Choosing a Beginner’s Set of Oil Paints
- cheshireartclasses
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 5
We’re often asked where to purchase a good beginner’s set of oil paints — whether it’s for continuing your painting at home or starting fresh once you’ve gained confidence from our classes.
Our top recommendation is Jackson’s Artist Oil Paints. They come in 60ml tubes, which is perfect for beginners — big enough to last, but not so big that you’re making a huge investment before you’re sure which colours you love.
Many cheaper brands, such as Daler Rowney and Winsor & Newton, have moved away from smaller tubes and now mainly sell 200ml or 225ml sizes. These tend to be too large and too expensive for someone just starting out.
Another thing to watch out for is the colour selection in pre-packaged sets. Some don’t include the correct primary colours you’ll need, and many use “hues” (imitations) instead of genuine single-pigment colours. For a limited palette, genuine pigments are far better — they sit in a very specific place on the colour wheel, which makes mixing predictable and educational.
For example, Cadmium Yellow Genuine is neither particularly warm (close to red) nor cool (close to green). When you pair it with French Ultramarine, you can achieve an incredible range of greens. Yes, genuine pigments can cost more, but they’ll teach you more about true colour mixing than any cheaper set ever could.
Checking pigment codes – the code on the tube (e.g., PY35 for Cadmium Yellow, PB29 for Ultramarine) tells you if the colour is single-pigment or a mix (multiple codes). This helps artists choose paints that will mix more cleanly.
Understanding Colour Bias
When I teach colour mixing, I often talk about colour bias. For instance:
Scarlet leans closer to orange and yellow.
Alizarin Crimson leans closer to violet.
Both are reds, but their bias changes how they mix.
They also differ in tonal value:
Alizarin Crimson is darker in value, making it great for shadows and deeper tones.
Scarlet is more of a mid-tone, perfect for areas catching the light.
Scarlet (Left) | Alizarin Crimson (Right)
Knowing a pigment’s bias and value helps you choose the right colour for the job, whether you’re chasing a bright highlight or a deep, rich shadow.
Below we have our colour chart which we have used a 'X' for which colours i would recommend as an introduction set. The 'O' is optional colours which are useful for muting and creating highly saturated glazes.
🎨 Essential Colours – Limited Palette (Single Pigments Only)
Yellows
Cadmium Yellow Genuine – strong, opaque, slightly warm yellow; excellent for high-chroma mixes.
Yellow Ochre – earthy, muted yellow for skin tones, landscapes, and natural light effects.
Reds
Cadmium Red Genuine – warm, opaque red leaning toward orange; makes brilliant oranges.
Alizarin Crimson – cool red with a violet bias; deep and transparent, ideal for shadows.
Blues
French Ultramarine – warm blue (leans violet); great for purples and atmospheric perspective.
Prussian Blue – deep, cool blue (green bias); makes intense greens, muted purples, and rich darks.
Neutrals & Darks
Raw Umber – cool, dark brown; perfect for underpainting, toning down mixes, and fast-drying shadows.
Burnt Sienna – warm, reddish-brown; ideal for skin tones, landscapes, and mixing with blues for neutrals.
Payne’s Grey – blue-black; a softer alternative to black, good for night skies, shadows, or cooling down mixes.
Titanium White – opaque, essential for lightening and mixing tints.
Additional Extras
Rose Madder Quinacridone – transparent, cool, pinkish-red; excellent for florals, glazing, and clean purples.
Violet (Dioxazine Violet) – deep, strong purple for rich shadows or mixing bright violets with warm reds.
Viridian Green – cool, transparent green; balances reds and creates subtle natural greens.
Lemon Yellow – cool, high-chroma yellow; mixes bright greens and fresh, zesty tints.
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