Speaking of Michael’s, they have a line of acrylic paint called “Artist’s Loft”. They are similar to the BASICS but cheaper.
21 Tools for Acrylic Painting & Essential Supplies You Will Love To Use
To start painting we basically need only paint, brushes, and a surface (canvas, paper, wood, or something else). Learning and experimenting we will discover that there are so many useful tools for acrylic painting that make creative process easier and more fun, that open more techniques and effects for us.
Essential supplies for acrylic painting for beginners:
- Acrylic paint
- Flat and round brush or a brush set.
- Primed canvas or canvas pad (or even paper). Basically, any painting surface!
- * For unprimed surfaces you will need gesso.
More tools for acrylic painting:
- Palette knives
- Color Palette
- Extra brush shapes and painting tools
- Paint shapers
- Easel
- Towels / Rags
- Cups / Jars
- Tape and trash bags
- Spray bottle
- Apron
- Hairdryer
- Pencils and Charcoals
- Storage tools
- Cleaning tools
- *Airbrush – if you are painting miniatures or prefer spraying the paint.
- Floetrol or a pouring medium for acrylic pouring.
- Varnish or a protective finish.
- *Isolation coat sometimes needed in between painting and varnish
To support your painting hobby:
- 51 Simple Acrylic Painting Tips for Beginners & Pros
- A whooooole list of amazing painting ideas
- Straightforward guide on how to actually paint
Acrylic Paint & Painting Surfaces
Acrylics are fast-drying water-based paints perfectly suitable for kids, beginners and pro artists. They are soooo versatile that you can use them on canvas, paper, plastic, wood, fabric (including denim, shoes, clothes, leather), glass or ceramics, and even rocks from the river and metal!
I have separate in-depth articles for all sorts of surfaces and paints:
- 21 Best Acrylic Paint Brands for Beginners and Professionals – a general and full guide to choosing the best paint for you.
- Great for Pouring – Hippie Crafter Acrylic Paint Review [3 Video Included] – my review of acrylic paint for pouring
- Best Paint for Rocks & Pens for Rock Painting
- 23 Best Miniature Paints for D&D, Warhammer and Wargames Models
How to work with different surfaces while painting with acrylics:
- Painting Acrylic on Wood: Best Supplies & How-to Guide
- How to Paint Fabric with Acrylic Paint Permanently: Full Guide
- Painting Leather with Acrylics: How to Paint and Seal Leather
- Can You Use Acrylic Paint on Glass? 9 Best Sticky Acrylic Paints for Glass!
Palette knives
A palette knife is one of my favorite tools for acrylic painting. Cheap, durable (you basically won’t be needing to replace it), and fun to use! It can be used for mixing or applying paint.
A palette knife has a handle and a blade. Palette knives come in various blade shapes:
If you need a palette knife just to mix colors, you need only one. If you like to experiment with thicker applications, patches, shapes, and techniques, you can simply buy one cheap set to try, and if you really like it, upgrade it to something more durable and expensive.
These paintings were created exclusively with a palette knife:
Sometimes we decide to reuse the canvas and scrap the painting because we don’t like it anymore or we know exactly how to make it better. Another sad story when we scrap paintings is when it is completely cracked.
You can scrap a painting with palette knife, here is a step-by-step guide. It takes time, but it is quite easy.
Paintbrushes
Once you’ve found your paint, it’s time to buy your paintbrushes. We recommend getting synthetic brushes over natural brushes, as they work better with acrylic paint. From there, you’ll want to get a few flat or rectangular brushes, and then a few round and pointed brushes. You can start off with mid-sized brushes (sizes 6 to 8) and then continue to branch out from there.
Next, you need your canvas. While you can paint acrylic on various surfaces, it’s usually best to stick with canvas as a beginner. Then, once you become more confident, you can try wood, paper, and more. Just make sure your canvas is thick enough to handle acrylic paints.
Palette
A palette is where you’ll hold and mix your paints. While we usually think of palettes as circular with a small hole on the side, they actually come in many varieties. Go to the store and try a few out to see which version you prefer. You can also opt for paper plates in place of traditional palettes to reduce clean-up time.
Painting can get messy. Be sure you have some old rags or paper towels to clean up after yourself or to blot excess water from your paintbrushes. You can also use them to wipe your brushes clean before switching colors.
Soap for paintbrushes
Once you’ve finished painting for the day, you’ll need to wash your paintbrushes. Ordinary soap can work, but you can also get paintbrush soap for a more thorough cleaning.
Finally, there’s varnish. This adds an extra layer of protection for your recently finished painting. You can get varnish in matte, satin, or gloss depending on the look you want to achieve.
At Creative Ventures Gallery, our beginner art classes can help you decide what acrylic art supplies you need the most. Look through our classes today to get started!
Having a DIY Paint Party?
You can see my post specifically about supplies for a paint party. They may be different from the ones in this post because you’ll be buying in bulk.
Hi There!
My name is Tracie Kiernan, artist and creator of Step By Step Painting, LLC. I am a self taught painter, a certified Elementary Art Teacher and have taught visual arts to all ages for over ten years. I have a profound passion for the arts and art education and I LOVE designing all of these painting tutorials!!
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