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Search for oil painting kits for professionals and you mostly find boxed sets with dozens of tubes, three types of paint, an easel and a stack of canvas panels. They are impressive to unpack, but they are not what most working oil painters use day to day. Professionals tend to build their kits piece by piece: artist-grade tubes in a limited palette, brushes chosen by shape and fiber, a dependable easel and a palette they know well.
That does not make all-in-one kits useless for experienced painters. The better ones come with genuinely useful hardware, such as a beech French easel or an aluminum tripod plus a tabletop easel, which can be worth the price on its own. This guide compares the four oil-inclusive kits from our October 2026 data on that honest basis, then lays out what a true professional oil kit looks like.
Quick answer: No boxed kit replaces a hand-picked artist-grade setup, but if you want a complete studio-plus-outdoor package, the ARTALLY 187-piece kit is the most complete, with an aluminum tripod and a beechwood tabletop easel. For plein air, the DJAR 174-piece kit stands out for its beechwood French easel. Most professionals will then swap the included paints for artist-grade tubes from brands like Rembrandt or Utrecht.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
- ARTALLY 187-Piece Professional Art Painting Kit — Best complete studio and field package
- DJAR 174-Piece Art Painting Set — Best for its beechwood French easel
- Senmink 149-Piece Deluxe Artist Painting Set — Best for two easels at a lower tier
- ESRICH 141-Piece Deluxe Painting Set — Best for a teaching or multi-medium studio
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Key Strength | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARTALLY 187-Piece Kit | Studio plus outdoor painting | Aluminum tripod + beech tabletop easel; 24 oils | Apron and brush basin included | $$$ |
| DJAR 174-Piece Set | Plein air setups | Beech French easel with brass-plated hardware | Portable easel with storage | $$$ |
| Senmink 149-Piece Set | Two-easel setups | Aluminum tripod + wood desk easel | Acrylic, oil and watercolor included | $$$ |
| ESRICH 141-Piece Set | Teaching and mixed studios | Wood table easel + metal easel; 24 oils | Separate oil, acrylic and watercolor brushes | $$$ |
How We Chose
We did not test these kits. Our assessment is based on Amazon listing details and specifications checked in October 2026, on how well each kit’s components serve an experienced oil painter, and on how widely each product is reviewed by Amazon buyers. We also weighed the kits against well-established professional practice, which favors artist-grade paint and durable equipment.
- Oil content: whether oils are included and how many.
- Hardware quality: easel type, material and adjustability.
- Useful extras: brushes by type, canvases, aprons, brush basins.
- Portability: whether the kit supports outdoor painting.
- Upgrade path: how easily the kit absorbs better paints later.
We excluded two face and body paint palettes that appeared in the results; they are makeup products, not oil painting supplies. We also excluded an acrylic-only kit, since it includes no oil paint.
What Professionals Actually Look For in an Oil Kit
Experienced painters judge a kit by its weakest component. A great easel paired with weak paint still produces chalky mixtures; strong paint on a wobbly easel still ruins a plein-air session. The professional priorities are usually:
- Paint quality: high pigment load, single-pigment colors where possible and clear pigment information on the tube.
- A limited palette: often a warm and cool of each primary, an earth or two and a large white, rather than dozens of premixed hues.
- Brushes for oil: hog bristle or stiff synthetic flats and filberts in several sizes, plus a few soft brushes for blending.
- Stable support: a studio easel or a French or pochade box for outdoor work.
- Palette and mediums: a neutral-toned palette, a safe solvent or solvent-free method and a basic medium.
Boxed kits tend to excel at hardware and quantity and fall short on paint quality and focus. Keep that in mind as you read the reviews below.
Best Oil Painting Kits for Professionals Reviewed
1. ARTALLY 187-Piece Professional Art Painting Kit — Best Complete Package
ARTALLY’s largest kit includes two easels, an adjustable-height aluminum tripod for large canvases and outdoor work and a solid beechwood tabletop easel, along with 96 paints: 48 acrylics, 24 watercolors and 24 oils. The listing describes the oils as slow drying for smooth layering and textures, and calls the paints professional-grade with high pigmentation. A stain-resistant artist apron and a brush basin cleaner are included as bonuses.
For an experienced oil painter, the value here is mostly in the two easels and studio accessories. Twenty-four oil colors is a useful starter palette, but a professional will likely replace key colors, especially white, with artist-grade tubes.
Best suited for: painters setting up a new studio who also want a portable tripod for outdoor work.
