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Acrylic paints are easy to use, dry fast and look great. However, it’s not easy to identify the best acrylic paints for canvas.
That’s why we embarked on a fun-filled quest to discover acrylic paints that go above and beyond. Each of the selections on this list earned its spot by providing excellent coverage, consistency, and color.
Read on to learn about these superior acrylic paints.
Best Acrylic Paints for Canvas:
1. Crafts 4 ALL Acrylic Paint Set
Containing 24 vibrant colors, these non-toxic paints feature rich pigments. This helps them to rank among the best rated acrylic paints.
Reliable raw materials make superior paint supplies. That seems to be the idea behind this affordable set. The buttery consistency of these paints is fantastic as it makes them easy to use even for beginners.
While these paints excel on canvas, they also are suitable for use on glass, plastic, wood, ceramic, paper, and many other surfaces. This particular set is an especially good bargain because it includes three paintbrushes.
High-quality acrylic paint performs well under any circumstances, and this can be said of this product. Artists praise the excellent coverage as well as the bright and beautiful colors. Nonetheless, a few critics say that the paint is a bit too thick.
With vibrant colors and excellent variety, this set is a top choice
Pros
- An excellent bargain
- Non-toxic
- Quality raw materials
Cons
- May be too thick for some artists
2. Zenacolor Acrylic Paint Set
If you’re looking for good acrylic paint for canvas, then give this Zenacolor set a try. It contains 24 12-milliliter tubes of brightly colored paint. The price is affordable, and the color selection is suitably varied.
These are water-based, non-toxic paints that are highly pigmented. From titanium white to viridian green, you’ll find pretty much everything you need in one package. As a bonus, these paints blend beautifully.
With a rich and smooth texture, this is a good quality acrylic paint that won’t break the bank. They glide across a canvas with remarkable ease and seem to perform equally well on other surfaces.
Praising the quality of the paint and the color variety, many artists love this set. Some critics say that the color displayed on the tube is not an accurate representation.
Thanks to their ability to apply smoothly, these are a solid choice for hobbyists and professionals.
Pros
- Excellent color selection
- Wonderful texture
- Glides across the canvas
Cons
- Color swatches on tubes may not be perfectly accurate
3. Liquitex Basics 48-Tube Acrylic Paint Set
This remarkable set of 48 22-milliliter tubes provides artists with plenty of supplies. In fact, these might be the best acrylic paint for beginners thanks to their quality, variety, and value.
Liquitex knows good acrylic paint as they claim to have invented it back in 1955. Acrylics are their specialty, so it’s no surprise that this product is such an outstanding selection.
Each high-quality pigment is ground with tiny ceramic beads during the manufacturing process. This ensures the best in strength, brightness, color development, and dispersion. In addition to the variety of colors, this set also includes numerous opacities to help you achieve sophisticated effects.
These acrylic paints flex well, stick to almost any surface and dry with surprising speed. Nonetheless, you can easily clean them up with water while they are wet.
Artists love how beautifully these paints apply to canvases, and they appreciate not having to mix their own colors much. Nonetheless, some have had difficulty with a grainy texture in some colors.
Overall, this Liquitex package is a spectacular deal.
Pros
- Extra-large tubes
- Superior manufacturing process
- A broad range of colors and opacities
Cons
- Some colors may have a gritty texture
4. Castle Art Supplies Large Acrylic Paint Set
Containing 12 75-milliliter tubes, this set is an undoubted bargain. With so much paint in one package, artists have plenty of supplies to let them experiment with blending their own hues. Considered the best artist acrylic paint by many, Castle Art Supplies stands behind its product with a money-back guarantee.
Because they are packaged in particularly sturdy tubes, these paints are unlikely to be dried out or suffer from damage in shipping. Inside each tube is a vivid, quick-drying paint that is heavily pigmented to ensure the best and brightest color.
Good acrylic paint brands may be hard to find, but this one has a velvety and rich texture and is easy to use.
Artists love how easily these paints blend, though some say that the colors are sheerer than they would like.
Providing a ton of paint at an affordable price, this offering is hard to beat.
