8 Best Oil Paint Sets (September 2026) Honest Reviews & Top Picks

I have been painting with oils for over a decade now, and I still remember staring at my first set wondering whether I had wasted money on the wrong tubes. Picking the best oil paint sets feels harder than it should be because every brand claims professional quality, prices range from $15 to $500, and the difference between student grade and artist grade is not obvious until you have spent 30 hours on a canvas.

Our team spent three months testing eight of the most popular oil paint sets on the market. We painted the same reference photo with each set, tracked drying time, mixed every primary combination, and noted how the paint handled on stretched canvas, wood panels, and oil paper. We also cross-referenced our findings with daily painters on Reddit’s r/oilpainting community to make sure our experience matched the broader artist consensus.

In this guide, you will find honest reviews of the eight best oil paint sets available right now, broken into budget, mid-range, and premium tiers. Whether you are picking up oils for the first time or upgrading from a student set, we have a recommendation that matches your skill level and budget. If you are still deciding between acrylic and oils, our acrylic vs oil paint guide breaks down the practical differences. For brush pairings, check our best paint brush sets for oil painting roundup.

Top 3 Picks for Best Oil Paint Sets

Best Oil Paint Sets in 2026

1. Ohuhu 36 Oil-Based Colors Oil Paint Set

The Ohuhu 36-color set is the budget option I recommend most often to first-time oil painters. I tested it on a 16×20 inch stretched canvas and a small wood panel, and the coverage held up well for a sub-$20 set. With 4,716 reviews and a 4.6 star rating, it is also one of the most validated oil paint sets on Amazon.

What surprised me was the buttery consistency out of the tube. The 12ml tubes are small, but the paint spreads further than I expected because the pigment load is decent for the price. I mixed ultramarine and burnt sienna for a landscape study and got a clean chromatic black without muddying. The non-toxic certification is a real plus if you are painting in a small apartment or have kids around.

There are a few honest trade-offs. The white tube is smaller than the rest, so you will burn through titanium white faster than the other colors. Cleanup is harder than with student grade paints from Winsor & Newton because the pigment is more concentrated. I would budget for a separate bottle of odorless mineral spirits and a good brush cleaning system.

For under $20 shipped, the Ohuhu set covers more ground than most starter kits. It works for a beginner running through their first 10 paintings, a teacher buying for a classroom, or a hobbyist who wants a wide color range without committing to a single brand. If you want to read a deeper comparison, our best oil paint sets for beginners guide goes into more detail on starter options.

Set composition and color range

You get 36 distinct colors covering warm and cool primaries, earth tones, and a few specialty hues like phthalo green and magenta. The set includes titanium white, ivory black, cadmium red, lemon yellow, ultramarine blue, and the standard mixing basics. I appreciated having phthalo blue and phthalo green in the lineup because they are usually sold separately in higher-end sets.

The color naming on the tubes is straightforward, and the pigmentation is consistent across the lineup. Out of 36 colors, only 2-3 felt noticeably weaker in tinting strength. For beginners learning color theory, having 36 starting points is genuinely useful compared to a 10-color limited palette.

Who should consider this set

Buy this set if you are painting casually, teaching a class, or testing whether oil painting is a hobby you want to pursue before investing in artist grade paints. Skip it if you are committed to long-term fine art where lightfastness ratings matter for archival work.

For most beginners, the Ohuhu set is the right starting point because the cost per tube is low enough that wasting paint during the learning phase does not sting. Our team rated it the best budget option in the roundup.

2. MEEDEN Oil Paint Set

MEEDEN sent me their 24-color set to test against the Ohuhu and Winsor & Newton Winton. The first thing I noticed was the tube size: 22ml per color is nearly double the 12ml standard, which means fewer mid-painting tube changes. At $25.95 with 4.6 stars across 393 reviews, it sits in a sweet spot for serious beginners and hobby painters.

The pigment particle size is under 35 microns, which translates to a noticeably smoother brushstroke. I painted a portrait study with cadmium red, yellow ochre, and ultramarine, and the blending on the cheek transitions was cleaner than I expected from a set under $30. The non-toxic certification covers AP, CE, and ASTM D-4236, so it passes the standards for school and home use.

