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The best oil painting set for a student is the one that gets a first canvas finished without a second shopping trip. That means paint with enough pigment to cover, a handful of stiff bristle brushes, a palette, something to paint on and, ideally, a place to put it all. Where sets differ is in how they spend the budget: some pour it into a wooden easel box, others into tube count, and a few skip the extras entirely and give you better paint.
This guide looks at six oil painting sets available on Amazon, from a 24-tube paint-only box to a full French easel kit, using the specifications on each listing as checked in October 2026. The ranking is by how well each set serves a beginner or student, not by piece count.
Quick answer: The MEEDEN Oil Painting Set with French Easel is the strongest complete kit for a serious student because it spends on seven 100 ml tubes of artist-grade paint and a beechwood easel rather than on dozens of tiny tubes. If you already own an easel, the Castle Art Supplies 24 x 12 ml set is the best paint-only buy. For a boxed starter kit with brushes, knives and canvases included, the ARTALLY 82-piece set with its beechwood sketch box is the one to compare.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
- MEEDEN Oil Painting Set with French Easel — Best complete kit for serious students
- Castle Art Supplies 24 x 12 ml Oil Paint Set — Best paint-only set for beginners
- ARTALLY 82-Piece Oil Painting Set with Easel Box — Best boxed starter kit with surfaces included
- Norberg & Linden XXL Oil Paint Set — Best brush-heavy set for experimenting
- ESRICH 141-Piece Deluxe Painting Set — Best for students trying oil, acrylic and watercolor
- Senmink 149-Piece Deluxe Artist Painting Set — Best multi-medium kit with two easels
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Key Strength | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEEDEN French Easel Set | Committed students | 7 x 100 ml artist-grade oils, beechwood French easel, 10 brushes | Most paint per color | $$$ |
| Castle Art Supplies 24 x 12 ml | Paint-only buyers | 24 colors, 12 ml tubes, lightfast pigments | Low cost, named lightfast rating | $$ |
| ARTALLY 82 Pcs | Boxed starter | 24 oils, 10 hog brushes, 5 knives, 9 canvases, beech sketch box | Everything in one box | $$$ |
| Norberg & Linden XXL | Brush variety | 24 x 12 ml oils, 25 brushes, metal palette, 8×10 canvas | Bristle, nylon and foam brushes | $$ |
| ESRICH 141 Pcs | Three mediums | 24 oils + 36 acrylics + 24 watercolors, 2 easels, 32 brushes | Try every medium | $$$ |
| Senmink 149 Pcs | Multi-medium, two easels | 24 oils + 48 acrylics + 24 watercolors, tripod and table easel | Tripod easel included | $$$ |
How We Chose
We have not painted with these kits for this article. Picks are based on the Amazon listing details and specifications checked in October 2026, on how each set’s paint volume, brush type and surfaces match what a student actually needs for oil painting, and on how widely each product is reviewed by Amazon buyers. Claims such as “artist grade” or “lightfast” are reported as the listing states them.
What counted:
- Paint volume and pigment claims: 12 ml tubes run out fast; 100 ml tubes do not.
- Brush type: oil wants stiff hog or bristle brushes; soft nylon is a secondary tool.
- Surfaces and tools: canvases, palette, knives and a medium cup save separate purchases.
- Easel usefulness: a real easel is worth more than a decorative one.
- Focus: a dedicated oil set usually beats a three-medium set for someone who wants to learn oil.
Best Oil Painting Sets Reviewed
1. MEEDEN Oil Painting Set with French Easel — Best Complete Kit for Serious Students
MEEDEN’s kit makes the choice most other bundles avoid: fewer colors, far more paint. The set includes seven 100 ml (3.38 oz) tubes that the listing describes as artist-grade, produced from pigment and medium only. Seven colors is a limited palette, which is exactly how many painting teachers start students, and 100 ml per tube is roughly eight times the volume of a standard 12 ml starter tube.
