# Oil paint starter set? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 13, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800 "2008-08-13T01:37:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/1 "2008-08-13T01:37:01Z")
No, I’m not thinking about getting into oils – but I’d like a little working knowledge of it. What would I need to just fart around with it for a while? I don’t want to mess around with turpentine and linseed oil more than I have to, and I noticed that W&N has water-soluble paints, so maybe I can try those. From what little I understand, besides an easel (which I have), I’ll need paints, brushes, a pallette, knives, and canvases. I saw one store had cheap canvases mounted on boards for a couple of bucks each. That’s probably better than canvas on frames, I’m guessing. I can get a pallette with paper sheet, which wil save me some cleanup. If I were to only get two brushes, which ones should I get? What color paints should I get? Titanium white is a given, but what else? Winsor red, Winsor yellow, and Ultramarine? ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/2 "2008-08-13T03:46:13Z")
Pick up a set of paints: [http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp\_view\_product.cfm?classId=1010&subclassID=101015&brandname=&item=29994](http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?classId=1010&subclassID=101015&brandname=&item=29994) You will never mix a clean purple or green from mixing primary paint colors, so don’t try to do the “I’ll mix to get all the colors I need” thing. For brushes, uh, if you only want two I’d go for with a small round and a bigger flat one. ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/3 "2008-08-13T13:16:41Z")
One thing I loved when I taught oil painting at summer camp (it was a fine art program) was canvas paper. It’s a thick paper with the texture of canvas that I gave to girls to practice with. It was great because I don’t think that any of the campers had used oil paints before and it was a cheap way for them to get a feel for how the paint worked. Another cheap short cut is wax paper. We always mixed the paints on it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/4 "2008-08-13T13:22:11Z")
Good stuff. I like the looks of that starter set. Will I also need to buy chemicals of any kind? ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/5 "2008-08-13T13:27:30Z")
[Eco-House](http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/eco-house_for_a.php) makes a really good turpentine substitute. Turpentine is nasty stuff; some places won’t let it in the building anymore. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/6 "2008-08-13T13:34:18Z")
You know what, personally I’d skip W&N’s “Winton” series - the cadmiums are dull. Their “Artists” series [is only another $15.](http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product.cfm?classId=1010&subclassID=101015&brandname=Winsor%20&%20Newton&item=27302) ---
**Author:** ![powerjacob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@powerjacob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/powerjacob)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-paint-starter-set/459800/7 "2008-08-13T14:12:04Z")
If you are wanting [Happy Trees](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000IK0EIA/sr=8-5/qid=1218636442/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=165793011&s=toys-and-games&qid=1218636442&sr=8-5) … Go with the main man Bob