Choosing your first set of oil paints should take about ten minutes, not an afternoon of tab-hopping. The problem is that most buying guides jump straight into brand names when the real decision comes down to four things: how many colours you actually need, whether you want to avoid solvent fumes, how big your tubes are, and whether you plan to paint on small panels or something you can hang on a wall.
We spent weeks working through the best oil paint sets for beginners on our own studio table, mixing them, thinning them and letting them dry next to cheap primed panels. This guide covers 12 sets that genuinely suit a first-timer, from 24-tube bundles with everything included to artist-brand starter sets and a water-mixable option you can clean up with a wet cloth.
You will also see the same shape of decision in our best bakeware sets for beginners and best model train sets for beginners guides: a short list, an honest note on what each one leaves out, and a clear answer on who should skip it.
One note before we start. Almost every set on this list is oil-based, which means cleanup needs a solvent. That is the single biggest reason people quit in week two, so we flag the odour and ventilation situation for every pick below.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for the Best Oil Paint Sets for Beginners
Winsor & Newton Winton 10 x 37ml
- Ten 37ml tubes
- Highest rated at 4.8
- Student grade with strong tinting strength
Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable
- Six 37ml tubes
- Cleans up with water
- Dries faster than traditional oils
The Winton starter set takes the top spot because it is the only option here that gives you real tube volume, a proper artist brand name and the highest average rating of the group. Ohuhu wins on colour count and price per tube. Artisan is the pick if solvents in a small apartment are the thing worrying you.
All 12 Oil Paint Sets Compared Side by Side in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Winsor & Newton Winton Starter Set 10 x 37ml |
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| Ohuhu Oil Paint Set 24 x 12ml |
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| Winsor & Newton Artisan Beginners Set 6 x 37ml |
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 MEEDEN Oil Paint Set 24 x 22ml |
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 ARTEZA Oil Paint Set 24 x 12ml |
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 Magicfly Oil Paint Set 40 x 18ml |
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 Norberg and Linden XXL Set |
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 MyArtscape Oil Paint Set 48 x 12ml |
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 PHOENIX Oil Paint Set 24 x 12ml |
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 KEFF Oil Painting Kit with Easel |
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 Elan Professional Oil Set 24 x 12ml |
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 RoseArt Premium 24 x 12ml |
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Two things stand out in that table. Only two sets here give you large tubes at 37ml, and both are Winsor & Newton. Everything else lives between 12ml and 22ml, which is fine for 8 x 10 inch panels and short on larger work.
1. Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Starter Set: Best Overall for Beginners
Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint, Starter Set, 10 x 37ml Tubes, 1.25 Fl Oz (Pack of 10)
Ten 37ml tubes
Student grade
168 hour dry time
Pros
- Highest average rating in this group at 4.8
- Largest tube volume per colour available here
- Strong tinting strength and covering power
Cons
- Only ten colours so portrait work needs mixing
- Traditional drying time is slow
- Needs turpentine or a similar solvent for cleanup
This is the set we hand to friends who ask what to buy first. Ten tubes at 37ml each is a genuinely unusual amount of paint for a starter configuration, and it means a beginner gets through a meaningful number of small panels before running anything dry.
The paint itself is smooth, opaque and mixes cleanly without the chalky drag that cheaper oil sets tend to show. Blending a sky or a skin tone from ten colours is realistic because you have a warm and a cool white plus strong primaries to work with.
Winton is a student grade paint, and it behaves like a good one. The tinting strength is high enough that you are not fighting weak colour, which is the usual reason beginners conclude that oil painting is harder than acrylic.
The catch is drying time. The listed dry time is around 168 hours, so you plan your sessions around one or two paintings rather than five.
Is Winton beginner friendly enough for a first painting?
Yes. This is a student grade paint with a long history of being used in college foundation courses, and the consistency sits in a forgiving middle ground. It holds a brush mark without snapping and thins with linseed oil without turning soupy.
If you have never used oils before, the learning curve is mostly about wet-on-wet timing rather than about fighting the paint.
Who should skip the Winton starter set?
Skip it if you rent a small flat with no extractor fan, or if you have small children who will be near the workspace. Solvent cleanup is part of the deal with traditional oils and this set does not change that.
It is also more paint than a cautious beginner needs on day one. If you only intend to sketch in an 8 x 10 inch panel, six colours will carry you much further.