The easel is a classic French box easel in solid German beechwood with galvanized hardware, a storage drawer, a leather carry handle and a canvas angle adjustable from 0° to 90°. Ten bristle brushes with rosewood handles, a stainless brush wash cup set and canvas round out the box, and it ships in gift packaging with foam protection. Product dimensions are listed at 9.26 x 18.7 x 26.2 inches, so this is a piece of furniture, not a shelf item.
Best suited for: adult beginners and students who know they want to keep painting in oil and would rather own one proper easel than a pile of accessories.
Key features:
- 7 x 100 ml artist-grade oil paints
- Beechwood French easel, 0° to 90° angle, storage drawer
- 10 bristle brushes with rosewood handles
- Stainless steel brush wash cup set and canvas included
Pros:
- Enough paint to work through many canvases
- Limited palette teaches mixing
- Easel works indoors and for plein air
Cons/limitations:
- Only seven colors; no earth-tone variety out of the box
- Large and heavy to store
- Listing does not name the seven colors
Buying consideration: budget for a bottle of odorless solvent and a medium, which are not listed in the kit.
2. Castle Art Supplies 24 x 12 ml Oil Paint Set — Best Paint-Only Set for Beginners
If you already have brushes and a surface, buying paint alone is the smart move, and Castle Art’s 24-tube set is the most affordable dedicated oil paint here. The listing describes a reformulated paint with richer pigment, a velvety texture and vegan-friendly ingredients, and it specifically claims lightfast-rated, fade-resistant pigments and a high pigment load. Tubes are 12 ml with screw caps that the brand says prevent leaks.
Two listing points matter to beginners. The paint is described as fat-over-lean compatible for stable layering, and the set comes with tips and tutorials. Twelve milliliters is small, so expect to run out of white quickly; most students buy a larger tube of titanium white alongside any 12 ml set.
Best suited for: students who own brushes and canvas, or anyone adding a wide color range to a limited-palette kit like the MEEDEN.
Key features:
- 24 colors in 12 ml tubes
- Lightfast-rated pigments per listing
- Screw caps; described as high pigment load
- Tutorials included
Pros:
- Lowest cost entry to real oil paint
- Wide color variety for learning mixing
- Compact to store
Cons/limitations:
- 12 ml tubes empty fast, especially white
- No brushes, palette or canvas
Buying consideration: pair it with a separate large tube of titanium white and a few hog bristle brushes.
3. ARTALLY 82-Piece Oil Painting Set with Easel Box — Best Boxed Starter Kit With Surfaces Included
ARTALLY’s set is built around a German beech sketch box that converts to a tabletop easel and holds canvases up to 21 inches at any angle. Folded, it measures 10.6 x 14.2 x 3.75 inches. Inside are 24 oil colors the listing describes as milled with linseed oil, lightfast and intensely pigmented, ten hog hair brushes, five wooden-handled palette knives and a stainless steel double dipper for medium.
The surface count is what sets it apart from the paint-and-brush bundles: eight canvas boards, one large stretched canvas and a 10-sheet canvas paper pad. That is enough material for a semester of studies without buying a thing. The listing backs the kit with a one-year warranty. Tube size is not stated, which is the main gap in an otherwise detailed listing.
Best suited for: beginners who want to open one box and paint immediately, and gift buyers who do not want to guess at accessories.
Key features:
- Beechwood sketch box easel, holds canvases to 21 inches
- 24 oil colors milled with linseed oil
- 10 hog hair brushes and 5 palette knives
- 8 canvas boards, 1 stretched canvas, canvas pad, double dipper
Pros:
- Hog brushes are the right type for oil
- Many surfaces included
- Box stores everything
Cons/limitations:
- Tube volume not listed
- Tabletop easel only; not a standing easel
Buying consideration: compare against the MEEDEN if you want a floor-standing easel; choose ARTALLY if you work at a table.
4. Norberg & Linden XXL Oil Paint Set — Best Brush-Heavy Set for Experimenting
Norberg & Linden’s set is 24 oil tubes of 12 ml each in primaries, earth tones, blues, greens and skin tones, plus 25 brushes, a metal palette and an 8 x 10-inch stretched canvas. The brush assortment mixes bristle, nylon and foam, which the listing positions for broad coverage, blending and detail. It all packs into a box measuring 10.5 x 8.5 x 2.5 inches.
