Having quality art supplies can make the whole creative process more rewarding. This guide introduces the best materials for all round quality and value, curated to form a set up that you’ll find easy to work with. Even if you are already painting, if you are looking to upgrade any of your equipment, this guide can point you in the right direction.
Good materials tend to last longer and are more enjoyable to use. Quality paints contain more pigment, so a tube goes further, whilst studio equipment is simply more hard-wearing, so you don’t have to worry about things like brushes shedding bristles into your paintings. These materials have been hand selected by professional artists in the process of their work for their superiority, ease of use, and reliability.
This guide focuses on oil painting, so if you are painting in other media, check out our best acrylic, best gouache and best watercolour guides to find the right paints for you, or consider looking at the best sketchbooks if you want to get drawing.
The best art supplies available now
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+ Uses best pigments
+ Lovely constancy
- No student range
Top of the best art supplies, Michael Harding's gorgeous oil paints are available in various sets, or as individual tubes. This comprehensive range has a high pigment content and less filler for vivid colour and great light resistance. Quality comes at a price, but there's little point in saving with cheap paints that yield poor results when dry.
+ Cost effective
+ Great starter kit
- Limited shapes and sizes
There are so many manufacturers, shapes, handles and sizes, it can be hard to choose your first brushes. A pre-selected set from a well-known name can be a good starting point. The Winsor & Newton Foundation has brushes for oils, watercolours and acrylics in very reasonably priced sets.
+ Saves brushes
+ Conditions and reshapes
- Not the nicest smell!
We’ve all been there. You return to your work and find a forgotten paintbrush dried and contorted. Fear not. Although expensive, this miracle saviour soon pays for itself. After cleaning brushes in spirit, use Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver to clear any remaining pigment from the bristles and reshape them into their original form.
+ Cleans very well
+ Allows recycling of clean spirit
- Smaller Size
The beauty of sturdy metal brush washers like this is the perforated insert that lets you clean the bristles without swilling up the bottom, allowing the pigment to sink and keep the spirit cleaner for longer. The clean spirit can be decanted and any sediment dredged from the bottom and disposed of correctly.
+ Sturdy
+ Highly adjustable
- No wheels
There are many types of easels designed for different uses. This is one of the best A-Frame easels. Handcrafted from seasoned beechwood, it has quality steel fittings and is durable and stable (a must). Holding a canvas up to 31in (79cm) high, the frame is adjustable and paints and brushes can sit on the ledge.
+ Oil finished surface
+ Lightweight and comfortable to hold
- May stain over time
It is important to mix on the right surface, as oil paint can damage plastic palettes. This palette by MEEDEN comes oil-finished, so it is ready to use and won’t absorb the oil out of your paints. Its ergonomic and lightweight design makes it comfortable to hold whilst standing and painting.
+ Adds gloss
+ Extends drying time
- Could do with a better spout
When you’ve invested in top-quality paint, you don’t want to spoil it with inferior mediums. Artist-quality mediums can seem expensive but the difference can be vast. Cold-pressed linseed oil is produced specifically for use with oil paints. You can save a lot of money by buying in bulk volume.
+ Retains body and colour of paint
+ Speeds up drying
- Somewhat smelly
Oil paint's slow drying time can be an advantage but there are instances when you want a layer to dry more quickly. Liquin Original speeds up the process without affecting body or colour. It's also available in a thicker Liquin Impasto for impressionistic styles and Liquin Fine Detail for camera-like techniques.
+ Range of shapes
+ Designed to last
- Can scratch glass
Painting with palette knives can create expressive results and they also serve well for mixing. There is a tendency, even with top manufacturers, to weld the blade onto the arm of the knife. This often snaps, so we recommend this superior style where the blade and arm are made from a single piece of metal.
What art supplies do painters need?
The type of art supplies you'll need will largely depend on the medium you're working with. On this list we've mentioned paint, paintbrushes, a brush cleaner and brush pot, as well as a drying medium and an easel. Other supplies we haven't mentioned are more basic supplies like pencils, a sketchbook and tools like the best sharpener and best eraser.
What is the best art supplies brand?
Art supplies span a wide range of products, and this guide has covered the best options for essential supplies required for painting, as no one brand fits all. Winsor and Newton is a reliable brand covering a wide range of paints and accessories.
What is the 70-30 rule in art?
The 70-30 rule is a way of breaking up a composition so 70 per cent of the picture is dedicated to a dominant element in the image, such as a tone or colour and assigning the remaining 30 per cent to a secondary focus. You might also see this as 60-30-10, where the 10 per cent is used for a small accent. It can help us compose our images to add visual variety. You can learn more about composition with these pro composition tips, or if you are new to drawing, get started with the best illustration books.
