The best acrylic paint sets vary in color range, paint quantity, and finish, so the right choice depends on how you plan to use them. These picks cover everyday painting, larger palettes, outdoor crafts, and metallic or iridescent effects.
Quick Top Products
U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 72 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Water-based paints with smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists and students who want a wide palette in compact tubes for varied projects.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint Set
- 24 colors in 2oz bottles.
- Weather-resistant paints for indoor and outdoor crafts.
- Includes seven nylon brushes and a color mixing wheel.
Best For: Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, or canvas who want brushes included.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- 36 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Paints are water-based with smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Students and beginners who want many colors in small tubes for practice and projects.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- 12 colors in 75ml tubes.
- Includes named colors such as cobalt blue and titanium white.
- Water-based paints for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
Best For: Painters who prefer a focused set of core colors in larger tubes for mixing.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- 24 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Water-based paint with smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Beginners and students who want a compact general-purpose palette with a mixing aid.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic Set
- 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 accents to canvas, crafts, or mixed-media work.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
- 12 metallic colors in 75ml tubes.
- Designed for canvas, wood, pottery, and rocks.
- The water-based paint has a metallic finish.
Best For: Painters who want a dedicated metallic palette in larger tubes for crafts and canvas.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
- 36 metallic colors in 18ml tubes.
- Includes pearlescent and iridescent finishes.
- Includes silver, gold, and copper tones.
Best For: Artists who want many metallic and pearlescent shades for details, crafts, and models.
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 72-color set offers the widest palette among the standard acrylic options here, with 12ml tubes and a double-sided color mixing wheel. The water-based paints are described as highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
They suit canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media, so the range can support portraits, landscapes, and crafts. The compact tubes provide less paint per color than the larger tube sets in this roundup.
Choose it when having many colors ready matters more than buying a few colors in larger quantities.
Best For: Artists and students who want a wide palette in compact tubes for varied projects.
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Choose this set when palette breadth is the priority for classwork, practice, or mixed projects. The 12ml tubes keep the set compact, with a modest amount of paint per color.
Check whether the included shades suit your subjects, since the exact color list is not provided. The color wheel is useful if you are learning to mix, while the familiar surface range supports canvas and craft work.
Outdoor Crafts and Brush Kit
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 outdoor acrylic set pairs 2oz bottles with a seven-brush kit, making it a practical choice for craft work across several surfaces. The paints are water-based, non-toxic, and described as weather-resistant, with canvas, rocks, and wood among the intended projects.
Flat and round nylon brush tips offer different stroke options, and a color mixing wheel is included for planning blends. Its outdoor focus and larger bottles distinguish it from the compact tube sets.
Consider it for crafts that call for both a broad basic palette and painting tools in the same set.
Best For: Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, or canvas who want brushes included.
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Pick this set for crafts where the included brushes and 2oz bottles are useful, especially rocks and wood projects. Its weather-resistant positioning suits outdoor craft plans, but the record gives no duration or care details for outdoor exposure.
Check the intended surface and finish needs before starting a project. For studio palettes or special effects, the dedicated metallic and iridescent sets offer a more specific finish.
Compact 36-Color Palette
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 provides a broad palette in 12ml tubes for students, beginners, artists, and teachers. Its water-based acrylics are described as highly pigmented, smooth, and covering, and the listed surfaces include canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
A double-sided color mixing wheel adds a learning aid for color terminology and theory. The smaller tube size makes it better suited to practice and varied small projects than work that uses large amounts of one shade.
It is a straightforward option for building color familiarity without moving to a specialty finish.
Best For: Students and beginners who want many colors in small tubes for practice and projects.
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This set fits learners who want a range of colors and an included mixing aid for class or home projects. The 12ml tubes help keep the palette varied, while limiting how much of any single color is available.
Compare the exact shade list with your planned subjects before buying; it is not included in the product details here. If you use a few colors heavily, a larger-tube set may be more practical.
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 of water-based acrylic paint, with named core shades such as cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, and lamp black. The paints are described as highly pigmented, smooth, and strong in coverage, and are intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other media.
A smaller palette can encourage mixing while keeping more paint available in each selected color. It is a sensible fit for portraits, landscapes, and practice where a curated set matters more than a large number of ready-mixed shades.
Best For: Painters who prefer a focused set of core colors in larger tubes for mixing.
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Choose this set if you would rather mix from a focused core palette than keep dozens of ready-made colors on hand. The 75ml tubes offer more of each selected shade than the compact sets, which can help for repeat use of core colors.
Its list includes familiar mixing colors, but check whether those shades cover your intended subject matter. Brushes and a palette are not specified, so plan separately if you need them.
Affordable 24-Color Starter Set
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 uses 12ml tubes and includes a double-sided color mixing wheel. The water-based paints have vivid colors, smooth consistency, and covering strength, and they are intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
It offers a broad starter palette in a compact tube format. It suits practice, lessons, and smaller craft projects where an assortment and color-mixing reference are useful.
Best For: Beginners and students who want a compact general-purpose palette with a mixing aid.
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This is a useful palette for learners who want a range of shades in modest quantities. The 12ml format keeps each color modest in quantity, so painters using the same shades across larger canvases may prefer larger tubes.
The color wheel supports learning, and the listed surface range covers common art and craft projects. Check the shade contents if you need particular pigments.