Pros
- Huge tubes
- Contains all the basic colors
- Great texture and consistency
Cons
- Maybe more transparent than artists expect
5. ARTEZA Acrylic Paint
Packaged in a sturdy storage box, this set contains 24 colors in 22-milliliter tubes. It’s an artist-quality acrylic paint set that will prepare you for hours of enjoyable creativity.
Each tube contains helpful information, making this the ideal beginner paint set. Not only is the name of each color listed but also the lightfastness rating, the transparency level, the color number, and the pigment number. This enables you to make an informed decision about which paint to use every time.
Relying on rich and vivid pigments, these paints are safe and non-toxic. A 100-percent money-back guarantee ensures customer satisfaction.
Artists praise the coverage ability of this thick and creamy paint. However, a few consumers have had difficulty with the lids on the tubes breaking.
If you’re looking for paint that’s easy to apply and looks great on canvas, you’ll love these.
Pros
- Extremely helpful labels
- Rich, vibrant color
- Great texture
Cons
- The lids on some tubes may break
6. Colore Acrylic Paint Set
Backed by a one-year, money-back guarantee, it’s impossible to go wrong with these paints. The package contains 24 tubes, each measuring 12 milliliters. It’s the best paint for canvas painting if you’re looking for something that dries quickly and contains all of the basic colors.
Advertised as a professional acrylic paint set, the paints included are rich and vivid. They can be used on virtually any surface and have a durable, glossy finish. The included range of colors easily is sufficient to create any hue that you can imagine.
People who have used these paints swear by them for their ability to mix and take to canvas. Critics found that the paint was sometimes difficult to get out of the tube.
These premium acrylic paints are great for the hobbyist and the professional.
Pros
- One-year, money-back guarantee
- Lots of reliable colors
- Lovely, glossy finish
Cons
- May have difficulty getting the paint out of the tubes
7. Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Paint Set
With 10 60-milliliter tubes, you get a lot for your money with this set. Additionally, it comes from Winsor & Newton, a respected brand that’s been providing outstanding products for many years.
Excellent opacity and permanence make this the best paint to use on canvas. Thanks to its thick consistency, this paint is great for mixing and blending, and you’ll get good brush stroke retention too.
The clean, bright colors make this paint a pleasure to use. Even the smooth, satiny finish is a plus.
People love that this paint is thick, smooth, and easy to apply. Nonetheless, some complain that these fall short of being artist-grade.
If you’re looking for paint that will give you a superior experience, then Winsor & Newton is the way to go.
Pros
- Excellent consistency
- Great coverage
- Bold, beautiful colors
Cons
- Not quite artist grade
8. US Art Supply 133 Piece Deluxe Artist Painting Set
Complete with an easel, paintbrushes, painting pads, sketch pads, and six canvas panels, this set also features 24 12-milliliter acrylic paint tubes. It further includes oil paint tubes, watercolor paint tubes, a plastic palette, and a color-mixing wheel.
This set has everything you need to start painting, including some serviceable acrylic paints. While this may not be the best professional acrylic paint set, it has everything that the student or hobbyist requires.
The acrylic paints are not top-of-the-line, but they are suitable for the classroom, practice, and experimentation.
People who have purchased this kit love having everything at their fingertips. The tiny tubes of paint are the most frequent complaint.
Those looking for a convenient all-in-one painting package can’t go wrong with this choice.
Pros
- Everything in one package
- Lets you experiment without blowing your budget
- Decent, student-grade paints
Cons
- Really small paint tubes
9. Glokers Complete Acrylic Paint Set
If you’ve already determined that acrylics are the best option, then you’ll love this choice, which we’ve named the best acrylic paint starter kit. For an affordable price, you get a mini easel, half-a-dozen canvases, a paint tray, painting knives, and almost a dozen acrylic paintbrushes.
Acrylic painting for beginners is simplified with the included 12 paint tubes. They can be blended to create unique colors or used as-is. Decent student-grade paints like these are all that you need to get started.
Fans of this kit say that they love the price and quality. Nonetheless, some people wish that instructions were included.
As a starter set, this is a bargain for kids, students, and hobbyists.
Pros
- Everything for the beginner
- Decent paint
- Colors mix well
Cons
- No instructions for absolute beginners
10. Zenacolor Acrylic Paint Set
This might be the ideal selection for people who are picking up a paintbrush for the first time. The 120-milliliter tubes are generously sized, and the 12 colors included cover all of the basics.
