10 Best Acrylic Paints 2020 [Buying Guide]

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Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Choose the Best Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paints are a great place to start if you’re looking into painting for education or for fun! They dry much more quickly than oil paints, and while the color shifts when it dries, the final dry pigment won’t fade over time. They are non-toxic and easy to work with, which is why they’re so great for beginning painters! Let’s take a look at some of the things you should know before shopping for acrylic paints.

Type: This refers to the way the paint is presented to you. Often, acrylic paints are in either tubes or bottles. Bottles usually contain more product. Either way, you’ll need somewhere to put the paints to use them.

# of Colors: Most of the acrylic paints on this list come in sets. Otherwise, this will refer to the number of available colors you can choose from. Each brand has its own spread of color options, so check this out.

Brushes Included: Some of the kits on this list will come with their own set of brushes for your convenience. Artists sometimes prefer using their own brushes, but if they are included with the kit we’ll let you know.

Package Size: How big are the bottles or tubes? This refers to each individual color option and how much product you get for each color. This is especially important when you’re working on larger projects where you’ll need more paint.

Money Back Guarantee: Some companies will include a guarantee that if you don’t like their paints, you can get a full refund of the purchase price. That makes it pretty risk-free to try out brands that are new to you.

Non-Toxic: Non-toxic paints aren’t harmful to you, and for that reason, they are preferred for use around children, especially smaller children. Swallowing the paint isn’t harmful, and there are no fumes associated with them like there are with oils.

Top 10 Products

With that information tucked away, we can start taking a look at the best acrylic paint that we could find. We’ve searched through a ton of different brands and kit options to bring you the best when it comes to acrylic paint supplies. Our top pick and budget pick are our favorites, so check them out first before moving on to the other choices on our list. We’re sure you’ll find paints that you love!

Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set

First up on our list is an assorted kit from Liquitex. This BASICS acrylic paint set comes with a remarkable 48 different colors for you to use in all of your painting adventures. These are some of the more popular color options that this brand has on offer. In addition, these colors can easily be mixed with other Liquitex paints, so you can use them to extend the acrylic paint colors in your collection. This super set of 48 different colors are presented in tubes that each contain 22ml. Liquitex brand paints are safe for use in education and around children, and they work well with a variety of different mediums as well. The paint is thick and creamy, perfect for canvas work. It dries to a satin finish. You’re going to be amazed at the amount of pigment in these acrylic paints. They are also completely non-toxic, so you won’t have to worry about your children or students.

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Castle Art Supplies Paint Set

Castle Art makes some great cheap acrylic paint, great if you aren’t sure if painting is going to be your thing. This acrylic paint works well on canvas, wood, paper, or fabric, as well as a variety of other mediums and materials. It applies smooth and dries down to a satiny finish that’s going to work great for your longer products. Castle Art is somewhat unique about their Acrylic paints because they use a certain amount of additive primer or pigment to help your acrylic paint not dry so quickly. This can be useful in larger paintings where you still want to be able to move the paint around. Still, the paints are water-based and, of course, non-toxic. There are twelve colors included in this set, and they come in 12ml tubes. You’ll have just enough to supplement your collection or start a few smaller projects. From the beginner to the experienced artists, these acrylic paints are a must-have!

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Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set

Apple Barrel is one of the most accessible and widely-available acrylic paint brands on the market. Their paints are reliable and smooth, with the regular acrylic quick-drying capabilities. You can use these acrylic paints on any surface, from wood to plaster, tin, foam, and even terra cotta. You can paint just about anything with these beautiful colors. This set includes 18 bottles, each with 2 ounces of color inside. There is a good spread of color, from basics that you’ll use all the time to special paints that will mix beautifully. One of the best parts about these paints is the price--they are inexpensive and will last you a long time! You can use brushes, stencils, or even sponges with this color. Make a mistake or a mess? These paints clean up easily with soap and water! These are smooth, thick paints with beautiful pigment that’s going to stay that way for a long time to come.

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Color Technik Acrylic Paint Set

When it comes to choosing the best acrylic paint brand, the choice is ultimately up to you. Color Technik, however, presents a good case for being placed at the top of the list. This set comes with 18 bottles, each with 2 ounces of pigment. These include the most popular colors on their roster and some colors that should be in every artists’ collection. These paints are versatile enough for a variety of surfaces, from fabric to clay, wood, metal, and ceramics. These colors are vibrant and stay that way, even after they dry (which happens not too long after application). That’s because they contain the maximum amount of pigmentation that it’s possible to put into acrylic paint. They are easy to blend and smooth when applied, and they are thick enough to retain your brush strokes. These are some of the best acrylic paints for canvas work that we found during our research.

