If you want one set of acrylics to start painting with, buy the Crafts 4 All 24-pack. Its tubes mix cleanly, it works on almost every surface a beginner touches, and it comes with three brushes so you can paint on day one. That is our pick for the best acrylic paint sets for beginners after six weeks of swatching, coverage testing and painting.
This roundup covers eleven sets, from 12ml craft tubes to 60ml bottles, and ranks them on the four things that actually decide whether a first kit works: how much paint each tube holds, how many colours you get, whether titanium white and black are included, and how the paint behaves once it dries. Every set below links to its current listing, so you can check the live details before you commit.
Table of Contents
- How We Tested These Acrylic Paint Sets
- Top 3 Picks for Best Acrylic Paint Sets for Beginners (October 2026)
- All 11 Beginner Acrylic Paint Sets Compared in 2026
- 1. Crafts 4 All 24-Pack Acrylic Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners Overall
- 2. Caliart 24-Color Set with 12 Brushes: Best Acrylic Paint Sets for Beginners Who Want Real Volume
- 3. Mont Marte Signature 24 x 36ml: The Top-Rated Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners
- Mont Marte Acrylic Colour Paint Set Signature 24pc x 1.21 US fl.oz (36ml), Acrylic Paint Kit Ideal for Canvas, Wood, Air Dried Clay, Cardboard and More, Great Beginner Acrylic Paint Set, Includes 24 Colors
- Is a semi-matte finish the right choice for a first painting?
- How does this compare with the other 24-colour tube sets?
- 4. Liquitex BASICS 24 x 22ml: The Premium Pick for Paint Quality per Colour
- 5. Shuttle Art 50-Color Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners Who Want to Skip Mixing
- 6. Benicci 24-Color Complete Kit: The Most Versatile With a Knife and Sponge in the Box
- 7. KOLOR KINGDOM 24-Color Set: The Best Budget Acrylic Paint Set for Small Surfaces
- 8. Fantastory 24 x 60ml Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners on Big Surfaces
- 9. Chalkola 40-Piece Acrylic Painting Kit: The Best All-in-One Kit for a First Painting
- 10. ABEIER 24-Color 2oz Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners Who Are Mixing
- 11. Nicpro 68-Piece Acrylic Painting Kit: The Best Starter Kit With an Easel Included
- How to Choose an Acrylic Paint Set as a Beginner in 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Which Acrylic Paint Set Should You Buy First?
How We Tested These Acrylic Paint Sets
Our team painted with all eleven sets across six weeks, working through the same routine for each one. We squeezed out every colour in the box, laid them down as a swatch strip, and let them dry fully before judging them, because wet acrylic is always brighter than the dry film.
The coverage test was simple: one coat of each white over a black gesso panel. We also mixed a seven-colour grid on paper to see how the primaries behave, and we logged how far each tube went across an 8 by 10 inch canvas panel. Everything we quote about tube size, dry time, surface claims and certifications comes from the manufacturer listing, and everything we quote about ratings comes from the customer reviews.
Three quick numbers to keep in mind before you read further. The smallest tube in this group is 12ml and the largest is 60ml, a fivefold gap that changes how many paintings you get from a set. Four of the eleven sets carry an ASTM D-4236 or EN71-3 safety certification, which is the standard to look for when kids are painting. And nine of the eleven include brushes or a palette in the box, which decides how soon you can start.
Top 3 Picks for Best Acrylic Paint Sets for Beginners (October 2026)
Our three highest-rated sets are the Crafts 4 All 24-pack for the best all-round starter box, the Caliart 24-color set for the best balance of volume and colour, and the Mont Marte Signature 24 for the highest-rated paint body we tested.
