The best acrylic paint sets vary in color range, tube size, and finish, from broad everyday palettes to metallic and iridescent effects. Choose based on the projects you paint, how much color variety you need, and whether a specialty finish matters more than a general-purpose palette.
Quick Top Products
U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 72 colors in 12 ml tubes.
- The paints are water-based, highly pigmented, and have a smooth consistency.
- A double-sided color mixing wheel is included.
Best For: Artists who want a wide palette for varied painting and craft projects.
U.S. Art Supply Professional 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic Set
- Includes 24 colors in 2 oz bottles.
- The set includes seven flat and round nylon brushes.
- The paints are intended for indoor and outdoor painting.
Best For: Crafters painting canvas, rocks, wood, toys, or other indoor and outdoor projects.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Professional Acrylic Set
- Includes 36 colors in 12 ml tubes.
- The paint is water-based with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
- Includes a double-sided color mixing wheel.
Best For: Students and artists who want many colors in small tubes for varied projects.
U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Professional Acrylic Set
- Contains 24 colors in 12 ml tubes.
- The paints are water-based and have a smooth consistency.
- A double-sided color mixing wheel is included.
Best For: Beginners and students who want a general palette with a color-mixing aid.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint Set, 75 ml
- Includes 12 colors in 75 ml tubes.
- The paints are water-based and described as highly pigmented.
- The colors include cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, and lamp black.
Best For: Painters who prefer larger tubes of a focused set of common colors.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint Set
- Includes 12 metallic colors in 75 ml tubes.
- The paints have a high-shine finish.
- Surfaces include canvas, wood, pottery, and rock.
Best For: Artists and crafters adding metallic finishes to canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks.
U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic Set
- Includes 12 iridescent colors in 75 ml tubes.
- The colors have shimmering, color-shifting effects.
- A double-sided color mixing wheel is included.
Best For: Artists seeking pearlescent, shimmering effects across canvas, wood, paper, or rocks.
U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic Set
- Includes 36 metallic colors in 18 ml tubes.
- The set includes pearlescent and iridescent finishes.
- Uses include canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, and model painting.
Best For: Painters who want many metallic and pearlescent shades in small tubes.
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 includes 72 colors in 12 ml tubes, giving painters a broad palette for canvas work, portraits, landscapes, and crafts. The water-based acrylics are described as highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
The range may reduce the need to mix every shade from a small starter palette, while the compact tubes make it easier to try many colors without buying large quantities of each. A double-sided color mixing wheel is included.
This is a practical fit for artists, students, and beginners who value variety, though each tube holds less paint than larger tube options in this roundup.
Best For: Artists who want a wide palette for varied painting and craft projects.
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Choose this set when having many colors ready to use matters more than getting a larger quantity of each shade. Its 72-color selection and mixing wheel suit varied projects and learning color relationships.
Check whether 12 ml tubes match your painting pace, especially if you regularly use large amounts of a few core colors.
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 24-color set pairs 2 oz bottles with seven brushes, so it is arranged for painters who want a ready-to-use kit for both color and application. Its acrylics are described as weather-resistant and suitable for indoor and outdoor painting on canvas, rocks, and wood.
The included flat and round nylon brushes cover different stroke types, and a color mixing wheel adds a simple learning aid. The paints are water-based and non-toxic.
Consider this option for craft work that spans several surfaces; check that its listed surface guidance fits your intended project before painting.
Best For: Crafters painting canvas, rocks, wood, toys, or other indoor and outdoor projects.
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This is a strong fit for craft sessions where a broad palette, brushes, and outdoor use are useful together. Its 2 oz bottles provide a larger stated quantity per color than small-tube sets, but the palette is focused on 24 colors.
Before starting an outdoor piece, check the project surface and any preparation or finishing needs.
Compact General-Purpose 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
The 36-color set comes in 12 ml tubes and covers a wide range of common painting and craft uses. Its water-based paints are described as highly pigmented, smooth, and capable of covering well.
The listed surfaces include canvas, wood, fabric, and paper, with examples ranging from portraits to landscapes and abstract work. A double-sided color mixing wheel is part of the set, which can help beginners explore color terminology and mixing.
This option balances a larger palette with compact portions. It suits varied projects, although painters who rely on a few colors for larger works may want to compare tube volume carefully.
Best For: Students and artists who want many colors in small tubes for varied projects.
