The best acrylic paint sets balance useful color selection and paint volume with the surfaces and projects you actually plan to work on. These picks range from compact learning sets to larger assortments and specialty finishes, so compare tube size, included tools, and intended use before choosing.
Quick Top Products
U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 72 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Water-based paint has a smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists and students who want a wide palette for mixing and varied projects.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Provides 36 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Paint is water-based and highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Beginners and students who want a varied palette with a mixing aid.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 24 colors in 2oz bottles.
- The paint is described as weather-resistant for indoor and outdoor use.
- Includes seven flat and round nylon brushes.
Best For: Craft painters who want weather-resistant colors and a starter brush assortment.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Set, 75ml Tubes
- Includes 12 colors in 75ml tubes.
- The paint has a smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Named shades include cobalt blue, crimson, and titanium white.
Best For: Painters who prefer a smaller core palette in larger tubes.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 24 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Water-based paint is described as highly pigmented and smooth.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: New painters who want a modest color selection and a mixing wheel.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Includes 12 metallic colors in 75ml tubes.
- The paint has a high-shine finish and smooth application.
- Suitable for canvas, wood, pottery, and rock surfaces.
Best For: Artists adding high-shine metallic shades to canvas, wood, pottery, or rock projects.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic Set
- Includes 12 iridescent colors in 75ml tubes.
- The colors have shimmering, color-shifting properties.
- Suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and rocks.
Best For: Artists seeking shimmering, color-shifting paint for accents and special effects.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Includes 36 metallic colors in 18ml tubes.
- Finishes include pearlescent and iridescent effects.
- The stated surfaces include canvas, wood, pottery, and rocks.
Best For: Artists who want a broad choice of metallic and pearlescent colors in compact tubes.
Broadest Color Range
U.S. Art Supply 72 Color Professional Acrylic Paint Set in 12ml Tubes - Art Painting Supplies for Adults, Artists, Students, Beginners - Canvas Portrait Paintings
This set puts 72 colors into 12ml tubes, giving artists a broad starting palette for canvas work, crafts, and color-mixing exercises. The water-based paint is described as highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
It includes a double-sided color mixing wheel, which can help students explore color terminology and theory as they work. Its small tubes favor variety over a large supply of any one color, so it suits studies and projects that use many shades more than repeated large-scale painting.
The listed surfaces include canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
Best For: Artists and students who want a wide palette for mixing and varied projects.
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Choose this assortment when shade variety is more useful than larger amounts of a smaller palette. It is suited to artists, beginners, and students working across several listed surfaces, with the mixing wheel adding an educational tool.
Check that 12ml tubes meet your expected project volume, and confirm the color selection if you need particular pigments. The records give general paint properties but do not identify the shades in this set.
Compact Set for Color Study
U.S. Art Supply 36 Color Professional Acrylic Paint Set in 12ml Tubes - Art Painting Supplies for Adults, Artists, Students, Beginners - Canvas Portrait Paintings
This 36-color set pairs 12ml tubes of water-based acrylic paint with a double-sided color mixing wheel. The paint is highly pigmented, smooth, and covering, and is identified for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
The wheel adds color terminology and definitions, which can be useful for students learning how colors relate. Since the tubes are compact and the included shade list is not specified, check expected paint use and color needs before choosing it for a project.
Best For: Beginners and students who want a varied palette with a mixing aid.
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Pick this set for learning or general creative work when a 36-color selection is enough and a color wheel is welcome. It covers several common art surfaces and names beginners, students, artists, and teachers among its intended audience.
Each tube is 12ml, so consider a larger-volume set if your projects repeatedly use the same shades. Because the individual colors are not identified here, check the included palette if a specific color is essential.
Outdoor Crafts With Brushes Included
U.S. Art Supply Professional 24 Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint Set, 2oz Bottles, with 7 Brush Kit - Vivid Colors for Painting Canvas, Rocks, Wood Crafts, Toys
This 24-color set is aimed at projects that move beyond paper and canvas: its paint is described as weather-resistant and intended for indoor and outdoor use. The 2oz bottles offer more paint per color than the compact tube assortments, and seven nylon brushes with flat and round tips are included.
Canvas, rocks, wood, fabric, paper, and toys are among the listed uses. A color mixing wheel and artist terms provide a learning aid.
The broader outdoor positioning makes this a practical craft choice, though the record does not state how the paint should be sealed or maintained outdoors.
Best For: Craft painters who want weather-resistant colors and a starter brush assortment.
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Choose this option for mixed craft projects where the included brushes and larger bottles are useful, especially when painting rocks or wood outdoors. Its stated weather-resistant positioning distinguishes it from the sets centered on indoor painting, but outdoor longevity and sealing steps are not provided.
