The best acrylic paint sets depend on whether you need broad color choice, larger tubes, or a specialty finish for your projects. Compare each set’s color count and tube size, then choose the finish and surfaces that match how you paint.
Quick Top Products
U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 72 colors in 12ml tubes.
- Made for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists and students who want a wide palette of small tubes for varied subjects and surfaces.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Set
- Includes 24 colors in 2oz bottles.
- The set includes seven brushes and a color mixing wheel.
- Intended for indoor and outdoor use on several surfaces.
Best For: Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, or canvas who want larger bottles and brushes in one set.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 36 colors in 12ml tubes.
- For canvas, wood, fabric, and paper projects.
- Comes with a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Beginners and art students who want a varied palette plus a color learning tool.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 24 colors in 12ml tubes.
- The paints are water-based and highly pigmented.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: New painters and students seeking a smaller color assortment with a mixing aid.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 12 colors in 75ml tubes.
- Includes core shades such as titanium white and lamp black.
- Suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
Best For: Painters who prefer a focused set of 75ml tubes for core colors and mixing.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Includes 12 metallic colors in 75ml tubes.
- Made for canvas, wood, pottery, and rock surfaces.
- The paints have a smooth, high-shine finish.
Best For: Artists and crafters who want shimmering metallic colors in larger tubes.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic Set
- Includes 12 iridescent colors in 75ml tubes.
- The colors create shimmering, color-shifting effects.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Artists adding chameleon and pearl effects to canvas, paper, wood, or rock projects.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Includes 36 metallic colors in 18ml tubes.
- The palette includes silver, gold, and copper tones.
- Intended for canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, and model painting.
Best For: Painters who want more metallic color choices in smaller tubes for crafts and detailed work.
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 set brings together 72 colors in 12ml tubes, giving artists a broad palette for canvas work, crafts, landscapes, and portraits. The paints are water-based, highly pigmented, and described as having a smooth consistency and covering strength.
It also includes a double-sided color mixing wheel with color terminology and definitions, which can help students explore color relationships. The tubes are relatively small, so this option favors color variety over a few larger supplies.
It suits people who enjoy choosing from many shades and are comfortable checking how much paint their projects require.
Best For: Artists and students who want a wide palette of small tubes for varied subjects and surfaces.
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Choose this set if having many colors on hand matters more than getting larger amounts of each shade. Its small tubes and mixing wheel make it a sensible format for students, color studies, and projects that move between subjects.
If you tend to use a few core colors heavily, compare it with other sets that offer larger tubes. Check the specific color assortment before buying if you need a particular pigment.
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 outdoor-focused set pairs 24 colors in 2oz bottles with seven brushes, making it a practical starting point for crafts that call for several shades and tools. The paints are water-based and described as weather-resistant, with canvas, rocks, wood, and toys among the intended projects.
A color mixing wheel adds a learning aid for new painters. The bottles offer more paint per color than the small-tube sets, though the record does not give a full color-by-color lineup or specify exact outdoor exposure conditions.
It is a fit for mixed craft projects as well as canvas painting.
Best For: Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, or canvas who want larger bottles and brushes in one set.
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Choose this set when you want a craft-oriented assortment with brushes included and expect to paint surfaces such as rocks or wood. The 2oz bottles provide a different format from the smaller tubes, while the weather-resistant description makes outdoor craft use part of its intended role.
If you need metallic or iridescent effects, consider one of the specialty sets instead. Before choosing it for an exposed outdoor piece, check the finish and care requirements for that project.
High Color Count in Small 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
With many colors in small tubes, this set offers a broad palette of water-based, highly pigmented paints with a smooth consistency and covering strength. It is aimed at adults, artists, students, beginners, professionals, and teachers, and the range of intended surfaces includes canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
A double-sided color mixing wheel adds color terminology and definitions. Its small tubes suit sampling many shades, though frequent use of one color can mean going through that tube sooner.
Best For: Beginners and art students who want a varied palette plus a color learning tool.
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Pick this set if you want a broad palette of shades but do not need the widest palette in the group. Its small tubes keep the assortment compact, and the mixing wheel is useful for a beginner or classroom setting.