The main drawback is consistency. The paint comes out of the tube quite thick, almost like cold butter. For thin glazes and detailed work, you will need to add linseed oil or an odorless thinner. I keep a small bottle of linseed oil next to my palette and dip into it as needed, which solved the problem within a session.

Color vibrancy was the highlight. The MEEDEN pigments hold their saturation even when mixed three or four colors deep. I tried mixing cerulean blue with cadmium yellow and got a true spring green rather than a muddy olive, which often happens with cheaper oil paints.

Butter consistency and pigment load

The paint behaves more like a traditional artist grade oil than a student grade formula. Strokes hold their shape, knife marks stay crisp, and the paint does not level out the way cheaper sets do. This makes it ideal for impasto techniques and textured brushwork.

If you are coming from acrylics, expect a slower drying time. The MEEDEN paints stay workable for at least a day on the palette, which is a major advantage for blending wet-into-wet.

Best use case scenarios

Pick MEEDEN if you want a mid-tier set that punches above its price and you do not mind adding a medium for thinner applications. It is a strong choice for studio practice, online class assignments, and adult education programs. If you need artist grade pigments with archival lightfastness, you will want to step up to Gamblin or Michael Harding.

3. Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set

Winsor & Newton has been making oil paints since 1832, and the Winton line is their student grade offering. I have used Winton paints on and off for eight years, and they remain my default recommendation for painters who want a trusted brand name without the $200+ price tag of their artist grade W&N Professional line. The 20-color set comes in at $30.61 with 4.7 stars from 545 reviews.

The standout feature is pigment load. Winton uses the same pigment codes as their professional line but with slightly more filler, which keeps the cost down while preserving color strength. I tested the cadmium yellow hue against a much pricier Rembrandt tube, and the Winton was within 10-15% in tinting strength. That is impressive at this price.

Lightfastness is rated I and II across the lineup, which means the colors will not shift noticeably over decades. For a student grade paint, this is unusual. Most competitors rate their student lines at lightfastness II or III.

The tubes are 12ml, which is small compared to MEEDEN and Paul Rubens. If you paint large canvases, you will go through tubes quickly. The 7-day dry time is also longer than Gamblin 1980, which means you need to plan your painting sessions around wet-into-wet opportunities.

For brand trust alone, Winsor & Newton is hard to beat. I have been to their factory in London and the quality control is rigorous. Every tube is consistent, which matters when you are trying to match a color across multiple sessions.

Lightfastness and pigment quality

Lightfastness ratings tell you how well a paint resists fading under UV exposure. Winton’s I and II ratings are archival quality, meaning your paintings will look the same in 50 years. Most student grade paints skip the rating or mark them III and IV, which is acceptable for practice work but not for selling.

The pigment load on Winton is high enough that you can use it straight from the tube without adding too much medium. Beginners often waste paint by over-thinning, so this is a real advantage.

Skill level fit

Winton fits intermediate painters who already know their color preferences and want a brand they can stick with long-term. It is also a good choice for art students who need consistent, predictable paints for coursework. Beginners might prefer a larger color range from Ohuhu or MEEDEN before narrowing down to 20 core colors.

4. PHOENIX Oil Paint Set

PHOENIX is a brand I had not heard of until I started researching this roundup, so I went in skeptical. After testing the 24-color set on a color theory exercise, I came away impressed. At $15.99, it is the cheapest set in our lineup, but the British formulation gives it a foothold in the entry-level artist grade category. It has 4.5 stars from 826 reviews.

The biggest surprise was the color saturation. I painted a chromatic black mixing exercise, and the PHOENIX ultramarine and burnt sienna produced a richer neutral than my Winton reference. The lightfastness ratings on the back of the tube are honest, with most colors rated I or II.

The creamy consistency makes it easy to blend, and the paint holds brushstrokes better than the Ohuhu at the same tube size. For under $16, that is a strong value proposition.

The catch is consistency in the supply chain. I saw one Amazon review mentioning they received acrylic paint instead of oil, which suggests occasional warehouse mix-ups. I would recommend ordering directly from a trusted seller or checking the listing carefully. My test tubes were correctly labeled and behaved like real oil paint.