Check the color lineup and whether the included brush tips suit your planned detail work. It also covers standard surfaces such as canvas, fabric, and paper.
Large Tubes for Core Colors
U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Set of Acrylic Oil Paint 75ml Tubes - High Opacity, Strong Tinting Strength, Oil Paints for Canvas Painting, Wood & Media
This 12-color set supplies 75ml tubes, making it a better fit for painters who want substantial amounts of a defined palette rather than many small color samples. The named colors include cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, lamp black, and several earth and green tones.
The water-based acrylic is described as highly pigmented, smooth, and offering covering strength. It is intended for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper, among other art media.
The smaller color count means mixing will do more of the work, while the larger tubes are useful when a few core colors see frequent use.
Best For: Painters who prefer a smaller core palette in larger tubes.
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Choose this set when you expect to use core colors repeatedly and are comfortable mixing shades. The 75ml tubes give more of each color than the compact 12ml sets, while the named palette helps verify whether its greens, earth colors, and primaries suit your work.
It is geared to a range of skill levels and several common surfaces. Check for any additional tools you need, since brushes and a palette are not specified.
Small Starter Palette
U.S. Art Supply 24 Color Professional Acrylic Paint Set in 12ml Tubes - Art Painting Supplies for Adults, Artists, Students, Beginners - Canvas Portrait Paintings
This 24-color set keeps the assortment manageable for someone building a first painting kit or working through basic color studies. The water-based paint is described as highly pigmented with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
It comes in 12ml tubes and includes a double-sided color mixing wheel with terminology and color definitions. Listed surfaces include canvas, wood, fabric, and paper, with examples such as portraits, abstracts, and landscapes.
Its compact tube size suits sampling a range of colors, but painters expecting to complete larger canvases may prefer bigger tubes or a higher-volume option.
Best For: New painters who want a modest color selection and a mixing wheel.
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This is a sensible starter format for someone who wants several colors and a mixing aid. It includes 24 colors in compact 12ml tubes, and the listed surfaces cover common painting and craft work.
Check the actual palette if you need particular shades, since the included colors are not named.
Metallic Colors in Larger Tubes
U.S. Art Supply Professional Metallic Acrylic Paint Set - 12 Rich Metallic Colors, 75ml Tubes - Craft Paint for Canvas, Wood, Rock, Model Painting
This specialty set focuses on metallic finishes rather than a conventional all-purpose palette. It includes 12 colors in 75ml tubes, with a water-based paint described as smooth, richly pigmented, and suitable for layering or mixing.
The listed surfaces include canvas, wood, pottery, and rocks, and the use cases extend to crafts and detailed model painting. Its larger tubes make it a substantial supply of metallic paint, but it is best considered an effect set to complement a core palette.
Check which exact shades are included if your project depends on particular metallic tones.
Best For: Artists adding high-shine metallic shades to canvas, wood, pottery, or rock projects.
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Choose this when metallic shine is a core part of the project, such as accents on models, rocks, or canvas. The 75ml tubes offer ample paint per color, while the specialty finish means many painters will still want conventional colors alongside it.
The exact shades are not given, so verify the palette if you need a specific gold, silver, or other tone.
Color-Shifting Iridescent Effects
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic Paint Set Large 75ml Tubes - Luminescent, Chameleon, Color-Shifting Pearl Colors, Crafting Paints - Iridescent Paint Acrylics for Canvas, Wood, Rock, Paper
This 12-color set is built around iridescent effects, including interference pearls and shades that shift between colors. The 75ml tubes contain water-based acrylic with a smooth consistency and strong coverage, and the paint is intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and rocks.
A double-sided color mixing wheel is included for color terminology and mixing guidance. The effect palette is distinctive, but it serves a different purpose from a standard range of opaque colors.
Consider it for highlights, decorative surfaces, or pieces where changing shimmer is part of the design, and check the named shades against your intended effect.
Best For: Artists seeking shimmering, color-shifting paint for accents and special effects.
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Pick this set when color-shifting shimmer is central to the artwork, rather than as the only acrylic palette for general painting. Its 12 named iridescent colors and larger tubes provide a focused effect selection for several surfaces.
It also includes the same style of mixing aid found in some standard sets. Check how you plan to layer the paint and whether the listed special-effect colors match your design, since behavior over different base colors is not specified.
Many Metallic Shades in Small Tubes
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint Set - 18ml Tubes - Acrylic Paint for Canvas Painting, Wood Crafts & Rock Painting - Color Mixing Wheel
This metallic assortment prioritizes shade variety: it includes 36 colors in 18ml tubes, with silver, gold, and copper tones among the finishes. The heavy-body acrylic offers rich pigmentation, smooth blending, and coverage.