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Pick this set if you want a varied palette in compact 12 ml tubes. The wheel and broad surface range make it useful for students, beginners, and artists trying multiple subjects.
Its key tradeoff is the small tube size: compare your typical paint use against other formats before choosing.
Smaller Starter Palette
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 keeps the palette manageable while covering common painting and craft surfaces. Its 12 ml tubes contain water-based acrylics with highly pigmented color, a smooth consistency, and covering strength.
Canvas, wood, fabric, and paper are among the recommended surfaces, and the examples include portrait painting, abstracts, landscapes, and scenery. A double-sided color mixing wheel is included for exploring color theory and mixing.
It is suited to a first set or a compact classroom palette. Painters who want more ready-mixed shades can look for a set with a broader palette, while those who need more paint per shade should look at larger tubes.
Best For: Beginners and students who want a general palette with a color-mixing aid.
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Choose this set if a broad but contained palette is more useful than dozens of shades. The mixing wheel and general-purpose surface list make it suitable for beginners and students exploring different subjects.
Consider whether its 24 colors and small tubes will suit the scale of work you plan to do.
Large Tubes for Everyday 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 has 12 colors in extra-large 75 ml tubes, a useful format for painters who prefer larger quantities of a focused palette. The water-based acrylics are described as high-intensity and highly pigmented, with a smooth consistency and covering strength.
Its listed colors include cobalt blue, crimson, lemon yellow, titanium white, and lamp black, along with earth and green tones. The paints are intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, and other art media.
Unlike a specialty metallic or iridescent set, this palette is suited to general painting and mixing. It is a practical choice when tube size matters more than a high color count.
Best For: Painters who prefer larger tubes of a focused set of common colors.
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Consider this set when you would rather have larger portions of a focused selection than many small tubes. The listed colors support general mixing and the surfaces span common art materials.
The tradeoff is fewer ready-mixed choices than broader color kits. Check the color names against your usual palette, particularly if you depend on a specific hue.
Large Metallic Color 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 contains 12 metallic colors in 75 ml tubes, giving each shade a generous format. The paints are water-based and have a smooth application, rich pigmentation, and coverage.
Their high-shine finish is intended for projects on canvas, wood, pottery, and rocks, with uses ranging from crafts to model painting. It is best treated as an effects palette rather than a general set for every painting need.
Choose it when larger tubes of metallic paint are more useful than a wider range of shades.
Best For: Artists and crafters adding metallic finishes to canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks.
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Choose this set for projects where a metallic finish is central and larger tubes are useful. Its 12 shades and 75 ml format offer a focused selection in a generous tube size.
For everyday painting, a general acrylic palette may be a better match; for mixed projects, check whether you need metallic colors alongside standard shades.
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 focuses on iridescent effects, with 12 color-shifting shades in 75 ml tubes. The water-based acrylics are described as highly pigmented, smooth, and capable of covering well.
Colors include interference pearls and shifting combinations such as blue to gold and violet to aqua. The paints are intended for canvas, wood, fabric, paper, rocks, and other art media.
A double-sided color mixing wheel is also included. This is a specific-effect palette for accents or full iridescent pieces, rather than a neutral everyday set.
Check the named color effects against your intended surface and design, since the appeal lies in the shifting finish.
Best For: Artists seeking pearlescent, shimmering effects across canvas, wood, paper, or rocks.
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This set makes sense when the shifting pearl effect is part of the artwork's purpose. The 75 ml tubes provide larger portions than compact paint sets, while the 12 specialized colors give less conventional coverage for everyday palettes.
Compare the color descriptions with the finish you want, and consider whether you also need standard opaque acrylic colors for the rest of a project.
Largest Metallic Shade Selection
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 includes 36 colors in 18 ml tubes, emphasizing variety across shiny finishes. The collection includes silver, gold, and copper tones, with pearlescent and iridescent effects.
Its heavy-body acrylic paint offers rich pigmentation, smooth blending, and coverage. The listed uses include canvas, wood, pottery, rocks, outdoor crafts, and detailed model painting.
It is suited to painters who want to sample many effects rather than use a few metallic shades heavily. It is intended for artists at different experience levels.
Best For: Painters who want many metallic and pearlescent shades in small tubes.
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Pick this option when the variety of metallic effects matters more than volume per shade. It offers 36 colors and multiple finish types in 18 ml tubes.