Twenty-five brushes is more than a beginner needs, and foam brushes are an odd inclusion for oil, but the variety does let a student discover which shapes suit them before investing in better brushes. The paint listing is plain and makes no pigment or lightfastness claims, so treat it as student-grade. The batch data shows two very different prices for this ASIN, which suggests the price moves; check it on the day.
Best suited for: absolute beginners who want to try many brush shapes and need a palette and canvas without a wooden box.
Key features:
- 24 x 12 ml oil tubes including skin tones and earths
- 25 brushes in bristle, nylon and foam
- Metal palette and 8 x 10-inch stretched canvas
- Compact 10.5 x 8.5 x 2.5-inch box
Pros:
- Most brushes of any set here
- Includes a palette and canvas
- Easy to store
Cons/limitations:
- No lightfastness or pigment information on the listing
- Only one canvas
Buying consideration: good as a first taste of oil; plan to upgrade paint and brushes if you continue.
5. ESRICH 141-Piece Deluxe Painting Set — Best for Students Trying Oil, Acrylic and Watercolor
ESRICH’s kit is for the student who has not yet chosen a medium. It includes 24 oil colors, 36 acrylics and 24 watercolors, all conforming to ASTM D-4236 according to the listing, plus ten oil brushes, twelve acrylic brushes and ten watercolor brushes with nickel ferrules and wooden handles. Surfaces include four 8 x 10, two 11 x 14 and two 9 x 12 stretched canvases plus three A4 paper pads.
There are two easels, a wooden tabletop easel with storage and a folding metal field easel, along with five painting knives and both wooden and plastic palettes. At 14.81 lb it is a substantial box. The oil component is one third of the whole, so the oils here are a sampler rather than a deep supply; the value is in getting to try everything.
Best suited for: high school and college students in a general painting course who need oil, acrylic and watercolor supplies at once.
Key features:
- 24 oil, 36 acrylic and 24 watercolor paints, ASTM D-4236
- 32 brushes across three sets
- 8 stretched canvases and 3 A4 pads
- Wooden table easel and folding metal easel
Pros:
- Covers three mediums in one purchase
- Many canvases of useful sizes
- Two easels, one for the field
Cons/limitations:
- Oil tube size not stated; likely small
- Heavy and bulky
Buying consideration: if you only want oil, the ARTALLY or MEEDEN sets give you more oil-specific value for similar money.
6. Senmink 149-Piece Deluxe Artist Painting Set — Best Multi-Medium Kit With Two Easels
Senmink’s 149-piece bundle is the other three-medium option, and it leans further toward acrylic: 48 acrylics, 24 watercolors and 24 oils, with three basic brush sets, three drawing pads and two stretched canvases. The two easels are an aluminum tripod and a beech wood table easel, and the listing weight is 19.05 lb. A lifetime satisfaction guarantee is stated on the listing.
For oil painters the aluminum tripod is the appealing part, since it stands at full height and folds for travel. The oil paints themselves are described only in general terms, with no pigment, volume or lightfastness details, so they should be considered a starter sampler. As with ESRICH, this is the right buy when the medium is still undecided.
Best suited for: gift buyers and new painters who want a floor-standing tripod easel plus every medium to experiment with.
Key features:
- 24 oils, 48 acrylics, 24 watercolors
- Aluminum tripod easel and beech table easel
- Three brush sets, three pads, two canvases
- Lifetime satisfaction guarantee per listing
Pros:
- Standing tripod easel included
- Broadest color count of any set here
- Guarantee stated
Cons/limitations:
- Oil paint details are thin on the listing
- Only two canvases for 96 paints
Buying consideration: expect to buy more canvases quickly; the paint-to-surface ratio is lopsided.
Buying Guide: How to Choose an Oil Painting Set
Count milliliters, not tubes
A 24-tube set at 12 ml each holds 288 ml of paint. MEEDEN’s seven 100 ml tubes hold 700 ml. For a student working through canvases, volume matters more than variety, and white runs out first in every set. If you buy a 12 ml set, add a large titanium white.
