If you've spent much time lurking in art forums or watching professional studio tours, you've almost certainly heard people obsessing over vasari oil paint sets. There is this sort of mythical status surrounding the brand, and for a long time, I wondered if it was just clever marketing or if there was actually something different about what was inside those tubes. After all, paint is just pigment and oil, right? Well, yes and no.
The first time I actually got my hands on a few tubes, I realized that comparing these to standard "artist grade" paints you find at a big-box craft store is a bit like comparing a hand-milled sourdough loaf to a pre-sliced bag of white bread. Both will make you a sandwich, but the experience (and the taste) isn't even in the same universe. Vasari occupies a very specific niche in the art world, and their sets are often the "gateway drug" for painters who want to see what high-end, handcrafted paint actually feels like under the brush.
The difference is in what they leave out
Most commercial paint manufacturers have to worry about mass production. To keep things consistent and affordable, they often add fillers, waxes, and stabilizers. These things aren't necessarily "bad"—they help the paint stay shelf-stable for years and keep the price down—but they do change how the paint behaves.
When you look into vasari oil paint sets, you're looking at paint that is made without those extras. They use a high concentration of pigment and just enough linseed oil to hold it together. Because they don't use fillers or "extenders," the color is incredibly intense. You'll find that a tiny dab of their Cobalt Blue goes a lot further than a giant glob of a cheaper brand. It's dense, it's rich, and it has a texture that I can only describe as "buttery."
Choosing the right starter set
One of the most daunting things about this brand is the price tag. Let's be real: they aren't cheap. That's why jumping into one of the curated vasari oil paint sets is usually the smartest way to start. Instead of guessing which individual tubes you might need and accidentally spending a fortune on colors that don't play well together, the sets are designed to give you a balanced palette right out of the box.
The Introductory Sets
If you're just testing the waters, the smaller introductory sets are usually the way to go. They typically include the "workhorse" colors—the ones you'll use for almost every painting. What's cool about these is that you get to experience the sheer mixing power of the paint. Because the pigment load is so high, the mixtures stay clean. You don't get that muddy, chalky look that often happens when you mix cheaper paints that are full of stabilizers.
The Themed Collections
Vasari is also pretty famous for their themed sets, like their "Impressionist" or "Luminous" collections. These are fun because they include colors you might not normally pick for yourself. They have these incredibly soft, glowing tints that look like they came straight off a Monet canvas. If you're someone who struggles with mixing subtle, atmospheric colors, these sets do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
The physical experience of the paint
It sounds a bit pretentious to talk about the "feel" of paint, but if you spend four hours a day at an easel, it matters. Most vasari oil paint sets feature paint that is "long." In painting terms, "long" means the paint has a bit of a stretch to it. When you pull your brush away from the palette, the paint follows it in a little peak rather than just snapping off.
This consistency makes blending a dream. It moves across the canvas with very little effort. I've noticed that when I use these paints, I don't have to use nearly as much medium (like linseed oil or Gamsol) to get the paint to flow. It's already at a perfect working consistency right out of the tube. This is a huge plus for "alla prima" painters who like to work wet-on-wet and need the paint to slide over previous layers without picking them up and making a mess.
Why the pigment load changes everything
We talked about fillers earlier, but it's worth doubling back to the pigment issue. In many cheaper oil paint sets, "Hue" is a word you'll see a lot—like "Cadmium Red Hue." That basically means they used a cheaper synthetic pigment to mimic the look of the real thing.
In vasari oil paint sets, you're getting the real deal. If the label says Cerulean, it's actual Cerulean. This is why the colors look so "alive" on the canvas. They catch the light differently. More importantly, they mix predictably. If you know your color theory, you can predict exactly what's going to happen when you mix their Ruby Red with their Ultramarine Blue. There are no "surprises" caused by hidden white fillers or cheap extenders that suddenly turn your purple into a weird greyish lavender.
Is it actually a better value?
This is the big question, isn't it? It's easy to look at a $200 paint set and think, "I could buy three sets of a different brand for that price." And you're right, you could. But the math works out differently when you start painting.
Because there are no fillers, you use significantly less paint. I've found that a single tube of Vasari white lasts me twice as long as a "student grade" tube because the coverage is so much better. You aren't fighting the paint to get it to cover the canvas. One stroke usually does it. When you factor in the time saved and the quality of the finished piece, the cost of vasari oil paint sets starts to feel a lot more reasonable. It's a classic case of "buy once, cry once."
Managing your expectations
Before you go out and clear your savings account, there are a few things to keep in mind. Because these paints are handmade and lack those synthetic stabilizers, you might occasionally see a little bit of excess oil come out of the tube first. This is totally normal for artisanal paints. You just stir it back in or dab it off with a paper towel.
Also, because they are so pigmented, they can be a bit overwhelming if you're used to "weak" paint. You have to learn to be a bit more delicate with your palette knife. A little bit goes a very long way, especially with the darker transparent colors.
Final thoughts on making the jump
If you're a total beginner, honestly, you might not need these yet. It's probably better to learn the ropes with a decent mid-range paint while you're still figuring out how to handle a brush. But if you've reached a point where you feel like your materials are holding you back—if your colors look dull or your paint feels like it's fighting you—then trying out one of the vasari oil paint sets might be the best thing you ever do for your art.
There's something incredibly inspiring about working with tools that are made with that much care. It makes you want to show up at the easel and do justice to the materials. Whether you go for a basic starter set or one of their specialized landscape kits, you're going to notice a difference the second the brush hits the linen. It's just one of those things you have to experience for yourself to really get the hype.