It’s curious that you’re contemplating oil paint colors just as professional artists everywhere rely on the same seven shades. You’ve likely wondered which Blick colors truly deserve space in your studio. But here’s what separates casual painters from serious practitioners: knowing exactly which pigments will transform your work. Uncover why these specific hues aren’t just popular—they’re essential.
Quick Overview
- Primary and secondary colors form the foundation of any artist’s palette for mixing virtually any hue.
- Warm and cool tones enable depth, atmospheric effects, and dimensional contrast in compositions.
- High lightfastness ratings ensure chosen colors remain vibrant and stable over extended time periods.
- Permanent synthetic pigments offer superior consistency and longevity compared to natural alternatives.
- Versatile color selection addresses diverse subject matter and painting styles across various skill levels.
| Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set 20 x 12ml (0.4-oz) Tubes |
| Best For Beginners | Number of Colors: 20 colors | Tube Size: 12ml (0.4-oz) tubes | Paint Quality/Grade: Student/Beginner grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set 10 x 12ml (0.4-oz) Tubes |
| Most Compact Starter | Number of Colors: 10 colors | Tube Size: 12ml (0.4-oz) tubes | Paint Quality/Grade: Student/Beginner grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Ohuhu 24 Oil Paint Set for Artists |
| Best Value Selection | Number of Colors: 24 colors | Tube Size: 12ml (0.42-oz) tubes | Paint Quality/Grade: Student grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Paul Rubens Oil Paint Set 20 Colors (50ml) |
| Best Large Tubes | Number of Colors: 20 colors | Tube Size: 50ml large tubes | Paint Quality/Grade: Professional grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Artists’ Grade Gamsol Oil Color Size: 16.9 oz |
| Essential Solvent Medium | Number of Colors: Solvent/medium (not a color set) | Tube Size: 16.9 oz liquid bottle | Paint Quality/Grade: Artists’ grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| Paul Rubens Professional Oil Paint Set (20 Colors) |
| Professional Grade Choice | Number of Colors: 20 colors | Tube Size: 50ml large tubes | Paint Quality/Grade: Professional grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
| PHOENIX Studio Oil Paint Set – 20 Colors (50ml) |
| Best Lightfastness | Number of Colors: 20 colors | Tube Size: 50ml tubes | Paint Quality/Grade: Professional grade | VIEW LATEST PRICE | Read Our Analysis |
More Details on Our Top Picks
Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set 20 x 12ml (0.4-oz) Tubes
If you’re starting your oil painting journey, the Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set is your ideal choice. You’ll get 20 essential colors in convenient 12ml tubes, featuring a higher pigment load than many competing ranges. The stiff consistency lets you retain precise brush and palette knife strokes, making it perfect for detailed work. You’re getting quality fine art pigments formulated with permanent colorants that guarantee long-lasting results. This set delivers exceptional value for general use and large-volume projects. Pair these paints with Winsor & Newton solvents and mediums to maximize your creative potential and achieve professional-quality paintings.
- Number of Colors:20 colors
- Tube Size:12ml (0.4-oz) tubes
- Paint Quality/Grade:Student/Beginner grade
- Pigment Quality:Higher pigment load, most permanent pigments
- Drying Time:Not specified
- Safety Certification:Not specified
- Additional Feature:Stiff consistency retains strokes
- Additional Feature:19-color comprehensive palette
- Additional Feature:Compatible with W&N additives
Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set 10 x 12ml (0.4-oz) Tubes
The Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Color Paint Set stands out as an excellent choice for beginners who want quality pigments without breaking the bank. You’ll receive ten essential starter colors in 12ml tubes, including vibrant hues like Cadmium Red Deep, French Ultramarine, and Viridian. The stiff consistency retains your brushstrokes beautifully, making it ideal for expressive techniques. With a higher pigment load than many competitor ranges, you’re getting professional-grade materials at an accessible price point. The durability rating guarantees your artwork won’t fade over time. You’ll appreciate the uniform formulation that works seamlessly with fine art solvents and mediums, giving you flexibility in your creative process.
- Number of Colors:10 colors
- Tube Size:12ml (0.4-oz) tubes
- Paint Quality/Grade:Student/Beginner grade
- Pigment Quality:Higher pigment load, most permanent pigments
- Drying Time:Not specified
- Safety Certification:Not specified
- Additional Feature:Essential starter color selection
- Additional Feature:Uniform slightly-stiff consistency
- Additional Feature:Most permanent pigments selected
Ohuhu 24 Oil Paint Set for Artists
Artists seeking an affordable yet versatile oil paint collection will find the Ohuhu 24 Oil Paint Set exceptional for both learning and creating. You’ll receive 24 vibrant, non-toxic colors in 12ml tubes that conform to safety standards. The thoughtfully curated palette includes essential hues like Titanium White, multiple blues, greens, and earth tones, enabling you to tackle landscapes, portraits, and abstract work. You’ll appreciate the smooth, durable finish and quick-drying formula. Whether you’re painting indoors or venturing outdoors, these portable tubes deliver rich pigments suitable for beginners through professionals, making this set an excellent investment for expanding your artistic capabilities.
