I just want to sit down and start drawing! But... what kind of paint should you choose? There are more than 50 global and Russian brands that offer “high-quality” acrylic paints for painting. If you bought quite expensive acrylic paint, you immediately expect quality, but still, not all paints are really popular among artists.
To choose acrylic paints, we need to know something about the brand's reputation, check reviews, and consider about 9 different factors that affect the price and result of the painting, including colors, durability, viscosity, etc. I will share a list of inexpensive and expensive paints and how to choose acrylic paints for painting.
TOP 5 best acrylic paints for painting: pros and cons, real reviews
Acrylic as a medium for painting pictures is a relatively recent invention. The first acrylic paints date back to approximately the mid-twentieth century. Despite this, many artists have fallen in love with them for their huge color palette, environmental friendliness and the ability to create images on almost any surface. Another useful property of such paints is that they dry very quickly, which significantly speeds up the work on a painting or other image. Let's consider today the highest quality acrylic paints, which have earned high praise among artists.
TOP 5 best acrylic paints for painting
The list included:
Let's take a closer look at each.
“BRAUBERG ART CLASSIC”
This is a professional paint that can be applied to a variety of surfaces - canvas, paper, cardboard, leather, wood and others. It does not have a pronounced odor and is absolutely non-toxic. These paints can be purchased separately, in tubes or bottles, or you can buy already formed sets. Like any acrylic paint, “BRAUBERG ART CLASSIC” dries quickly without changing its color. If necessary, it can be diluted with water. The color obtained when painting is uniform, bright and does not require application in several layers.
Pros:
Minuses:
Natalya K: “I bought a set of Brauberg paints from the Classic series, I wanted to try painting with acrylic. I had never worked with acrylic paints before, I painted with oils, so at first I was pleasantly surprised by the price. Compared to oil paints it is very low. Of course, there are some nuances - for example, while I was mixing paints on the palette and painting with one of them, the rest had already dried. Here you need to approach it a little differently, and take only those colors that you will use right now. What I liked is that the shades are very rich, it applies easily and there is no unpleasant smell. What I'm not happy with is the packaging. Almost all the labels fell off my tubes when I unscrewed them because the caps dried out and had to be opened with force. Overall, rating the paint, I would give it four out of five.”
“Acrylic Art”
Artistic paints, the palette of which includes about 60 different colors and shades. “Acrylic Art” are intended primarily for easel painting and wall paintings. However, paints can also be successfully used for glass, wood, concrete, brick, plastic, natural stone, etc. They can be used by both professionals and novice painting enthusiasts. When applied they give a semi-gloss effect. “Acrylic-Art” paints do not contain pigments with heavy metals or other harmful substances, so they can be bought even for children. They are sold both in sets and separately, in tubes or jars.
Pros:
Minuses:
Olga U.: “I often use these paints for painting; I prefer the decoupage technique. I like the very bright, saturated shades; the paint goes on in one layer without any additional painting. It dries in an hour and a half, which is also very convenient, because sometimes you need to quickly deliver an order. It is used very sparingly, I usually buy it in 100 ml jars, it lasts a long time. I didn’t notice any flaws, the paint is of good quality and does not fade over time and does not fade. Thanks to the manufacturer!”
"PEBEO"
These are water-based acrylic paints that can be applied to any surface, both hard and flexible. Can be used for drawings on cardboard, canvas, metal, plastic and other surfaces. After drying, the paint gives a matte finish. The manufacturer presents a chic selection of shades, and the level of paint density is also indicated on the tubes. They are waterproof, do not have a strong odor, and adhere well to the surface. “PEBEO” paints can be mixed either with each other or with paints from another manufacturer.
Pros:
defects found in this paint.
Rina T.: “I’m sharing my opinion about Pebeo Studio Acrylic paints. Not the cheapest paints, but their advantages more than cover the price per tube. I took them for painting on fabric. What can I say: the paint is durable, does not wash off, the layers dry quite quickly and form a glossy film. After application, once they dry, they do not lose color, which made me very happy. The shades are just as bright. As I intended, I used them for fabric. After that, the item was washed and soaked - the design remained in place, nothing fell off or cracked. I used the remnants to decorate old sneakers - they also look chic and the paint holds up well. I recommend trying it.”
"Master Class"
These paints are produced in Russia by the famous manufacturer “Nevskaya Palitra”. He enjoys a good reputation among all those involved in the artistic craft. The paints are distinguished by their brightness and purity of shades due to their high pigment content, and are intended for both children's creativity and professional artists. You can buy them in a set of 12 colors or buy the desired shades separately. Available in durable metal tubes.
