Acrylic Painting
Paint that forgives mistakes.
Acrylic is the most beginner-friendly paint. It dries fast, layers over itself well, cleans up with water, and stays put once dry.
It works on canvas, wood, paper, fabric, and most other surfaces. Fast drying is both an advantage and a constraint. Paintings come together quickly, but blending wet paint takes more effort than with oils.
A starter set has a small range of colors you can mix into many more. The two most useful additions are a good brush set and a few canvases. Canvases are the cheapest part of the hobby.
You’ll love acrylic painting if…
- you want a paint that cleans up with water and skips the fumes
- you like being able to paint over anything you don't like
- you want to paint on more than just paper
What you'll need to get started
Caliart Acrylic Paint Set with Brushes
Twenty-four colors and twelve brushes in one box. More than enough to start, and the brushes cover the common shapes.
FIXSMITH Stretched Canvas (8x10, 12-pack)
Twelve pre-primed cotton canvases at 8x10. Cheaper per piece than buying them one at a time.
Acrylic Painting: Project Book for Beginners
A Walter Foster project book. Step-by-step lessons on color mixing, brushwork, and simple subjects to follow along with.
Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Set
Twelve tubes of artist-grade acrylic. Higher pigment load and better coverage than student paint, with cleaner mixing.
If you like this, also try
Not sure which hobby fits you?
Take the quiz