10 Best Beginner Oil Paint Sets for Learning and Creating in 2026

Choosing your first oil painting kit can feel complicated when sets vary widely in tube size, included tools, and paint quality. The best beginner oil paint sets give you enough colors and supplies to practice without paying for extras you will not use.

We compared 10 popular options, from compact paint-only collections to complete kits with easels, brushes, canvases, and palettes, so you can match your budget and preferred way to learn.

Best 10 Beginner Oil Paint Sets Picks for 2026

Best Color Variety – Arteza 24-Color Oil Paint Set

For beginners comparing beginner oil paint sets, this Arteza kit offers 24 colors in 12 ml tubes, giving you a broad palette for experimenting with color mixing, expressive artwork, and projects on canvas, paper, or wood.

Best For: Beginners who want a versatile color selection for varied indoor painting projects.

Pros:

• Includes 24 highly pigmented colors for mixing and creative variety.
• Designed for coverage, depth, and detail on multiple surfaces.
• Comes with a storage box and is positioned as suitable for beginners and professionals.

Cons:

• Each tube contains 12 ml, so individual colors may be used up relatively quickly on large projects.
• The notes describe coverage as partial rather than full.

Arteza is a practical choice when color variety matters most. Its 24-color assortment and included storage box make it a flexible starting point, although painters working on larger pieces may prefer larger tubes.

Best for Learning Techniques – MEEDEN 12-Color Oil Paint Set

Among beginner oil paint sets, the MEEDEN 12-color kit is geared toward learning fundamentals such as color theory, wet-into-wet painting, layering, and glazing. Its 22 ml tubes also provide more paint per color than many compact sets.

Best For: Beginners and amateurs practicing color mixing and foundational oil-painting techniques.

Pros:

• Includes 12 colors in 22 ml tubes for mixing and repeated practice.
• Made with a finely ground pigment intended to provide a smooth, buttery consistency.
• Certified to AP and ASTM D-4236 standards and described as non-toxic.
• Colors are highly mixable and produce a glossy finish.

Cons:

• The 12-color palette offers less color variety than 24-color sets.
• The notes list a drying time of about 24 hours.
• Only paint tubes are included, so additional tools and surfaces may be needed.

MEEDEN stands out for beginners who want to focus on technique rather than acquire a large assortment of colors. The larger tubes and mixable consistency make it a useful practice set, while a separate purchase may be necessary for brushes and other supplies.

Best Complete Kit – ARTALLY 82-Piece Oil Painting Set

For beginners seeking an all-in-one option, this 82-piece ARTALLY set combines 24 oil colors with an easel box, canvases, brushes, palette knives, palettes, and cleaning accessories, so you can begin painting with fewer separate purchases.

Best For: Beginners who want a portable workstation and a complete collection of starter supplies.

Pros:

• Includes 24 oil colors, 8 canvas boards, a stretched canvas, and canvas paper.
• Portable beechwood easel box converts to an adjustable tabletop easel and holds canvases up to 21 inches.
• Provides brushes, palette knives, palettes, oil cans, and cleaning/storage accessories.
• Paints are described as non-toxic, lightfast, highly pigmented, and ready to use from the tube.

Cons:

• The large number of components may be more than beginners who only need paint.
• The set’s portability comes in a compact easel box rather than a full-size studio easel.
• The supplied notes state that the paint dries in about 10 days.

ARTALLY is the most comprehensive choice in this group for someone starting from scratch or looking for a gift. Its included easel and practice surfaces add convenience, though the full kit is less streamlined than a paint-only set.

Best Compact Professional-Style Set – MyArtscape 12-Color Oil Paint Set

This MyArtscape set is a compact option among beginner oil paint sets, with 12 high-pigment, lightfast colors in 12 ml tubes. Its thick, buttery consistency is suited to textured brushwork, impasto, and wet-on-wet painting.

Best For: Beginners who want a focused palette for textured and traditional oil-painting techniques.

Pros:

• Includes a practical 12-color selection covering common warm, cool, earth, and neutral tones.
• Thick, buttery paint supports impasto and wet-on-wet techniques.
• Paints are described as high-pigment, lightfast, mixable, and archival-quality.
• Meets ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3 safety standards.

Cons:

• The 12-color palette provides less variety than the 24-color alternatives.
• Each tube contains 12 ml, which may be limiting for larger paintings.
• The notes list a drying time of about 24 hours and state that the paint is not waterproof.