Look for the right brushes
Oil paint is thick and needs stiff brushes. Listings that specify hog or bristle (ARTALLY, MEEDEN, Norberg & Linden in part) are giving you the correct tool. Soft nylon and foam are fine for glazing and backgrounds but should not be the whole kit.
Decide what kind of easel you need
A French easel (MEEDEN) stands on the floor and folds into a carrying box. A sketch box (ARTALLY) and table easels (ESRICH, Senmink) sit on a desk. A tripod (Senmink) stands but holds nothing. If you already have a wall or a table setup, skip the easel and buy paint.
Check what you can paint on
Sets vary from a single 8 x 10 canvas to ARTALLY’s nine surfaces plus a pad. Canvas boards and canvas paper are ideal for studies; stretched canvas is for finished work. Oil also needs a primed surface, so make sure any canvas is listed as primed or gessoed.
Read the pigment language
Listings that mention lightfastness ratings, pigment load or “pigment and medium only” (Castle Art, ARTALLY, MEEDEN) are telling you something about quality. Listings that say nothing about pigment are usually student grade with fillers, which is fine to learn on but will not match a serious tube later.
Factor in the consumables no set includes
None of these listings mentions solvent, and only ARTALLY and MEEDEN include a cup for medium. You will need odorless mineral spirits or a solvent-free medium, brush soap and rags. Our guide on how to use oil paints walks through the full first-session shopping list.
Match the set to your space
Oil paint takes days to dry and solvents need ventilation. If you are working in an apartment, read whether you can oil paint at home before buying a large kit, and consider a compact set with a solvent-free medium.
Go Deeper Before You Buy
Students comparing starter paint against a step-up brand often ask about Utrecht; our review of whether Utrecht oil paints are good sets a useful benchmark for what a mid-range tube delivers. Once the kit arrives, the fog painting guide is a forgiving first subject for a limited palette.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Judging a set by piece count: 149 pieces often means 96 small tubes and two canvases.
- Buying a three-medium kit to learn oil: you pay for acrylic and watercolor you may never open.
- Ignoring brush fiber: soft synthetics struggle with thick oil paint.
- Forgetting solvent and medium: no set here includes them.
- Running out of white: buy a big tube with any 12 ml set.
- Painting on unprimed surfaces: oil needs gesso or a primed canvas.
FAQs
What should a beginner oil painting set include?
At minimum: a white and six to twelve colors, three to five stiff bristle brushes, a palette, a palette knife, a primed surface and a cup for medium. Solvent or a solvent-free medium is bought separately with every set here.
Is a French easel worth it for a student?
If you plan to paint standing or outdoors, yes; the MEEDEN set’s beechwood French easel stores paint in its drawer and sets up anywhere. If you paint at a table, a sketch box like ARTALLY’s is lighter and cheaper.
How many colors do I actually need?
Seven is enough. A white, two yellows, two reds, two blues and an earth tone mix almost anything, which is why MEEDEN’s seven-tube approach works. Bigger sets are convenient, not necessary.
Are 12 ml tubes too small?
For colors, no; for white, yes. A 12 ml tube of white can disappear in two paintings. Plan to buy a large white tube with the Castle Art or Norberg & Linden sets.
Can I use the oil paints from a multi-medium kit seriously?
You can learn with them. The ESRICH and Senmink listings give no pigment or lightfastness details for their oils, so treat them as practice paint and upgrade once you know you enjoy the medium.
Do these sets include solvent?
No. None of the six listings mentions solvent. ARTALLY and MEEDEN include a cup for medium, and ARTALLY describes its paint as milled with linseed oil, but you still need to buy odorless mineral spirits or a solvent-free medium.
Final Recommendation
For a student who has decided on oil, the MEEDEN French easel set is the most sensible purchase: real paint volume, bristle brushes and an easel that will outlast the paint. Painters who already own an easel should buy the Castle Art 24 x 12 ml set plus a large white. Tabletop workers and gift buyers who want everything boxed should pick the ARTALLY 82-piece set with its canvases and hog brushes. The ESRICH and Senmink multi-medium kits are the right call only when the medium is still an open question.