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 iridescent set brings 12 special-effect colors in large 75ml tubes, including interference pearls and shades that shift between colors. The water-based acrylic paint is described as highly pigmented with smooth consistency and covering strength, and is suited to canvas, wood, fabric, paper, rocks, and other media.
A double-sided color mixing wheel is included. The palette is designed for luminous, chameleon-like effects rather than a conventional range of everyday opaque colors, so it works best as a feature set or a deliberate effect palette.
Best For: Artists adding shimmering, color-shifting accents to canvas, crafts, or mixed-media work.
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Choose this for artwork where shimmer and color shifts are part of the plan, or to complement a standard acrylic palette. The 75ml tubes offer substantial quantities of the effect colors, but all 12 shades are within the iridescent family rather than a conventional all-purpose assortment.
Check the named colors and consider how they will fit with your existing paints. Individual shade opacity is not specified, which matters if you need solid coverage.
Large-Tube Metallic Finish
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 acrylic set contains 12 colors in 75ml tubes, with a high-shine finish intended for canvas, wood, pottery, and rock surfaces. The product details describe smooth blending, rich pigmentation, and coverage, and mention layering and mixing for both larger work and detailed models.
Its water-based formula supports craft use, while the metallic palette gives projects a reflective look that standard acrylic sets do not target. Choose it for a dedicated metallic range; the product details do not provide an exact color list.
Best For: Painters who want a dedicated metallic palette in larger tubes for crafts and canvas.
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This option suits projects where metallic sheen is a central feature, including canvas, pottery, wood, and rock crafts. Its 75ml tubes provide a generous amount of paint per shade, and the set includes a range of metallic colors.
The exact colors are not provided, so check the assortment if you need specific metallic tones. For everyday portraits or landscapes, pair it with a conventional acrylic palette.
36 Metallic Shades in Smaller 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 set offers 36 colors in 18ml tubes, with a broad shade range in compact tubes. The paint is heavy body, richly pigmented, smooth blending, and high shine, with silver, gold, and copper tones among the collection.
It is intended for canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, outdoor crafts, and detailed model work. The range includes pearlescent and iridescent finishes, which make it a specialty choice for accents and effects alongside conventional colors.
Best For: Artists who want many metallic and pearlescent shades for details, crafts, and models.
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Pick this if shade variety in metallic effects matters. The 18ml tubes provide a compact amount of each shade.
Its silver, gold, and copper tones plus pearlescent and iridescent finishes fit decorative work, crafts, and models. Check the complete color assortment before buying if a particular tone is central to your project.
How to Choose Acrylic Paint Sets
How We Picked Acrylic Paint Sets
These picks cover conventional acrylic palettes in several tube counts and sizes, plus dedicated metallic, iridescent, and outdoor craft paints. We included options suited to learners, general painting, large quantities of core shades, color mixing practice, and specialty effects.
The primer set is excluded because it prepares a surface rather than serving as a general-purpose painting palette.
When comparing acrylic paint sets, start with the job: a student may value a wide range and a color wheel, while a painter who repeats a few shades may prefer larger tubes. Specialty finishes make the most sense when shimmer or outdoor craft use is part of the project.
Comparing Acrylic Paint Sets
Tube size and palette breadth shape the main tradeoff. The 72-color set has many ready-made choices in 12ml tubes, while the 12-color core set supplies 75ml tubes of named conventional shades.
The 24- and 36-color sets sit between them in shade count, with the same 12ml tube size. The coordinator inserts a comparison table below this section.
For metallic paint, compare 12 colors in 75ml tubes with 36 colors in 18ml tubes: the former offers more paint per selected shade, and the latter more variety. The iridescent set has 12 large tubes devoted to color-shifting effects.
The outdoor set uses 2oz bottles and includes brushes, which makes it distinct from the tube assortments.
| Product | Standout features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists and students who want a wide palette in compact tubes for varied projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, or canvas who want brushes included. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Students and beginners who want many colors in small tubes for practice and projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters who prefer a focused set of core colors in larger tubes for mixing. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Beginners and students who want a compact general-purpose palette with a mixing aid. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists adding shimmering, color-shifting accents to canvas, crafts, or mixed-media work. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters who want a dedicated metallic palette in larger tubes for crafts and canvas. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists who want many metallic and pearlescent shades for details, crafts, and models. |
Choosing Acrylic Paint for Canvas and Crafts
For canvas and general studio work, check whether the included colors fit your subject and whether you want to mix shades or use them straight from the tube. The 12-color set names core colors such as cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, and lamp black.
The compact 24-, 36-, and 72-color palettes offer more ready-made variety, while taking less space per tube.
For mixed surfaces, the intended materials differ by product. Several sets list canvas, wood, fabric, and paper; the iridescent paint also lists rocks, and the metallic paint covers pottery and model projects.
Match the finish and surface to your planned work, and check whether brushes or other tools are included if you need them.
Which Acrylic Paint Set Fits Your Project?
Choose the 72-color palette when you want many compact shades for practice and varied subjects. Pick the 12-color, 75ml set if you use core colors repeatedly and prefer larger tubes.
The 24-color option gives beginners a moderate range with a color wheel, while the 36-color compact set offers more choices for lessons and small projects.
For decorative finishes, choose the 36-color metallic set for a broader range in smaller tubes, the 12-color metallic set for larger quantities per shade, or the iridescent set for color-shifting effects. For outdoor craft projects that benefit from included brushes and 2oz bottles, the 24-color outdoor set is the most tailored fit.