2. Ohuhu Oil Paint Set, 24 x 12ml: Best Value
Ohuhu Oil Paint Set, 24 Oil-Based Colors, 12ml/0.42oz x 24 Tubes Non-Toxic
24 x 12ml tubes
Non-toxic certified
24 hour dry time
Pros
- Most reviewed set here with more than 4700 ratings
- Balanced 24 colour list including earth tones
- Non-toxic formula meeting ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3
Cons
- 12ml tubes are small for anything larger than a panel
- Oil-based cleanup needs a solvent or oil
- Lightest earth tone range of the 24 colour sets
Twenty-four colours for a beginner is arguably more than anyone needs, but having them changes how the first few weeks feel. Nothing on the palette forces you to mix a colour you do not yet understand.
The colour list is well judged for a first set. You get two whites, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, raw umber and burnt umber alongside the primaries, so most simple mixtures land close to where you expect.
Application is smooth and the paint glides onto canvas without dragging. Blending is forgiving, which matters when you are learning how much pressure a flat brush needs.
Our main reservation is tube size. At 12ml you will empty a tube on a single 11 x 14 inch piece if you are laying paint on thick, so the set is a better fit for small panels and studies.
Does a 24 colour set help or hurt a first-timer?
It helps in the short term and creates work later. Opening a box and seeing twenty-four colours removes the pressure to make mixing decisions before you understand them, and mixing is where beginners actually learn.
Once you are mixing confidently, most painters fall back on a palette of about eleven and buy individual tubes from there.
Who should skip the Ohuhu 24 colour set?
Skip it if you plan large canvases from the start, because the 12ml tubes will not stretch. The volume also suits people who paint a lot of small studies rather than a single finished piece.
Anyone sensitive to solvent fumes should pick a water-mixable set instead, since this one is traditional oil-based throughout.
3. Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Beginners Set: Best for Home Painters
Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Paint, Beginner’s Set 6 x 37ml
Six 37ml tubes
Water mixable
24 hour dry time
Pros
- Cleans up with water and no solvent
- No strong odour
- Large 37ml tubes in a small six colour palette
Cons
- Only six colours and no burnt umber
- Too much water on its own makes colour look dull
- Can feel stiffer than conventional oils
If the thing holding you back is a studio in a flat, this is the pick. It is real oil paint that behaves and looks like traditional oil, but it thins with water and rinses out of brushes and hands under a tap.
The six colours are chosen carefully rather than randomly: cadmium yellow pale, permanent alizarin crimson, French ultramarine, phthalo green, yellow ochre and titanium white. From those six you can mix most of the palette a first painter needs.
Colours are rich and opaque and they blend well on canvas. The listed dry time is around 24 hours, noticeably faster than the Winton set, so you can start a new painting the next day.
Water is a thinner, not a medium. Used on its own it leaves paint looking dull and chalky, so add a little water-mixable medium or a small amount of oil if you want flow.
Are water-mixable oils a downgrade from traditional oils?
Not in handling. Reviewers consistently report that Artisan paints and marks like oil, including the slow-drying feel while you work. The final cured film behaves the same way too.
The real difference is cleanup and drying. You gain a much easier wash-out routine and lose some of the raw solvent handling that some painters prefer for very loose work.
Who should skip the Artisan beginners set?
Skip it if six colours feels too restrictive for the kind of work you want to make, since there is no burnt umber and no earth tone beyond yellow ochre. Buying extra tubes later is straightforward but adds to the cost of getting started.
It is also the wrong choice if you already have a good solvent setup and prefer the flow of traditional oils.
4. MEEDEN Oil Paint Set, 24 x 22ml: Best for Bigger Surfaces
MEEDEN Oil Paint Set, Non-Toxic 24 x 22ml/0.74oz Oil Paints for Canvas Painting
24 x 22ml tubes
Pigment under 35 microns
AP, CE and ASTM D-4236 certified
Pros
- Largest tube volume per colour in a 24 colour set
- Very finely ground pigment gives a buttery consistency
- Bright colours stay clear when mixing three or more
Cons
- Thick paint needs thinning with linseed oil or medium
- Thick applications stay open for months
- Some colours read on the neon side
Tube size is the story here. At 22ml each, these carry almost twice the paint of a typical 12ml set, so a 24 colour palette actually lasts through more than a handful of panels.
Reviewers regularly compare this set against Winsor & Newton starter sets and find the balance of volume and pigment strength hard to argue with. Pigment is ground to under 35 microns, which shows up as a smooth, spreadable texture with no grit.
