Do you dream of creating vibrant masterpieces but stare sadly at the price tag of professional art supplies? Many artists feel this pinch. You want to unleash your creativity, but expensive paints can feel like a huge barrier, especially when you are just starting out or need supplies for a big project.
Choosing cheap acrylic paint often feels like a gamble. Will the colors look dull? Will the paint crack after drying? It’s frustrating to spend money only to get poor results. We know the struggle of balancing quality and cost. You need paint that performs well without emptying your wallet.
This post cuts through the confusion. We will reveal the best budget-friendly acrylic options available. You will learn exactly what features to look for in affordable paints so you can paint more and worry less about the price. Get ready to discover high-value paints that deliver brilliant color and smooth application. Let’s dive into finding your perfect cheap acrylic paint!
Top Cheap Acrylic Paint Recommendations
- Premium Artist quality Acrylic paints with a wide range of vivid & vibrant colors that are uniquely formulated with high quality pigments to bring out the maximum brilliance and color clarity with a buttery consistency and offer great covering power for large areas and fine details. These paints dry to a beautiful gloss finish
- Our acrylic paints have a premium consistency, perfect for blending, layering, and creating texture. Along with your 24-pack of paints, you’ll also receive 3 professional brushes.
- High Quality, Rich Pigments, Certified Safe & Non-Toxic .We are not just Premium and Art Friendly but Environment friendly too; ASTM D-4236 and EN71-3 (CE) certified
- Versatile for most art and craft techniques and suitable for most painting surfaces including Canvas, Paper, Wood, Fabric, Leather, Cardboard, ceramic,MDF and Crafts.
- CONVENIENT SIZE - This Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint comes in a versatile 2 oz size that is great for basecoating, stenciling, and so much more
- FUN FINISH - This brilliant acrylic paint dries to a matte finish - perfect for a variety of arts and crafts!
- BRIGHT COLOR - Grab your acrylic paint brushes and add this fun, bright acrylic paint to all your DIY projects
- USE ON MULTIPLE SURFACES - Use Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint on a variety of surfaces such as wood, paper, canvas, Styrofoam, paper mache, and so much more
- EASY CLEAN UP - Clean up is easy with this acrylic paint! Simply clean up while wet with soap and water
- ALL INCLUSIVE PAINT SET: Unleash your creativity from beginner to professional level with this fun and educational acrylic paint. Open the box, and you're ready to draw and paint! It comes complete with 24 vibrant paints in 60ml bottles, providing ample colors for your artistic endeavors. Additionally, we've included 12 high-quality acrylic paint brushes, catering to both kids and adults.
- PREMIUM VIBRANT COLORS: Our paint delivers brilliance, gliding on smoothly and drying quickly, preserving their vibrant shades. Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the 24 colors in this set will fuel your creativity. Perfect for canvas art, these fade-resistant colors ensure your work lasts. Achieve consistent shades and let your creativity flourish with this exceptional paint kit.
- VIVID COLORS, SAFE & EASY CLEANUP: Immerse yourself in a world of rich, vibrant pigments worry-free with our acrylic paint set. It's non-toxic and adheres to ASTM D4236 safety standards. Experience seamless blending and quick drying. Our fast-drying formula enables immediate layering and creative exploration. When it's time to tidy up, a simple wash with soap and water effortlessly clears your workspace.
- VERSATILE GIFT FOR ALL: Our paint set is the perfect gift idea for creative artists, beginners, students, kids, teens, and adults alike. With their versatility, they can be used for canvas art, painting, scrapbooking, Christmas decorations, and more. These paints are suitable for a wide range of surfaces, including canvas, wood, rocks, glass, fabrics, metal, plastic, ceramics, and even decorative walls and Styrofoam.
- QUALITY GUARANTEE: We stand behind the quality of our acrylic paints. Our drawing kit comes with professional customer service. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us. We will reply to you within 24 hours and do our best to make things right.
- Exciting Selection of Artist-Quality Colors: Whether you’re new to acrylic painting or a seasoned artist, this 16 colors acrylic paint set paste will free your imagination. There is no limitation for your DIY and handmade art piece.
- Rich, Vivid Pigments: Your premium Aen Art acrylic paint kit features smooth, highly pigmented color to produce true, consistent shades. High viscosity allow you to create graphic images with color shift and vivid 3D effects
- Top Quality Materials: We use the better acrylic resin as the binder, is a kind of water-soluble multi-purpose paints. The paint glides like velvet on most art painting surfaces including Mugs, Canvas, Masonry, Paper, Wood, Clay, Glass, Fabric, Leather, Porcelain, Metal, Crafts
- Easy to Use & Non-Toxic: No need to worry about toxicity with our acrylic paints. Each paint is sealed with a strong safety cap, these portable tubes can be kept in small spaces like easel drawer. There is a clear shape on each tube to distinguish the color, which helps you find the one rapidly
- Perfect Gift Idea: Its not just paint, a total art kit you can gift to a friend. Ideal for your canvas painting, these colors won’t fade over time. We want you to be thrilled with our acrylic paint supplies. Any problem, easy to contact us.