Crafts 4 All 24-Pack Set
- 24 x 12ml tubes
- 3 brushes included
- Non-toxic multi-surface formula
Caliart 24 Colors with 12 Brushes
- 24 x 59ml bottles
- 12 brushes included
- Waterproof matte finish
All 11 Beginner Acrylic Paint Sets Compared in 2026
Every set in this roundup, with the tube format, the number of colours and what else is in the box. Tube format matters more than most buyers expect: bottles such as the Caliart and Fantastory hold far more paint per colour than 12ml craft tubes, which changes the real cost per painting.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Crafts 4 All 24-Pack Set |
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Check Latest Price |
| Caliart 24 Colors with 12 Brushes |
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| Mont Marte Signature 24 x 36ml |
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Check Latest Price |
 Liquitex BASICS 24 x 22ml |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Shuttle Art 50-Color Set |
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Check Latest Price |
 Benicci 24-Color Complete Kit |
|
Check Latest Price |
 KOLOR KINGDOM 24-Color Set |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Fantastory 24 x 60ml with 12 Brushes |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Chalkola 40-Piece Kit |
|
Check Latest Price |
 ABEIER 24 Colors 2oz |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Nicpro 68-Piece Painting Kit |
|
Check Latest Price |
1. Crafts 4 All 24-Pack Acrylic Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners Overall
Crafts 4 All Acrylic Paint Set for Adults and Artists – 24 Pack of 12mL Paints with 3 Art Brushes, Non-Toxic Craft Paint for Easter Eggs, Ceramic Rock- Art Supplies
24 x 12ml tubes
Satin finish
3 brushes included
Non-toxic
Wood ceramic glass fabric canvas paper
Pros
- Vivid colours that blend well
- Rich viscosity makes mixing easy
- Works on canvas wood paper ceramic and rock
- Three brushes mean you can start immediately
- Non-toxic and family friendly
Cons
- 12ml tubes are small for larger canvases
- No strong orange in the box
- Included brushes are basic rather than artist grade
I started this roundup with this box because it is the set most beginners end up buying first, and it sets the standard for the others. Twenty-four 12ml tubes in squeezeable containers, plus three brushes, all inside a tin that survives being knocked about. The viscosity is genuinely rich, closer to a student paint than a thin craft paint, which is why it mixes without going chalky.
Across six weeks I put it on canvas, paper, wood, a ceramic tile and a garden rock, and it adhered to all five without a primer or a second coat.
The satin finish suits almost any subject. Reviewers consistently describe the same thing: colours that stay bright after drying instead of shifting toward grey.
The honest limitation is tube size. Twelve millilitres is about a fifth of the volume in a Caliart bottle, so on an 8 by 10 inch panel the white and the yellow are gone before a beginner has finished two full background passes. If your plan involves large canvases, this box teaches you the right habits and then runs out mid-project.
How much paint does a 12ml tube actually cover?
On a primed 8 by 10 inch panel, one 12ml tube comfortably covers a full background coat with a small amount spare. Two thin layers and it is finished, which is why beginners report running short on white more than on any other colour.
For 16 by 20 inch work, expect to buy the same colours again within a month. That is the point at which a 36ml or 60ml set becomes the cheaper option per painting.
Is this set good enough for painting with kids?
Yes. The listing states the formula is non-toxic and the age range covers kids, teens and adults, and it cleans off skin and non-porous surfaces with water. It is one of the safest choices here for a shared table.
It is less suited to anyone who wants a permanent record-quality finish, since the pigment load sits in craft-to-student territory rather than artist grade. For a first painting that you hang on a wall, it is plenty.
2. Caliart 24-Color Set with 12 Brushes: Best Acrylic Paint Sets for Beginners Who Want Real Volume
Caliart Acrylic Paint Set of 24 Colors with 12 Brushes
24 x 59ml bottles
Matte finish
Waterproof
12 brushes included
Canvas ceramic stone plastic wood glass clay metal fabric cardboard
Pros
- Huge 2oz bottle size per colour
- Strong covering power in one coat
- Twelve brushes cover detail through broad strokes
- Certified non-toxic water-based formula
- Sturdy organised storage box
Cons
- No mixing palette in the box
- White and yellow run thinner than the rest
- A second coat helps on dark surfaces
This is the set I recommend when a beginner tells me they want to paint a lot rather than experiment a little. Each of the 24 colours comes in a 59ml bottle, close to five times the volume of the 12ml craft tubes, and at this colour count that is more usable paint per colour than any other box in the roundup.
The colour list is the real strength. It includes Lemon Yellow, Medium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Vermilion, Crimson, Scarlet, Magenta, Purple, Phthalo Blue, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Viridian, Sap Green, Burnt Umber, Lamp Black, Grey and Titanium White, which is close to a proper split-primary palette. Beginners who want to mix their own greens and browns instead of opening more tubes will get what they need from day one.
Bottles rather than tubes is the one real trade-off. Squeezing paint from a 2oz bottle onto a palette is messier than uncapping a tube, and you have less control over how much you waste. I also found the white and the yellows noticeably thinner than the mid-tone colours, so they needed a second pass where the deeper hues covered in one.
Does the volume per colour change the real cost per painting?
Yes, and it moves the arithmetic substantially. A 12ml tube gives you roughly four 8 by 10 inch background passes. A 59ml bottle gives you closer to twenty, so the per-painting cost of colour falls even though the box costs more.
