Top 3 (+1) Oil Paint Recommendations
Oil paint is typically seen as the top-tier, professional painting medium. It dries slowly which creates a lot of flexibility and makes it great for artists of all skill levels. Experiment with a variety of mediums, thinners, and additives to discover everything that oils can do. See below for our top three recommendations.
Gamblin
The Gamblin Artist Oil Colors Introductory Set includes every color that you need to get started. In my painting class, I actually recommend starting with just a few colors to improve color-mixing ability and to make color choices easier. If you're just getting started with oil paint, I would also recommend trying the student grade paint by Gamblin instead.
Winsor and Newton
Another great set of paint from a brand that also has its own student grade paint named Winton. Don’t let the student grade label fool you, this set is of high quality and it shows in the work produced. It's hard to go wrong with a company who has been producing paint for over 180 years.
Grumbacher
The Grumbacher set is on this list because the intersection of price and quality can't be beat. I've used them many times and always seem to get a good deal when I find them in a brick and mortar location. Like the others, Grumbacher also has an introductory level of oil paint if you're on a budget.
MYARTSCAPE
I’ve included this set on the list because you’ll probably see it promoted on Amazon if you go searching for oil paint. I’ll be completely honest here, these are not great oil paints BUT they are perfect for anyone who wants to try a new medium or just practice. I actually really like having some “disposable” oil paints around so that I don’t waste my more valuable pigments. This set comes with a wide range of colors for you to freely experiment with color-mixing or you can use it to do the under-painting and then use your better paints to add upper layers or finishing touches. The key is to assess your needs and know what you’re getting.