For projects that consume a lot of paint, larger tubes or bottles may be more practical. Check the color list before purchase if your work depends on specific named shades.
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 set uses small tubes and includes a double-sided color mixing wheel. The water-based paints are highly pigmented, smooth, and suitable for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
Its intended projects include portraits, abstracts, landscapes, and scenery, so it covers common painting exercises with a compact assortment. The tube size is suited to trying different colors or occasional painting.
It may be less convenient when a project calls for substantial amounts of a frequently used shade.
Best For: New painters and students seeking a smaller color assortment with a mixing aid.
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This is a straightforward fit for someone starting with acrylics or adding a compact assortment for lessons and craft projects. It has fewer color choices than broader small-tube sets, but the mixing wheel gives beginners a way to explore combinations.
Consider a broader palette if you prefer more ready-made shades, or a larger-tube set if you use particular colors often. Check the color lineup against your planned work.
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 set contains 12 colors in large 75ml tubes, including familiar choices such as cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, and lamp black. The water-based acrylics are described as highly pigmented, smooth, and offering good covering strength, with use across canvas, wood, fabric, and paper.
The tighter palette makes it easier to focus on mixing rather than choosing among dozens of ready-made shades. The tube size is useful for longer projects, but this is the standard color set rather than the metallic or iridescent options elsewhere in the roundup.
Best For: Painters who prefer a focused set of 75ml tubes for core colors and mixing.
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Choose these larger tubes if you would rather mix colors from a focused palette than manage many small tubes. The named colors make the assortment easier to evaluate for familiar painting needs, while the large tubes suit projects that use core shades repeatedly.
Other sets offer broader premixed palettes or an included color tool. This set is not the choice for a metallic or color-shifting finish.
Metallic Finish in Large 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 supplies 12 metallic colors in 75ml tubes, with a smooth, high-shine finish intended for canvas, wood, pottery, and rock projects. The product notes describe rich pigmentation, blending, and coverage, and mention layering or mixing for larger paintings and detailed model work.
Its metallic palette is the main attraction; it serves a different purpose from a general-purpose assortment of standard colors. The notes do not name every shade, so check the included color lineup if a particular metallic tone matters.
This set makes sense as a focused finish choice or complement to a standard acrylic palette.
Best For: Artists and crafters who want shimmering metallic colors in larger tubes.
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This set suits work where metallic shine is a key part of the design, such as accents on canvas, pottery, or wood crafts. Its 75ml tubes offer more paint per shade than the small-tube metallic set, while the 12-color selection is narrower than that alternative.
It is less suitable as a sole palette if you need standard colors for general painting. Check which metallic shades are included and whether you also need a standard acrylic set.
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 set centers on color-shifting effects rather than a conventional palette. Its 12 iridescent colors come in 75ml tubes and include options described as interference pearls and combinations that shift between hues, such as aqua and violet or blue and gold.
The water-based acrylics have a smooth consistency and covering strength, and are intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, rocks, and other art media. A double-sided color mixing wheel is included.
This is a specialized choice for luminous accents and effects; check the color names if you want a particular shift or pearl tone.
Best For: Artists adding chameleon and pearl effects to canvas, paper, wood, or rock projects.
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Pick this option when pearl and shifting effects are central to your project. It provides larger 75ml tubes and a named assortment of interference and color-shifting shades, unlike the standard acrylic sets.
Its specialization means it may not cover everyday color needs by itself. Compare the shade list with your design, and consider whether you need a conventional palette alongside it.
Metallic Palette with More Shades
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 pairs a broad selection of metallic colors with small tubes, offering more shade choices while keeping each tube compact. The paints have a high-shine finish and a heavy body, with rich pigmentation, smooth blending, and coverage.
The set includes pearlescent and iridescent finishes, with silver, gold, and copper tones, and is intended for canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, outdoor crafts, and model projects. It fits detailed work or projects needing varied metallic tones.
The smaller tubes are a tradeoff if you expect to use one shade heavily.