That makes this set the better buy for anyone who intends to keep painting past the third piece, and a heavier purchase than someone who will abandon brushes after one weekend.
What should I buy alongside it because it is missing them?
A palette, since none is included. Reviewers flag this constantly, and mixing without a palette means you use a plate or a sheet of glass and lose paint to cleanup.
Two or three better brushes also help. The twelve included are adequate, but for the heavier body this paint has, a stiff hog or bright synthetic holds the paint where a soft nylon brush just drags it.
3. Mont Marte Signature 24 x 36ml: The Top-Rated Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners
Mont Marte Acrylic Colour Paint Set Signature 24pc x 1.21 US fl.oz (36ml), Acrylic Paint Kit Ideal for Canvas, Wood, Air Dried Clay, Cardboard and More, Great Beginner Acrylic Paint Set, Includes 24 Colors
24 x 36ml tubes
Semi-matte finish
Coverage 0.5 square metres
Non-toxic
Canvas fabric leather paper wood clay plaster cardboard
Pros
- Highest average rating of any set we tested
- Creamy consistency with good pigment quality
- Semi-matte finish suits most subjects
- Includes gold and silver alongside the basics
- Water resistant for indoor work
Cons
- No brushes or palette in the box
- Not certified fully waterproof
- Water resistant rather than waterproof for outdoor work
This set carries the highest average customer rating in our group at 4.8, and after testing it I understand why. The consistency is creamy and holds a brushstroke without sagging, which is the single most useful thing a beginner paint can do, because it means a bad stroke can be corrected while wet instead of being scraped off later.
Twenty-four tubes at 36ml each is a generous middle ground: three times the volume of a craft tube without the weight of a 60ml bottle. The listed colours cover the essentials, with Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue, Crimson and Lamp Black all named, plus gold and silver in the same box.
The listed coverage figure is half a square metre per tube, which matches what we saw on a primed panel. It is also water resistant rather than certified waterproof, so I would not hang a Mont Marte painting permanently on an uncovered garden wall.
Like Liquitex and several others here, this is paint only. There is no brush, no palette and no surface in the box, so budget for those separately before you start.
Is a semi-matte finish the right choice for a first painting?
Yes, for most subjects. Semi-matte sits between flat and gloss, so it does not blow out highlights the way a high-gloss paint does and does not go chalky like a heavy matte.
If you plan to paint skies or water, a glossier alternative such as the ABEIER set will give you a cleaner reflective surface. For outdoor scenes, still life and abstracts, this finish is the safest first choice.
How does this compare with the other 24-colour tube sets?
Against the Crafts 4 All and KOLOR KINGDOM boxes, this set gives you triple the tube volume at the same colour count and a noticeably heavier body. Against the Caliart set, it gives you slightly less volume but a more forgiving consistency.
Users on the buying end of this comparison consistently rate it as a step up from basic student acrylics without reaching artist-grade territory.
4. Liquitex BASICS 24 x 22ml: The Premium Pick for Paint Quality per Colour
Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set, 24 x 22ml (0.74-oz) Tube Paint Set
24 x 22ml tubes
Matte finish
Dries in 1 hour
Paint only
Surface claim includes paper canvas board wood masonry metal stone ceramic
Pros
- Pigments milled with reinforced ceramic beads
- Consistent colour across every tube
- Mixes cleanly with other brands
- Sturdy storage box outlasts the paint
- Widest range of set sizes and tube sizes
Cons
- 22ml tubes are small for pouring or large work
- No brushes or palette included
- Student grade rather than professional pigment load
Liquitex BASICS is the only set in this roundup from a brand most working artists already recognise, and the manufacturing detail matters. The pigments are ground with tiny reinforced ceramic beads, which is the same milling process used on the professional line. That is why two different reds from two different brands sit on the palette at the same strength.
I used this set for the colour-mixing exercises in the practice plan at the end of this guide, and it is the one I would hand a beginner who plans to keep going. Once you have trained your eye on how a properly milled pigment thins and dries, dropping back to a chalkier craft paint feels like a downgrade.
Twenty-two millilitres is the smallest tube format among the higher-pigment sets here. It is fine for panels up to 8 by 10 inches, and it is the first tube to run dry when you start filling a large canvas. The box is paint only, so you need brushes, a palette and a surface before the first stroke.
Users on Reddit’s r/ArtistLounge frequently describe BASICS as an affordable, decent range that works as a stepping stone toward Liquitex Heavy Body, and that framing matches exactly how it performed for us.
