Introduction to Quality Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paint has revolutionized the art world since its commercial introduction in the 1950s, offering artists a versatile medium that combines the richness of oils with the convenience of water-solubility. Finding the right acrylic paints can significantly impact the vibrancy, longevity, and overall quality of your artwork. Whether you’re a beginner exploring color theory or a professional artist creating gallery pieces, understanding what makes acrylic paint “top-rated” will help you make informed choices for your creative projects. The best acrylic paints offer excellent pigment load, consistent texture, and lightfastness that ensures your artwork remains vibrant for years to come. According to Golden Artist Colors, professional-grade acrylics contain higher concentrations of finely ground pigments suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion, resulting in more intense colors and better coverage than student-grade alternatives.
Professional-Grade Acrylic Paint Brands
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics
Golden Heavy Body Acrylics have earned their reputation as the gold standard in professional acrylic paints. Their thick, buttery consistency makes them ideal for impasto techniques, textured surfaces, and maintaining brush or knife marks in your work. The pigment load is exceptional, providing maximum color strength and coverage. According to Jackson’s Art Supplies, Golden’s commitment to lightfastness testing ensures that these paints resist fading, with many colors rated ASTM I (excellent) or ASTM II (very good). Artists particularly praise Golden’s unique colors like Quinacridone Magenta and Cobalt Teal, which offer unparalleled vibrancy. While they command a premium price, most professional artists agree that the color performance and archival quality justify the investment.
Liquitex Professional Heavy Body Acrylics
Liquitex, the original developer of artists’ acrylic paints, continues to produce some of the most reliable professional-grade acrylics on the market. Their Heavy Body line offers excellent color saturation with a consistency similar to Golden, but at a slightly more accessible price point. According to Liquitex’s official site, their paints feature permanent pigments with lightfastness ratings of 7-8/8 on the Blue Wool Scale. The brand also pioneered water-based acrylic paint technology and maintains high environmental standards in production. Artists appreciate the balance of quality and value, with Liquitex offering over 100 colors that maintain vibrancy and mix predictably. Their cadmium-free alternatives have also received praise for providing similar chromatic intensity without toxic materials, as noted in a comprehensive review by Art News.
Mid-Range Acrylic Paint Options
Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylics
Winsor & Newton Professional Acrylics strike an excellent balance between professional quality and affordability. Their unique formulation offers a longer working time than many competitors, making them particularly suitable for blending and glazing techniques. According to color experts at Winsor & Newton, their Professional Acrylic range maintains high pigment load while offering a satin finish that reduces unwanted glare in galleries. Artists particularly value the paint’s smooth consistency and reliable color mixing properties. The range includes over 80 colors, with exceptional offerings in the blue and violet spectrum. While not quite as thick as Golden or Liquitex Heavy Body paints, they offer excellent versatility for artists who work across multiple techniques.
Amsterdam Acrylics by Royal Talens
Amsterdam Acrylics offer remarkable value in the mid-range category. Made by Royal Talens, a company with over 100 years of colormaking experience, these paints provide impressive pigment concentration at a more accessible price point. According to Royal Talens, their acrylics feature a creamy consistency that flows well without sacrificing color intensity. The line includes both standard and specialty colors, including vibrant fluorescents and metallics that maintain their brilliance over time. Artists praise the paint’s versatility across different painting surfaces, from canvas to wood to ceramics. While slightly less pigmented than top-tier professional brands, Amsterdam acrylics perform exceptionally well for most applications, making them a favorite among art educators and studios, as highlighted in a Jerry’s Artarama review.
Budget-Friendly Quality Acrylics
Arteza Acrylic Paint Set
Arteza has emerged as a leading provider of quality art supplies at remarkably affordable prices. Their acrylic paint sets offer excellent value for beginners and casual artists without compromising significantly on performance. According to Arteza’s product description, their paints are certified non-toxic, highly pigmented, and maintain good lightfastness for their price point. The creamy consistency provides good coverage and blendability, making them suitable for a wide range of applications from canvas painting to craft projects. While they don’t offer the extensive color range or maximum pigment load of professional brands, numerous reviewers on Art Supply Critic note that the vibrant color selection and reliable performance make them an excellent choice for students and hobbyists.
Craft Smart Acrylic Paint
For absolute beginners or artists working on temporary or decorative projects, Craft Smart acrylics offer surprising quality at an entry-level price point. Available primarily through Michael’s craft stores, these paints provide good coverage and workable consistency for basic painting techniques. While not suitable for archival or gallery work due to lower lightfastness ratings, they perform admirably for learning color theory, practicing techniques, or creating decorative pieces. According to Craft Habit, the paint’s slightly thinner consistency makes it ideal for pouring techniques and crafting applications where maximum pigment load isn’t essential. The color selection focuses on popular, versatile hues that mix predictably, making them particularly appropriate for beginners exploring color relationships.