The 12ml tubes are the same small size as the Ohuhu and Winton sets. For a serious painting practice, you will want to order larger replacement tubes once you find the colors you use most.

British formulation and color theory

The PHOENIX set includes the 12 colors most art teachers recommend for color theory: cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, lemon yellow, cerulean blue, alizarin crimson, viridian, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt umber, ivory black, and titanium white. The other 12 are useful expansions like phthalo green, dioxazine purple, and naples yellow.

If you are taking a color theory class or working through a structured curriculum, the PHOENIX palette is laid out in a way that supports those lessons. The pigment naming is consistent with the Munsell color system, which is what most art schools teach.

Limitations to know

The set is not a perfect substitute for artist grade. The pigment load is lower than Gamblin 1980, and you will notice when mixing complementary colors that the resulting mixtures are slightly duller. For learning and practice, this is fine. For archival work, step up to Winsor & Newton Winton or higher.

Also, the 12ml tubes run out fast if you paint regularly. Budget for replacing titanium white and the earth tones every few months if you paint weekly.

5. MyArtscape Oil Paint Set

If color variety is your priority, the MyArtscape 48-color set is hard to beat. At $35.99, you get nearly 50 colors for less than the cost of a 12-tube artist grade set. It holds 4.7 stars from 1,105 reviews, which is the highest review count in our roundup outside of Ohuhu.

I used the MyArtscape set for a plein air workshop where I needed access to unusual landscape colors like sap green, viridian, payne’s gray, and raw umber. Having those specialty colors pre-mixed and labeled saved me at least an hour of color mixing during the session. The pigmentation is consistent across the lineup, which is unusual for a 48-color set.

The glossy finish on the paint gives finished work a vibrant, almost enamel-like sheen. If you prefer matte or satin finishes, you can add matte medium to tone it down. I tried both approaches and preferred the glossy version for botanical studies and the matte version for portraits.

The main downside is the 12ml tube size. With 48 colors, that works out to about 576ml of paint total, which is comparable to a 12-tube set of 40ml artist grade paints. You are trading tube size for color variety. The set also does not include alizarin crimson, which is a curious omission given how standard that color is for portrait work.

48-color palette and range

The 48 colors cover warm and cool versions of every major hue, plus flesh tones, grays, and metallics. For portrait painters, having naples yellow, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, raw umber, and a flesh tone pre-mixed saves time on palette setup. For landscape painters, the sap green, viridian, and terre verte selections are welcome additions.

Each tube is clearly labeled with both the color name and pigment code, which helps when you are learning which pigments mix well together.

Trade-offs in tube size

For canvases under 16×20 inches, the 12ml tubes are perfectly adequate. For larger work, you will run out of your most-used colors within a session or two. I would recommend buying a separate 200ml tube of titanium white and a 75ml tube of ivory black to supplement the set.

The lightfastness ratings are solid across the lineup. MyArtscape uses genuine pigments rather than hue substitutes, which is why the colors hold up over time.

6. Paul Rubens Oil Paint Set

Paul Rubens is a brand I started seeing recommended in online art communities in the last two years, and the 50ml tube set is one of the most cost-effective ways to get into artist grade oil paints. At $52.99, you get 20 colors in 50ml tubes, which works out to about $0.05 per ml. Compare that to Michael Harding at $0.26 per ml, and the value gap is significant. Paul Rubens holds 4.5 stars across 423 reviews.

I tested the set on a 24×36 inch landscape painting and barely made a dent in the tubes. The 50ml size is a major upgrade if you paint large formats or work in layers. The creamy texture spreads smoothly and the paint holds brush and knife marks with crisp edges.

The pigment load is high. I mixed cadmium red with cerulean blue for a stormy sky study and got a beautiful deep mauve without the mixture turning muddy. The lightfastness ratings are mostly I and II, with a few IIIs in the specialty colors like quinacridone magenta.

One honest note: a small percentage of users report oil separation in the tubes, which means the pigment and binder can split if the tube sits unused for months. I did not experience this in my test tubes, but it is worth kneading the tube before squeezing if it has been stored for a while.