Key features
- Aluminum tripod easel and beechwood tabletop easel
- 24 oils, 48 acrylics, 24 watercolors
- Apron and brush basin cleaner
- Gift-ready packaging
Pros
- Two easels cover studio and field
- Brush basin is a practical oil-cleanup tool
Cons
- Most paints are not oil
- Pigment details not specified on the listing
- Aluminum tripods can be light in wind
Buying consideration: If you only paint in oils, roughly three quarters of the paint in this kit will go unused or to a student. Factor that into the value.
2. DJAR 174-Piece Art Painting Set — Best for the French Easel
The headline component in DJAR’s kit is a beechwood French easel. The listing describes oiled, stain-resistant beechwood, brass-plated hardware, a fold-up easel rest and a leather carrying handle. French easels combine legs, a canvas holder and a storage drawer in one portable unit and remain a favorite for plein-air oil painting.
The kit also includes 96 paints across oil, watercolor and acrylic, 30 brushes, 12 sketch pencils, 12 colored pencils and canvas panels. As with the other kits, the paint is broad rather than focused.
Best suited for: painters who want a French easel for outdoor oils and are happy to refill it with their own paints.
Key features
- Beechwood French easel, brass-plated hardware, leather handle
- 96 paints (oil, watercolor, acrylic)
- 30 brushes, sketch and colored pencils
- Canvas panels
Pros
- French easel is a genuine pro-style tool
- Storage drawer keeps a field palette organized
Cons
- Oil count not separated on the listing
- Extra drawing materials many pros will not need
Buying consideration: Check French easels carefully after delivery; tighten all wing nuts and test the legs at full extension before taking it into the field.
3. Senmink 149-Piece Deluxe Artist Painting Set — Best Two-Easel Value
Senmink pairs an aluminum tripod easel with a wooden desk easel and three kinds of paint: 48 acrylics, 24 watercolors and oils. The listing positions the kit for beginners, advanced and professional artists and includes a lifetime satisfaction guarantee with returns or replacement.
The two-easel setup is useful for painters who work at a table and on a standing easel. As with the ARTALLY kit, the paints cover several media, so oil painters will want to supplement.
Best suited for: painters who want two easels in one purchase at a slightly lower tier than ARTALLY’s largest kit.
Key features
- Aluminum tripod and wood desk easel
- Acrylic, oil and watercolor paints
- Lifetime satisfaction guarantee
Pros
- Standing and tabletop painting covered
- Generous return policy
Cons
- Oil quantity and pigment details not specified
- Heavy package at a listed 19.05 lb
Buying consideration: The guarantee lowers the risk if components disappoint, but read the full kit list to make sure the easel sizes suit your canvases.
4. ESRICH 141-Piece Deluxe Painting Set — Best for a Teaching Studio
ESRICH’s kit is organized clearly by medium: 36 acrylics, 24 oils and 24 watercolors, with separate brush groups of 12 acrylic, 10 oil and 10 watercolor brushes. It includes a multifunctional wooden table easel with adjustable angle and storage, a foldable metal easel, three A4 paper pads, four 8×10 canvases and two 11×14 stretched canvases. The paints conform to ASTM D-4236.
That clear organization makes it practical for painters who teach or share a studio, since each medium has its own brushes from the start.
Best suited for: instructors, art clubs and painters who regularly switch between media.
Key features
- 24 oils plus acrylic and watercolor sets
- Dedicated oil brushes
- Wood table easel with storage and foldable metal easel
- Canvases and paper pads included
Pros
- Separate brushes per medium
- Table easel with storage
Cons
- Not a true professional oil palette
- Small canvases for serious work
Buying consideration: Keep the oil brushes strictly for oil. Mixing water-media and oil brushes leaves residues that affect both.
How Professionals Build Their Own Oil Kit
If you are an experienced painter, the most efficient approach is often to buy an easel or kit for its hardware and assemble the paint yourself. A typical professional starter palette might include:
- Titanium white in a large tube
- Cadmium yellow light or a hansa yellow, and yellow ochre
- Cadmium red or a pyrrole red, and alizarin crimson or a quinacridone substitute
- Ultramarine blue and a phthalo or cerulean blue
- Burnt umber or burnt sienna
Choosing the brand is where research pays off. Our reviews look closely at well-known artist and studio paints: read our assessment of Rembrandt oil paint for a widely used artist-grade option, and our look at whether Utrecht oil paint is good for a value-focused professional line. If you like working with oil sticks or pastels for underdrawing and accents, see our review of Sennelier oil pastels.
Studio Kit Versus Plein Air Kit: Two Checklists
Professionals often keep two kits because the demands of the studio and the field are different. Use these lists to see which parts a boxed kit covers and which you still need.