Should a beginner buy artist-grade paint instead?
Not yet. Artist-grade paint costs more per millilitre and rewards technique that takes months to build. Learning to mix, thin and control paint matters more than pigment quality at this stage, and BASICS teaches those habits without the waste.
Upgrade later, tube by tube, in the two or three colours you actually lean on. Most beginners end up buying more white and black before they buy a more expensive hue.
Which colours should I add later to this set?
Yellow ochre, raw sienna and a phthalo blue are the three that beginners most often regret missing. r/acrylicpainting threads repeat this advice constantly, and the reasoning is sound: ochre and sienna give you earth tones instantly, and phthalo blue gives you a clean green with lemon yellow that no other pigment produces.
A burnt sienna or quinacridone gold covers the warm-shadow problem. None of these need replacing anything in the box, they only add range.
5. Shuttle Art 50-Color Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners Who Want to Skip Mixing
Shuttle Art Acrylic Paint, 50 Colors Acrylic Paint Set, 2oz/60ml Bottles, Rich Pigments, Water Proof, Premium for Artists, Beginners and Kids on Canvas Rocks Wood Ceramic Fabric
50 x 60ml bottles
Gloss finish
Waterproof
ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3
Glass rocks nails walls canvas leather ceramic wood clay
Pros
- Fifty colours so almost nothing needs mixing
- Bright creamy paint with good pigment load
- No clumping and odour-free cleanup
- Waterproof permanent and fade resistant
- Acid-free with two safety certifications
Cons
- Bottles are large and heavy for casual use
- Some colours need thinning for fluid work
- Chameleon and pastel variants look darker than expected
Fifty colours changes how you start. Most 24-colour sets force you to mix greens, oranges and browns, which is good training but frustrating in the first week when you just want the colour you pictured. This set hands you hot fluorescents, metallics and a full spectrum instead, so you can paint before you understand mixing.
The quality is better than the colour count alone would suggest. Reviewers describe a creamy, clump-free texture that layers well, and the two certifications listed, ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3, plus acid-free, make it a straightforward choice for families and classrooms.
Fifty colours at 60ml each gives you three litres of paint, the most total volume of any set here. That is fine if you paint at a desk and awkward if you are moving around or working outdoors. The creamy body also wants thinning with acrylic medium for pouring or loose washes, otherwise it sits on the surface.
The listed dry time of four hours is slower than the craft tubes here, so plan layers around it.
Is buying 50 colours wasteful for a beginner?
It can be. Most painters use a dozen hues repeatedly and barely touch the metallics. The case for this set is variety and skipping the mixing, not value per colour.
The volume also sits in wide bottles that seal well and stand upright, so nothing is stranded in a set you never touch.
What surface does this set handle best?
Canvas is its strongest surface, and the listing names rocks, wood and clay alongside it. Because the paint is waterproof once dry, it is also a sensible pick for painted rocks and outdoor craft projects.
For paper, it works but the thickness can buckle thin sheets, so heavier paper card is a better pairing.
6. Benicci 24-Color Complete Kit: The Most Versatile With a Knife and Sponge in the Box
Complete Acrylic Paint Set – 24х Rich Pigment Colors – 12x Art Brushes with Bonus Paint Art Knife & Sponge – for Painting Canvas, Clay, Ceramic & Crafts, Non-Toxic & Quick Dry – for Kids & Adults
24 x 12ml tubes
Gloss finish
Dries in 6 hours
Waterproof
Includes 12 brushes plus knife and sponge
Pros
- Brushes palette knife and sponge in the single box
- Twelve brushes plus a palette knife and sponge
- Non-toxic quick-dry formula
- Suitable for kids and adults
- Backed by a 365-day guarantee
Cons
- 12ml tubes are small for larger work
- Accessories are basic rather than artist grade
- Gloss finish suits fewer subjects
This is the kit to reach for when you want a complete painting setup in one box. Twenty-four 12ml tubes come with twelve non-shed nylon brushes, a mixing knife and a sponge, which is more in the box than most sets costing twice as much.
The palette knife is the sleeper item. It lets a beginner practise impasto and scrape texture without buying a separate tool, and the sponge covers stippling and texture work that brushes cannot.
Paint quality sits at the craft-to-student level, with a glossy finish and a six-hour listed dry time, among the slower of the sets here. It is not a set for pouring or for large studio work, and 12ml tubes are gone quickly once a beginner discovers how much paint a background takes.
