8 Best Water Based Oil Paints in 2026

A 200ml tube of Titanium White gives you enough paint to block in highlights across dozens of canvases without running out mid-session. Winsor & Newton’s water-mixable oil matches the color depth, lightfastness, and opacity of their traditional oils, so you get the same handling and a permanence rating of AA for long-lasting results. Cleanup requires only water, no solvents, which suits painters who want a genuine oil feel without turpentine or mineral spirits in the studio.

The trade-off is that this large tube comes only in Titanium White, so you will need to buy other colors separately to build a full palette. Compared to the Cobra Artist Oil Paint Tube, which offers a 150ml tube in Titanium White, the Artisan gives you a larger 200ml size but only in this single color. That is fine if white is your most-used color, but for someone starting out, the Holbein Duo Aqua Studio Set of 20 colors gives more variety in smaller tubes.

A 150 mL tube is a serious amount of paint for anyone who uses white as a workhorse, laying down highlights or mixing tints across several canvases without running out mid-project. The water-mixable formula cleans up with just water, so you skip the turpentine smell and mess while keeping the working properties of classic oil paint. That large volume and professional-grade pigment mean you get consistent color from tube to tube.

Choosing a single tube means you build your palette one color at a time, which lets you invest in exactly the shades you use most rather than paying for a set with colors you might never open. At 150 mL, this tube holds more paint than the 37 mL or 20 mL tubes from Daniel Smith, Holbein, or Daler Rowney. That makes it a good fit for artists who go through white quickly on larger canvases. Reviewers note that having a dedicated large tube of titanium white is practical for mixing and underpainting, even if it means picking up other colors separately.

A set of 20 standard colors plus a Quick Drying Medium means you can start mixing a broad palette right away without buying extra tubes. That makes this kit a natural fit for artists who want a complete studio foundation in one box. It’s especially handy if you prefer working in water-soluble oils and value having a medium to speed up drying between layers. The 20 ml tubes keep the package light and portable, so it’s easy to carry to a class or outdoor session.

Tube size is the main difference: at 20 ml each, you’ll use up popular colors faster than with larger tubes like the 150 ml Cobra Artist Oil Paint Tube. Still, for an artist building a core color library with a matching medium, this set delivers more variety per square inch of shelf space than buying singles.

An opaque Titanium White with excellent covering ability means you can build layers confidently without worrying about transparency showing through. This 37ml tube is perfect for oil painters who love the rich feel and control of traditional oils but want to skip the solvents entirely. The highly pigmented color offers outstanding color strength, and cleanup is as simple as soap and water, no mineral spirits or turpentine required. It’s a straightforward choice for anyone sensitive to solvents or just wanting a cleaner studio experience.

This single tube only gives you Titanium White, so if you’re building a full palette from scratch, you’ll need to buy additional colors separately. Compared to the Holbein Duo Aqua Water-Soluble Oil Color Studio Set which packs twenty 20ml tubes in one box, this Daniel Smith option is better suited as a refill or a starter white rather than an all-in-one kit. For painters who already have a color collection and just want a bright, opaque white that cleans up without fuss, this tube delivers exactly that.

With 36 colors in a single set, you get a broad palette right away. Each tube is 18 ml, so you can start mixing without needing additional shades immediately. The water-soluble formula cleans up with just water, which makes it practical for artists working in small spaces or without ventilation for solvents. The set offers a wide color range for exploring water-mixable oils.

The 18 ml tubes in this set work well for studies or small canvases, but if you cover large areas or paint frequently, you will go through them fast. Winsor & Newton Artisan offers a 200 ml tube of Titanium White, though that is a single color, not a set. This Mont Marte set provides 36 colors and cleans up with water, so you trade tube size for variety.

A uniform drying time across colors, 5 to 7 days depending on thickness, means you can plan your layers without guessing which hue will set first. That consistency is a real advantage for anyone who works wet-into-wet or needs a reliable schedule for finishing a piece. The water-mixable formulation lets you thin and clean up with plain water, skipping harsh solvents entirely, while the buttery texture and vibrant pigments give you a classic oil feel without the fuss. It’s an especially good fit for classroom or studio settings where ventilation might be limited and multiple artists are working side by side.

The 37 ml tube is on the small side, so if you paint large or use heavy impasto, you will go through it quickly and need to buy several tubes. Unlike the Cobra Artist Oil Paint Tube which comes in a 150 ml size, the Georgian tube demands more frequent restocking for big projects.

These sticks aren’t grab-and-paint like a tube. You have to gently peel off the outer solid film before each use, and blending colors means cutting pieces with the knife rather than squeezing. Unlike the single tube of professional-grade water-mixable oil paint from Cobra, the Phoenix set demands a bit more prep but offers many more colors and the flexibility to switch between oil and watercolor techniques. It’s best for artists who enjoy experimenting with different approaches in one session and don’t mind a few extra steps for that versatility.

A 10-color set of 37ml tubes gives you a balanced starter palette without overwhelming choices. The colors include Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Cad Yellow Hue, Cad Red Hue, Alizarin Crimson Hue, Coeruleum Hue, French Ultramarine, Viridian Hue, Yellow Ochre, and Burnt Umber. Because these are water-mixable oils, you can thin and clean them with water instead of solvents, which makes them ideal for a classroom or studio where ventilation or odor matters. The paint dries evenly across all colors within 5 to 7 days, so you can plan layering without guessing. This set works well for someone stepping into oil painting because it gives you the feel of traditional oils but with forgiving cleanup and a predictable drying schedule.

The biggest difference here is tube size versus color variety. Each tube holds 37ml of paint, which is less than Cobra’s 150ml Titanium White, so if you work on large canvases or burn through white, you’ll be replacing that tube sooner. You get ten colors covering the essentials. Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Cad Yellow Hue, Cad Red Hue, Alizarin Crimson Hue, Coeruleum Hue, French Ultramarine, Viridian Hue, Yellow Ochre, and Burnt Umber, while the Holbein Duo Aqua Studio Set gives you 20 colors in smaller 20ml tubes. For someone who wants a straightforward palette without a lot of extra hues, this set keeps things simple.