- Number of Colors:24 colors
- Tube Size:12ml (0.42-oz) tubes
- Paint Quality/Grade:Student grade
- Pigment Quality:Rich pigments
- Drying Time:Quick-drying
- Safety Certification:ASTM D-4236 & EN71-3 (CE)
- Additional Feature:Quick-drying formula
- Additional Feature:Portable outdoor painting capability
- Additional Feature:24 vibrant color range
Paul Rubens Oil Paint Set 20 Colors (50ml)
For those seeking a versatile starter set that doesn’t compromise on quality, Paul Rubens’ 20-color oil paint collection delivers professional-grade pigments in generous 50ml tubes. You’ll appreciate the smooth, buttery consistency that captures your brushstrokes and palette knife details with precision. The high-quality fine art pigments provide excellent covering power and tinting strength, allowing you to blend and create countless unique colors for landscapes, seascapes, portraits, and still lifes. The paint dries within 7-14 days and offers exceptional lightfastness, guaranteeing your work remains vibrant for years. Each tube features color coding for easy identification, and the refined linseed oil base assures superior performance. You’ll also benefit from the set’s non-toxic formulation and water-resistant finish.
- Number of Colors:20 colors
- Tube Size:50ml large tubes
- Paint Quality/Grade:Professional grade
- Pigment Quality:High-quality fine art pigments
- Drying Time:7-14 days
- Safety Certification:Non-toxic
- Additional Feature:Large 50ml tube sizes
- Additional Feature:7-14 day drying time
- Additional Feature:Water-resistant finished paint
Artists’ Grade Gamsol Oil Color Size: 16.9 oz
If you’re seeking a dependable oil paint that prioritizes safety without compromising quality, Gamblin’s Artists’ Grade Gamsol Oil Color delivers exactly what you need. This 16.9 oz formulation offers you a safer alternative to traditional turpentine and harsh mediums, protecting your health while safeguarding your artwork and the environment. Made in the USA, it’s crafted specifically for adult artists who demand professional-grade results. The paint dries within 24 hours, allowing you to work efficiently without extended wait times. You’ll appreciate its liquid form and compatibility with interior surfaces, making it versatile for various painting techniques and projects.
- Number of Colors:Solvent/medium (not a color set)
- Tube Size:16.9 oz liquid bottle
- Paint Quality/Grade:Artists’ grade
- Pigment Quality:Oil color solvent
- Drying Time:24 hours
- Safety Certification:Made in USA
- Additional Feature:Safer than turpentine alternative
- Additional Feature:Made in USA
- Additional Feature:24-hour dry time
Paul Rubens Professional Oil Paint Set (20 Colors)
The Paul Rubens Professional Oil Paint Set stands out as an excellent choice for anyone seeking versatility without compromise. You’ll appreciate the 20 vibrant colors in 50ml tubes, offering generous quantities for extensive projects. The high-quality pigments deliver excellent covering power and tinting strength, while the creamy texture blends effortlessly and retains your brushstrokes beautifully. These oils dry within 7-14 days, letting you layer efficiently. Formulated with high-purity linseed oil, they’re non-toxic and built to last. Whether you’re painting landscapes or seascapes, you can blend these colors to create unlimited hues, making this set ideal for artists, students, and beginners alike.
- Number of Colors:20 colors
- Tube Size:50ml large tubes
- Paint Quality/Grade:Professional grade
- Pigment Quality:High-quality fine art pigments
- Drying Time:7-14 days
- Safety Certification:Non-toxic
- Additional Feature:High-purity linseed oil vehicle
- Additional Feature:Smooth easy blending formula
- Additional Feature:Retains brush/knife marks
PHOENIX Studio Oil Paint Set – 20 Colors (50ml)
Artists seeking professional-grade pigments without breaking the bank will appreciate what PHOENIX’s Studio Oil Paint Set delivers. You’ll get twenty 50ml tubes of finely ground pigments with exceptional color saturation and tinting strength. The thick, creamy consistency lets you apply paint directly for texture or blend it with mediums for varied effects. You won’t worry about your work fading—these colors boast excellent lightfastness and permanence, remaining stable for decades. The slow drying time works in your favor, allowing extended blending sessions while maintaining brilliant hues. EN 71 and ASTM-4236 certified, this set works beautifully on canvas, wood panels, and other surfaces, making it an excellent choice for serious painters prioritizing quality and value.
- Number of Colors:20 colors
- Tube Size:50ml tubes
- Paint Quality/Grade:Professional grade
- Pigment Quality:Finely ground pigments, high saturation
- Drying Time:Slow-drying
- Safety Certification:EN 71 and ASTM-4236 certified
- Additional Feature:Multi-surface painting compatibility
- Additional Feature:Decade-long color stability
- Additional Feature:Thick creamy texture
Factors to Consider When Choosing Blick Oil Paint
When you’re selecting Blick oil paints, you’ll want to evaluate the pigment quality and composition to guarantee you’re getting genuine, high-quality colors rather than fillers. Consider the color range and selection available, along with the consistency and application characteristics that’ll match your painting style and preferences. You should also prioritize permanence and lightfastness ratings, then weigh the tube size and value to determine which option offers the best return on your investment.