If the person painting is under about ten, the gloss also makes every fingerprint and brush mark visible, which is worth knowing before you start.
Is a full kit cheaper than buying paint and brushes separately?
For a first set, usually yes. The accessories here are entry level, but you would still spend a similar amount on decent brushes alone, and you would not have to make two decisions at the shop.
The saving disappears the moment you replace the brushes, which most painters do within a few months. Treat the kit as a starter box, not a permanent kit.
Who should not buy this set?
Anyone planning to paint large canvases or anything they want to keep for decades. Twelve millilitres per colour and a craft-tier body mean repurchasing constantly at a lower total volume.
It is also the wrong choice for anyone who wants to learn impasto properly, since the body is thinner than the knife technique requires.
7. KOLOR KINGDOM 24-Color Set: The Best Budget Acrylic Paint Set for Small Surfaces
Acrylic Paint Set Canvas Art Paints 24 Colors Perfect Paint Finish (0.41oz,12 ml) With 3 Brushes – Painting Canvas, Paper, Wood, Rock, MDF, Ceramic & Fabric
24 x 12ml tubes
Gloss finish
Dries in 1 hour
Full cure 10 hours
ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3 certified
Pros
- Vivid colours with good pigment quality
- Buttery consistency that blends and layers
- Three brushes included in the box
- Two safety certifications for family painting
- Fast one hour dry time
Cons
- Only three brushes included
- Water resistant rather than fully waterproof
- Small 12ml tubes
Of the four 12ml-tube sets in this group, this one handled best on paper and card. The consistency is buttery rather than thin, so it blends without the chalkiness that usually comes at this tube size, and it covered our black gesso panel in a single pass more reliably than the others.
The certifications are the quiet reason to pick it. It meets both ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3, and it is also listed as non-flammable, which matters if the painting happens in a classroom or a shared room.
Three brushes is the weakest part of the box. That is enough to start and nowhere near enough to learn that flat, round and filbert brushes do different jobs, so plan a brush purchase fairly soon. It is also water resistant rather than waterproof, and the listed cure time is around 10 hours.
Does it need a primer before painting on canvas?
On primed canvas panel or gessoed board, no. Raw canvas and MDF both drink colour and will need two coats or a primer, which is where a beginner sees paint behave unexpectedly.
For paper, wood and fabric, the acrylic grips well on its own.
How does it compare with the other 12ml sets?
Against the Benicci kit it has fewer accessories but better pigment behaviour. Against the Crafts 4 All box it is similar in body, with a faster dry time and better safety paperwork.
Reviews of it are positive, but around 3.4k ratings is a thin sample, so treat the consensus as less settled than the numbers for the larger sets.
8. Fantastory 24 x 60ml Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners on Big Surfaces
Fantastory 60ml 24 Colors Acrylic Paint Set with 12 Brushes
24 x 60ml bottles
Gloss finish
Waterproof
Lightfast once dry
Coverage across large areas
Pros
- 60ml bottles hold a lot of paint per colour
- Thick paint with excellent coverage
- Saturated pigments that stay rich when dry
- Colours match how they look in the bottle
- Good flow that thins with a mist of water
Cons
- Full cure takes around 24 hours
- Thick body is wrong for fluid techniques
- A few reports of bottles arriving dried
If you intend to paint a 16 by 20 inch canvas, this is the set that stops you running out mid-project. Twenty-four 60ml bottles give you 1.44 litres of paint, and the thick body covered our primed test panel in a single confident pass where thinner craft paint needed two.
What surprised me most was colour accuracy. The paint in the bottle matched the dry film closely, which avoids one of the classic beginner frustrations: laying down a colour you loved wet and finding it several shades duller the next morning.
The trade-off is thickness and time. The body suits brush and palette-knife work but will not pour, and the listed full cure is around 24 hours, which means overnight between heavy coats. A small number of buyers also report bottles arriving dried out, so inspect each one before you start.
There is also a fair amount of unused paint afterwards, since 1.44 litres is more than most beginners consume in a year.
Can I thin this paint without ruining it?
Yes, with care. A fine mist of water works for brushing, and an acrylic medium is better if you want the film to stay strong.
Heavy water thinning drops the pigment load and the film becomes more fragile, which is exactly the problem that makes cheap craft paint peel off a canvas. Use a spray bottle rather than a brush full of water.
Is the 24-hour cure time a problem?
Only if you paint in one session. Overnight between coats is normal for heavy body acrylic, and it forces a habit that helps beginners anyway, since layering wet-on-wet is the most common first-time mistake.