- CONVENIENT SIZE & FUN BRIGHT COLORS - This versatile acrylic paint set includes 16 - 2 oz bottles of colorful craft paint. The colors in this kit include: White, Black, Flag Red, Jack-o-Lantern, Bright Blue, Candy Pink, Nutmeg Brown, Bright Yellow, New Shamrock, Purple Iris, Too Blue, Fuchsia, Key West, Pewter Grey, Bright Magenta, and Parrot Blue
- MATTE FINISH - Each of these bold and bright colors dries to a brilliant matte finish - perfect for all your arts and crafts!
- EASY & SMOOTH APPLICATION - Use on a variety of surfaces including wood, Styrofoam, plaster, terra cotta, and more. This versatile acrylic paint can easily be brushed, stamped, stenciled or sponged to your projects
- SIMPLE CLEAN UP - Clean up is easy with Apple Barrel acrylic paint. Simply clean up while wet with soap and water. Great acrylic paint set for adults and kids!
- AMERICAN MADE - Apple Barrel is proudly made in the USA
- CONVENIENT SIZE - This Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint comes in a versatile 8 oz size that is great for basecoating, stenciling, and so much more
- FUN FINISH - This brilliant acrylic paint dries to a matte finish - perfect for a variety of arts and crafts!
- BRIGHT COLOR - Grab your acrylic paint brushes and add this fun, bright acrylic paint to all your DIY projects
- USE ON MULTIPLE SURFACES - Use Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint on a variety of surfaces such as wood, paper, canvas, Styrofoam, paper mache, and so much more
- EASY CLEAN UP - Clean up is easy with this acrylic paint! Simply clean up while wet with soap and water
- 18 COLORS BULK PAINT: Shuttle Art 18 colors acrylic paint set contains 18 commonly used colors acrylic paints in bottles, and each contains 250ml/8.45oz large volume paint, ideal for artists, beginners, kids and adults on painting and crafting.
- THICK & VIBRANT PAINT: Artist grade acrylic paints bring bright colors, thick and creamy texture, as well as incredible consistency to painters. They mix and blend well to come up with more colors, and have a great coverage with little paint.
- VERSATILE PURPOSES: Acrylic paints dry quickly and stay on surfaces extremely well, permanent, waterproof and fade-proof, suitable for most surfaces like glass, rocks, nails, walls, canvas, leather, ceramic, wood, clay, crafts and more, great for art enthusiasts, professional artists, students, etc.
- NON-TOXIC & CERTIFICATED: Conforms to U.S. ASTM D-4236 & EN71-3, non-toxic and acid-free, safe and suitable for all ages.
- SERVICE GUARANTEE: Your satisfaction is our top priority, please rest assured to purchase our products. If you are not satisfied with our products or have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
- 24 Bottles Vibrant Acrylic Paints: Professional artist quality acrylic paint, glide smoothly over the surface and provide strong coverage in both large areas and fine detail. The butter-like consistency allows the paint set to mix easily and dry quickly. The acrylic paint will remain in the artwork for a long time and will not fade
- Tightly Packed Non-Leaking Bottles: The bottle cap is tightly screwed so that the paint will not leak out or dry out from exposure to the air before opening. Each bottle is marked with a color name for easy identification. All you need to do is unscrew the lid to show off your creativity. Remember to tighten the lid when you are done using it
- Safe & Non-Toxic Acrylic Paints: The acrylic paint set is certified safe and non-toxic for people or pets. Water-based paints allow artists to stay safe while painting without having to interrupt their work for fear of toxicity. Simply clean up with soap and water when you have finished your work
- Wide Range of Application: Acrylic paint set is suitable for painting on most surfaces such as canvases, fabric, wood, ceramic, rock, metal, plastic, plaster, etc. You can DIY your own canvas art, scrapbooking, crafts, Christmas decorations, Halloween makeup, Easter egg and more with this acrylic paint kit
- What You Get: The acrylic painting kit comes with 24 bottles of acrylic paint. Packaged in a beautiful and sturdy colorful box. An ideal gift for adults, art lovers, amateurs, beginners and professional artists, intended for ages 12+ only
The Ultimate Buying Guide for Cheap Acrylic Paint
So, you want to paint but don’t want to spend a lot of money. That is smart! Cheap acrylic paint is great for beginners, students, and big projects. But even cheap paint has good and bad sides. This guide helps you pick the best budget-friendly paints for your needs.
