When you’re painting on canvas, the possibilities are endless. To get you started, here are some classic painting subjects to tackle to create a canvas painting you’re proud to hang.
The 6 Best Acrylic Paint Brands of 2023
Jessie Quinn is a freelance journalist and artist specializing in fiber crafts, painting, paper macho, and pottery.
Updated on 05/27/22
Not only is acrylic paint a go-to for beginner and professional artists, it’s also a must-try for a variety of craft projects. “The best thing about acrylic paint is its versatility as a paint medium,” says Emily Clare, the publisher at Fine Art Tutorials. It can be used on a variety of surfaces, including canvas, wood, paper, and more. This is because acrylic paint consistency and finish are easy to manipulate and painters can make it thick, thin, glossy, or matter with the addition of the right medium. Additionally, many acrylic paints come in different finishes, so you don’t have to put in the extra work and can choose what works best for your project.
We road tested and researched dozens of acrylic paint brands to narrow down the best ones, evaluating quality, pigment, consistency, lightfastness, and value. Our top pick, Liquitex, is a professional-grade acrylic paint that works well for many types of projects, is good for all skill levels, and has excellent consistency and pigmentation. Here are the best acrylic paint brands
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Best Value:
Most Workable:
Best Pigment:
Best Texture:
Best for Beginners:
In This Article
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Best Overall
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paints
- Professional grade
- Paints have great consistency
- Good for all skill levels
- They aren’t as opaque as other brands
Our top pick for the best acrylic paint brand is Liquitex. This brand makes professional-grade paints that are ideal for beginners and professionals alike. The paints have excellent consistency, pigment, and lightfastness, too. Although they aren’t the most affordable paints on our list, a little goes a long way with these, which adds to their value factor.
Just note that if you’re looking for something a little more opaque, these might not be the best paints for you, as they are on the thicker side.
Best Value
FolkArt Acrylic Paint Set
- It’s easy to mix colors
- Vast color range
- They aren’t professional grade
Whether you paint canvas or bird houses, FolkArt is one acrylic paint brand to add to your arsenal. The affordable paints boast an impressive collection of colors—there is literally a color for everything—so you don’t need to do a ton of color mixing. We love that they don’t sacrifice quality for price, and they come in lots of different finishes for all types of surfaces. While they aren’t professional grade (and not recommended for professional use), the quality of these paints for the price is hard to beat.
What is a canvas?
In simple terms, canvas is material stretched across a wooden frame. Canvas has been used for centuries, with some of the earliest canvas paintings dating back to the 1400s.
There are different sizes and materials available – and techniques you’ll need to employ to use one correctly.
Types of canvas
There are a handful of canvas types, each with slight differences:
- Cotton canvas – Perfect for newbies and seasoned pros, cotton canvas is long-lasting and durable.
- Canvas board – A strong option for beginners, canvas board is generally more affordable and constructed from cotton stretched across a fibreboard frame.
- Linen canvas – For more seasoned painters, linen is the highest quality and longest-lasting of any canvas type, resistant to warping or drying out.
Paints you can use on canvas
Canvas is well-suited to many types of paint – which you choose depends on your preference. You can use the following paints on primed canvas:
- Oil paint – This robust material is perfect for canvas painting, as it’s heaviness will thrive on a stronger surface.
- Acrylic paint – A popular option for canvas painting, acrylics are the ideal choice.
- Gouache – With qualities of both acrylic and oil pain, gouache can be used on canvas.
Can you use watercolour paints on canvas?
It’s not suggested to use watercolour paints on canvas – primed or otherwise.
Watercolours will pool, run and bleed onto a canvas, making it difficult to have control over what you’re painting. Watercolour paper is much better option for this medium.