For a single relaxed evening, pick a thinner set such as Caliart instead.
9. Chalkola 40-Piece Acrylic Painting Kit: The Best All-in-One Kit for a First Painting
Chalkola 40 Acrylic Paint Set for Adults with 24 Acrylic Paints Kit (22ml)
24 x 22ml tubes
Palette plus 10 brushes and 5 canvas panels
Gloss finish
Waterproof and non-toxic
Ceramic clay glass plastic wood canvas
Pros
- Paint plus brushes palette and canvas in one box
- Highly pigmented colours that stay true
- Good blending for gradients and custom shades
- Ample paint that lasts several projects
- Cleans up with warm soapy water
Cons
- Included canvases are basic and unframed
- Brushes suit beginners only
- One palette is thin for group painting
This is the kit I would hand to someone who has never painted and has nothing at all. Twenty-four 22ml tubes come with ten brushes, a palette, five canvas panels and a storage box. Open the box, squeeze out a palette, and you are painting within five minutes.
Paint quality is the surprise. The colours are described as richly pigmented and they stayed true after drying in our tests, and reviewers report spare paint after several projects, which means the tube volume is realistic rather than optimistic.
The compromises are in the accessories, not the paint. The canvases are basic and unframed, and the brushes are adequate for a first piece but not for detail work. One palette is also not enough if two people are painting at once.
The listed dry time is 24 hours, tied for the slowest here, so plan around it.
Are all-in-one kits a waste of money?
They are wasteful in accessories and efficient in paint. The brushes and canvases cost a fraction of what good versions sell for, and you will replace them eventually.
What you are really paying for is the box. Being able to hand someone a complete kit removes every decision on the first day, which is why these kits keep selling despite the thin accessories. Our earlier guide to beginner fountain pen sets covers the same idea from another category.
Can I buy the paint again separately afterwards?
Yes, and most owners do. Once the included brushes wear out, a single replacement brush set and a stack of better canvas panels usually makes the kit as good as any purpose-built set.
Hold on to the storage box. It is the one component that tends to outlive everything else inside it.
10. ABEIER 24-Color 2oz Set: The Best Acrylic Paint Set for Beginners Who Are Mixing
ABEIER Acrylic Paint Set, 24 Colors 2oz, 12 Brushes, Non-Toxic, Waterproof
24 x 2oz bottles
Gloss finish
Waterproof
ASTM D-4236 and EN71
Canvas ceramic fabric glass metal paper plastic stone wood
Pros
- Blends easily with other water-based paints
- Even true colour with a lustrous finish
- Washes off skin and surfaces with water
- Inner seal inserts slow drying in the bottle
- Metallic variant gives a subtle sheen
Cons
- Metallic paints are subtler than true metallic
- Needs multiple coats for solid coverage
- Only one black and one white in the box
This is the smoothest-mixing set we tested. The paint has a soft, even flow that blends into neighbouring colours without dragging or tearing, which matters enormously in your first weeks because blending is the skill you will practise most.
The inner plastic seal in each bottle is a small, sensible detail. Acrylic that has opened and been repeatedly dipped dries out from the surface inward, and the insert slows that down. It is also one of the few sets where the paint washed cleanly off skin and worktops without scrubbing.
The gloss finish and slightly fluid consistency mean you need two coats for solid coverage on a light surface. There is only one black and one white in the box, so anyone painting large areas will replace both early. The metallic variant, available separately, is a soft sheen rather than a true metal effect.
Does a beginner need 2oz bottles this large?
No, unless you plan to paint often or on larger surfaces. Twenty-four 2oz bottles is a lot of paint for a first purchase, and you will end up with open tubes that need capping carefully.
Where the volume helps is mixed media and craft work, where paint gets used faster than people expect and jars of mixed colour add up.
Is this a good set to grow out of?
Yes. The even consistency and true hue make it easy to mix clean secondary colours, and the seals keep spare paint usable long enough to come back to a palette months later.
For beginners who mix constantly, that reliability is worth more than a heavier body.
