When the pungent, strangely smooth smell of turpentine tickles your nose and pigment-stained fingerprints can be spotted on door handles, frames, table edges and mason jars, you can be sure you’ve entered the muddled, wondrous world of an artist’s studio.
Whether sprawled across ancient cave walls, crafted to depict intricate mythologies through the language of hieroglyphs or used to fashion portraits of infamous monarchs – oil-based paints have served as a sophisticated form of artistic communication and storytelling throughout history.
The medium of choice for the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent Van Gogh and so many more, painting in oil offers endless possibilities.
Due to its storied history, oil paints are at once one of the most popular options available to artists today, and perhaps the most intimidating of them all. Many artists train in classical, old master oil painting even today – and travel to Venice, Florence and Rome to do so. While one may self-teach the intricacies of oil painting, mastering it takes immense time, patience and – more often than not – some form of external instruction.
From grasping the processes of thinning and thickening paints with turpentine and impasto medium respectively, to understanding the power of the underpainting and the ‘slow over fast rule’ when it comes to using linseed oil – oil paints are certainly not for the faint-hearted (nor those with sensitive noses).
What exactly are oil paints and how are they made?
The composition of oil paints is incredibly simple. Early forms were created using a combination of organic pigments found in nature and a drying, binding oil – the most common of which was linseed oil, which surged in popularity in the 15th century to meet the needs of the Renaissance – overtaking the volatile pure egg-yolk tempera. To this day, the only difference found in modern oil paints is the addition of synthetic pigments and the occasional alternative binding agent.
Indeed, ASMR-style videos of individuals turning pigments into oil paints have become increasingly popular on social media and serve as a brilliant example of just how they are made.
What are the benefits of using oil paints?
The slow-drying nature of oil paints allows artists to work on detailed pieces for extended periods of time. Oil paints are hardwearing, highly pigmented and incredibly easy to blend, thus allowing artists to create unique and hyper-realistic hues.
Why are oil paints so expensive?
The main reason why oil paint is one of the most expensive is because it uses pure pigment. Where prices vary in the world of oil paints, it will be due to different concentrations of pigments. For example, some of the most expensive oil paints will contain up to 75 per cent pigment, while beginner sets will offer a far lower percentage and are created using alternative, cheaper modern synthetic pigments as opposed to all-natural organic ones.
We’ve rounded up a selection of the best oil paints to buy online. Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, keep scrolling for our top picks.
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Sennelier Wooden Set Artists Oil Colour - Set of 12 Tubes
There are 12 tubes of high-quality oil paints housed in a delightful dark-grain wooden box with accessories to match, the Sennelier Wooden Set serves as a brilliant starter kit for beginners. The brand is known for solely using natural and organic pigments sourced from across the globe which are finely ground before being combined with archival sunflower oil for a saturated, lustrous finish.
Alongside the 12 paints, this set includes turpentine, gloss varnish, two brushes, one palette knife, a dipper, a wooden palette and a cleaning cloth.
Buy now £119.00, Art Discount
Rembrandt Oil Colour Box Excellent Assorted Colours Set of 41
The oil paint set to rule them all, it simply doesn’t get better than this assortment from Rembrandt (inspired by the Dutch painter).
Any professional artist is bound to feel like a child in a candy store upon opening this stacked set of oil painting goods, which includes 41 different tubes of paints in varying sizes, six different oil colour mediums and varnishes, three palette knives, a variety of brushes, a box of 25 charcoal sticks, a hand-painted colour chart, colour mixing brochure, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Buy now £725.00, Cass Art
Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour Studio Set
One of the most popular brands of oil paint, and the option we’d recommend for beginners, this value-for-money set is a fantastic choice for artists dabbling in the classical medium for the first time. This is because they have been developed to be water-mixable, which means you won’t necessarily have to use a solvent to mix or blend colours.
Water mixable oil paints are also less likely to stain and dry quicker. What's more and in general, the fewer paints in a set the more likely you are to experiment with colour mixing theory, which is an invaluable skill to pick up early on in your training.
Buy now £54.50, Cass Art
Williamsburg Handmade Oil Set Native Italian Earth Colours
Our top pick for classical enthusiasts, this handcrafted set of colours by Williamsburg features the very same pigments that were created and popularised throughout the Italian Renaissance, and those that are used by professional museum conservators in the modern day.
Buy now £158.35, London Graphics
Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Colour Tube Set of 10 x 21ml
An alternative non-water mixable set from Winsor & Newton, this set of 10 colours has been developed to reflect artists’ quality oil paint at a fraction of the price.
This has been achieved by replacing the classically more costly pigments traditionally used in oil paints such as cobalt blue and ochre with modern alternatives.
Buy now £27.95, London Graphic Centre
Bob Ross Master Oil Paint Set
Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most wholesome artist with this Bob Ross Master Oil Set. It includes the late contemporary artist’s signature tool – the palette knife – so you’ll be able to mix and apply unique colour combinations with the utmost ease.
This set also includes a ‘Getting Started with Bob Ross’ DVD for the absolute beginners. Sit back, relax and follow the soothing instructions of the beloved Mr Ross.
Buy now £79.95, Cass Art
Pebeo XL Oil 20ml Assorted Colours Pack of 40
For those who are simply done with mixing highly specific colours from a selection of three primary tubes of oil paint, this XL set of assorted oil paints by Pebeo should satisfy the colour-crazy part of your artist's brain. Quick-drying, this set includes classic, pastel, bright, Dyna and glaze colours.
Buy now £39.95, Cass Art
Verdict
For a high-quality set of oil paints filled to the brim with everything you could possibly need to embark on your first, or 100th, oil painting – look no further than the Sennelier Wooden Set. Alternatively, if you’re a professional artist looking to splash out, it doesn’t get better than the Rembrandt Oil Colour Box.