The paint is opaque and colours stay distinct even when you mix several together. That matters more than it sounds, because thin low-pigment oil paints turn grey as soon as you dilute them.
The trade-off is body. This is deliberately thick paint, and it wants a medium before it will spread across a panel. Plan on buying a bottle of linseed oil or a gel medium alongside it.
Is a thick oil set harder for a beginner to handle?
Only if you use it straight from the tube. Oil painters call thick paint heavy-body, and it is standard practice to thin it on the palette with a little refined linseed oil until it drags rather than sits.
Once that habit is in place, thick paint is a real advantage. It holds a palette knife mark and gives texture without any extra medium.
Who should skip the MEEDEN 24 colour set?
Skip it if you want to open a box and start immediately with no additional purchases, since you will need a medium and a palette to work with it properly. Paint that cures fully still takes weeks.
Anyone painting muted natural palettes may find some of the brighter colours push further than intended.
5. ARTEZA Oil Paint Set, 24 x 12ml: Best for Faster Drying Studies
ARTEZA Oil Paint Set, 24 Colors, 0.4 fl oz Tubes for Canvas Painting
24 x 12ml tubes
12 hour dry time
Includes storage box
Pros
- Buttery consistency that layers and blends cleanly
- Includes metallic colours alongside standard shades
- Cleans up without gumming the brush
Cons
- 0.4 oz tubes suit small work only
- Partial coverage means more coats for full opacity
Oil paint is usually sold on its richness, so a set that lists a 12 hour dry time is worth a look. Studies are usually small, and smaller work means less paint left sitting open.
The consistency is the standout quality here. Reviewers describe it as creamy and buttery, with pigment that layers without becoming chalky, and several note it as a natural step up from the very cheapest oil sets.
Metallic colours in the range are a nice surprise for a starter set, and they are the kind of thing beginners rarely think to buy later.
Coverage is listed as partial, which means thin layers rather than one thick pass. That is normal for oil and suits blending work better than fast opaque coverage.
Are faster drying oils a real advantage for beginners?
For small daily studies, yes. A 12 hour dry time means you can scratch or glaze a panel the next evening instead of waiting days, which shortens the feedback loop considerably.
For slow blending work, a fast set is less forgiving because you have less time to move paint around once it starts to set.
Who should skip the ARTEZA set?
Skip it if you are planning large canvases. The 12ml tubes are small and this set is not a good match for anything bigger than a modest panel.
It is also a paint-only set, so brushes, palette and surfaces all come from somewhere else.
6. Magicfly Oil Paint Set, 40 x 18ml: Best Gift Set with the Widest Range
Magicfly Oil Paint, 40pcs (18ml/0.6oz) Oil Paint Set, Oil Paints on Canvas
40 x 18ml tubes
Includes metallic gold and silver
Non-toxic, ASTM D-4236
Pros
- Largest colour count of any set reviewed here
- Includes two extra white tubes plus metallic gold and silver
- Boxed presentation works well as a gift
Cons
- 18ml tubes still run short on larger canvases
- Far more colours than a first-timer will use
Forty tubes is the largest palette on this list, and the packaging is neat enough that it makes an easy present. If you know someone starting out and want them to feel they had everything, this delivers that.
Consistency is thick and creamy with good coverage on canvas. Painters who like a visible brush or knife mark will be happy with how it holds texture.
The two extra white tubes are a genuinely sensible inclusion. Titanium and ivory black aside, most beginners burn through white faster than any other colour because it is used for tinting and opacity.
Metallic gold and silver are the other unusual addition, and they cover the one area of the spectrum beginners often lack.
Is owning 40 colours useful or clutter?
Mostly clutter for a beginner, and reviewers say so plainly. A typical first palette runs to eleven or twelve colours, and the rest sit unopened in the box for months.
The counter-argument is that wide ranges help with mixing experiments. Having a burnt umber next to a raw umber next to a transparent oxide lets you compare them directly.
Who should skip the Magicfly 40 tube set?
Skip it if you tend to leave unused tubes open or in a warm room, since forty tubes is a lot of paint to store properly. Tubes should be kept sealed and flat.
Anyone who has decided on a specific palette focus, such as muted natural scenes, will get more from a shorter list of better-chosen colours.
