What You Actually Need to Start Oil Painting (A Six-Month Honest Review)
What You Actually Need to Start Oil Painting (A Six-Month Honest Review)
By Elizabeth — Artvellea
I've been painting since I was a kid. Acrylics, watercolors, mixed media — I tried it all. Oil painting came much later, carved out of nap times and bedtimes while chasing two toddlers and rediscovering something I'd missed more than I realized.
Six months in. Six paintings done. Here's the list I wish had existed when I started.
Full Materials List
| What You Need | What I Use | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Oil Paints (Option 1 of 2) | Winsor & Newton | https://amzn.to/4uuwzIz |
| Oil Paints (Option 2 of 2) | Meeden | https://amzn.to/3Rgi8cq |
| Brushes | Artify, Synthetic Hog Hair | |
| Canvas | Creative Mark | https://amzn.to/4wQnwTY |
| Panels (alt.) | Ampersand, Gessobord | https://amzn.to/4v5BoI5 |
| Palette | Meeden, Disposable pad | https://amzn.to/4eYxA6N |
| Odorless Solvent | Gamblin Gamsol, Odorless Mineral Spirits | https://amzn.to/3RoqP4o |
| Medium | Gamblin Solvent-Free Medium | https://amzn.to/3PxMnLq |
| Brush Cleaner | The Master's Brush Cleaner | https://amzn.to/4tPgufa |
| Varnish | Gamblin Gamvar, Satin Varnish | https://amzn.to/4utizPl |
| Varnish Brush | Gamblin Gamvar, Varnish Brush | https://amzn.to/4wL9eUu |
| Gloves | Generic, Blue nitrile rubber gloves | https://amzn.to/4wLjtrR |
| Palette Knife | Generic, any brand will do... | https://amzn.to/4uy1a8a |
| Apron | Generic, I preferentially like a 100% cotton apron | https://amzn.to/4dV6CMh |
| Mason Jar | Generic, any glass mason jar with metal lid to store mineral spirits for brush cleaning | - |
Note on Affiliation: some links may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link things I actually use.
What Do You Need to Start Oil Painting?
Oil Paints — Two Options at Two Different Price Points
I mostly use Winsor & Newton — it's pricier but the quality is genuinely worth it when you're learning. You want paint that behaves predictably so you're learning the medium, not fighting the material.
I also really love Meeden paints as a more cost-effective option that doesn't sacrifice quality. A great choice if you want to stretch your budget.
When it comes to how many colors to start with: I bought a variety pack of 20 and I don't regret it. Relearning color theory takes experimentation, and having a range to play with helped.
You'll find your own rhythm — but having more colors available while you're relearning color mixing isn't a bad thing. Just don't feel like you need all 20 open at once.
What I use: Winsor & Newton (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4uuwzIz), Meeden (Product Link: https://amzn.to/3Rgi8cq)
A Note on Color Theory — Use Every Tool You Have
If you're newer to color theory, here's a shortcut I actually used: drop your reference photo into an AI tool and let it suggest the color palette. This takes a huge amount of guesswork out of mixing, especially early on while your eye is still developing.
There's no shame in leaning on tools while you're learning. The goal is to paint, not to struggle unnecessarily. Use the shortcut, learn from the result, and over time you'll start to see the color relationships yourself.
Brushes
This is where I overspent on quantity and underspent on quality.
I'd recommend spending $30–40 on a set to start — I use Artify synthetic hog hair brushes and they've been excellent. I actually tried natural hog hair too and preferred the synthetic — it felt smoother and more controlled for the way I paint. You may find differently, but it's worth knowing that synthetic doesn't mean inferior. So far, these lasted me six months.
The brushes I actually use:
- Medium filbert — my most-reached-for brush, the oval tip is endlessly versatile for blending and shaping
- Small round — for detail and edges
- Large flat — for blocking in bigger areas quickly
I also have a palette knife but honestly I only ever use it for mixing color on my palette, not for painting. If that's all you ever use it for too, that's completely fine — it's still essential.
What I use: Artify Synthetic Hog Hair Brushes (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4wKS0Xg)
Canvas vs. Panels
Both work. Here's what I actually experienced:
Canvas is what I ended up preferring — specifically Creative Mark Canvas. It takes paint well and I like the feel of it under the brush.
Panels (rigid boards with a gesso coating) ship more easily and store flat. I used Ampersand panels and liked them, but one thing worth knowing: the edges can be brittle. On my first panel painting, the corners got damaged in two spots. If you're selling or gifting work on panels, be mindful of how you handle and pack them.
My recommendation: try both on something small (8×10) and see what feels right.