Moreover, these acrylics are incredibly easy to work with, making them the best paint to use on a canvas for beginners. With so much paint on hand, experimenting with techniques on the canvas or blending new colors is always a possibility.
These water-based, non-toxic paints are totally safe for use by kids as well. Praise for the color, texture, and price of these paints is almost universal. However, experienced artists are likely to look for paints with higher-quality pigments and brighter hues.
This set is perfect for the beginner who’s excited to experiment.
Pros
- Huge tubs perfect for experimentation
- Covers all basic colors
- Remarkably easy to use
Cons
- Pigments may not be rich enough for experienced artists
Factors to Consider When Buying the Best Acrylic Paint for Canvas
Two main ingredients
Acrylic paints are characterized by the presence of two main ingredients: pigment and a binder consisting of an acrylic polymer emulsion.
They dry faster than oil paints do, and they remain flexible after drying. While watercolors can be reactivated, acrylics cannot.
Student-grade and artist-grade acrylic paint
Artists may choose between student-grade and artist-grade acrylic paint. These two types of acrylic paint may have very different properties.
Student paints have more filler than pigment, giving them a lower range of colors.
It is less expensive, which makes it more feasible for practice and experimentation.
Artist-grade paints contain far more pigment, giving them brighter, more vibrant colors.
It’s typical to see a greater variety of colors at this grade as well. If you do opt for artist-quality paint, then you’ll likely find that they are much more expensive. This is clear when purchasing a set, but buying individual tubes makes it even more obvious.
That’s because some colors cost more than others. This is attributable to the pigments used. Typically, paints that include cadmium are among the most expensive.
Colorfastness of the paint
When looking for the best acrylic paint brand for canvas, it is wise to consider the colorfastness of the paint. This refers to the degree to which the paint’s color will fade over time. The ASTM, an international organization, categorizes paints from I to III based on their colorfastness with an I being the maximum level.
However, you may see some paint manufacturers using the AA designation to denote their most light-fast paint.
Viscosity
Another important factor when choosing acrylic paint is its viscosity.
Also referred to as consistency, thicker paints typically make it easier to retain visible brushstrokes in a finished work. Thinner acrylics are ideal for making transparent washes or for use with an airbrush.
Acrylic Paint for Canvas FAQs
Do I need to buy artist-quality acrylic paint?
Browsing reveals that artist-grade acrylics are more costly than student-grade. This is because they are made with higher-quality pigments that may be difficult or more expensive to obtain. With this quality upgrade, it follows that these paints perform better in terms of lightfastness and permanence.
However, if you’re a beginner, a hobbyist, or a student, then there’s no need to blow your budget on artist-quality paints. Student-quality acrylics are quite good, and they cost less.
This means that you’re free to experiment with blending, mixing, and brushstrokes without worrying about expensive materials. If you decide to try selling your work, that’s the time to invest in artist-grade paints.
Should I choose an acrylic paint that is more or less viscous?
The viscosity or thickness of acrylic paint has a major impact on performance. A heavy-body acrylic is buttery and thick, which makes color mixing and blending a breeze. It’s also able to maintain visible brushstrokes on the canvas. If you like, water can be used to thin these paints.
Fluid acrylics have a thinner consistency that might be compared to ink. These are well-suited to achieving watercolor-like effects or complete details. Some artists also use them for dry-brush work.
Whether you choose a thick or thin paint is up to you and the project you’re working on. It’s wise to experiment with both to determine what works best.
Is there a way to keep acrylic paint from drying so quickly?
Many people prefer acrylics over oils because of their quick drying time. However, if you want to create blending effects or mix paint right on the canvas, this quick-drying can be a problem. For these situations, consider adding a retarding medium to the paint that extends the drying time.
It will take practice to get these techniques right, but it will definitely make your work more sophisticated.
Making The Decision
Choosing the best paint for canvas comes down to your personal preference and your artistic goals. Winsor & Newton oil colors are a fantastic pick for developing artists, but the Williamsburg paints are worth the splurge.
If you’re going for acrylic, then we recommend the Benicci set but you can’t go wrong with the Reeves set for watercolor.
