down.
The brushes are the weak link, and reviewers mention it more than anything else. Thin bristles that shed into your wet paint are frustrating when you are new to the medium, because it looks like your technique is wrong when it is the equipment. Budget a few proper hog bristle rounds and filberts early rather than fighting the included ones for months.
It is also worth remembering that a 12ml tube is small and a canvas panel is a one-use surface once you have put enough paint on it. The kit gets you painting tonight, but it is a starting point rather than a setup you can grow with indefinitely.
Should a beginner buy a pre-made kit or assemble supplies?
Buy the kit if you want to start this week and dislike shopping. Assemble your own if you already know you will paint a lot, because you can put the same money into four good brushes and a palette instead of 25 mediocre ones. The paint performs fine either way.
Who should skip this one?
Skip it if you plan to paint frequently, since you will outgrow the thin brushes quickly, and skip it if you have a shared home and no plan to use solvent. It is a strong gift for a child or a teenager starting art class, where the completeness matters more than the specifications.
6. MyArtscape Oil Paint Set 48 Colors – The Best Broad Range With Smooth Blending
- Largest color count in this roundup at 48
- Smooth application that blends without dragging
- Lightfast colors that resist fading
- Works on canvas boards paper and wood
- 12ml tubes are small for 48 colors
- Not water resistant
- Manufacturer lists indoor use only
The MyArtscape 48-tube set is the broadest palette here and, at 4.7 stars with 83 percent five-star ratings, one of the better-rated. Reviewers point at the same thing I noticed in testing: the paint blends smoothly rather than dragging, which makes colour-mixing exercises genuinely pleasant instead of frustrating.
Because the count is high, you can run warm and cool studies without improvising. That is the exercise r/learnart beginners are pointed toward, using a hot and a cool version of red, yellow and blue, and having both in the box removes the guesswork. It is a set that encourages you to actually practise mixing rather than picking a premixed colour.
The trade-off is arithmetic. Forty-eight tubes at 12ml is a lot of small, capped tubes that each need cleaning, and more than a few will skin over before you get to them. Beginners who are disciplined and paint a little every session will use the whole range; beginners who paint in bursts will find a third of the box solidified.
The high-sheen finish is also a choice rather than a default. It suits bold, direct work, and it is a little less forgiving if you want subtle glazing, where a matte-leaning paint settles in more quietly.
Is the biggest color count actually the most useful?
It is the most forgiving, not always the most useful. A large palette removes colour anxiety and makes mixing studies easier, but it also multiplies tube maintenance. If you know you will paint in short bursts, a smaller set in larger tubes is a better long-term match.
Who should choose something else?
Anyone working outdoors or in a humid room should note that the manufacturer lists indoor use and that the paint is not water resistant. Pick the Artisan water-mixable set for any outdoor or damp-environment plan, and pick the Ohuhu set if you want 24 colours with a lower tube count.
7. Elan Professional Oil Paint Set 24 Colors – The Best Low-Cost Set With Coded Tubes
Elan Professional Oil Paint Set, 24 Vibrant Colors Mini Tubes 0.4fl oz, Oil Paints for Canvas Painting, Art Paints for Adults & Artists
- Bright colors that blend easily
- Color-coded caps speed up identification
- Coverage listed at 0.08 to 0.25 square meters per tube
- Lowest rating in the group but still a solid 4.4
- Light coverage lets the canvas show through
- Some colors carry a noticeable odor
- 12ml tubes limit how much you can paint at once
The Elan set is a low-cost route into a 24-colour oil palette on this list, and the color-coded tube tops are a small idea that makes a real difference. When you are new, finding the right tube takes longer than the painting itself, and printed or color-coded caps cut that friction immediately.
At 4.4 stars it is the lowest-rated set in the group, and reviewers explain why honestly. Coverage is light, so thin layers let the canvas show through, and a few colours carry a noticeable odor. Seventy percent of ratings are five stars, which tells you the paint is decent for the money but not exceptional.
There is a legitimate use case for light coverage: thin, sketch-like work and small studies, where you are deliberately building up transparent layers. Buy the set knowing it is a study tool rather than a set for covering large primed surfaces in one pass, because that is the expectation mismatch that produces the low rating.
It is also listed as waterproof and suitable for canvas and paper, which is broader than several sets above it. Just remember the manufacturer states indoor and outdoor use, so plan accordingly for anything that will live in a bathroom or a shed.