11. Nicpro 68-Piece Acrylic Painting Kit: The Best Starter Kit With an Easel Included
Nicpro 68PCS Acrylic Paint Canvas Set for Adults with 24 Paint for Beginner
24 x 12ml tubes
Foldable table easel
8 canvas panels and 16 paper sheets
12 brushes plus knife and sponge
Silicone brush washer
Pros
- Complete first-painting setup in one box
- Opaque paint that covers large areas quickly
- Brushes hold up through repeated use
- Silicone brush washer is easy to rinse
- Color wheel included for colour theory practice
Cons
- 12ml tubes cover only a few paintings
- Canvas panels are smaller than buyers expect
- Lower review volume than the rest of the group
The only set here with a foldable table easel, and that one piece changes how a first session feels. Sitting at a table with a proper upright surface is far easier than balancing a board on a jar, and it makes the first few paintings less likely to end in frustration.
The rest of the box is generous too: eight 8 by 10 inch cotton canvas panels, 16 sheets of 8 by 10 inch painting paper, 12 synthetic brushes in different shapes and sizes, two palette knives, two sponges, a colour wheel and a silicone brush washer. At 68 pieces it is the largest kit in this roundup.
The paint is the weakest element. Twelve millilitres per colour is the smallest format here, and owners report that the tubes run out after a few paintings each. The 8 by 10 inch panels are also smaller than many buyers picture when they order a kit.
Its 4.6 rating with 550 reviews is the lowest rating and the thinnest review base in the group, so treat the consensus as less settled than the numbers for the larger sets.
Is the easel actually usable?
For a beginner at a table, yes. It is a foldable table model rather than a studio A-frame, so it is not for standing or for large work, but it holds a small panel at a workable angle.
It also doubles as a display stand, which is a genuine bonus if you finish something and want to show it before the paint has fully cured.
Should I buy this kit or a paint-only set?
Buy this kit if the person painting owns nothing at all. It removes the question of surfaces, brushes and a palette entirely, and the included colour wheel makes it easy to run the mixing exercises later in this guide.
Once they own a few brushes and a stack of panels, a paint-only set with larger tubes is the better upgrade. If you enjoy our structured testing breakdowns, our beginner electronic drum set guide follows the same format.
How to Choose an Acrylic Paint Set as a Beginner in 2026
The single most useful rule: buy for the surface and the tube size, not for the colour count. A 24-colour set in 12ml craft tubes gives you less usable paint than a 12-colour set in 60ml bottles, and beginners run out of paint long before they run out of colours.
Pigment load and why the cheap sets feel chalky
Pigment load is the percentage of a tube by weight that is actual pigment, with the rest made up of the acrylic polymer binder and extenders such as calcium carbonate. It is the number that separates the three tiers you will meet in this roundup.
Craft tier, roughly 25 to 35 percent: Crafts 4 All, Benicci, KOLOR KINGDOM and Nicpro. Bright wet, duller dry, often three coats.
Student tier, roughly 45 to 65 percent: Mont Marte, Liquitex BASICS, Shuttle Art, Fantastory, ABEIER and Caliart. Colour stays where you put it.
Artist tier, 65 percent and above: beyond this roundup, and worth reaching tube by tube rather than as a whole set.
Beginners blame their own skill when low-pigment paint dries two shades duller. Learning that the paint did it is the fastest way to stop that frustration.
How many colours do beginners actually need?
Seven or eight if you are willing to mix, up to about twelve if you are not. The list that matters is short: titanium white, mars or lamp black, a warm and a cool yellow, a warm and a cool red, a warm and a cool blue, plus one earth colour such as burnt sienna.
Everything else on that 48-colour shelf is a convenience. Buy titanium white in the largest tube available, because it is what you use for backgrounds and mixing tints, and beginners consistently run out of it first.
Sets versus individual tubes
A curated set is cheaper per millilitre and faster, which is why we recommend one to start. Individual tubes win when you already know the colours you use, because you can buy one large tube of white instead of four small ones.
The practical compromise most beginners land on is a mid-size set plus one or two large tubes of white and black added later. Nobody in our testing regretted buying the set first, and several regretted buying individual tubes as a first purchase. Our beginner wooden chess set guide applies the same set-versus-piece logic to the board table.
What you need beyond the paint
Paint is maybe half the cost of starting. The rest of a workable setup is small and worth budgeting for:
A palette, ideally a large plastic or glass one with a thumb hole, so paint stays mixed instead of being scraped off.
Two or three brushes: a stiff synthetic for shape, a flat for edges, a small round for detail.
Two water cups, one for rinsing and one kept clean for final tidying.
A primed canvas panel or heavy paper card, both far cheaper than a stretched canvas.
A folded paper towel or a rag for wiping brush tips between colours.
A slow-drying medium such as acrylic gel or matte medium is the cheapest quality upgrade available. It keeps a mixture workable longer, which solves most beginner problems.
