The reason why oil painting is so popular is because it allows you to play with the paint for a while after you have applied it on the canvas. This is not something that you can do with water colors. Most of the times, oil paints are available in tubes. It is better to buy good quality primary and secondary colors and mix your own colors rather than to buy a large quantity and shades of cheap oil paint. If you want to ensure that the brushes last longer then you should take good care of them. Clean off the excess paint off the brushes and rinse in turpentine to clean the brush completely.

You will also need primers when you are using oil paint. The primer is needed to be put on the base of the canvas. This keeps the paper or the canvas from getting spoilt. Obviously you also need brushes for painting. Hog hair brushes are good for oil painting. These, however, do not really last long. The length of the handle that you choose needs to be decided after you hold it for a while and check how it feels in your hand.

You will also need to buy mediums to dilute oil paint. Mostly people use turpentine as a solvent. This medium holds in the oiliness in the oil paint. It is a good idea to use solvents that do not have a strong odor and when you are using solvents, try and keep the room ventilated so that there is a lot of fresh air.