What I use: Creative Mark Canvas (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4wQnwTY), Ampersand Gessoboard (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4v5BoI5z)
Disposable Palette
Especially when you're starting out, the cleaning process for a glass or wood palette is a whole additional learning curve you don't need right now. Disposable palette paper pads are inexpensive, easy to use, and when you're done you just tear off the sheet.
I went this route specifically because I didn't want to add palette maintenance to the stress of learning everything else at once. It was the right call. You can always try something else once oil painting itself feels natural.
What I use: Meeden Palette Paper (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4eYxA6N)
Solvent — Odorless
If you're painting indoors with kids in the house like me, odorless mineral spirits were a non-negotiable. Traditional turpentine is toxic and the fumes are not something you want around small children.
Odorless mineral spirits work the same way — without the fumes. I keep mine up high in a temperature-controlled closet, out of reach. For cleaning brushes during or after a session I use a mason jar— simple, cheap, easy to seal and tuck away when you're done.
What I use: Odorless Mineral Spirits (Product Link: https://amzn.to/3RoqP4o)
Medium — Gamblin Solvent-Free
A medium is what you mix into your paint to change its consistency and flow. I use Gamblin Solvent-Free Medium — it has an oil-like consistency and adds flow without any fumes.
A small amount goes a long way. Just add a few dropped into your paint and mix up, or dip your brush lightly as needed.
What I use: Gamblin Solvent-Free Medium (Product Link: https://amzn.to/3PxMnLq)
Brush Cleaner
Oil paint hardens in bristles and ruins brushes if you don't clean them. My routine: wipe excess paint with a rag, swirl in solvent in the mason jar, wipe again, then wash with brush soap and reshape before laying flat to dry.
Don't store brushes bristle-down in a jar — even if you're tired and the toddler is screaming. You will learn this exactly once.
What I use: The Master's Brush Cleaner (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4tPgufa)
Varnish & Brush
This one I'm still learning, but I wanted to include it because it's worth knowing about from the start.
Once a painting is fully dry, varnish protects the surface and gives it a beautiful, even finish. I used Gamblin Gamvar Satin & Varnish Brush — it's made specifically for oil paintings and widely recommended (they have other finishes as well). One coat, applied with a soft varnish brush in long even strokes, and it transformed how the finished piece looked. The colors deepened and the whole surface became cohesive in a way the unvarnished painting wasn't.
A few things I learned: make sure your painting is completely dry before you varnish — oil paintings need significantly longer than you'd expect, anywhere from several weeks to a few months depending on thickness. And use a dedicated soft brush you keep clean and separate — you don't want any stray paint contaminating a finished piece.
I've only done this once so far, but I'm glad I did it and I'd do it on every finished painting going forward.
What I use: Gamblin Gamvar Satin Varnish (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4utizPl), Gamblin Gamvar Varnish Brush (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4wL9eUu)
Blue Rubber Gloves — Underrated Essential
This one isn't in most beginner supply lists and I feel like it should be. I kept getting paint all over my hands, and constant cleaning was making my fingers raw.
Blue rubber/nitrile gloves solved two problems at once: my hands stayed clean, and here's the clever part — when I had to step away mid-session (toddlers, life, you know), I'd slip my brush inside my glove to keep it moist and protected until I could come back and clean properly. I cleaned brushes once a day rather than constantly throughout. Small thing, huge quality of life improvement.
What I use: Standard blue nitrile gloves (Product Link: https://amzn.to/4wLjtrR)
Other Small Things
- Paper towels. A dedicated roll nearby, every session.
- An apron. Don't ruin your favorite clothes like I did!
- Palette Knife. Nothing special. A few to mix your paints and oils together.
- A dedicated space, even a small one. A setup you can return to without clearing the table means you actually paint more.
A Few Final Thoughts
Paint something small and don't try to make it perfect.
Your first few paintings are for getting to know the medium — how paint moves, how colors mix, how to clean up without losing your mind. The goal isn't a gallery piece. The goal is making oil feel natural.
It took me a bit before I stopped fighting the paint and started working with it. Nap time by nap time, that shift happened. And when it did, it got genuinely fun — the kind of fun that makes you stay up too late mixing colors after the kids are asleep.
I share the process — the messy sessions and the ones that surprise me — over on Instagram at @artvellea. And if you are in the market to buy artwork, sign up to my emails and keep tabs on my website at artvellea.com.
Questions about getting started? Reach out at artvellea@gmail.com — happy to help.
— Liz
A Note to Readers
The information in this post is based on my personal experience as a hobbyist artist. I'm not a professional art instructor. Product recommendations reflect what worked for me — your experience may vary. Always follow manufacturer safety guidelines, especially regarding solvents and chemicals around children.