The best acrylic paint sets balance a useful color range and paint quantity with the surfaces and finishes you actually want to work on. These picks include general-purpose tubes, larger bottles, metallic and iridescent colors, and a dedicated outdoor craft set.
Quick Top Products
U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 72 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Works on canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists and students who want a broad range of colors in small tubes for varied projects.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Set
- Offers 24 colors in 2oz bottles.
- Includes seven nylon brushes with flat and round tips.
- Made for indoor and outdoor painting.
Best For: Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, and other projects that may be displayed outdoors.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Contains 36 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Students and hobby artists who want many colors for studies, portraits, and crafts.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 24 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Works across canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
- Comes with a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Beginners and hobby painters looking for a manageable selection of general-purpose colors.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 12 colors in 75ml tubes.
- Intended for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
- Uses a water-based acrylic formula.
Best For: Painters who prefer a focused palette with larger tubes for blending and repeated use.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic Set
- Includes 12 iridescent colors in 75ml tubes.
- Colors have shimmering, color-shifting properties.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists adding shimmering, color-shifting effects to canvas, wood, paper, or rock projects.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Contains 12 metallic colors in 75ml tubes.
- Made for canvas, wood, pottery, and rock surfaces.
- The water-based paint is intended for layering or mixing.
Best For: Crafters and artists who want metallic finishes in larger tubes for canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Includes 36 colors in 18ml tubes.
- Provides high-shine metallic effects, including pearl and iridescent finishes.
- Intended for canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, and model projects.
Best For: Artists who want a broad assortment of pearl, iridescent, and metallic shades in smaller tubes.
U.S. Art Supply Acrylic Surface Primer Set
- Includes black, white, and gray primers in 4-ounce bottles.
- Designed for airbrush use and compatible with brush application.
- Works on materials including plastic, metal, wood, and resin.
Best For: Model makers and artists preparing mixed-material surfaces before applying paint.
Largest Color Selection
U.S. Art Supply 72 Color Professional Acrylic Paint Set in 12ml Tubes - Art Painting Supplies for Adults, Artists, Students, Beginners - Canvas Portrait Paintings
With 72 colors in 12ml tubes, this set is built for painters who want plenty of premixed choices at hand. The water-based acrylic paint has a smooth consistency and covering strength, and the set is intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
A double-sided color mixing wheel adds a learning aid for experimenting with color theory. The compact tube size suits painting sessions that benefit from variety more than large amounts of any one color.
It is a practical fit for portraits, landscapes, and crafts, though buyers planning larger works should weigh the small tubes against their color breadth.
Best For: Artists and students who want a broad range of colors in small tubes for varied projects.
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Choose this set when having many ready-to-use colors matters more than having large quantities of each. Its 12ml tubes suit studies, portraits, and smaller craft pieces, while the surface range makes it adaptable across common art projects.
Before buying, consider how quickly you use frequently chosen colors; the smaller tubes may mean replenishing those sooner than with a set built around larger containers. The mixing wheel is useful for practice, but the main distinction here is the breadth of the 72-color palette.
Outdoor Craft Projects
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 set pairs 24 colors in 2oz bottles with seven nylon brushes, making it a substantial option for crafts that use more paint per project. The paint is described as weather-resistant and intended for indoor and outdoor work, including canvas, rocks, wood, and toys.
Its water-based formula is non-toxic and the set includes a color mixing wheel with artist terms and definitions. The outdoor focus helps distinguish it from general-purpose tube sets.
Consider this one when larger containers and brush variety are useful, while checking whether its outdoor-oriented finish and color selection suit the specific surface and project.
Best For: Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, and other projects that may be displayed outdoors.
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Pick this set for craft work where bottles and included brushes are more useful than compact tubes. Its rock and wood focus, plus indoor/outdoor positioning, separates it from the other general acrylic selections.
The weather-resistant description does not establish how a particular project will hold up, so check surface preparation and finishing needs before painting an item that will stay outside. If your work is mostly canvas studies or color mixing, a tube set may be a better match.
Broad Palette in Compact Tubes
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 uses 12ml tubes, offering more ready-made shades than a basic palette while keeping each tube compact. The water-based acrylic paint has a smooth consistency and covering strength, and is intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
A double-sided color mixing wheel adds a color theory reference for beginners and students. It can work across portraits, abstracts, landscapes, and craft projects.
The tradeoff is quantity: small tubes are convenient for variety and storage, but may be less suitable when a project calls for extensive coverage in a few frequently used colors.
Best For: Students and hobby artists who want many colors for studies, portraits, and crafts.
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This is a sensible middle ground for someone who wants a wide palette without needing a larger selection. The tubes keep individual colors organized, and the wheel adds a useful learning component for students or beginners.
Check whether 12ml per shade is enough for your typical canvas size and whether you would rather have fewer colors in larger containers. For projects with substantial coverage, the tube size is the key tradeoff to consider.
