The best acrylic paint sets balance palette size, paint quantity, and the surfaces or effects you plan to work with. These picks range from compact color-mixing kits to specialty metallic paints, so choose by your projects and preferred tube size.
Quick Top Products
U.S. Art Supply 72 Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 72 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Paint is water-based and highly pigmented.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists and students who want a broad palette in compact tubes.
U.S. Art Supply 24 Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint Set
- Has 24 colors in 2oz bottles.
- Includes seven brushes with flat and round nylon tips.
- Paints are water-based and described as weather-resistant.
Best For: Craft painters who want outdoor-oriented colors and brushes in one set.
U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Contains 12 colors in 75ml tubes.
- Paint is water-based, with smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Works on canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
Best For: Painters who prefer a compact color selection in larger artist tubes.
U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 12 metallic colors in 75ml tubes.
- The paint is water-based and offers a metallic finish.
- Intended surfaces include canvas, wood, pottery, and rock.
Best For: Artists adding metallic color and shine to canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks.
U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Iridescent Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 12 iridescent colors in 75ml tubes.
- The paints have color-shifting properties.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Painters seeking shimmering, color-shifting effects for mixed surfaces.
U.S. Art Supply 36 Color Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 36 metallic colors in 18ml tubes.
- The collection includes pearlescent and iridescent finishes.
- Suitable for canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, and models.
Best For: Artists who want many metallic and pearlescent options in smaller tubes.
U.S. Art Supply 36 Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Contains 36 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Suitable surfaces include canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Beginners, students, and hobby painters who want a varied general-purpose palette.
U.S. Art Supply 24 Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 24 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Paint is water-based, highly pigmented, and smooth.
- A double-sided color mixing wheel is included.
Best For: Painters who want a smaller, lower-commitment palette for learning and crafts.
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 these general-purpose acrylic options, with 12ml tubes suited to a variety of projects. The water-based paint is described as highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
It is suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper, and the set includes a double-sided color mixing wheel. That breadth can be useful for exploring color relationships or keeping many hues at hand.
The tradeoff is the small amount in each tube, so it may suit variety better than frequent use of a few favorite colors.
Best For: Artists and students who want a broad palette in compact tubes.
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Choose this set when palette variety is the priority and you expect to work across several subjects or surfaces. It brings together 72 colors and a mixing wheel, while each tube is only 12ml.
If you regularly use larger quantities of a smaller group of colors, a larger-tube set may be a more practical fit. Check whether the colors in this palette match your preferred painting style before buying.
Outdoor Craft Kit with Brushes
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 pairs 2oz bottles with seven brushes, making it a practical option for craft sessions that need more than paint alone. The paints are described as weather-resistant and suitable for indoor and outdoor use, with canvas, rocks, wood, crafts, and toys among the intended surfaces.
A color mixing wheel is included for learning or planning combinations. The larger bottle format can be handy for repeated craft projects.
Consider that its outdoor emphasis and included brushes make it different from compact tube sets aimed at general studio palettes.
Best For: Craft painters who want outdoor-oriented colors and brushes in one set.
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This is a useful choice when rocks, wood crafts, or other outdoor projects are central and you want brushes included. Its 2oz bottles provide a different format from small artist tubes, and its 24-color selection offers a range of shades for varied projects.
The product has weather-resistant paint, but a specific exposure or finish-care detail is not specified. Check that the included colors and brush types suit your planned projects.
Large-Tube General Palette
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 keeps the palette to 12 colors and supplies them in 75ml tubes. The water-based acrylics are described as highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
The listed colors include familiar mixing staples such as cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, and lamp black, alongside earth and green tones. Canvas, wood, fabric, and paper are among the intended surfaces.
It is a straightforward fit for painters who would rather have larger quantities per color than dozens of small tubes, though the narrower selection asks for more mixing.
Best For: Painters who prefer a compact color selection in larger artist tubes.
