We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.
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Painting not only allows you to express yourself artistically, but it can also help reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, and combat depression. Unlike oil paints, acrylic paints are easy to use, quick-drying, and simple to clean up. They’re great for students and pros alike.
If you’re a beginner, It helps to know about pigments, fillers, colors, and quality, as well as the other supplies you might need for your new hobby. But trying to sift through hundreds of different acrylic paint sets to find the one that is best for you could end up being more stressful than relaxing!
To help you have the most pleasant, stress-free shopping experience possible, we've put together this helpful buying guide on acrylic paint sets. Our top pick is the Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set, which dries quickly and features 24 different colors.
Editors’ Favorite
Container type: Tubes | Number of colors: 24 | Skill level: Beginners, students, pros | Accessories: No | Case: Cardboard storage box
Regardless of your skill level, you’ll appreciate the quality and colors in the Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set. It features 24 pigment-rich colors that dry fast and last for enduring artwork. The paints come in 0.74-ounce tubes that are easy to dispense. The rich yet workable viscosity of these paints allow you to mix and blend them with ease.
Whether you like to paint on paper or objects, these acrylics will fit your artistic style. Their bold hues and durability make them suitable for use on paper, canvas, ceramic, stone, fabrics and more. Because the colors have varying opacities, they can create paintings with different tints, textures, shades and undertones for art that has realistic qualities.
Made by a top brand in artist paint, this set offers both quality and value. This makes it an excellent choice for art students and experienced painters.
Great Value
Container type: Bottles | Number of colors: 24 | Skill level: Beginners, pros | Accessories: 12 paintbrushes | Case: Cardboard storage box
Smooth, long-lasting, fast-drying and blendable, the Caliart Acrylic Paint Set is perfect for painting on different types of surfaces. The set comes with 24 highly pigmented colors in 2-ounce bottles, including some with a metallic finish. One of the best acrylic paint sets available, it’s also a good value thanks to its features and quality.
Another reason this set is a budget-friendly pick is that it includes a collection of 12 brushes with thin, medium and thick bristles. The acrylics combined with the variety of paintbrushes make it easy for artists to create different lines, shade, highlight and more.
A nice selection of colors and paintbrushes, this set comes in a durable cardboard box that will last and keep the items organized. What’s more, the lid has a paint key so you can easily identify the colors as you create.
Best for Crafts, Wood Signs & DIY Decor
Container type: Bottles | Number of colors: 16 | Skill level: Beginners, pros | Accessories: None | Case: No
Many people love to use the best acrylic paint sets for crafts, and that’s where the Apple Barrel Vibrant Spectrum Collection Acrylic Craft Paint comes in. It’s a collection of 16 versatile and richly pigmented colors that offer full coverage and outstanding permanence on almost any type of surface. The paints come in 2-ounce bottles, which is an ample amount for creating numerous arts and crafts.
Each paint in this popular set has a creamy consistency that’s easy to mix with other colors. They also blend well for creating different brushstrokes and finishes, and dry quickly once applied.
Great for beginners and experienced painters, the paints in this set can be cleaned while wet. This means that kids who are new to using acrylics can hone their creative side without making permanent messes.
While the lines blur a little, there are two basic types of acrylic paints you can purchase: those for students and those for professional artists.
Student: All paint is made using a mix of pigment (color), binder (the material that holds the pigment together when the paint dries), and filler. Student-grade paints tend to have a higher ratio of filler to pigment than artist-grade paints. As a result, student paints can be manufactured for less money, but their colors aren’t usually as vibrant. (Craft paint is lower quality than student-grade paint. It’s fine for projects, but it isn’t durable enough for fine art.)
Professional: Acrylic paint that is made for professional artists features a higher ratio of more finely ground pigments for more vibrant color. These paints also come in a wider range of colors and last longer — they won't lose their color over time. The downside is that an artist-grade paint set can be much more expensive.
Contrary to what you might think, it’s better to start with fewer colors in your acrylic paint set. As you gain experience, you can purchase sets that offer more variety. The following are the most important colors to have in your set. These colors may vary slightly depending on individual taste and preferences, but if you have some version of these, you will be able to paint nearly anything you can imagine.
Permanence, also called lightfastness, is the ability of the paint to resist the natural fading that occurs when the paint is exposed to light. The more durable the color, the longer your artwork will hold up. You will be happiest with an acrylic paint set that includes paint that is highly rated in this area. As a guide, the American Standard Test Measure (ASTM) rating of I means excellent lightfastness, ASTM II means very good, and ASTM III means not sufficiently lightfast. Manufactures may also denote the degree of lightfastness in other ways, such as with letter grades or stars. Make sure you understand the rating system so you aren’t disappointed by a fading masterpiece in the years to come.