Its uses include canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, outdoor crafts, and detailed model painting. Pearlescent and iridescent finishes add variety beyond a conventional metallic palette.
The compact tubes provide a focused specialty collection for projects calling for several different effects.
Best For: Artists who want a broad choice of metallic and pearlescent colors in compact tubes.
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Choose this set when you value breadth across metallic finishes. Its 36 shades and pearlescent or iridescent options suit decorative craft and model work, while the 18ml tubes are suited to projects using smaller amounts of each color.
Confirm the specific shades if your design has a fixed palette.
How to Choose Acrylic Paint Sets
How We Picked Best Acrylic Paint Sets
We selected products that contain acrylic paint intended for artwork or crafts and span practical differences in palette size, tube or bottle volume, included tools, surfaces, and finish. That leaves several useful formats: compact 12ml learning sets, 75ml core-color tubes, outdoor craft bottles with brushes, and metallic or iridescent effect paints.
The airbrush surface primer was excluded because it prepares a surface rather than supplying a general painting palette.
The picks include products for canvas, paper, wood, fabric, rocks, and other listed surfaces. Those uses do not mean every formula behaves the same way on every material, so match the stated surface recommendations to your project.
Comparing Best Acrylic Paint Sets
Start with the amount and variety you need. The 24-, 36-, and 72-color standard sets use 12ml tubes, which put more shades in reach but less paint in each tube.
The 12-color standard set uses 75ml tubes for a smaller named palette with more paint per selected shade. For crafts, the outdoor set uses 2oz bottles and adds seven brushes; the two metallic formats trade off 75ml tubes in 12 colors against 18ml tubes in 36 colors.
Finish is another key difference. Standard acrylic sets suit broad painting and mixing, while the iridescent and metallic sets emphasize shimmer, high shine, or color shifts.
These effect paints can fill a specific role in a project, but check whether you also need conventional colors. The listed surfaces overlap, though the outdoor set specifically calls out weather-resistant use and rocks, wood, and toys.
| Product | Standout features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists and students who want a wide palette for mixing and varied projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Beginners and students who want a varied palette with a mixing aid. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Craft painters who want weather-resistant colors and a starter brush assortment. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Set, 75ml TubesCheck Price |
| Painters who prefer a smaller core palette in larger tubes. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| New painters who want a modest color selection and a mixing wheel. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists adding high-shine metallic shades to canvas, wood, pottery, or rock projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists seeking shimmering, color-shifting paint for accents and special effects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists who want a broad choice of metallic and pearlescent colors in compact tubes. |
Choosing Acrylic Paint for Canvas, Crafts, and Color Mixing
For learning color relationships, the standard 24-, 36-, and 72-color sets include a double-sided color mixing wheel. A smaller set may be easier to manage when practicing with a limited palette; the 72-color option offers the broadest ready-to-use selection.
The named 12-color set gives a defined selection of core and earth colors, so it may appeal to painters who prefer mixing from a more focused palette.
Think about project scale as well as color count. Compact 12ml tubes are convenient for sampling many shades and short studies.
Larger tubes or 2oz bottles offer more paint per color for repeated use, while the included seven brushes in the outdoor kit make it more immediately useful for basic craft work. Brush types, exact shade lists, and outdoor finishing guidance vary or are not specified, so check those details when they matter.
When to Choose Metallic or Iridescent Acrylic Paint
Specialty finishes are useful when the paint itself needs to contribute a reflective or shifting effect. The 12-color metallic set provides 75ml tubes for projects needing more of a few shiny shades.
The 36-color metallic set offers a broader range in smaller 18ml tubes, including silver, gold, copper, pearlescent, and iridescent effects. The 12-color iridescent set instead emphasizes chameleon-like color shifts and interference pearls.
Treat these as focused additions if your work also needs conventional colors. Their larger or smaller tube format determines how much of each effect shade is on hand, while the exact results can depend on the planned layering and surface.
The available details do not specify effect behavior over different base colors, so verify the intended appearance before committing to a design.
Who Should Buy Which Acrylic Paint Set
Students and beginners who want an educational aid can start with one of the compact standard sets that includes a color wheel; choose 24 or 36 colors for a manageable palette, or 72 when many ready-made shades matter. Painters who repeat the same colors may prefer the 12-color 75ml set, which identifies its core and earth shades.
For rocks, wood, toys, and mixed craft projects, the outdoor set combines 24 colors, 2oz bottles, and brushes. Artists adding a reflective finish can choose between the 75ml metallic set for larger quantities, the 36-color metallic set for shade variety, or the iridescent assortment for color shifts.
Match the selection to your surfaces and project scale, then check included shades and tools where the records leave those details open.