Oil Paints

Oil paints are traditional artists' paints in which a vegetable oil, usually linseed oil, binds the pigment. They dry slowly, so you can still mix, blend and correct colours on the canvas for several days after applying them. On this page you'll find oil paints for painting in individual colour tubes and in sets, from your first student sets to the Rembrandt artists' range. Daler Rowney, Lukas, Maimeri, Rembrandt and Van Gogh have the most shades, and these also include water-mixable oil paints.

How do student and artists' oil paints differ?

The main difference is the amount of pigment. Artists' oil paints contain more, so even a thin layer covers well and colours retain their saturation when mixed with white. Student paints contain less pigment and use substitutes for rare pigments. They are still quite sufficient for learning, sketches, underpainting and large areas.

Look for the word Hue in colour names, such as Cadmium Yellow Hue. The manufacturer uses it to identify a paint that imitates the original pigment, often cadmium or cobalt, with a different pigment. The shade looks similar, but it may behave slightly differently from the original when mixed.

When should you use water-mixable oil paints?

Water-mixable oil paints have a modified binder that mixes with water. You can therefore thin the paint with water and wash your brushes with soap and water, without turpentine, white spirit or their smell. They suit homes, schools and anywhere that is difficult to ventilate well. The ranges available include Lukas Berlin, Daler Rowney Georgian Water Mixable and Cobra Study.

Traditional oil paints are thinned with turpentine or white spirit, and painters add mediums such as linseed oil for glazing. A painting made with water-mixable paints looks like a traditional oil painting and dries at a similarly slow pace. If you like to paint quickly and want to paint over layers on the same day, compare them with the paints on the Acrylic Paints page, which dry much faster.

How do you put together your first oil paint set?

A set of basic shades in smaller tubes is a good starting point. Van Gogh Basic Box and Daler Rowney Georgian Introduction Set contain selected shades, while the wooden cases from Umton and Lukas 1862 include painting accessories as well as paints. You'll find all the sets together on the Oil Paint Sets page.

Once you know which colours you use most, buy replacement tubes individually. Tubes of 37 to 40 ml are sufficient for most colours. Large 200 or 225 ml tubes are worthwhile for white, which you use to lighten almost every shade. Titanium white has strong covering power, while zinc white is more transparent and suits delicate transitions and glazes. To stop the oil soaking into the canvas or board, prepare it first with a primer from the Primers page.