Studio oil kit
- A heavy, stable easel that holds your largest canvas size without wobble
- A large palette, ideally glass with a neutral gray backing for judging color
- Artist-grade paints in a limited palette, with white in a large tube
- Stiff bristle flats and filberts in several sizes, plus a few soft blenders and a rigger
- Two or three palette knives for mixing and texture
- A sealed brush washer with odorless solvent, or a solvent-free cleaning setup
- A basic medium, such as linseed oil or an alkyd medium
- A fireproof container for oily rags
- Consistent lighting, ideally daylight-balanced
Plein air oil kit
- A French easel, pochade box or light tripod with a palette shelf
- A reduced palette of five to seven colors
- Small panels that fit a wet-panel carrier
- Fewer brushes, chosen for speed: a couple of flats, a filbert and a small round
- A small, leakproof solvent container or solvent-free cleanup
- Paper towels and a trash bag
- An umbrella or hat to keep direct sun off the canvas and palette
Looking at these lists, the boxed kits above mainly supply the easels, canvases and some brushes. The paint, medium, solvent handling and lighting are usually up to you.
Buying Guide: How to Choose Oil Painting Kits for Professionals
Judge the easel first
In all-in-one kits, the easel is often the most durable and valuable component. Beech wood French easels and sturdy tripods are worth having; flimsy tabletop stands are not.
Count the oils, not the total pieces
A “187-piece” kit may include only two dozen oil tubes. Look for the oil count specifically and ignore pencils, paper pads and other media if you only paint in oils.
Look for pigment information
Professional paints list pigment codes and lightfastness ratings. If a kit’s listing does not, assume the paints are student or studio grade and plan to upgrade key colors.
Brush suitability
Oil painting needs stiffer brushes than watercolor. Kits that separate oil brushes from others, like ESRICH, are more useful for oil painters.
Storage and organization
Kits that include fitted cases or drawers keep tubes and brushes organized between sessions. Loose components quickly scatter around a studio, so a kit with a good box can be worth more than its piece count suggests.
Portability
For plein air, weigh the easel, its stability on uneven ground and how quickly it sets up. French easels and tripods each have trade-offs: French easels store supplies but are heavier; tripods are light but need a separate palette.
Canvas and panel sizes
Kits usually include small canvases and panels, often 8×10 and 11×14. They are fine for studies and color notes. If your professional work is larger, check that the included easels can hold your usual sizes and budget for proper stretched canvas or panels.
Value after upgrades
Estimate the cost of replacing the paints you will not use. If the hardware alone justifies the price, the kit is a good buy.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Trusting the “professional” label alone. Look for pigment details and lightfastness ratings.
- Buying a mixed-media kit to paint only in oil. Much of it will go unused.
- Skipping a large white. White runs out first in any oil palette.
- Using soft watercolor brushes for thick oil. Add stiff bristle brushes.
- Taking a new easel into the field untested. Assemble and adjust it at home first.
- Ignoring solvent safety. Kits rarely include proper solvent containers; buy a sealed brush washer.
FAQs
Do professional artists use oil painting kits?
Most build their own kits from artist-grade paints and chosen brushes. Some buy easels or easel kits for the hardware and replace the paints.
What is the best oil painting kit with an easel?
The ARTALLY 187-piece kit includes both an aluminum tripod and a beechwood tabletop easel. The DJAR 174-piece kit includes a beechwood French easel suited to plein air.
Are all-in-one painting kits artist grade?
The listings in our research describe pigmented or professional-grade paints but do not provide pigment codes. Treat them as starter paints and upgrade key colors for professional work.
What oil colors should a professional kit include?
A limited palette is common: a large titanium white, warm and cool versions of yellow, red and blue, plus one or two earth colors such as burnt umber or yellow ochre.
Is a French easel good for oil painting?
Yes. French easels combine legs, a canvas holder and storage in one portable unit, which makes them popular for outdoor oil painting.
Which oil paint brands do professionals use?
Painters use many brands. Rembrandt and Utrecht are among the widely used options we have reviewed in detail.
Final Recommendation
If you are an experienced painter looking for a full package, choose based on the easel. The ARTALLY 187-piece kit gives you both a tripod and a tabletop easel for studio and field work. The DJAR 174-piece set earns its place with a beechwood French easel. The Senmink 149-piece and ESRICH 141-piece kits suit two-easel setups and teaching studios. Whichever you pick, treat the included oils as a starting point and invest in artist-grade tubes for the colors you use most.