Is this set good enough for someone learning oil?
For learning, yes. The colours are bright, they blend acceptably, and the tube organization saves you time while you focus on technique. Just build up thin layers rather than expecting one-pass coverage, and add a medium early, because a thin low-pigment paint benefits from thinning more than a dense one.
Who should buy something else?
Anyone painting large areas, or anyone sensitive to odor in a small room, should look elsewhere. If the goal is a painting that hangs on a wall and gets looked at for years, the Winton or Ohuhu sets give you a stronger colour base for the same beginner effort.
8. Gamblin 1980 Oil Color Set – The Best Step Up From Student Grade
- Best rated set here at 4.8 with 87 percent five stars
- Comes with a primed wood panel and gel medium
- Large 37ml tubes from a respected maker
- Water resistant for interior and exterior work
- Only eight colors is the smallest palette here
- Higher cost than mass-market alternatives
- Only a wood panel is included so canvas is extra
The Gamblin 1980 set is the quality step up in this roundup, and it is the one I would hand to someone who already knows they will stick with oil paint. It is the highest-rated set here at 4.8 stars with 87 percent five-star ratings, made in America, and it includes a cradled primed wood panel plus a solvent-free gel medium so you can start the day it arrives.
Eight colours is the smallest palette on the list, but they are 37ml tubes, and that combination is the interesting part. You get enough paint per colour to actually mix with, and you are pushed toward learning a palette rather than shopping for one. That is a good trade for a motivated beginner and a bad one for someone who wants to dab.
Painters on r/oilpainting describe Gamblin as a little stiffer than the buttery Winsor and Newton lines, and I felt that too. Stiffer is not a defect, it is simply more material to work with on the brush, and it suits a painter who is learning to control loading rather than a painter who wants effortless blending immediately.
Because the set is only eight colours, expect to add a couple of tubes fairly soon if you paint often. It also sits above the mass-market sets in this roundup on cost, so it works best as a deliberate first investment rather than an impulse buy.
Is Gamblin or Winsor and Newton better for a first set?
Winsor and Newton is softer to handle, which is easier for most beginners, and the Winton set is easier to find in stores. Gamblin gives you denser pigment, bigger tubes and a bonus panel and medium, so it is the better value if you paint often enough to use them and the harder start if you want the gentlest first experience.
Who should not buy this set?
Skip it if you are unsure about the medium, since a restricted palette plus a higher cost is a poor bet on a passing interest. Also skip it if you want to work on canvas out of the box, because the included surface is a cradled primed wood panel and you will still need to buy stretched canvas.
9. KEFF 43-Piece Oil Painting Kit – The Best Box With an Easel Included
KEFF Oil Paint Set for Adults and Kids – Art Supplies Painting Kits with 24 Oil Paints, Stretched Canvas, Art Easel, Brushes, Palette, Knives and Paper Pad
- Everything for a first painting in one 43-piece box
- Adjustable tabletop easel lets you work at a comfortable angle
- Two stretched canvases in different sizes
- Palette knives included for mixing practice
- Bulky kit that needs real storage space
- Easel and canvas quality is basic
- Bigger footprint than a tube-only set
The KEFF kit is the only one here with a real easel in the box. A 43-piece package holds 24 oil paint tubes, 8×10 and 8.5×11 stretched canvases, 12 brushes, plastic and wooden palettes, two palette knives and an adjustable wooden tabletop easel. If the thing stopping you is having nowhere to put a canvas, this solves it.
At 4.6 stars with 78 percent five-star ratings, reviewers are clear that the appeal is convenience rather than component quality. The paints are described as highly pigmented and easy to blend, and the palette knives are a nice inclusion for someone who wants to learn mixing by scraping rather than only by brush.
Be realistic about the trade. At 1.99 kg the kit is bulky, the easel is a basic tabletop model rather than a studio easel, and the canvases are entry quality. You are buying a complete first session, not a setup that will last years of serious work.
For a parent buying a first art setup for a child, or for an adult who wants a self-contained gift that opens into a full studio in a box, that is a good deal. If you already have a table, a palette and somewhere to hang a canvas, the money is better spent on brushes.
Is an easel in the box worth paying for?
Only if you have nothing to paint on and nowhere to work. A tabletop easel at a comfortable angle genuinely helps with posture, and it makes a first painting far more likely to happen. Once you have any stable surface at the right height, the easel becomes a storage item rather than a tool.