Pigment Quality and Composition
Your choice of Blick oil paints hinges substantially on understanding pigment quality and composition. You’ll want to prioritize paints formulated with finely ground, highly pigmented materials that deliver strong tinting strength and excellent covering power. The pigments themselves drastically impact performance—synthetic pigments offer superior consistency and permanence compared to natural alternatives, making them ideal for archival work. You should also consider the oil binder’s role in affecting consistency, drying time, and overall paint behavior. Additionally, paints with higher pigment loads create thicker, more substantial textures that beautifully retain brushstrokes and palette knife marks. By evaluating these compositional factors, you’ll select Blick oil paints that provide both immediate visual results and long-lasting quality in your finished artwork.
Color Range and Selection
The foundation of expressive oil painting rests on having access to a wide-ranging color palette. When selecting Blick oil paints, you’ll want to prioritize a broad/extensive/sizeable selection that includes primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. This diversity enables you to mix and blend virtually any hue you envision.
Beyond basic color categories, you should consider the temperature properties of your choices. Including both warm and cool tones within your palette allows you to achieve greater depth and nuance in your compositions. This balance gives you the flexibility to create atmospheric effects and dimensional contrast.
Additionally, evaluate each pigment’s transparency, opacity, and staining properties. Different pigments behave uniquely, affecting how they interact with mediums and underlying layers. Understanding these qualities helps you select the right colors for your specific techniques and desired effects.
Consistency and Application
Oil paint consistency dramatically affects how you’ll apply it to your canvas and the final results you’ll achieve. Blick oils come in varying viscosities, from buttery to stiff, allowing you to match your preferred technique. If you favor thin glazes and smooth blending, you’ll want lighter-bodied formulas that flow effortlessly. For impasto work or textured applications, stiffer paints hold brushstrokes and palette knife marks beautifully.
Consider your painting style when selecting consistency. Quick-drying mediums work well with thinner paints for detail work, while thicker formulations demand more open drying time. You can always adjust consistency by adding medium or solvent, but starting with the right body saves time and frustration during your creative process.
Permanence and Lightfastness
When you’re investing time and materials into an oil painting, you’ll want it to last. Lightfastness—a pigment’s ability to resist fading under light exposure—directly impacts your artwork’s longevity. You should prioritize permanent pigments, which prove far less susceptible to color shifts and deterioration over time.
Blick oil paints undergo rigorous testing and rating systems to guarantee lightfastness standards. You’ll find these ratings on product labels, helping you make informed choices about which colors maintain their vibrancy for decades or centuries.
Beyond pigment selection, you can extend your paintings’ lifespan through proper storage and framing. You’ll protect against fading by keeping finished works away from direct sunlight and using UV-filtering glass when displaying them. These practices preserve the integrity and brilliance of your artistic vision.
Tube Size and Value
Now that you’ve identified the right pigments for lasting color, you’ll need to ponder how much paint you’re actually buying. Tube size greatly impacts both your budget and painting flexibility.
Larger tubes offer superior value per milliliter, making them ideal if you’re working on substantial projects or frequently use particular colors. They also provide greater mixing flexibility and extended working periods without reordering.
Conversely, smaller tubes suit plein air painters and travelers who prioritize portability. However, you’ll pay a premium per unit of paint.
Consider your project’s scope when deciding. For studio work with consistent color needs, larger tubes maximize cost-effectiveness. For outdoor painting or experimentation, smaller sizes offer convenience without excessive waste. Your painting style and budget ultimately determine the best choice.
Safety and Non-Toxicity
Three critical safety standards—ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3 (CE)—should guide your selection of Blick oil paints, ensuring you’re working with products formulated to protect artist health. You’ll want to verify that your chosen paints don’t contain harmful heavy metals like lead or cadmium, which pose serious risks through ingestion or inhalation.
When you work with Blick oils, prioritize proper ventilation in your studio to minimize fume exposure and create a safer environment. Certified non-toxic paint sets provide you with documented assurance that manufacturers used the most permanent and least toxic pigments available during production.
Drying Time and Workability
Beyond selecting safe, non-toxic formulations, you’ll want to ponder how quickly your Blick oil paints dry, as this factor fundamentally shapes your creative process and technique options. Drying times vary dramatically—anywhere from one to two days up to two weeks—depending on paint consistency and composition. Thicker, impasto applications naturally take longer than fluid paints, giving you extended working windows for blending and palette knife effects. You can manipulate drying speed by incorporating mediums; slow-drying options expand your workability period considerably. Additionally, environmental conditions matter enormously. Temperature and humidity levels directly influence how quickly your paints cure, so adjust your studio climate accordingly. By understanding these variables, you’ll select Blick colors that align perfectly with your preferred working pace and technique.