Check how often you use metallic paint: a wider selection of smaller shades suits experimentation, whereas a narrower palette can make more sense for repeat use of a few colors.
How to Choose Acrylic Paint Sets
How We Picked Acrylic Paint Sets
We selected sets that function as painting palettes, then separated them by the choice they make easiest: a focused everyday range, many compact colors, larger tubes, outdoor craft use, or a specialty metallic or iridescent finish. That keeps the roundup useful for canvas painters as well as people decorating wood, rocks, fabric, paper, and other listed surfaces.
The included color counts and tube sizes matter together. A 72-color set offers many ready-made choices in 12 ml tubes, while a 12-color set in 75 ml tubes gives more paint per listed shade.
The outdoor set adds brushes and a stated indoor and outdoor use, and the effect sets focus on finishes rather than serving as broad standard palettes.
Comparing Acrylic Paint Sets
Start by deciding between color variety and volume. The 24-, 36-, and 72-color general sets use 12 ml tubes, so they suit painters who want a range of shades in compact portions.
The 12-color general set uses 75 ml tubes, making it a better match for people who work repeatedly with a smaller selection. The outdoor craft kit also has 24 colors, with 2 oz bottles and seven brushes included.
Special finishes call for a separate choice. The 12-color iridescent set has 75 ml tubes and color-shifting pearl shades; the 12-color metallic set also uses 75 ml tubes, while the 36-color metallic option offers more shades in 18 ml tubes.
Choose among them by the effect and how many colors you expect to use, then confirm the set's intended surfaces match your project.
| Product | Standout features | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Art Supply 72-Color Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists who want a wide palette for varied painting and craft projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply Professional 24-Color Outdoor Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Crafters painting canvas, rocks, wood, toys, or other indoor and outdoor projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Professional Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Students and artists who want many colors in small tubes for varied projects. |
| U.S. Art Supply 24-Color Professional Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Beginners and students who want a general palette with a color-mixing aid. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Acrylic Paint Set, 75 mlCheck Price |
| Painters who prefer larger tubes of a focused set of common colors. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Metallic Acrylic Paint SetCheck Price |
| Artists and crafters adding metallic finishes to canvas, wood, pottery, or rocks. |
| U.S. Art Supply 12-Color Iridescent Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Artists seeking pearlescent, shimmering effects across canvas, wood, paper, or rocks. |
| U.S. Art Supply 36-Color Metallic Acrylic SetCheck Price |
| Painters who want many metallic and pearlescent shades in small tubes. |
Choosing a Palette for Canvas and Crafts
For a first acrylic set, a smaller palette can make color mixing easier to approach. The 24-color option includes a mixing wheel, while the 36- and 72-color sets give more ready-made shades for portraits, landscapes, and varied art projects.
Students or hobby painters can weigh that convenience against storing and handling a larger set.
Surface fit also matters. Several general sets list canvas, wood, fabric, and paper, while the outdoor kit specifically includes rocks and toys among its examples.
The specialty paints cover surfaces such as pottery and rocks as well. Match the stated use to the material you plan to paint, and check whether you need additional preparation or finishing products for that material.
Color Range, Tube Size, and Paint Finish
A set with more colors does not automatically provide more paint for a project. Tube sizes in this roundup range from 12 ml to 75 ml, and the outdoor option uses 2 oz bottles.
If you paint large areas or repeatedly use a few core shades, prioritize quantity per color. If you mix often or want to test varied color combinations, a broader palette may be more useful.
Finish can guide the choice just as much as color count. Standard acrylic sets cover general subjects, while metallic shades add shine and iridescent colors shift between hues.
A specialty set can bring a distinctive effect to a project, but it may leave you needing standard colors for base coats or other parts of the work.
Who Should Buy Which Acrylic Paint Set?
Choose the 72-color set for the broadest standard palette, the 24-color set for a smaller starter range, or the 36-color set for a middle ground in compact tubes. For larger quantities of everyday colors, consider the 12-color 75 ml set.
The outdoor craft kit fits projects where included brushes and indoor/outdoor use are helpful.
For decorative finishes, choose the 12-color iridescent set for shifting pearl effects, the 12-color metallic set for larger tubes of shiny paint, or the 36-color metallic set for more shades in smaller tubes. Before ordering, check tube volume, the exact color family, and the surface guidance against the project you have in mind.