Tools & Materials

Going to the art supply store can be both exciting and a little overwhelming because there are so many supplies to choose from—at such a wide range of prices! It is important to buy the best quality you can afford. Higher-quality products last longer and produce better results than “budget brands.” The next few pages cover the basics, but for more information, refer to Oil Painting Materials by William F. Powell in Walter Foster’s Artist’s Library series.

Oil Paints

Oil paints are available in two distinctive qualities: artists’ grade and students’ grade. Stick with artists’ grade; they contain better-quality pigments and fewer additives. It’s worth the extra money to obtain the more intense, longer-lasting colors of artists’ ...

Get Oil Painting Step by Step now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.