We select and review products independently. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. Learn more.
X

The Best Oil Paint Sets

Chamille White/Shutterstock.com
🕚 Updated February 2022

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced painter, paint sets are a great way to explore a new medium. Oil paints are an exceptionally popular paint choice, so if you want a new set to use, check these out.

Scroll Table to Left
  Best for Beginners Best Premium Choice Best Bang for Your Buck Best Pen Set Best Complete Set
 
  Winsor & Newton
Oil Colour Basic Set
ZenARTS
Oil Paints for Artists
U.S. Art Supply
Professional Color Set
PINTAR
Premium Oil Paint Pens
Norberg & Linden
XXl Oil Paint Set
 
Our SummaryA set of 10 lovely oil paints formulated for studentsA set of beautifully pigmented oil pastel paints.A high-quality set of 36 oil paints.These oil paint pens with fine and medium tips are a convenient alternative.An all-inclusive oil paint set to let your artistic side flow.
Pros10 colors, convenient tubes, permanent, mixable with other brands.Professional-grade, has essential colors for mixing, nontoxic, buttery consistency.36 pigmented colors, 18-ml tubes, smooth consistency, kid-safe and nontoxic.24 vibrant colors, both fine and medium tips, quick-drying, fade- and water-resistant.Has all you need to get started, including a canvas, paints, a palette, paintbrushes.
ConsCan dry out over time, only one tube of white.Thinner consistency.Colors vary slightly from the color on the tube.Ink may come out quickly, not great for large canvases.Brushes aren't great.
Scroll Table to Right
Who is LifeSavvy?
LifeSavvy is an independent publication focused on a single goal: helping you make the best purchase possible. We don’t just recommend the best Dutch oven for your needs, we show you how to take care of it so it lasts a lifetime and we recommend delicious recipes to help you get the most out of owning it too! Read More »
How Did We Research?

12 Models Evaluated

5 Hours Researched

25 Reviews Analyzed

The Best Oil Paint Sets

Tubes of multicolor oil paint and artist paintbrushes on a canvas.
Chamille White/Shutterstock.com

Buying Guide for the Best Oil Paint Sets

Tubes of oil paint next to a palette and a paintbrush.
Winsor & Newton

Why buy an oil paint set?

Oil paint has unbelievable workability, unlike other paints. These paints make it easy to freely express your inner artist and create a variety of projects. With an oil paint set, the flexibility and depth of color available allow you to create works of art with stunning effects.

What should you look for in an oil paint set?

  • Quality: There are two main qualities of oil paints: student grade and professional grade. Each one comes with its own advantages/disadvantages. For example, professional paints will have more pigment, fewer fillers, and a higher price. Student oil paints will be more affordable but usually have weaker pigment and more fillers.
  • Color Choices: Because you can easily mix basic colors to create others, consider which colors come in the set and determine if they meet your needs.
  • Turpentine: With oil paint, you don’t clean your brushes in water; you clean them with a paint-thinning solution, typically turpentine. Consider if your set comes with turpentine or if you need to buy it separately.

What accessories are essential for painting?

With oil paints, having a paint palette is essential to put your paint colors on and have a surface to mix them together. In addition, you may consider using a pencil to outline your art on the canvas before painting. Paint thinner will help you get the texture you want and help you clean your brushes after use. Finally, make sure you have a great set of paintbrushes and some canvases to get started.

Our Picks for the Best Oil Paint Sets

Best for Beginners

Winsor & Newton Oil Colour Paint Set

A set of 10 lovely oil paints formulated for students.

Pros: This set of 10 oil colors is high-quality and comes in convenient 21-milliliter tubes. The paints have great lightfastness, are permanent, and are easily inter-mixable with other brands. It’s a great starter set for those just learning to explore oil painting.

Cons: These paints can dry out in the tube over time. It only comes with one tube of white paint, which is a popular color for mixing and creating other colors.

Bottom Line: This set of oil paints is moderately priced and formulated for those starting to dip their toes into oil painting.

 

Best Premium Choice

ZenART Oil Paints for Artists

A set of beautifully pigmented oil pastel paints.

Pros: This professional-grade oil paint set contains the essential colors to mix almost any color. The paints are nontoxic with a soft and buttery consistency right out of the large 50-milliliter tubes. A little paint goes a long way.

Cons: The consistency of these paints is thinner, so they may not be the best choice if you prefer thicker paints.

Bottom Line: These eco-friendly oil paints are safe to use since they don’t contain any toxic pigments, driers, or solvent fumes. They’re high-quality paints that will work well for experienced painters.

 

Best Bang for Your Buck

U.S. Art Supply Professional Color Set

A high-quality set of 36 oil paints.

Pros: If you’re looking for an oil paint set with a lot of colors, this set is a great choice. It contains 36 unique, eye-catching vibrant colors. Each tube is 18 milliliters and is highly pigmented with a smooth consistency. These paints are kid-safe and nontoxic, providing great visual results.

Cons: The colors may vary slightly from the color on the tube.

Bottom Line: This set comes with a bonus color mixing wheel to help you quickly mix your desired colors. It includes information on color terminology and definitions used by artists, so it’s great for art students.

 

Best Pen Set

PINTAR Premium Oil Paint Pens

These oil paint pens with fine and medium tips are a convenient alternative.

Pros: If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of paintbrushes and palettes, oil paint pens are a great alternative. This set of paint pens comes with 24 vibrant colors in 5-millimeter medium tips and four colors in 1-millimeter fine tips. The paint markers are quick-drying, water- and fade-resistant, and suitable for both light and dark surfaces.

Cons: Beware of the ink rushing out onto your canvas. Since they’re pens, they aren’t as convenient for covering large surface areas.

Bottom Line: This pen set is suitable for both new and experienced artists and for various creative projects. You can use them on wood, ceramic, paper, fabric, and glass.

 

Best Complete Set

Norberg & Linden XXL Oil Paint Set

An all-inclusive oil paint set to let your artistic side flow.

Pros: This oil painting set is pretty convenient. It includes an 8×10 stretched canvas panel, 24 oil paints, a metal paint palette, and a selection of 25 brushes in varying sizes. You’ll have almost everything you need to create some masterpieces.

Cons: The included brushes are of poorer quality.

Bottom Line: This set is well priced and comes with a whole bunch of different painting accessories. It makes a great gift for creative friends.

Final Thoughts

Oil paint sets are an affordable way to get started on a new hobby. If you’re looking for a set, take a look at our suggestions.

Rachel Shubin Rachel Shubin
Rachel Shubin is a freelance journalist who is passionate about telling stories. Along with writing reviews for LifeSavvy, she writes a book column for Cape May Magazine and is a reporter for the Cape May Star & Wave Newspaper. When Rachel is not writing, she can be found advocating for mental health awareness and animal rescue, reading novels, exploring Cape May, or working on her polymer clay jewelry business, Piper + Pearl Co. Read Full Bio »
LifeSavvy is focused on one thing: making your life outside of work even better. Want to know more?