Compact Everyday 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
The 24-color set comes in 12ml tubes and covers familiar painting and craft surfaces, including canvas, wood, fabric, and paper. Its water-based paint has a smooth consistency and covering strength, and a double-sided color mixing wheel provides a handy reference for learning color terminology and theory.
This is a straightforward general-purpose option for portraits, abstracts, landscapes, and smaller projects. Compared with larger color-count sets, it keeps the palette more focused.
Each tube is still compact, so painters who regularly cover larger surfaces should consider how quickly their most-used colors may run down.
Best For: Beginners and hobby painters looking for a manageable selection of general-purpose colors.
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Choose this set if you want a moderate range for learning, crafts, or general painting without managing dozens of shades. Its surface coverage and mixing wheel make it a flexible starter option.
The practical question is how much paint your projects consume: 12ml tubes work best when you are exploring colors or painting smaller pieces, while repeated large canvases may call for more paint per color. Consider whether the 24 shades are enough for your preferred subjects.
Artist Colors in Large Tubes
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 set contains 12 colors in 75ml tubes, a larger format than the compact tube options in this roundup. The water-based acrylic paint is highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength, and is intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
Its listed colors include familiar painting staples such as cobalt blue, titanium white, lamp black, and burnt sienna. A focused palette can encourage mixing rather than relying on many premixed shades.
It suits artists who use core colors often, but those wanting specialty effects or a broad ready-made palette should look elsewhere.
Best For: Painters who prefer a focused palette with larger tubes for blending and repeated use.
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This option fits painters who prefer larger tubes of a smaller core palette. The familiar colors support mixing and general painting, while the 75ml format provides more of each selected shade than the compact sets.
The tradeoff is convenience: you may need to mix more colors yourself, and the set does not specialize in metallic or iridescent finishes. Check the included color names against your usual palette, especially if you rely on a particular shade.
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 focuses on iridescent acrylics rather than a conventional range of everyday shades. The 75ml tubes contain water-based paints with color-shifting, luminescent effects and a smooth consistency.
They are intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, rocks, and other art media. The colors include interference pearls and shifting combinations such as aqua/violet and blue/gold.
A double-sided color mixing wheel is included for exploring color combinations. It is most useful as a special-effects palette or companion set; buyers seeking a complete general-purpose color range may want a standard acrylic set instead.
Best For: Artists adding shimmering, color-shifting effects to canvas, wood, paper, or rock projects.
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Choose this set when shimmer and changing color are the point of the project. The large tubes give each effect more volume, while the color-shifting palette serves a more specific visual role than general acrylics.
It is not a replacement for a balanced everyday palette if you need dependable basic colors. Before buying, check the named color effects and surfaces against the way you plan to use the paint.
Large-Volume Metallic Shades
U.S. Art Supply Professional Metallic Acrylic Paint Set - 12 Rich Metallic Colors, 75ml Tubes - Craft Paint for Canvas, Wood, Rock, Model Painting
This metallic set provides 12 colors in 75ml tubes and is designed for projects where a high-shine finish is central. The water-based acrylic paint has smooth application and rich pigmentation, with use cases spanning canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, and model painting.
It includes layering and mixing, making it suited to decorative accents or artwork built around metallic shades. Its larger tubes offer ample paint per selected color, but the set concentrates on a specialized finish rather than a conventional mix of everyday colors.
Best For: Crafters and artists who want metallic finishes in larger tubes for canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks.
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This is the metallic option to consider when you want larger tubes for repeated decorative work. Its 75ml size and 12-color selection focus on high-shine effects.
If you need standard colors for most of a painting, pair it with a general acrylic palette or choose a different set. Check that the named metallic shades suit the surfaces and finish you have in mind.
Most Metallic Color Choices
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 set combines 36 metallic colors in 18ml tubes, emphasizing high-shine, pearlescent, and iridescent effects. It is intended for canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, outdoor crafts, and detailed model painting.
The colors include silver, gold, and copper tones, and the paint has a heavy body with rich pigmentation, smooth blending, and coverage. The large selection of specialized shades makes this a varied effects palette.
The smaller tubes are the tradeoff, especially for projects that cover large areas in one or two favorite colors.
Best For: Artists who want a broad assortment of pearl, iridescent, and metallic shades in smaller tubes.
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Select this if variety among metallic and effect colors matters more than having large tubes. It offers a broad specialized palette with named silver, gold, and copper tones.
The 18ml format suits accents and detailed work more naturally than large coverage in a favorite shade. Consider whether your projects need many distinct effects or would benefit more from fewer colors in larger quantities.
Airbrush Surface Preparation
U.S Art Supply Black, White, Gray Surface Primer Airbrush Paint, 3 Color Set, 4 oz - Ready-To-Spray, Water-Based Acrylic Polyurethane - Artist Priming, Plastic, Metal, Canvas, Wood, Hobby Models Craft
This three-color set contains black, white, and gray surface primers in 4-ounce bottles. The ready-to-spray, water-based acrylic polyurethane formula is self-leveling and designed for priming before painting.
