Acrylic Painting for Beginners: Must-Have Supplies

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I know a lot of people who want to get into painting but are sort of unsure about it. So, today I’m going to be talking about acrylic painting for beginners who may not know where to start!

Luckily, when I decided that I wanted to start painting, I already knew a bit about the supplies needed because my mom was already painting.

But I know that it can be sort of confusing to know what supplies you need, which brands to choose from, and just where to begin in general.

Today I thought I’d share the absolute must-have acrylic painting supplies for beginners (plus some extras)!

Must-have supplies:

– Acrylic paints

Obviously, you’re going to need acrylic paints. But there are so many options to choose from and you’re probably wondering which ones to choose.

Liquitex is one of my favorite brands and this 48-piece set is a perfect choice, in my opinion. You’ll get so many colors and the price is great for the value. My other tip is that you might want to get an extra tube of white like this one because white is the color you’ll probably go through the quickest!

– Paintbrushes

Another obvious thing you’ll need is brushes! I’ve tried out 5 sets of brushes and I 100% recommend this set of 12 from Arteza. There’s a chance you might want to add a few brushes to it in the future, but this set will definitely have everything you need and more when you’re getting started. Plus, the price is amazing for the quality of the brushes!

If you’re going to be making smaller or more detailed paintings, this set of detail brushes from Arteza is also amazing. They’re what I use to make the little magnets I sell in my Etsy shop!

– Surfaces

I do a lot of canvas paintings, on stretched canvas or canvas panels. But I also use vinyl records and paper sometimes. I also have a few wood projects that I’m planning on doing. There are many options when it comes to painting and you can get really creative with it.

Of course, you can choose whichever surface you want, but I recommend this set of cotton stretched canvas because I enjoy painting on stretched canvas the most and these are pretty inexpensive.

But here are some other things I recommend:

– Palettes

You need something to pour your paints on when you’re using them. I know some people use paper plates but if you don’t want to waste a bunch of plates, then a simple palette set like this one will work just fine. When you’re done painting, you can rinse them off and you’re good to go!

– Container of water

The last must-have you need is a container full of water to rinse your brushes in. I just use a regular mason jar like this one but you can use any container, of course! You’ll also want a rag or paper towel to dry your brush with.

Optional (but helpful) supplies:

– Brush cleaner

A brush cleaner helps preserve your bristles and gets all of the leftover paint out of them. There are tons of brush cleaners out there, but this one is my personal favorite and I definitely recommend it. All you do is wet your brush, put a little bit of this soap on it, and rinse it off!

– Varnish

Varnish is a topcoat that protects your finished paintings, so it’s always a good idea to use it. I personally recommend this Liquitex Matte varnish because I prefer a matte finish, but they have a glossy option as well!

– Easel

I personally just lay out newspaper on a table and paint that way. But I know a lot of people prefer to use easels all the time. This is the easel that I have, but it’s just a tabletop easel.

– Palette knives

Palette knives are used for mixing paint colors on a palette, which is useful. But they’re also used for applying a thick, textured paint look, which is awesome. There’s not necessarily a palette knife set that I prefer, but I have this one here if you want to check ’em out!

– Paint pens

I wrote a whole post about these because I love Posca paint pens soo much! They are so useful for different things like adding detail, working on small paintings, and outlining. They work well on any surface that acrylic paint is used on too, including canvas. I’ve tried many different brands of paint pens and Posca paint pens are definitely my favorite!