MyArtscape suits beginners who want to explore visible brush texture and classic oil techniques without buying a large kit. It includes paint only, so brushes, surfaces, and mediums must be supplied separately.

Best Complete Beginner Kit – Basic Oil Paint Set with Tabletop Easel

If you want beginner oil paint sets with the main supplies included, this kit is a practical starting point. It combines 12 oil colors with a beech wood tabletop easel, canvas materials, brushes, a palette, palette knife, and oil paper, so you can begin practicing without assembling a separate shopping list.

Best For: Beginners who want an all-in-one oil painting setup for tabletop practice, classes, or gifting.

Pros:

• Includes paints, easel, canvas, paper, brushes, palette, and palette knife.
• The 7.5-by-11-inch beech wood easel is lightweight, portable, and requires no assembly.
• Paints are described as non-toxic, vibrant, blendable, and compliant with ASTM D-4236 and EN71 standards.
• Includes 10 bristle brushes for detail work and broader strokes.

Cons:

• The 12-color selection is smaller than the 24-color sets in this roundup.
• The compact tabletop easel is intended for smaller-format work rather than large canvases.

This is the most complete option for a new painter who values convenience. Its included easel and practice surfaces make it especially useful when you need a ready-to-use workspace, while the smaller color range keeps the kit approachable.

Best for Everyday Use – Ohuhu 24-Color Oil Paint Set

For shoppers comparing beginner oil paint sets by color range, the Ohuhu set offers 24 oil-based colors in portable 12 ml tubes. The selection covers primary colors, earth tones, blues, greens, skin tones, and neutrals, giving new painters more mixing and subject options from the start.

Best For: Beginners who want broad color variety in a portable tube set for canvas or paper.

Pros:

• Provides 24 named colors, including multiple blues, greens, reds, earth tones, and neutrals.
• Each tube contains 12 ml of richly pigmented paint.
• Suitable for canvas and paper, with indoor and outdoor use listed.
• Includes a brush and palette, and the paints are described as non-toxic and ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3 compliant.

Cons:

• It does not include a canvas, easel, or other broad set of practice surfaces.
• The product notes list a 24-hour dry time, so it may not suit painters seeking very fast completion.

The Ohuhu set is a strong choice when color selection matters more than included equipment. It gives beginners room to explore landscapes, portraits, and abstract work, but you will need to supply or purchase a suitable painting surface and workspace.

Best Brush Selection – XXL 24-Paint Oil Set

This XXL set stands out among beginner oil paint sets for its unusually large brush assortment. Along with 24 12 ml oil paint tubes, it includes 25 brushes, a metal palette, and an 8-by-10-inch stretched canvas panel, giving new painters several tools for trying different techniques.

Best For: Beginners who want to experiment with varied brush types and painting techniques in one package.

Pros:

• Includes 24 assorted oil colors, including primary colors, earth tones, blues, greens, and skin tones.
• Provides 25 bristle, nylon, and foam brushes in assorted sizes and styles.
• Comes with a metal mixing palette and an 8-by-10-inch stretched canvas panel.
• Packages 51 listed pieces together and is described as non-toxic.

Cons:

• It includes only one canvas panel and no easel.
• The assorted brush materials may be more variety than a beginner needs initially.

This kit is appealing if you want to learn how brush shape and material affect application. It offers a balanced mix of colors and tools, although adding an easel or extra surfaces would make the setup more complete for regular practice.

Reliable Starter Palette – Winsor & Newton Winton Basic Set

Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint, Basic Set, 10 x 21ml Tubes

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For shoppers comparing beginner oil paint sets, the Winsor & Newton Winton Basic Set offers 10 individually formulated, lightfast colors in convenient 21ml tubes. Its moderate price and intermixable formula make it a practical option for learning oil-painting fundamentals.

Best For: Beginners who want a compact set from an established oil-color range.

Pros:

• Includes 10 intermixable oil colors.
• Lightfast and permanent colors.
• Convenient 21ml tubes provide more paint per color.
• Priced as a moderate-cost introduction to oil colors.

Cons:

• Offers fewer colors than 24-color beginner sets.
• The set contains paint only, so additional painting supplies may be needed.

This is a straightforward choice for beginners who value dependable, permanent colors and useful tube sizes over a larger color selection.

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Color-Mixing Value Pick – PHOENIX 24-Color Oil Paint 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

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Among beginner oil paint sets, the PHOENIX 24-color collection gives new painters a broad palette for practicing color theory and techniques. The 12ml tubes contain highly saturated, finely ground pigments with a thick, creamy consistency suited to canvas and other painting surfaces.

