My Complete Oil Painting Supplies List
An artist is always more than his or her tools...but the tools sure get the job done, don’t they? Below you are going to find a thorough supplies list for the oil painter.
Let me start out by saying I’m not an art professor, I’m not a chemist, I’m not an archivist, I’m not a salesperson. I am a full-time oil painter, and have been for the past 12 years.
What I’m showing you today is not the one right way. It’s my way. These supplies work for me - the tools of my career. Maybe your instructor or your favorite artist use something different. That’s normal and perfectly fine. There are countless options out there when it comes to art supplies. Most of them can even be the right choice depending upon the results you want.
What this list is for is to give the beginner a good idea about what oil painting materials are important and to give a more advanced artist perhaps some inspiration to try something new.
No matter where you are on your art journey, remember oil painting supplies are just your tools. Buying the best brush in the world isn’t going to make you the best painter in the world. You will also need to do things like:
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Private instruction
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Study the masters
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And practice, practice, practice
But since every artisan still needs those good tools, let’s dive into the oil painting supplies I use every single day. Essentially anything I use to create my paintings will be found on this list.
**I HAVE LINKED ALMOST EVERY SINGLE SUPPLY TO THE PLACE YOU CAN BUY IT FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.**
Table of Contents
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Oil paints
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Mediums
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Brushes
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Palette knives and other tools
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Canvas and gesso boards
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Palette and easel: in studio
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In studio items
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Palette and easel: plein air/workshops
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Travel set up
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Saving money on oil painting supplies
oil paints
From right to left on my palette:
KEY (W,N = Winsor & Newton, R = Rembrandt)
mediums
brushes
Though I have used a wide variety of brands over the years, I pretty much stick with Rosemary Brushes now.
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Ivory Long Flat: 2, 4, 6, 8
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Ivory Long Filbert: 0, 1, 2
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Eclipse X Long Comber: ⅛”, ¼”, ⅜”
palette knives & other tools
Brushes aren’t the only tools I work with on the canvas. Here are other handy objects to have around for various techniques:
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Palette knives (various sizes)
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Old credit card/room key/gift card
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Fingers (free!)
canvas and gesso boards
I paint on both canvas and boards I gesso myself.
Canvas options:
Gesso Boards
palette & easel: in studio
When I am working in my studio, I have the set up you can see below. I engineered the palette unit by purchasing a small kitchen island piece, painting the back of a piece of glass and setting it up on top. It is a great height for standing, and it has convenient storage.
in studio items
There are lots of other items I need to make my studio work.
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Skull (helpful for anatomy)
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Sheets/blankets/scarves
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Still life items
palette & easel: plein air/workshops
When you are painting out of your studio or attending a workshop, it is important to have a space-consious, yet efficient set-up. Here are three options I recommend:
Option #1: My set-up
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I use the EASy-L Pro easel for plein air artists. It comes with the easel/palette box as well as a great tripod, a brush holder, hooks, and a shoulder strap. It has a built-in wet panel carrier for 8x10 to 11x14 panels.
Option #2: Inexpensive, entry-level easel with palette
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U.S. Art Supply Coronado French Style Easel & Sketchbox with 12" Drawer, Wooden Palette & Shoulder Strap: This is not the top-of-the-line option, but it will get the job done.
Option #3: You have your own easel that you like, but you need a palette
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Masterson Artist Palette Seal: This is a great product to put over your own glass palette to make it easier for traveling and to keep paint from drying out or getting all over everything. Remember this does not include the actual palette; it’s simply a seal.
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New Wave POSH Glass Artist Palette 12"x16": This is the palette that fits inside the seal. You can either purchase it for convenience or you can honestly make yourself to save money. It’s up to you. I recommend the white.
travel set up
Since I frequently travel, I like to have a very small, portable option to bring with me in my suitcase. This particular set-up has mixed reviews on Amazon, but has worked really well for me.
If I see a scene I really love, I may take a photo of it to do a larger scene in the studio after I’ve worked on my little plein air color study. This camera is perfect for that. Great photo quality, yet small enough for easy transport.
Saving Money
Art supplies aren’t cheap...and most artists aren't rich. Here are some of the best ways I save money on these oil painting materials:
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Keep an eye on sales through companies like Blick by signing up for their newsletters
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See if your local art supply store has any sort of discount programs. Mine gives you 10% if you are a member of the local artist’s guild
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But probably the #1 way to save some money is to buy your supplies through Amazon Prime. Free and fast shipping, great prices. (Most of the links throughout this article will take you straight to Amazon.)
If you haven’t tried Amazon Prime, they do offer a 30-day trial before you have to pay anything (which is perfect for a big stock up order!).
Creating Your Ultimate Oil Painting Supply List
Hopefully this list is helpful to you throughout your journey as an oil painter. At the end of the of the day, your ultimate list of oil painting supplies will be just that... yours. Try new things. See what works and what doesn’t.
Figuring out the art supplies you like is almost an art in and of itself. So have fun and always feel free to ask me any questions through my website’s contact page or Instagram!
Affiliate Disclaimer: I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this list. Your purchase, at no extra cost to you, helps support my work. As always, I only ever recommend products I truly believe in.
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