It can be applied primarily with an airbrush and is also compatible with brush application. The listed surfaces include canvas, wood, fabric, leather, plastics, metals, fiberglass, resin, and ceramic.
Because primer prepares a surface rather than serving as a general color palette, it is a specialized companion product rather than a substitute for acrylic paint sets. Its inclusion makes sense for artists who need surface preparation alongside color.
Best For: Model makers and artists preparing mixed-material surfaces before applying paint.
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This product is useful only if surface preparation is part of your project. It is a primer set with three neutral colors, not a regular acrylic paint assortment, so it does not fulfill the main need of shoppers searching for general acrylic paint sets.
Its brush compatibility and broad material range make it relevant as a preparation step for models and mixed-media work. Buy it alongside suitable paints when needed, and check application compatibility for your particular surface.
How to Choose Acrylic Paint Sets
How We Picked Acrylic Paint Sets
We selected individual paint sets that cover distinct needs within acrylic painting: broad everyday palettes, compact tube collections, larger tubes for frequently used colors, metallic and iridescent effects, and outdoor craft work. We also considered the surfaces named for each set and whether it includes useful learning or painting tools.
A surface primer appeared among the candidates, but it serves a different role from a color set, so it is not included in the picks.
The products vary in paint type and quantity, so color count alone does not determine fit. For example, a wide palette in small tubes favors experimentation, while a smaller range in larger tubes may suit repeated use of core colors.
Specialized finishes are best treated as additions to a general palette unless the project specifically calls for metallic or color-shifting effects.
Comparing Acrylic Paint Sets
Start by deciding whether you need everyday colors or a specific finish. The 24- and 36-color general sets offer conventional acrylic palettes in 12ml tubes, while the 72-color set maximizes premixed variety.
The 12-color, 75ml set shifts toward a focused group of core shades with more paint in each tube.
For reflective effects, the 36-color metallic option prioritizes range in 18ml tubes. The 12-color metallic set offers larger 75ml tubes, and the iridescent set focuses on color-shifting finishes in the same larger tube format.
The outdoor 24-color set uses 2oz bottles and includes brushes, with projects such as rocks, wood crafts, toys, and canvas among its intended uses.
| Product | Standout features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists and students who want a broad range of colors in small tubes for varied projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, and other projects that may be displayed outdoors. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Students and hobby artists who want many colors for studies, portraits, and crafts. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Beginners and hobby painters looking for a manageable selection of general-purpose colors. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters who prefer a focused palette with larger tubes for blending and repeated use. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists adding shimmering, color-shifting effects to canvas, wood, paper, or rock projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Crafters and artists who want metallic finishes in larger tubes for canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists who want a broad assortment of pearl, iridescent, and metallic shades in smaller tubes. |
| U.S. Art Supply Acrylic Surface Primer SetCheck Price |
| Model makers and artists preparing mixed-material surfaces before applying paint. |
Choosing Paint Quantity and Color Range
Match container size to the way you paint. Small 12ml tubes work when you want many shades for studies and smaller pieces, but painters covering large areas may prefer the 75ml tubes or 2oz bottles.
A high color count can reduce mixing, though a compact palette may be easier to manage and encourages learning how colors combine.
Look at both count and purpose. A 72-color everyday set supplies breadth, while the iridescent and metallic collections use their colors for specialized effects.
If your projects switch between portraits, crafts, and decorative finishes, a general set can provide the foundation and an effects set can fill a narrower role.
Matching Acrylic Paint to Your Project
Check the surface list against what you plan to paint. Several general sets name canvas, wood, fabric, and paper, while the outdoor-focused set specifically includes rocks and toys.
The metallic collections also name pottery and model painting, and the iridescent paints include rocks and other art media.
For crafts displayed outdoors, the outdoor set is the candidate with an explicit weather-resistant description and indoor/outdoor positioning. That wording does not resolve every project's preparation or finishing needs, so check compatibility for the surface and intended exposure.
For model work, distinguish color paint from primer: the black, white, and gray primer set prepares surfaces and should not be mistaken for a general color assortment.
Who Should Buy Which Acrylic Paint Set?
Beginners and students who want a flexible palette can start with the 24- or 36-color general sets, depending on how many premixed shades they want. Painters who prefer larger quantities of familiar colors can consider the 12-color, 75ml set.
Those who want maximum everyday color variety may prefer the 72-color option, provided the 12ml tube size fits their projects.
Choose the metallic 36-color set for many specialized shades in smaller tubes, or the 12-color metallic set for fewer effects in larger tubes. The iridescent set suits artwork built around shifting, luminous color.
For rock, wood, or toy crafts that may be used outdoors, the 2oz outdoor set includes brushes and is the most directly tailored choice. The primer set is for surface preparation before painting, rather than for replacing any of these paint palettes.