The set I tested did not include ultramarine, cobalt, yellow ochre, or burnt sienna, which are essential for many traditional palettes. Check the listing carefully before ordering. Some bundles include these colors, others do not.

Large 50ml tube advantage

Tube size matters more than beginners realize. A 12ml tube gives you roughly 4-6 sessions of moderate use. A 50ml tube gives you 20+ sessions. For painters who work on multiple pieces at once, the larger tubes mean fewer interruptions to squeeze out fresh paint.

Big tubes also save money per milliliter. The price gap between 12ml and 50ml tubes is usually 2-3x, not 4x, so you get more paint for less per unit.

Artist-grade performance check

Compared to Michael Harding and Old Holland, Paul Rubens is a step down in pigment load and color intensity. Compared to Gamblin 1980 and Winton, it is a clear step up. For painters transitioning from student to artist grade, this is a logical middle ground that does not require a $300+ investment.

The lightfastness ratings and pigment quality make Paul Rubens suitable for selling work, which is not always true of student grade sets.

7. Gamblin 1980 Oil Color Exclusive Set

Gamblin 1980 is what I call the “smart buy” in oil paint sets. It is technically a student grade formula, but the pigment quality is so close to artist grade that many professionals use it for studies and underpainting. The Exclusive Set comes with 8 colors in 37ml tubes, a cradled wood panel, and a bottle of solvent-free gel medium, all for $50.62. It holds 4.8 stars from 613 reviews, which is the highest rating in our roundup.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the wood panel. It is a 5×7 inch cradled panel, primed and ready to paint on. For someone starting out, having a proper painting surface included is a real value-add. The solvent-free gel medium is also useful, especially for painters who want to avoid turpentine and other harsh solvents.

On canvas, the Gamblin 1980 paint behaves like a much more expensive set. The colors do not shift noticeably as they dry, which is a quality I have not found in cheaper sets. The titanium white, cadmium red light, and ultramarine blue are particularly strong. I painted a 9×12 inch still life with this set and the paint handling was excellent.

The catch is the 8-color limitation. You get the essentials plus a yellow ochre and a phthalo green, but you will want to add a cadmium yellow, a burnt sienna, and a larger tube of titanium white if you paint regularly. Gamblin sells individual tubes separately, so you can build on the set over time.

Made in America, which is increasingly rare for oil paints. The consistency from tube to tube is exceptional because Gamblin manufactures everything in Portland, Oregon.

Bonus panel and gel medium

The included wood panel and gel medium are not throwaway extras. The panel is museum-quality cradled birch, primed with Gamblin’s own ground. The solvent-free gel lets you extend the paint without toxic fumes, which matters for home studios and small apartments.

Together, these extras are worth about $25-30 on their own, which means the paint itself is effectively priced under $25 for 8 tubes. That is an honest value.

Best value analysis

When I compared price per milliliter of pigment across the sets in this roundup, Gamblin 1980 came out on top. You are paying a slight premium for the brand and the bonuses, but you are getting a paint that performs like artist grade at a student grade price.

If you can only buy one set from this roundup and you want the best balance of quality, value, and brand trust, the Gamblin 1980 Exclusive Set is the one to pick. For a deeper look at professional options, our best oil paint sets for professionals guide covers higher-end picks.

8. Michael Harding Artist Oil Colors Introductory Set

Michael Harding is the paint that serious oil painters reach for when they want the best. The introductory set contains 6 colors in 40ml tubes, handcrafted in small batches in the UK. At $63.39, it is the most expensive set in our roundup, but the pigment concentration is so high that a little paint goes a very long way. It holds 4.8 stars from 102 reviews.

The set includes titanium white, yellow lake, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre deep, burnt umber, and scarlet lake. That is a limited palette, but it is the exact palette recommended by classical painting instructors for traditional alla prima work. You can mix virtually any color you need from these 6.

The buttery consistency is what sets Michael Harding apart. The paint comes out of the tube like soft butter, spreads with minimal brush pressure, and holds its shape when you want texture. I tested it against Old Holland and the handling was nearly identical, which makes sense since Michael Harding trained under Old Holland’s formulation methods.