Best For: Painters who want more metallic color choices in smaller tubes for crafts and detailed work.
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Choose this set if varied metallic shades matter more than larger quantities per color. Its broad selection and smaller tubes offer a varied palette in a compact format.
The stated effects and color families suit decorative projects and detailed model work. Check the full color assortment before buying, especially if a particular metallic hue is essential.
How to Choose Acrylic Paint Sets
How We Picked Acrylic Paint Sets
We selected sets that provide acrylic paint for art, craft, canvas, or model projects, then grouped them by the decisions buyers actually face: how many colors are included, how much paint comes in each container, and whether the finish is standard, metallic, or iridescent.
That brings together focused 12-color tubes, broader 24-, 36-, and 72-color palettes, a 24-color craft set with brushes, and specialty effect paints.
We excluded a surface primer because its job is to prepare a surface before painting. The remaining options can serve as paint sets themselves, though the specialty metallic and iridescent palettes are best understood as effect-focused choices rather than all-purpose color ranges.
Comparing Acrylic Paint Sets
Color count alone does not tell you how much paint you get. The 12ml tube assortments offer many shade choices in compact quantities, while the 75ml options concentrate on larger amounts per color.
The outdoor craft set uses 2oz bottles and includes seven brushes, so it differs in both container style and included tools.
Finish also matters. Standard acrylic sets suit general painting and mixing, while metallic colors add shine and the iridescent set focuses on pearl and color-shifting effects.
If you want metallic variety, compare the 36-color 18ml option with the narrower 12-color 75ml option. Check the color lists for your intended project, since several assortments do not name every included shade.
| Product | Standout features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists and students who want a wide palette of small tubes for varied subjects and surfaces. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Crafters painting rocks, wood, toys, or canvas who want larger bottles and brushes in one set. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Beginners and art students who want a varied palette plus a color learning tool. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| New painters and students seeking a smaller color assortment with a mixing aid. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Painters who prefer a focused set of 75ml tubes for core colors and mixing. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists and crafters who want shimmering metallic colors in larger tubes. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists adding chameleon and pearl effects to canvas, paper, wood, or rock projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Painters who want more metallic color choices in smaller tubes for crafts and detailed work. |
Choosing Acrylic Paint for Canvas and Crafts
For classroom work or beginner color studies, a mixing wheel and a manageable number of shades can be more useful than the largest palette. The 24-color 12ml set offers that smaller assortment; the 36- and 72-color sets give more ready-made choices while retaining the same tube size.
For crafts across surfaces, look at the intended materials and container format. The outdoor set specifically pairs 24 colors with brushes and calls out rocks, wood, toys, and canvas.
The general-purpose tube sets name canvas, wood, fabric, and paper. For exposed outdoor work, confirm the paint's finish and care requirements for the particular object rather than assuming all acrylics behave the same way outdoors.
Selecting Metallic or Iridescent Acrylic Paint
Metallic paint sets are designed for reflective color accents and decorative effects. The 12-color set supplies larger tubes, while the 36-color set offers more shades in smaller tubes and includes silver, gold, and copper tones.
Consider whether you expect to use a few colors often or want many metallic choices for detailed designs.
Iridescent acrylics serve a different visual purpose, with interference pearls and colors that shift between hues. The 12-color set names examples such as aqua and violet or blue and gold.
It also includes a color wheel. If you need standard opaque colors for the main painting, plan for a separate general-purpose palette.
Who Should Buy Which Acrylic Paint Set?
Choose the 72-color 12ml set for the broadest ready-made palette, or the 36-color 12ml set for a smaller assortment with the same mixing tool. New painters who want fewer choices can consider the 24-color 12ml option, while painters who use core hues in larger quantities may prefer the 12-color 75ml tubes.
For outdoor-style crafts, the 24-color bottle set adds seven brushes and is intended for rocks, wood, toys, and canvas. Choose the 12-color 75ml metallic set when you want larger quantities of a shiny finish, the 36-color 18ml metallic set when shade variety comes first, or the 12-color iridescent set for pearl and shifting effects.
Check tube or bottle size and the exact color lineup before purchase.