Pros:
We could not find any significant disadvantages
Svetlana Kh.: “Unlike oil, which takes a long time to dry and has an unpleasant odor due to solvents, acrylic does not smell and dries in a couple of hours. I decided to use it to work on a new painting and settled on a well-known manufacturer among our artists, Nevskaya Palitra, namely, “Master Class” paints. Friends, this is really cool! I am completely delighted with the colors - they are bright, you can paint with impasto strokes, there is no smell, they dry quickly. To begin with, I took a set of six basic colors, now I plan to expand the assortment. If you're doing custom painting, these paints are a great choice, and an inexpensive one at that.”
"Winsor&Newton"
These are professional acrylic paints from an English manufacturer with a long history. This company is widely known among professional painters around the world for its huge range of high-quality paints and products for artists. The palette of acrylic paints consists of 60 colors; the paint can be applied to any grease-free surface using a synthetic brush or palette knife. You can also buy the desired shade separately.
Pros:
Minuses:
Katrina: “I am an expert in painting glasses for weddings. Previously I used acrylic paints from another manufacturer, but a friend advised me to try Winsor&Newton. Of course, these paints are worth the money. I am extremely pleased because they are very dense, bright and do not fade when dry. A friend uses it to paint on her nails. I liked the tubes, they are very comfortable and do not twist when squeezed out. The paint is excellent, without any flaws, the colors on the tubes fully match the shade of the paint itself inside. I plan to continue to use it.”
Basic properties of acrylic paints
Acrylic is a fairly modern paint. Compared to tempera or oil paints, acrylic paints appeared relatively recently, in the middle of the twentieth century! But despite this, many artists have already managed to study it thoroughly and began to paint their masterpieces with artistic acrylic paints!
But first things first. For now, let's look at the basic properties of acrylic paints. Why and why do modern artists love them so much?
Acrylic is a paint made up of water, pigment and acrylic resin. It is suitable for any surface : canvas, wood, glass, ceramics, fabric, metal, concrete and brick, wallpaper, cardboard and many others. Agree, quite a large scope compared to other paints!
In addition to their wide range of applications, acrylic paints have a number of environmentally beneficial properties for humans! Firstly, they do not have such a strong odor as oil paints. Water-based acrylic paint for painting has virtually no odor , which makes it ideal for painting walls, for example, or working on a large canvas.
This paint can also be safely used in public places, for example, at large master classes, when working with children and allergy sufferers. A rich color palette is another advantage and very important property of acrylic! With such a huge selection of colors and shades, you have almost limitless possibilities - you can create your own unique masterpiece, embody the most interesting and bright ideas!
Important clarification: if you plan to apply paint in several layers, take more expensive brands. Cheap and low-quality acrylic will of course cover up the colors, but you will have to apply much more layers than you planned.
Another nice property of acrylic paints is how quickly they dry. You don't have to wait several days for the next layer of paint to dry, as is the case with oil painting. Acrylic will dry in a couple of hours, and completely in 4-5 hours.
This is an advantage when, for example, you are painting a painting to order and the deadline for delivery of the work is important to you. But there is a downside, acrylic dries quickly not only on canvas, but also on brushes, hands and any other surfaces with which you worked.
Therefore, in order not to fiddle with your brushes for a long time, you just need to immediately rinse them with water and the paint will be washed off. Thinners and special cleaners are not needed, since acrylic dissolves very well in water .
But despite this property, dried acrylic paint, on the contrary, will be resistant to water. By the way, environmental resistance is another useful property of acrylic. These paints are not only not afraid of water, but also withstand temperature changes, humidity, sunlight and other factors.
Of course, sometimes it happens that acrylic paint cracks or fades. But this is most likely due to the fact that the paint was originally cheap and of poor quality. Or it was already approaching its expiration date.
This is why I always advise my students to test paint and other painting materials before purchasing. And it’s better to immediately purchase everything you need in my online store. After all, there I personally select all the materials and use them in my courses.
So, let's now summarize the main properties of acrylic paints:
Belinka
This company comes from Slovenia and was founded back in 1948 in the post-war years. The manufacturer's first product was hydrogen peroxide. Thanks to this substance, which is a good bleach, the company got its name Belinka. This main raw material, produced by the enterprise at that time, was in great demand, as it was part of the washing powder. And this was the time when the first semi-automatic washing machines began to appear. In the wake of such excitement, the company quickly expanded, becoming a manufacturer of alkyd paints, as well as other paint and varnish products.
Belinka Latex paint is perfect for interior decoration of walls and ceilings indoors. It is designed for surfaces subject to heavy wear, is resistant to wet abrasion, which means it can be easily washed and is resistant to chemical attack. A large selection of colors will give the consumer more options for decorating the room. The paint has a consumption of 7-9 sq. meters per liter of coloring composition.
Company website - https://ru.belinka.com
How to choose acrylic paints for painting?
Now that you know about so many interesting properties of acrylic paints and know that with their help you can open up new creative horizons, you are probably wondering how to choose the best acrylic paints for painting.