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Pick this set if you want large tubes of core colors for canvas or mixed-surface painting. Its listed palette includes common primaries, neutrals, and earth tones, while a larger color-count set offers more premixed choices.
That creates a practical choice between tube quantity and palette breadth. Before buying, check that the included color names cover your usual subjects and that 75ml tubes suit your storage and workspace.
Large Metallic 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 centers on metallic effects rather than a conventional range of flat colors. It contains 12 colors in 75ml tubes, with a smooth, water-based formula described as richly pigmented and suitable for blending and coverage.
The stated surfaces include canvas, wood, pottery, and rock. Larger tubes may suit projects that use metallic shades repeatedly, from craft work to detailed models.
The records do not identify the individual shades, so check the color selection if you need specific metallic tones or want to coordinate it with an existing palette.
Best For: Artists adding metallic color and shine to canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks.
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Choose this set when metallic effects are an important part of your work and you want large tubes of specialty shades. Its 12-color count is narrower, but the tube size may make more sense for repeated use of those colors.
The individual colors are not identified in the available details, so confirm that they include the finishes you need before purchase. It is a specialty addition rather than an all-purpose basic palette.
Color-Shifting Pearl 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 and color-shifting effects, including pearl and chameleon-style shades. The paints come in 75ml tubes and are described as water-based, highly pigmented, and smooth, with covering strength.
They can be used on canvas, wood, fabric, paper, rocks, and other art media. A double-sided color mixing wheel is also included.
This is a focused choice for adding shimmer or changing-color accents; for a conventional range of opaque everyday hues, pair it with or choose a general acrylic set instead.
Best For: Painters seeking shimmering, color-shifting effects for mixed surfaces.
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This set suits projects where shifting pearl effects are central, including accents on canvas, wood, paper, or rocks. It combines 12 specialty shades with 75ml tubes and a mixing wheel.
A standard acrylic set is more suitable if you first need a broad foundation of conventional colors. Since the listed palette is specifically iridescent, consider how often you will use these effects and whether you already have basic colors for the rest of your work.
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 expands the shade count to 36 while using 18ml tubes. The paint is described as heavy body, richly pigmented, and suitable for smooth blending and coverage.
Its intended applications include canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, outdoor crafts, and detailed model painting. Silver, gold, and copper tones are part of the selection, along with pearlescent and iridescent finishes.
The smaller tube size trades quantity per shade for a broad range of effects, which may fit experimentation or detail work better than large surfaces using the same metallic color repeatedly.
Best For: Artists who want many metallic and pearlescent options in smaller tubes.
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Choose this option when a wide variety of metallic shades matters more than having large amounts of each. Its 36 colors include several metallic tones and pearlescent or iridescent finishes.
Think about whether your work is mainly detailed accents or larger areas that consume more paint. Check that a specialty metallic palette complements your core acrylic colors.
36-Color Everyday 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 general-purpose set offers 36 colors in 12ml tubes, with water-based paint that has high pigmentation, a smooth consistency, and covering strength. It is suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and a range of art projects.
A double-sided color mixing wheel adds a basic color-theory reference, while the audience spans beginners, students, artists, and teachers. The broad palette gives a range of ready-made options, and all colors come in small tubes.
It is a reasonable starting format for trying varied subjects without moving to large artist tubes.
Best For: Beginners, students, and hobby painters who want a varied general-purpose palette.
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This is a balanced pick for a learner or hobbyist who wants a broad choice of colors while keeping to compact tubes. It covers common art surfaces and includes a mixing wheel.
Consider how quickly you use paint and whether you would rather mix colors yourself or have more ready-made hues available.
Compact 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 combines water-based acrylics with a double-sided color mixing wheel. The paint has high pigmentation, a smooth consistency, and covering strength; it is suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
Its audience includes adults, artists, students, beginners, professionals, and teachers. The compact tubes and range of premixed shades make it a straightforward starting palette.
Painters who prefer less mixing may want more colors on hand.
Best For: Painters who want a smaller, lower-commitment palette for learning and crafts.
