I have seen a lot of beginners struggling with what they need to purchase and how much does it cost to start oil painting? because the oil painting is one of the most confusing media as it contains a large variety of techniques and each technique required specific items which have so many substitutes available in the market. Due to the lack of knowledge and budget, most beginners skip oil painting without creating a single art.
Table of Contents
- Starter cost estimation table
- How much does it cost to get into oil painting?
- Cost estimation of oil painting supplies
- 3. Cost of the palette
- 4. Surface
- 5. Cost of linseed oil
- 6. Cost to buy an easel stand
Before estimation, we have to clearly understand which basic things you need to start oil painting.
- Oil paints
- Brushes
- Palette
- Surface
- Linseed oil to thin oil paints
- Basic easel stand
These 7 things are essential to get into oil painting. Now let’s talk about a rough cost estimation
Starter cost estimation table
| Name | Average Price |
| Oil Paints (Pack of 12) | 10$-40$ |
| Brush set | 12$-20$ |
| Palette | 12$-20$ |
| Surface (Canvas) | 15$-20$ |
| Linseed oil | 8.49$ per 75ml |
| Easel stand | 20$-40$ |
| Others (palette knife and others) | 30$-50$ |
| Total | 107.49$-198.49$ |
How much does it cost to get into oil painting?
“You must have at least 110$ budget to start with oil painting. This cost can vary at different places but it cannot be more than 200$ in total. Please note that this estimation is only for beginners. At a professional stage, there is a need for a lot of expensive things”
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Cost estimation of oil painting supplies
This estimation has been made by the updated market price of 2023
1. Cost to buy an oil paint set
Oil paints are available in a wide range of varieties which can range from 1$ per tube to 150$ per tube. Usually, cheaper oil paints are low in quality and work performance but they are still worthful for beginners. Here are some of the medium-price range oil paint colors which you can buy to get good results. Moreover, you don’t have to need a large number of different oil paints because you can start with some basic paints such as Red, Greed, Blue, White, and Black and mix them to create new ones.
Castle art supplies 24 x 12ml oil paint set
U.S. Art Supply 12 Oil Paint set
Art Accelerators 32-color painting set
2. Cost of brush set
To practice good oil painting skills, you must have a basic brush set that can help you to draw layers of any thickness. Usually, brushes are cheaper as compared to oil paints because they are made with simply a wooden stick with a synthetic brush attached to it. A beginner brush set can cost you between 10$ to 30$.
For oil painting, you must have at least a set of brushes because dried oil paint is very hard to remove from bristles. So. it is good to have a second brush ready to do the job. Here are some of the unique but effective brush sets which you can consider for oil painting.
Kevin and Sasa brush set of 24 pieces
Transon Artist Paint Brush Set
ARTIFY 10 Pieces Paint Brush Set
3. Cost of the palette
Oil paints are sticky and they affect every surface when they dry once. You must not want to put them on any of your tables or wooden piece. There you need a suitable surface on which you place your oil paints every time. A palette is a wooden or glass plate that is specially made for the artists to put their paints.
A palette is necessary because there is always a need to organize your oil paints if you have some basic colors, you must have to make other colors also by mixing them with each other. There you need a palette, I have also seen some homemade palettes that artists made by removing glass from a frame or by taking an old wooden piece. You can also purchase a suitable palette from Amazon and other marketplaces. To give a rough price estimation, I have chosen some palettes which you can also purchase from the given link.
2 Pcs glass paint palette
2 Pcs wooden palette
Square-shaped wooden palette
4. Surface
There are different types of surfaces in the market such as wooden boards, thick papers, cotton and linen canvas, etc. Canvas is the most suitable and popular type of surface for oil painting and most artists prefer it the most due to its easy availability.
There are many variations such as a primed canvas, and double primed. To do oil painting as a beginner, cotton canvas is suitable because it is cheaper compared to others. Their price can range from 5$ to 150$ but variation in length can create ups and downs in the price.
Below are some of the cotton canvases of different brands. You can choose a suitable one and can purchase it directly on Amazon.
Esrich mini stretched canvas 12 pack
Fixsmith stretched white blank canvas
Fixsmith painting canvas 24 pack
5. Cost of linseed oil
Linseed oil is the most basic and popular medium to use for thinning down oil paints and adjusting flow. It acts as an essential element for oil painting. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, you need linseed oil at every stage.
There are many brands offering linseed oil and the most popular brand is Winsor & Newton which is available at the price of 8.49$ per 75ml.
6. Cost to buy an easel stand
An easel stand provides a grip for your hands over your work. They also provide comfort due to good adjustment which improves preciseness in the artwork. An easel stand could be wooden, plastic, iron, or steel. You can prefer any of the materials.
The average cost of an easel stand is between 30$ to 40$. Start with the basic one then you can upgrade according to your progress. I prefer you to buy lightweight aluminum easel stands which are cheaper and easy to carry. Below are some of the easel stands that you can consider for your oil painting journey.
Rrftok Artistic aluminium easel stand
Coestai 60″ Painting Easel Stand
All of these products have been enlisted by considering a beginner who wants to get into oil painting. Each product’s cost is exactly as given on Amazon. You may have a look by yourself for a better understanding of them.
References
- Winsor&Newton, “Surface”, Accessed on 4 Feb 2022, https://www.winsornewton.com/row/education/guides/choosing-a-surface-for-oil-painting/.