I will tell you in detail about how to choose the right paints, all the nuances of working with them, as well as many other theoretical aspects of painting in my master class! Register using the link - https://nyschool.ru/reg_artmk?utm_source=seo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=allseo
For beginning artists, the question of choice is always acute: you want the paints to be good, but at the same time not expensive. Of course, this approach to the matter is understandable, because not everyone is sure that they will like acrylic painting or that they will continue to paint at all.
It happens that a person just wants to try to paint one picture , but does not know what colors are best to use. I’ll tell you what to choose – acrylic or oil – in another article, but for now let’s figure out which acrylic paint is better and which one you should choose!
Let's start with the fact that acrylic is sold in tubes, jars, jars and buckets. And depending on your needs, you can choose the volume of paint. In general, I always advise when choosing materials to first decide why you need these materials?
For large, interior paintings, you will, of course, need more paints. Here you can already buy acrylic in tubes.
And finally, something that is often asked about is the walls - for such large-scale work you will need cans, if not larger buckets, and a discount card to a hardware store!
Now, I want to dwell in detail on the artistic paints with which you can paint pictures.
In addition to volume, you should pay attention to the following parameters:
Often a manufacturer produces paints in batches. For example, you might have seen this in watercolors - for children, students and beginner artists, and professionals.
KOLORIT
A fairly well-known brand, which is produced at the production facilities of Tikkurila LLC, which is located in Kyiv, Ukraine. The products belong to the average price range and have very good quality. The company produces. Both interior and facade paints, as well as surface preparation products. The brand is widely known throughout the CIS and is supplied to neighboring countries - Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and others.
Paint and varnish products have excellent resistance, but at the same time allow the surface to “breathe”, which is important from the point of view of ecology and comfort in the room. For example, paints from the Interior Econom series are resistant to moisture, so the painted surface is easy to clean. Dry cleaning won't harm these paints either. This series is very popular for homes where the operational load on the walls and ceiling is not very high. At the same time, the cost of these products is very affordable.
Company website - https://www.kolorit.ua/ru
Which acrylic paints are best for painting: TOP brands
I think that after such a detailed article you will no longer have any questions about acrylic and you will be able to go to the store with peace of mind and buy everything you need to start creating your masterpieces very soon!
And here, in fact, are my TOP 6 artistic acrylic paints for painting:
All these colors are good in their own way. When choosing any of them, you definitely can’t go wrong with either quality or price. Of course, some of them will be more expensive, some will be cheaper, but no matter what you choose, you will be able to paint a picture with any of them.
If you want a paint that is not expensive compared to foreign acrylic paints, but of good quality compared to Russian analogues, take either BRAUBERG.
These are the best acrylic paints for students and professionals. And yes, you can order them in my store - https://nyshop.pro/shop-2/
Useful tips
- Water is added to paint to control its transparency. But it is important to understand that if the paint contains more than 20% water, then even a completely dry layer will not be as durable and may peel off from the surface.
- In the technique of painting with acrylic paints, work usually begins with drawing large details. Small fragments are completed while large areas are drying.
- Do not rush to use a washed brush. First, blot it with a napkin or paper towel.
- Try to choose acrylic-based thinners.
- To distribute the acrylic paint evenly on the canvas, work with the tip of the brush.
- If you need to get a clear border between the colors, you can use adhesive tape or tape and paste the strip onto a pre-dried area.
Do not neglect the advice of experienced painters, as this will eliminate the need to learn the basics of the technique by trial and error.
FAQ
Now that we have figured out which acrylic paints are best for painting, let's look at the most frequently asked questions about them:
How to prepare canvas for acrylic paints?
Often, the canvases themselves are sold primed and ready to go. But, if you purchased an unprepared canvas, then you will need to cover it with primer, possibly in several layers. The main thing to remember is that each layer will require drying for at least a couple of hours.
If you want to apply acrylic to another surface, for example, to paint a wooden toy or glass or ceramic dishes, then you will need to degrease the surface of these objects before applying paint.
Is it possible to dilute paints with water?
Yes, acrylic is very well diluted with water.
Is it possible to apply acrylic paint over oil paint?
Acrylic on oil is not allowed, but vice versa is possible. But in any case, you need to prepare the surface. Whatever paints you choose, remember that acrylic paints must have a good shelf life!
What to paint if you want to try acrylic?
Everyone chooses the plot and reference of the picture for themselves. I can advise you not to just buy paints and deal with them yourself, but to take a full course to get acquainted with the material and paint some interesting paintings.
By the way, we work with acrylic in the “Interior Painting” course. In this course we learn to paint beautiful paintings that fit perfectly into any interior.
This is a very comprehensive course in which you will learn to work in modern acrylic painting techniques and with elements of picture decor.
After completing the course, you can save tens of thousands of rubles on gifts and home improvement by learning how to create expensive, atmospheric paintings that will decorate your entire home.
And perhaps not only yours. Since interior painting is currently the most profitable art form