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Choose this set if you want a modest range of everyday colors in small tubes, especially for learning or occasional projects. It includes a color mixing wheel and a selection of premixed shades.
That means a simpler palette and more reliance on mixing. If you paint often or need less mixing, consider a larger-tube or higher-color-count set instead.
Check the included shades for your preferred subjects.
How to Choose Acrylic Paint Sets
How We Picked Acrylic Paint Sets
We selected products that are acrylic paint sets for making artwork or crafts, then compared their palette size, container format, intended surfaces, and distinctive effects. General-purpose palettes suit everyday canvas and craft painting.
The outdoor-oriented kit adds brushes and focuses on projects such as rocks and wood, while the metallic and iridescent sets serve painters looking for specialty finishes.
Each use case calls for a different balance. Small tubes make it possible to keep many colors on hand, while larger tubes provide more of each selected shade.
Specialty finishes can add visual effects, but they do not replace a conventional palette when a project needs everyday colors.
Comparing Acrylic Paint Sets
Start by deciding whether you need a general palette or a specialty effect. The 24-, 36-, and 72-color general sets use 12ml tubes, with the 72-color option offering the most ready-made shades.
The 12-color general set uses 75ml tubes, which favors larger quantities of fewer colors. The comparison table below summarizes those format and palette differences.
For metallic effects, compare the 36-color set in 18ml tubes with the 12-color set in 75ml tubes. One favors shade variety; the other provides larger tubes of a smaller selection.
The 12-color iridescent set focuses on color-shifting pearl effects. For outdoor crafts, the 24-color kit stands apart with 2oz bottles and seven brushes.
| Product | Standout features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Art Supply 72 Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists and students who want a broad palette in compact tubes. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24 Color Outdoor Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Craft painters who want outdoor-oriented colors and brushes in one set. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters who prefer a compact color selection in larger artist tubes. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Metallic Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists adding metallic color and shine to canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12 Color Iridescent Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters seeking shimmering, color-shifting effects for mixed surfaces. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36 Color Metallic Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists who want many metallic and pearlescent options in smaller tubes. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36 Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Beginners, students, and hobby painters who want a varied general-purpose palette. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24 Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters who want a smaller, lower-commitment palette for learning and crafts. |
Choosing Acrylic Paint for Your Surfaces
Canvas, wood, fabric, and paper appear across several general-purpose sets, while the outdoor-oriented kit also targets rocks, crafts, and toys. The metallic paints list canvas, wood, pottery, and rocks; the 36-color metallic option also names detailed model projects.
Match the intended surfaces to your planned work, and check whether the set focuses on indoor use, indoor and outdoor use, or particular craft applications.
The outdoor set describes its paint as weather-resistant, but the supplied details do not establish how a finished project should be sealed or maintained. If your work will face weather, check the paint's suitability for that exact surface and exposure before starting.
Palette Size, Tube Format, and Color Mixing
Color count alone does not tell you how much paint you receive. The general-purpose 12ml sets offer 24, 36, or 72 colors, while the 12-color artist set uses 75ml tubes.
Metallic choices come in 18ml or 75ml formats, and the outdoor set uses 2oz bottles. Consider both the number of shades and how much you expect to use of each one.
Several general sets include a double-sided color mixing wheel. That tool can support learning color relationships, but a larger ready-made palette means less need to mix every shade from a smaller selection.
Beginners may value the wheel and a manageable set; painters with specific color needs should check the named shades where available.
Who Should Buy Which Acrylic Paint Set?
Choose the 72-color set for the broadest general palette in compact tubes, or the 12-color 75ml set if you prefer larger quantities of core colors. The 24- and 36-color sets offer middle-ground palettes in 12ml tubes, with the 24-color option keeping the selection simpler.
Pick the outdoor kit for rocks, wood crafts, and included brushes. For specialty finishes, choose between the broad 36-color metallic range in 18ml tubes, the 12-color metallic set in 75ml tubes, or the 12-color iridescent set for color-shifting effects.