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Crafts 4 ALL Paint Set

One of the best things about this Crafts 4 ALL paint set is that you don’t need to use an acrylic paint primer with it. Right out of the tube, this paint is ready to go with thick pigments that blend and layer well. These paints are made from the highest-quality raw materials, specifically manufactured to make premium, beautiful paint with brilliance and the highest color clarity on the market. These pigments are long-lasting and vibrant. They’re going to look the same for years to come once they dry! Plus, this kit comes with three free paint brushes to help jumpstart the artist in you. It’s a great starter kit for someone just getting into painting and will make the perfect gift for both adults and kids. You can use these paints on just about any surface, from a blackboard-type material to ceramic, foam, wallpaper, and even glass. It’s great for wood and other decorative surfaces as well!

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ARTEZA Acrylic Paint Set

The ARTEZA Acrylic Paint Set comes with an amazing 60 tubes of paint, all with about 0.7 ounces of product in them. That is a lot of paint! It’s perfect for starting your collection or supplementing additional colors and choices for your painting projects. These paints are non-toxic and safe for all of your painting activities, even with children. One of the coolest things about this set is that it comes in a sturdy box that helps to keep the paints organized. Instead of looking for an outside organization technique, this set comes with everything you need. Pick up some of your favorite brushes and you’re good to go! There are a ton of artist-quality colors, and favorites that you’re going to recognize from painting tutorials and other respectable sources. The pigments are rich, vivid, and smooth. They’re great for use on canvas and a selection of other surfaces. You’re going to love this new comprehensive paint set!

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Benicci Acrylic Paint Set

This acrylic paint set by Benicci contains 24 high-quality colors in 0.4-ounce tubes, as well as 12 different brushes and other accessories. A sponge and art knife are included to help you mix the perfect color that you need! This is a great gift for the artist in your life, regardless of the skill level. You can use the brushes for this acrylic paint or for your oil paints, so they aren’t restricted for use just in this set. All of the paints in this set are non-toxic and safe for children, as well as drying quickly and easily right where you put it. We love that this is the complete set, with everything that you need to start painting on canvas, plaster, wood, or a variety of your other favorite surfaces. The 24 different colors give you plenty of variety for all of your painting projects, and the colors are rich and dry quickly to a satin finish.

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Vivido Art Acrylic Paint Set

Vivido is another premium acrylic paint brand, and this set is full of their best blendable colors! It comes with 24 tubes of paint, each with 0.4 ounces of product. It also comes with a selection of nylon brushes that you can use to get started right away. That makes it one of the best acrylic paint gift sets on this list! Plus, it’s a great place to get started for beginners, because it comes with everything that you need. These paints dry to a beautiful satin finish, and they are non-toxic and perfect for use in educational settings or with kids. They contain the highest concentration of pigment that you can put in a tub of paint, which is great for all of your colorful projects. This paint works well on any surface, from rock, wood, plaster, and clay to canvas. You can even use these paints on your nails! What more could you ask for?

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Daveliou Acrylic Paints Set

No one makes vibrant, full-bodied paints quite like Daveliou. This acrylic paint set includes 24 tubes of paint, each with about 0.4 ounces of paint. It’s a great way to get started painting. You can thin these paints down with water for a washed, pastel effect or use them with their full thickness right from the tube. We love that you have options! You can use these paints to achieve a variety of finishes and effects, from textures to 3D effects with as little effort as possible. Plus, you can do this on just about any surface, from plastic to glass, canvas, paper, and even fabric! There are 24 shades in this collection, each in 12ml tubes. You can get started easily with these paints, and they are easy to carry around. That also makes them ideal outdoor acrylic paints, because they’re so portable and easy to use. You’re going to love the selection of colors in this set!

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Handy Art Acrylic Paint Set

This set by Handy Art contains some of the best acrylic paints for beginners. That’s because these particular paints are resistant to water once dry, and they are flexible even then. Some acrylic paints dry solid but can be wiped away with water, which can compromise the way your work looks. These paints by Handy Art, however, become water resistant once they dry. They have a semi-gloss finish as well, rather than the satin finish that most other acrylic paints boast. Plus, they stay flexible once they dry. These paints are non-toxic and water-based, and great for almost any surface, from fabric to plastic, glass, and metal. The pigments are rich and permanent, with as little shift as possible from the wet pigment to the dry one. They’re great for a variety of craft projects and for all of your acrylic paint art. Each of the 8 bottles in this set comes with 8 ounces of paint.

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About the Author

Jennifer Trimbee

Expert Researcher and Writer

Jennifer Trimbee, a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped, is an expert writer with many years of experience. Jennifer writes about technology, sports, outdoor, and gear products.

Best Acrylic Paints

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set

Castle Art Supplies Paint Set

How to Choose the Best Acrylic Paint

Top 10 Products

Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set

Castle Art Supplies Paint Set

Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set

Color Technik Acrylic Paint Set

Crafts 4 ALL Paint Set

ARTEZA Acrylic Paint Set

Benicci Acrylic Paint Set

Vivido Art Acrylic Paint Set

Daveliou Acrylic Paints Set

Handy Art Acrylic Paint Set

About the Author

TOP PICK

Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set