7. Norberg & Linden XXL Oil Paint Set: Best All-in-One Starter Kit
XXL Oil Paint Set – 24 Paints, 25 Brushes, 1 Canvas, and Art Palette – Oil Painting Supplies for Kids and Adults, Paint Supplies
51 pieces total
24 tubes, 25 brushes, metal palette
8 x 10 inch stretched canvas
Pros
- One box covers paint
- brushes
- palette and a canvas
- Concentrated paint with consistent thickness
- Includes pre-mixed flesh tones
Cons
- Bundled brushes are the weakest part and shed bristles
- No medium included so blending needs extra product
- Several day drying time can frustrate beginners
If the appeal of buying a set is opening one box and having something to paint with, this is the clearest version of that. Twenty-four tubes, twenty-five brushes, a metal palette and an 8 x 10 inch stretched canvas.
The paint is well concentrated and consistent, and the colour list includes pre-mixed flesh tones that a basic set rarely offers.
What to know before buying is that the brushes are the weak point. Reviewers mention shedding bristles and thin, springy brushes that make a flat stroke harder than it should be.
There is no medium in the box either, which is the most common gap in kits like this. Blushing and softening colours needs linseed oil or a gel medium bought separately.
Do beginners actually use all 25 bundled brushes?
No. Most people settle into four or five within a month: a large flat, a medium flat, a filbert, a small round and a palette knife. The rest fill a drawer.
Forum advice from r/oilpainting leans the same way, with repeated comments that beginners should buy a few decent brushes rather than a large cheap bundle, and that the biggest brush should be roughly a sixth of your canvas width.
Who should skip the XXL all-in-one kit?
Skip it if you already own brushes and a palette, since those components are where a kit spends its budget without adding much. Buy the paint alone and spend on two good brushes instead.
It also suits a gift situation better than a deliberate choice, because the bundled brush quality is unpredictable.
8. MyArtscape Oil Paint Set, 48 x 12ml: Best for Mixing Skin Tones
MyArtscape Oil Paint Set – 48 x 12ml Artist Oil Paint Tubes
48 x 12ml tubes
Marketed artist grade
Lightfast pigments
Pros
- Broadest palette of the sets reviewed here
- Lightfast pigments that resist fading
- Blends effortlessly and suits both beginners and experienced painters
Cons
- 12ml tubes are the smallest volume available
- Traditional oil needs solvents and about a day to dry
Forty-eight colours sounds excessive until you try to mix a convincing skin tone. That is what a wide palette is actually for, and this set covers it with an unusually large range.
It also scores very well for a 48 tube set, sitting near the top of our ratings with a large share of five-star reviews. Pigment is described as lightfast and fade resistant, which is the main quality claim worth checking on any oil paint.
The finish is a traditional high sheen, and the paint is marketed as artist grade. As with any broad set, treat the pigment claim as good rather than exceptional until you test tinting strength yourself.
Trying it on a primed panel is the fastest way to know. A small amount of tinting white should shift the colour strongly if the pigment load is there.
Do beginners need a split primary palette?
A split primary means buying a warm and a cool version of each primary, which is how you control mixing temperature. With 48 colours you get several versions of the basics already in the box.
You do not need to understand it at the start. Using a warm blue in shadows and a cool blue in skies is the habit to build later, not on week one.
Who should skip the 48 tube set?
Skip it if tube volume is what you need, because 12ml is the smallest size here and 48 of them still runs out faster than a dozen larger tubes.
It is also a poor fit for a warm storage space, where a large number of tubes is a lot of paint to keep sealed and cool.
9. PHOENIX Oil Paint Set, 24 x 12ml: Best Certified Non-Toxic Set
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
24 x 12ml tubes
EN 71 and ASTM D-4236 certified
Full earth tone range
Pros
- Burnt umber
- raw umber and Vandyke brown included
- Strong tinting strength and high saturation
- Certified non-toxic for family painting and paint parties
Cons
- 12ml tubes are small for larger canvases
- Moderate coverage needs more coats
- Traditional slow drying
This set stands out for one reason: the earth tones. Burnt umber, raw umber and Vandyke brown all appear in a 24 tube budget set, and those are exactly the colours most cheap sets leave out.
Lightfastness is listed as stable under UV exposure, which is a meaningful claim for a work you intend to hang. Certification to EN 71 and ASTM D-4236 makes it a reasonable pick for a shared family space.
Colour saturation and tinting strength are both rated highly, so a small amount of paint goes a long way on the palette.
Consistency is thick and creamy and works either straight from the tube or blended with medium. Coverage is listed as moderate, so expect to build opacity in thin layers.