The thickness of the paint is its viscosity. If you want acrylic paint that retains brushstrokes and makes it easier to mix colors, you want paint with high viscosity. If you prefer detail work or want to paint using more of a watercolor or dry-brush technique, you want lower viscosity. While it’s possible to thicken the consistency of the paint with different products, it’s usually easier for beginners to thin the paint, so start with a high-viscosity paint.
One of the reasons artists love painting with acrylics is the quick drying time. However, if the paint dries out on the palette or brush, you won't be able to get much painting done. Also, it will be much more difficult to blend the paint consistently. If you prefer to work with paints that have a longer drying time, you can purchase a “retarder” or medium to slow the drying time of acrylic paints. Alternatively, you can purchase certain brands of acrylic paints that are formulated to stay wet for up to an hour and workable for several hours.
A little paint goes a long way. If you’re in the initial stages of testing out different brands, it’s best to stick with a set that contains smaller tubes with around 2 ounces or so per tube. Once you find a set of paints you like, you can purchase larger tubes with confidence.
It’s fine to buy an acrylic set that only contains paints because you can purchase everything else you need separately. However, a selling point of some acrylic paint sets is the included supplies. If this sounds appealing, look for an all-in-one set that includes brushes, palette, canvases, and maybe even an easel. Other bonus features are a palette knife or two, sponges, and a convenient case for storage or travel.
Easel: Art Alternatives Marquis Artists Adjustable Easel
Painting on an easel is better than painting horizontally because it allows you to be more accurate with perspective. This portable desktop model can be positioned wherever you like to paint.
Brushes: Crafts 4 All Paint Brushes
Even if your acrylic paint set comes with brushes, it’s likely only a few. This set contains 12 professional brushes that will allow you to indulge in an impressively wide range of techniques.
Palette: Art Advantage Palette
A palette is where your creativity is born. This generously sized nonstick plastic palette is designed so dried acrylic paint easily peels off.
Canvas panels: FIXSMITH Canvas Panels
Just because you have paint, easel, brushes, and palette, it doesn't mean you're ready to create. You also need a canvas. This 12-pack of canvas panels measuring 8 by 10 inches offers ample opportunity to express yourself.
Inexpensive: You can purchase a set of half a dozen acrylic craft paints in little bottles for under $10. This set likely won’t include paint brushes, palette, or canvases.
Mid-range: From roughly $15 to $30 is where you will find the bulk of affordable acrylic paint sets. Within this price range, you can expect to find up to two dozen or more colors and a few basic paint brushes. Some sets come with a few canvas panels so you can get started painting right away.
Expensive: In the $50 to $100 range, the kits can vary greatly, so you have to pay attention to what you want. You can find an acrylic paint set with all the supplies you need from desktop easel and canvases to palette knives and sponges. Alternatively, you might find a set with higher-quality paints or a set with 72 colors. When you're paying more for an acrylic paint set, it’s important to research what you get to determine if it’s the right set for you.
A. Acrylics reside between oil paints and watercolors, offering qualities of each. You can apply acrylics to a wide range of surfaces, they’re water-based and quick-drying. While some of the pigments may contain toxic chemicals, most of the colors are nontoxic (though you should always read the label to be sure). Acrylic paints are lightfast and permanent and can be cleaned up with soap and water.
A. Yes, acrylic paint does hold up as well as oil paint. Once cured (which can take anywhere from one week to several months depending on the thickness of the paint), acrylics are chemically stable. However, as with all paints, acrylics are only as permanent as the material they’re painted on. Once your acrylic painting has cured, it’s important to add a coat of nonporous varnish to protect the paint from dust and dirt.
A. The biggest difference between painting with oils and painting with acrylics is the drying time. It can be very difficult to use a wet-into-wet technique — a process where wet paint is applied to or blended with wet paint — with acrylics. However, any type of dry-brush technique will be similar.
A. No. The chemical makeup of oils and acrylics is fundamentally different, so mixing the two is not advisable. It’s possible to use oil paint on top of dried acrylic paint, but painting acrylic over oils is not a good idea.
We began our analysis of acrylic paint sets with 30 options. We narrowed down the list by assessing customer feedback, prices and key features. Our research included available paint colors and quantities in a set and if they were suitable for students or professionals. Acrylic paints come in tubes or bottles of various sizes, which we factored into our assessment. We also considered viscosity, permanence and drying time to help artists find the best acrylic paint sets for their artistic goals. Whether or not an acrylic set came with accessories and a case was also included in our research.