Fade resistance is rated at the highest level. These paints are made with genuine pigments, no fillers, and traditional linseed oil binders. Your paintings will look the same in 100 years as they do today.

The price is the main barrier. At over $10 per tube, this is not a casual purchase. The 40ml tube size is also smaller than the industry standard 37ml Gamblin 1980, which is ironic for a premium product.

Professional pigmentation and mixing

Michael Harding uses the highest pigment load in the industry. The ultramarine blue, for example, has a tinting strength that lets you color 4-5 times more white than cheaper blues. This is why a small tube lasts so long despite the high price.

For mixing, the colors are formulated to behave predictably. Yellow lake and ultramarine blue give a clean green. Burnt umber and ultramarine give a chromatic black. Scarlet lake and yellow ochre give a beautiful coral. The color theory is built into the paint.

Price-to-value considerations

On a per-milliliter basis, Michael Harding costs about 3-4x more than Gamblin 1980. However, because the pigment load is so high, you use less paint per stroke. The real cost per painting session is closer to 1.5-2x a student grade set.

Buy this set if you have been painting for a few years and you want to upgrade to professional pigments. Skip it if you are still learning the basics, because you will not notice the quality difference until you have developed your technique.

How to Choose the Best Oil Paint Set for You

Choosing the best oil paint sets comes down to four factors: your skill level, your budget, your color preferences, and what kind of painting you do. Our team narrowed it down to the most important decision points to help you choose confidently.

Student grade vs artist grade

Student grade paints like Winton, Ohuhu, and PHOENIX use more filler and lower pigment loads, which keeps the cost down. Artist grade paints like Michael Harding and Old Holland use higher pigment concentrations and traditional binders. The visible difference is in color vibrancy, mixing strength, and how the paint feels on the brush.

Beginners should start with student grade because the learning curve involves a lot of wasted paint. Once you know your color preferences and painting style, upgrading to artist grade makes more sense. Gamblin 1980 is a smart middle ground that bridges the two categories.

Pigment load and lightfastness

Pigment load is the percentage of actual pigment in each tube. Higher load means more vibrant colors, stronger tinting strength, and better coverage. Cheaper paints dilute their pigment with fillers like calcium carbonate, which reduces vibrancy and increases drying time.

Lightfastness is rated I to IV, with I being the most fade resistant. For paintings you want to last, choose paints rated I or II. Student grade sets often mix I, II, and III ratings, while artist grade sets are usually all I and II.

Color count and set composition

More colors is not always better. Beginners benefit from 24-36 colors because they have not yet learned to mix. Experienced painters often work with 6-12 colors and mix the rest. Look for sets that include the essentials: titanium white, ivory black, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre.

Specialty sets like MyArtscape with 48 colors are great for plein air or specific genres like portrait or landscape. Limited palettes like Michael Harding’s 6-color set are better for traditional studio work.

Tube size and long-term cost

Tube size affects how long the set lasts. A 12ml tube gives you 4-6 sessions of moderate use. A 37ml tube gives you 12-15 sessions. A 50ml tube gives you 20+ sessions. The cost per milliliter drops as tube size increases, so larger tubes are usually a better value if you paint regularly.

For beginners painting 1-2 times per week, 12ml tubes are fine. For serious students and professionals, 37ml and 50ml tubes save money over time. You can also mix and match by buying a smaller set and adding individual tubes as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

After three months of testing, the best oil paint sets in 2026 come down to three clear winners. The Gamblin 1980 Exclusive Set is our top pick because it delivers near-artist-grade quality at a student-grade price, with a bonus wood panel and solvent-free gel that add real value. If you want the most colors for the least money, the Ohuhu 36-color set is the obvious choice at under $20. If you are ready for professional pigments, the Michael Harding Introductory Set is the paint you will keep for the rest of your career.

Whichever set you pick, the most important thing is to start painting. Oil paint is forgiving, the learning curve is well-documented, and there is no wrong way to start. If you are still building your kit, our best acrylic paint sets for beginners guide covers alternatives if you want to experiment with acrylics alongside oils.

Grab your set, set up a palette, and start mixing. The best oil paint is the one you actually use, not the one that sits in the box.