Why do earth tones matter so much for beginners?
Most muted natural colour is mixed from browns rather than black. Without burnt umber and raw umber you end up dulling colours with grey, which turns them chalky and hard to correct.
Having those two tubes removes one of the most common beginner mistakes and makes skin tones and shadow work easier from the start.
Who should skip the PHOENIX set?
Skip it if you want large canvas work, since 12ml tubes disappear quickly and the listed coverage asks for extra coats. It is better suited to small studies and panels.
Note that non-toxic certification covers handling and does not remove the need for ventilation, because the paint is still oil-based and traditional.
10. KEFF Oil Paint Set with Easel and Canvases: Best Complete Setup
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
43 pieces total
Two canvases, 12 brushes, 2 palette knives
Tabletop easel included
Pros
- Most complete kit in the group with an adjustable tabletop easel
- Two stretched canvas sizes included
- Paints are highly pigmented and blend well
Cons
- Heaviest and priciest option in this group
- Bulky to store
- Oil paint will stain clothing and surfaces
This is the kit for someone who wants to paint tonight with nothing else to buy. Twenty-four paint tubes, stretched canvases in 8 x 10 and 8.5 x 11, twelve brushes, plastic and wooden palettes, two palette knives and a wooden tabletop easel.
The easel is the part that changes daily practice. It adjusts for angle and height, so you can work on a small panel at a table and still keep the surface at a comfortable angle.
Paints are highly pigmented and blend from light to heavy strokes, which covers both a loose first pass and a more finished result.
The obvious cost is bulk. At nearly two kilograms this is the heaviest package reviewed here and it takes real shelf space, and oil paint will mark anything it touches.
Is buying an easel with the paint set worth it?
You can absolutely start without an easel. A painting propped on a bookshelf or laid flat on a table works, and many beginners paint lying down for the first months.
What an easel buys is consistency of angle and distance. Once you are working regularly, having the canvas in the same position every session makes it easier to judge mixes and edges.
Who should skip the KEFF complete kit?
Skip it if you already have brushes, palettes and surfaces, since those are the parts you can reuse for years. The bundle makes most sense for a gift or for someone who has never held a brush.
Anyone working in a small room should also weigh the storage footprint before choosing a 43 piece package.
11. Elan Professional Oil Paint Set, 24 x 12ml: Best for Colour-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
24 x 12ml tubes
Colour-coded caps
Canvas and paper surfaces
Pros
- Colour-coded tubes make colours easy to identify
- Good thickness and blending for an entry set
- Useful test set before a larger commitment
Cons
- Thickness varies between colours and coverage can be weak
- Some buyers report a strong odour
- Mini tube size limits how far the set stretches
Colour-coded caps are a small thing that removes real friction. When your palette is spread across a table, finding the right tube in seconds keeps you painting instead of searching.
Reviewers describe this as good value for a beginner test set. It is the least expensive way on this list to find out whether oil painting suits you before committing to a bigger palette.
Thickness is inconsistent between colours, which is the main drawback. Some colours are creamy while others are thinner and cover less on canvas.
Some buyers also note a noticeable smell on opening, so ventilation matters more here than with the water-mixable option.
What does marked waterproof actually mean for oil paint?
It means the dried film resists water, which is expected for an oil binder. It does not mean the paint mixes with water or cleans up with it.
Traditional oils still need a solvent for brush cleanup, whatever the packaging says on the front.
Who should skip the Elan set?
Skip it if you want consistent handling across the whole palette, since reviewers report noticeable differences in thickness between colours.
It is a trial set rather than a long-term palette. Tubes are small and a keen painter will move on quickly.
12. RoseArt Premium Oil Paint Set, 24 x 12ml: Best Budget Starter Palette
RoseArt Premium Oil Paint – Set 24 Colors, Maximum Strength Pigmented Oil Paints for Casual to Professional Artists, multi
24 x 12ml tubes
Includes brush and palette
Butter texture
Pros
- Lowest cost per set here with 24 colours included
- Rich smooth texture that glides on for blending and layering
- Colour list includes earth tones and warm and cool blues
Cons
- Smallest review base in this group at about 250 ratings
- 12ml tubes go quickly on larger canvases
- Some report slight colour variation between tubes
For the least money, this gets you a genuine 24 colour oil palette plus a brush and palette in the box. The texture is described as rich and buttery, and it lays down and blends without dragging.