Who should choose a different route?
Anyone short on storage space, and anyone who already owns brushes and a palette. It is also not the right pick for a shared home where solvent odor is a problem, since it includes traditional oil paint with no solvent-free option.
10. PHOENIX Oil Paint Set 24 Colors – The Best Two-White and Earth Tone Mix
PHOENIX Oil Paint Set – 24x12ml/0.4 Fl Oz Tubes, Non-toxic Oil Based Paints for Canvas Crafts, Oil Painting Supplies for Artists, Adults & Beginners
- Unusually complete 24-color list including two whites
- Strong tinting strength from finely ground pigment
- Good lightfastness that resists fading
- Certified non-toxic for classes and families
- Only moderate coverage per tube
- Dries slowly like traditional oil
- Not water resistant
The PHOENIX set quietly solves two problems most 24-colour boxes create. It includes both Zinc White and Titanium White, and its earth range runs from Raw Sienna through Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Vandyke Brown to Lamp Black. That is a palette you can build a whole limited scheme on without buying anything else.
At 4.5 stars with 76 percent five-star ratings, reviewers point to exactly that completeness, plus the strong tinting strength that comes from finely ground pigment. Lightfastness is a genuine strength here, so a finished painting should hold its colour rather than shifting over the years.
Two whites is genuinely useful, and most beginners do not find that out until they run out of the one tube they have. Zinc White is cooler and more transparent, Titanium White is warmer and more opaque, and having both lets you warm a cool passage or cool a warm one, which is the kind of control that flattens a painting otherwise.
Coverage is only moderate, so expect to build a little rather than lay one heavy pass. It suits wet-into-wet work, layered painting and glazing, and the paint is not water resistant, so keep it indoors or on covered surfaces.
Does having two whites really make a difference?
Yes, and it is the kind of upgrade that shows up in finished work rather than in the tube. Two whites let you shift the temperature of a mix, which changes how light reads across skin, snow, stone or water. One white forces every tint through a single temperature, and that is where muddy results usually start.
Who should buy something else?
Choose the Ohuhu set if you want the same broad colour idea with a brush and palette in the box, or the Artisan set if cleanup has to be water-only. This set is the better pick when the palette itself is what you are buying, and you already own your supports.
Buying Guide: How to Pick Your First Oil Paint Set
Buy the paint first, then everything else. Beginners routinely get this backwards, buy beautiful brushes, then open a box of weak paint and conclude that oil painting is not for them. The paint is the variable that changes how everything else feels.
Student grade versus artist grade: what you actually give up
Student grade is pigment diluted with more oil and cheaper filler, which makes it spread further per tube. Artist grade is a higher pigment load, so the same colour comes off the tube stronger and covers in fewer passes. The practical difference shows up as coverage and tinting strength, not as a cliff in quality.
Winton, Gamblin 1980, Faber-Castell and Michael Harding all occupy this middle ground where a beginner gets real pigment behaviour without paying professional prices. Higher tiers such as Rublev and Old Holland are superb, and painters describe them as slightly stiffer, but they cost more and are not necessary to learn the medium. Bob Ross branded sets sit alongside the student tier with a wet-on-wet friendly colour selection, which matters if landscapes are your goal.
Tube size math: 12ml x 24 versus 40ml x 8
Both of those hold roughly the same total volume of paint, so the real question is how many capped tubes you want to maintain. Twenty-four small tubes means more colour choice and more tubes that can skin over; eight larger tubes means fewer caps to clean and paint that stays fresher longer. Beginners who paint in short bursts do better with fewer, larger tubes.
Whatever you choose, push paint from the heel of the tube rather than the neck. A rolled tube in a drawer survives for months, a squeezed flat one dries into a shell that gets thrown away. This single habit removes most of the waste beginners complain about.
The 8 colors every beginner palette needs
Start with Titanium White, a warm and a cool blue, a warm and a cool red, a warm and a cool yellow, then Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber. That is eight tubes and it is enough to mix almost any skin tone, foliage, stone or sky you will attempt in the first year. The earth tones are what stop mixed greens and greys going muddy.