Best For: Adults and beginners who want many colors for classes, paint nights, and technique practice.

Pros:

• Provides 24 assorted colors for mixing and experimentation.
• Thick consistency can create texture or be blended with medium.
• Designed for wet-into-wet, layering, and glazing practice.
• Certified by EN 71 and ASTM-4236, according to the supplied notes.

Cons:

• Each tube holds 12ml, less than the 21ml tubes in some starter sets.
• Not water resistant, according to the product details.
• The set does not list brushes or other accessories among its included components.

With 24 colors and a slow-drying, creamy texture, this set is especially useful for beginners who want to explore mixing and multiple oil-painting methods without buying colors individually.

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Compact Vibrant Palette – Elan Professional 24-Color Oil Paint Set

Elan Professional Oil Paint Set, 24 Colors, 0.4 fl oz (12ml) | Highly Pigmented Oil Paints for Canvas, Smooth Coverage, Rich Gloss Finish

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The Elan Professional set is one of the more compact beginner oil paint sets, with 24 vibrant colors in 12ml mini tubes. Its color-coded packaging and smooth, highly pigmented formula are designed to make palette selection simple for adults and artists at different skill levels.

Best For: Beginners and hobby painters who want a broad, clearly organized color selection for canvas or paper.

Pros:

• Includes 24 rich oil colors for varied projects.
• Color-coded tubes make colors easier to identify.
• Designed for both beginners and more experienced artists.
• Suitable for canvas and paper, with smooth, highly pigmented paint.

Cons:

• The 12ml mini tubes may run out sooner than larger-format tubes.
• No additional components are included.
• Listed drying time is up to 72 hours, so projects may require patience.

This set combines a wide color range with easy-to-identify tubes, making it a convenient starting point for painters who want flexibility without a large collection of full-size paints.

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How We Picked the Best Beginner Oil Paint Sets

We focused on the factors that matter most to new painters: color selection, total paint volume, included accessories, ease of getting started, and overall value. The roundup includes compact sets for artists who already own brushes and surfaces, as well as all-in-one kits for beginners building a basic workstation.

We also considered whether product descriptions clearly identify tube sizes, non-toxic claims, and the intended audience. Because oil paint quality can vary within the same price category, beginners should treat included tools as convenience items and upgrade individual supplies as their skills develop.

Quick Comparison

Set type	Best for	What to check
Paint-only set	Artists who already have tools	Tube size, pigment range, and mixing colors
Complete starter kit	First-time painters	Brush quality, canvas size, and easel stability
Larger multi-piece kit	Experimenting with techniques	Whether accessories replace or complement your existing supplies
Recognized artist-brand set	Beginners planning to continue	Color permanence, consistency, and refill availability

Key Buying Factors for Beginner Oil Paint Sets

Color Range and Mixing

A 10- or 12-color set can teach essential mixing, while a 24-color set offers more immediate variety. Look for useful staples such as titanium white, a dark blue, a warm and cool red, yellow, earth tones, and black. More colors are not automatically better if the tubes are very small or redundant.

Tube Size and Value

Compare the total amount of paint, not just the number of colors. Small tubes are convenient for occasional practice, but frequent painters may get better value from larger tubes or a smaller palette of heavily used colors.

Included Tools

Brushes, palette knives, canvases, palettes, and an easel can make a kit immediately usable. However, accessory counts can be misleading: a large bundle may include lightweight tools that you eventually replace. Check whether the kit includes a palette, mixing surface, cleaning guidance, and a suitable painting surface.

Safety and Cleanup

“Non-toxic” labeling does not remove the need for good studio habits. Work in a ventilated area, avoid skin contact, keep paint away from food surfaces, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for solvents, mediums, and brush cleaning. Beginners can reduce exposure by starting with water-mixable oils or using solvent-free cleanup methods where compatible.

Who Should Buy Which Beginner Oil Paint Sets?

Choose a paint-only set if you already own brushes, a palette, and canvases and want a broad color selection. Choose a complete kit with an easel if you are starting from nothing and want to begin practicing immediately. Choose a compact set from an established paint brand if consistent handling and the ability to buy matching replacement colors matter more than having the most accessories.

For most first-time artists, the best choice is the set that balances a practical color range with enough paint to practice regularly. Start with a manageable palette, learn basic mixing, and add specialty colors or better brushes only after you know which techniques you enjoy.