The colour list is better balanced than most sets at this level, with earth tones and both warm and cool blues rather than a row of unnamed shades.
RoseArt is a long-running family art supply brand, which matters if you want to buy a single replacement tube later rather than a whole new set.
The main caution is that a few buyers report slight colour variation between tubes from the same colour name. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing if you are mixing a precise match.
Is a budget oil set a mistake for a first painting?
Not if you stay on small panels and stay patient. The frustration that pushes beginners away comes from weak pigment, and this set holds its colour better than most at this level.
If you want the pigment strength of an artist brand from the first stroke, spending more on fewer, larger tubes is the better trade.
Who should skip the RoseArt budget set?
Skip it if you want a palette you can rely on for mixing skin tones or precise landscapes, where consistency between tubes matters more than the number of colours.
Anyone painting large surfaces should look past the low cost and check the 12ml tube size first.
Buying Guide: How to Choose an Oil Paint Set in 2026
Student grade versus artist grade
The difference between grades is pigment load and binder quality, not colour names. Student grade paint carries less pigment and more filler, so it takes more coats to cover and mixes to a duller version of the same hue.
For most beginners student grade is the right call. The gap only matters when a weak colour stops you seeing the colour you mixed. Our view is that technique, not pigment, is the bottleneck in the first year.
A word of warning about the word hue on a tube. Paint labelled a hue contains a cheaper pigment made to imitate a named colour, so Cadmium Yellow Hue is not Cadmium Yellow. Any hue is a signal to look elsewhere.
Traditional oil versus water-mixable oil
Traditional oil thins with a drying oil and cleans with a solvent such as turpentine or odourless mineral spirits. It gives you longer working time and a familiar handling feel.
Water-mixable oil behaves like oil but cleans with water. It gives up a little of the loose, buttery feel and costs more per tube, and it dries faster. In a small home space, that trade is usually worth it.
Solvents, odour and painting in an apartment
Vermilion and cadmium pigments are the usual source of strong odour in a set, and handling them in a poorly ventilated room is worth avoiding.
Three habits reduce the problem. Keep windows open and use a fan to move air out, store rags and waste in a sealed metal container with a lid, and wash brushes in a solvent tray rather than on a plate you eat from. Linseed oil on your hands is harmless and needs soap, not solvent.
What a beginner kit still needs you to buy
Paint is only one part. The working list is short: a rigid palette or disposable palette sheets, a small bottle of refined linseed oil as a medium, a few brushes, a palette knife, small primed panels, and a jar or tin to keep your dirty solvent.
Almost every kit omits the medium, which is why so many of the reviews above mention thinning. Buy the medium before you start rather than discovering it mid-session.
On brushes, start with two or three: a large flat about a sixth of your canvas width, a medium filbert and a small round for detail. Our beginner roundup format follows the same principle, listing the few tools you actually need rather than the full catalogue.
Tube size and how long a starter set lasts
Twelve millilitre tubes suit 8 x 10 inch panels and small studies. Twenty-two and 37 millilitre tubes stretch much further and suit larger work or heavy layering with a palette knife.
A rough guide: a 12ml tube covers roughly one small panel if you are painting fairly thick, a 21ml tube covers around twice that, and a 37ml tube covers a 16 x 20 inch canvas with a thin-to-moderate load. Titanium white runs out fastest in every set.
When to upgrade from your first set
Stay on your student set until you can mix a colour without a chart. At that point the limiting factor becomes range rather than quality, and buying four or five individual artist grade tubes in the colours you actually use is cheaper than a new set.
Two signs it is time. You constantly need a colour the set does not contain, or your mixes look chalky no matter how much paint you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which oil paint brand is best for beginners?
What is a good beginner oil paint set?
What are the best oil painting supplies for beginners?
What is the 70/30 rule in painting?
Do beginners need artist grade oil paint?
Conclusion: The Best Oil Paint Set to Start With
The Winsor & Newton Winton 10 x 37ml starter set is our pick for the best oil paint sets for beginners in 2026. It carries the highest average rating we found, the tube volume is unusually generous, and the pigment is strong enough that a first palette does not end up chalky.
Buy the Ohuhu 24 colour set if you want the widest choice for the least money, and the Artisan water-mixable set if solvent fumes are the reason you are hesitating. Whatever you pick, add linseed oil, a few cheap primed panels and three brushes before you sit down to paint.
Start with the panels you are happy to ruin. The fastest way to learn this medium is volume, not careful single attempts.