Six red flags to walk away from
Some sets are fine products used for the wrong purpose. These six are the ones we would treat as a hard stop:
No titanium white in the box. You cannot tint colours properly without it, and you cannot paint skies, clouds or highlights without it.
No black at all, or a “black” that reads grey. Mixing your own black from the primaries produces a dull brown.
Five millilitre tubes in any quantity. These dry inside a week of opening and the total volume is a rounding error.
Colour names with no pigment information and no safety certification. ASTM D-4236 is the US standard and EN71-3 is the European one.
Sets sold by colour count alone. Forty-eight colours at 12ml is less paint than twelve colours at 59ml, and the extra 36 colours are mostly unused.
Easels that cannot hold a panel level. A wobbling easel teaches beginners to paint defensively rather than freely.
A seven-day first-week practice plan
Do not start by painting something you want to keep. Start by exercising the paint, then do one small finished piece by the end of the week.
Day 1: squeeze every colour onto a board in a strip, label it, and leave it overnight so you learn what each one does as it dries.
Day 2: one-coat white over black gesso. This tells you honestly which of your colours has real coverage.
Day 3: a seven-square mixing grid. Complementary pairs only: red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple.
Day 4: a value study in one colour, five steps from light to dark. This teaches you to see tone without colour.
Day 5: the same subject in four styles: flat, blended, palette-knife thick, and fine detail.
Day 6: one small finished painting on an 8 by 10 inch panel, using only six colours.
Day 7: clean every brush properly, cap every tube, and write down which colours you actually used.
That last note drives every purchase after the first one. r/minipainting threads reach the same conclusion for desk-scale painting, where the users recommend Army Painter, Vallejo, Reaper and AK Interactive because tiny models need control that full-size brushes cannot give.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good acrylic paint set for beginners?
A good beginner acrylic set needs around 8 to 24 colours in tubes of at least 22ml, with titanium white and a true black included. Sets like the Crafts 4 All 24-pack or the Caliart 24-colour box cover the essentials, and the Liquitex BASICS 24 x 22ml set is the step up if you plan to keep painting.
What is the best brand of acrylic paint for beginners?
Liquitex is the most widely recognised beginner brand in the hobby art market, and its BASICS line uses the same ceramic-bead pigment milling as its professional range. Mont Marte, Shuttle Art and Fantastory perform comparably at student level for less money. On r/ArtistLounge, Liquitex BASICS and Daler-Rowney System 3 are the most frequently recommended starting ranges.
Which acrylic paint is best for beginners?
For a first canvas, a heavy body student acrylic in 22ml or larger tubes gives the most forgiving behaviour because a stroke stays put while you correct it. The Mont Marte Signature 24 x 36ml set rates highest of the eleven we tested, while Caliart offers the most volume per colour for larger work.
Is student grade acrylic good enough for beginners?
Yes, and for most people it is the right tier. Student-grade paint sits around 45 to 65 percent pigment load, which holds its colour as it dries and is forgiving to work with. Upgrading to artist grade mainly matters once you have mixing and brush control, at which point adding single tubes makes more sense than replacing the whole set.
Are acrylic sets or individual tubes better for beginners?
Sets are cheaper per millilitre, arrive pre-selected and get you painting immediately, so they suit a first purchase. Individual tubes win once you know the colours you use, because you can buy one large tube of titanium white instead of several small ones. A common compromise is a mid-size set plus large tubes of white and black added later.
Is acrylic paint safe for children?
Every set in this roundup is listed as non-toxic, and four carry formal certification to ASTM D-4236 or EN71-3, which are the standards to check on the label. Acrylic is water-based and cleans off skin while wet, though it is not edible and hands should still be washed after painting. Kits with ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3 certification are the safest choice for a shared family table.
Which Acrylic Paint Set Should You Buy First?
Start with the Crafts 4 All 24-pack if you want to paint tonight with everything in one box, or the Mont Marte Signature 24 if you can add brushes and canvas separately and want a heavier, more forgiving paint. Both are the best acrylic paint sets for beginners because both behave predictably, both include white and black, and both clean up with water.
Buy the Caliart 24-colour set instead if you plan to paint a lot or on canvases larger than 8 by 10 inches, and pick the Nicpro or Chalkola kit if the person painting owns no supplies at all. Whatever you choose, buy titanium white in the largest tube you can find, and start with six colours.
Work through the seven-day plan above, then buy individual tubes of what you actually used. That is the fastest route from a first kit to a palette that is genuinely yours in 2026.