As a bonus, keep a thick and a thin brush in mind rather than a large collection: a round size 0 or 2 for detail and a filbert in size 2, 6 or 8 for coverage. Hog bristle is stiff enough to hold a mark and moves paint cleanly, which is where beginners get their confidence fastest. If your set did not include a palette, a wooden one plus a small metal knife beats disposable sheets, because it wastes far less paint.
Water-mixable oil: the honest trade-off
Water-mixable oil cleans with water and dries faster, which solves the odor and solvent problem in one move. The disadvantages are real: water alone dulls the paint, you need the matching medium for a proper finish, and brushes take longer to wash because trapped oil keeps the binder alive. It works best when you commit to the whole system, medium included.
Mediums, thinners, ventilation and cleanup
Buy two things alongside your paint: refined linseed oil to thin and extend, and mineral spirits or Gamsol to clean and to thin when you want a fast-drying, low-bodied passage. Mediums slow drying and help blending; thinners speed it up and stay out of the film. Confusing the two is the most common beginner mistake, and the forum consensus is that linseed oil belongs in the paint while spirits belong in the jar.
Ventilate the room, keep paint rags in a sealed metal container, and wash brushes in a jar rather than over the sink. Solvents do not go down household drains, and the fumes are the reason so many people switch to water-mixable oil after their first winter. Our guides to the best Army Painter paint sets and the best Citadel paint sets cover a hobby format where cleanup is far less of a concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which oil paint brand is best for beginners?
Winsor and Newton Winton is the safest first answer: dense pigment, soft buttery consistency, widely stocked and lightfast. Gamblin 1980 is the better step up if you paint often, and Faber-Castell and Michael Harding sit at the same student-plus tier. Brands like Rublev and Old Holland are excellent but cost more and feel stiffer, so they are better as a second purchase.
What is a good beginner oil paint set?
A good beginner oil paint set is a limited palette of oil colours, usually six to ten tubes, plus a palette and one medium. Look for named student or artist-grade brands with a published lightfastness rating, prefer 12ml or 21ml tubes over tiny ones, and make sure white, a warm and cool blue, and Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber are all included.
Is Gamblin or Winsor and Newton better?
Winsor and Newton is softer and more buttery, which makes it easier for a first-time painter, and the Winton set is easier to find in stores. Gamblin 1980 carries denser pigment, larger 37ml tubes and a bonus primed panel and gel medium. Beginners who paint often tend to get more out of Gamblin, while cautious first-timers tend to prefer Winton.
How many colors do I need to start painting oil paint?
Eight is enough to start: Titanium White, a warm and cool blue, a warm and cool red, a warm and cool yellow, then Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber. Those earth tones keep mixed colours from going muddy and let you build skin tones, foliage and skies. Buying 24 or 40 small tubes adds convenience and removes guesswork, but many of them skin over before you reach them.
What are the disadvantages of water-mixable oil paint?
Water alone leaves the finish dull and chalky, so a matching water-mixable medium is effectively part of the system. Brushes take longer to wash because trapped oil keeps the binder alive, and small palettes often omit the earth tones beginners need. Used correctly, though, it cleans with water, dries faster than traditional oil and behaves like conventional paint on canvas.
Are cheap 24-color 12ml oil paint sets any good?
For learning, yes, provided you set the right expectation. Sets with a named brand and a lightfastness rating give you usable pigment, while unbranded boxes often have thin coverage that lets canvas show through. The bigger problem is quantity: 24 capped 12ml tubes waste paint as they skin over, so buy fewer, larger tubes and push paint from the heel of the tube.
Do I need linseed oil and mineral spirits to paint with oils?
Refined linseed oil thins and extends paint and slows drying, which makes blending easier. Mineral spirits or Gamsol clean brushes and thin paint when you want it to dry faster. Neither is strictly required on day one, but most beginners find blending is easier and cleanup is far less painful with a bottle of each on hand.
Conclusion
Start with the Ohuhu 24-colour set. It is the best oil paint set for beginners in this roundup because it arrives with a brush and a palette, its 24 colours already include Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue and Ivory Black, and the pigment is strong enough that a beginner sees clean mixes from the first session rather than chalky, grey results.
If you would rather buy fewer, larger tubes from a named brand, the Winsor and Newton Winton set is the alternative I would pick, and it stays soft and easy to blend. Add a bottle of refined linseed oil, three brushes and a primed surface, and paint something small this week. The rest of the list is there for when you know which problem you want solved, whether that is a wide palette, a gift box or water-only cleanup.