Key Features to Look For
When you buy cheap acrylics, you need to check a few main things. These features tell you how well the paint will work.
1. Pigment Load and Opacity
- Pigment Load: This means how much actual color is in the paint. More pigment means brighter, richer colors. Cheap paints often have less pigment.
- Opacity: This tells you if the paint covers what is underneath it well. If a paint has low opacity, you might need three or four coats to cover a dark surface. Look for paints that cover well in one or two coats.
2. Binder Quality
The binder is what holds the color particles together and makes the paint stick to the surface. Most acrylics use a polymer emulsion. Better binders make the paint smoother and less likely to crack when dry.
3. Lightfastness (Less Important for Practice)
Lightfastness measures how long the color stays true when exposed to light. For quick crafts or schoolwork, this isn’t a big deal. For art you want to keep forever, look for better quality, even if it costs a little more.
Important Materials and Components
Understanding what makes up the paint helps you choose wisely.
Color Variety and Consistency
- Color Range: Cheap sets usually offer a wide range of colors. Check the bottles or tubes to see if the colors look vibrant even in the package.
- Consistency: Good budget paint should flow smoothly from the brush. If it looks thick, chunky, or separates in the tube, the quality is low. Shaking the tube gently before use can sometimes fix minor separation.
Surface Adhesion
Cheap acrylics usually stick well to paper, canvas, and wood. However, they might need a primer first if you paint on slick plastics or very glossy surfaces.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Not all cheap paint is made the same. Some simple things make a big difference in your painting experience.
What Reduces Quality (Things to Watch Out For)
- Fillers: Manufacturers often add cheap fillers (like chalk or clay) to stretch the paint. These fillers make the paint dull, chalky when dry, and weak.
- Water Content: If the paint is too watery, it spreads too fast and gives you poor coverage. This wastes time and paint.
What Improves Quality (Good Signs in Budget Paints)
- Smoothness: Run a little paint onto a scrap surface. If it glides on without dragging or clumping, it has a decent binder.
- Color Mixing: Try mixing two colors, like blue and yellow. If they mix into a clean green, the pigments are pure enough. If they turn muddy brown, the pigments are weak.
User Experience and Use Cases
Cheap acrylic paint shines in certain situations. Know when to use it!
Best Use Cases for Budget Acrylics
- Practice and Learning: This is the perfect paint for beginners learning brush control, color theory, and layering techniques.
- Large Murals or Backgrounds: When you need gallons of color to cover a big area quickly, cheap paint saves money.
- Crafts and Decorations: Painting pumpkins, cardboard boxes, or simple decorations does not require museum-quality permanence.
Experience Tips
Expect these paints to dry faster than expensive ones. Keep a water cup nearby to thin the paint quickly. Also, remember that the colors might dry slightly darker than they look when wet.
10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Cheap Acrylic Paint
Q: Can I use cheap acrylic paint on canvas?
A: Yes, you can. It works best if you apply a coat of cheap primer first. This stops the paint from soaking into the fabric too much.
Q: How long does cheap acrylic paint last once opened?
A: If you keep the caps sealed tight, it can last for several years. Always check for mold or a strong sour smell before using old paint.
Q: Is cheap acrylic paint waterproof when dry?
A: Yes, most acrylic paints are water-resistant once fully cured (usually 24 hours). You can paint over dry layers without reactivating the color underneath.
Q: Do I need a special varnish for cheap acrylics?
A: For crafts, no varnish is needed. If you want a shiny look or extra protection, a cheap spray acrylic sealer works fine.
Q: Why does my cheap paint look chalky when it dries?
A: Chalkiness happens because the paint uses too many cheap fillers instead of actual color pigment.
Q: Can I mix cheap acrylics with expensive ones?
A: Absolutely! You can mix them to save money. Use the expensive paint for your highlights and details, and the cheap paint for the base layers.
Q: What is the main difference between cheap and artist-grade acrylics?
A: Artist-grade paints have much higher pigment loads, better lightfastness, and smoother binders. They look brighter and last longer.
Q: Should I use cheap paint for children’s projects?
A: Yes, it is great for kids because it is affordable and easy to clean up with soap and water while wet.
Q: How can I make cheap acrylic paint flow better?
A: Add a tiny bit of water or a few drops of acrylic medium (if you have some). Do not add too much water, or the paint will lose its sticking power.
Q: Are cheap acrylic paints toxic?
A: Most budget acrylics sold today are labeled “non-toxic.” However, always read the label, especially if children are using them.