Specialty Acrylic Paints for Specific Effects
High-Flow Acrylics for Detailed Work
For artists requiring fine detail work, illustration, or airbrushing capabilities, high-flow acrylics offer professional quality in a thin, pourable consistency. Golden High Flow Acrylics lead this category, maintaining exceptional pigment load despite their liquid form. According to Golden’s technical specifications, these paints contain the same high-quality pigments as their Heavy Body counterparts but in a formula designed for precision application. They work beautifully in technical pens, airbrushes, and for creating fine lines and details impossible with thicker paints. For slightly more affordable options with similar performance, Liquitex Acrylic Ink receives excellent reviews from illustrators and detail-oriented painters, as noted by Artist & Craftsman Supply.
Heavy Body Metallics and Interference Colors
For artists seeking to incorporate reflective, iridescent, or metallic effects into their work, specialty acrylic formulations offer unique visual properties beyond conventional colors. Golden’s Heavy Body Metallics and Interference Colors provide exceptional reflective qualities while maintaining the painterly consistency artists expect. According to Dick Blick’s product description, these specialized paints contain mica-coated titanium dioxide particles that create remarkable light-reactive effects. Liquitex also offers outstanding metallic options in their Professional Heavy Body line, with their gold and silver formulations receiving particular praise for their authentic metal-like appearance. For more experimental effects, Pebeo’s Studio Acrylics include innovative formulations that create cellular, crackle, and other textural effects while maintaining proper adhesion and durability.
Acrylic Paint Sets for Different Skill Levels
Professional Sets for Serious Artists
For committed artists seeking the highest quality materials, comprehensive professional sets offer carefully curated color selections that maximize versatility. The Golden Heavy Body Principal 6 Set provides essential primary colors plus black and white, allowing artists to mix a vast spectrum of hues while experiencing Golden’s premium quality. For a broader ready-made palette, the Liquitex Professional Heavy Body 12-Color Set includes carefully selected colors that cover the essential spectrum for portrait, landscape, and abstract applications. According to Artist Network, professional sets typically offer better value than buying individual tubes, while ensuring color harmony across the palette.
Student and Beginner Sets
For those beginning their artistic journey, well-designed student sets provide quality materials at more accessible prices. The Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Set offers excellent performance for learning fundamental techniques, with colors that mix predictably and provide good coverage. According to The Spruce Crafts, beginners benefit from sets that include a balanced selection of warm and cool primaries plus earth tones. The Arteza 60-Color Set receives consistently positive reviews for offering an extensive color range at a student-friendly price point, allowing new artists to experiment broadly without the investment required for professional paints.
Factors That Make Acrylic Paints “Top-Rated”
Pigment Quality and Color Intensity
The most important factor in determining acrylic paint quality is pigment load—the concentration of color particles suspended in the acrylic binder. According to Artists & Illustrators Magazine, professional-grade paints contain significantly higher percentages of pure pigments, resulting in greater opacity, more vibrant colors, and better mixing capabilities. Single-pigment formulations generally perform better than those using multiple pigments to achieve a color, offering cleaner mixes and more predictable results. When evaluating paints:
- Look for high pigment load indicated by rich color straight from the tube
- Check for single-pigment formulations where possible
- Review lightfastness ratings (ASTM I and II are best)
- Consider opacity ratings when transparent or opaque effects are needed
Consistency and Handling Properties
Acrylic paints come in various consistencies, from heavy body to fluid, each optimized for different techniques. According to Drawing and Painting Resource, top-rated paints maintain consistent texture throughout the tube and across production batches. The paint should spread evenly, maintain brush marks when desired, and not feel overly sticky or difficult to control. Professional paints typically offer better handling characteristics:
- Heavy body paints should hold peaks and brush marks
- Medium-viscosity paints should level slightly while maintaining texture
- Fluid acrylics should flow without being watery or losing color strength
- All types should accept mediums without separating or breaking down
Frequently Asked Questions About Acrylic Paints
What’s the difference between professional and student-grade acrylic paints?
Professional-grade acrylic paints contain higher concentrations of pure, artist-quality pigments and fewer fillers compared to student-grade alternatives. According to Winsor & Newton’s educational resources, professional paints offer greater color intensity, better coverage, superior lightfastness, and more predictable mixing behavior. They typically use single-pigment formulations where possible, resulting in cleaner color mixtures. While professional paints cost more, the higher pigment load often means you’ll use less paint to achieve desired coverage and intensity. Student-grade paints, while more affordable, generally contain more fillers and extenders, resulting in slightly less vibrant colors and sometimes requiring more layers for full coverage.
How do I prevent acrylic paint from drying too quickly?
Acrylics are known for their relatively fast drying time, which can be both an advantage and challenge. To extend your working time with acrylics, consider these approaches recommended by Artist Daily:
- Use a palette designed for acrylics with a sealable lid to keep paints workable
- Incorporate acrylic retarder medium according to manufacturer recommendations
- Try “open” or “interactive” acrylics specifically formulated for slower drying
- Mist your palette occasionally with water using a fine spray bottle
- Work in cooler conditions when possible, as heat accelerates drying
- Consider using a stay-wet palette with special paper and sponge system
Are expensive acrylic paints worth the investment?
Whether premium acrylics justify their higher cost depends on your specific needs and goals as an artist. According to a comprehensive analysis by Art in Context, professional-grade paints offer several advantages that matter particularly for certain applications:
- For exhibition and gallery work meant to last generations, higher lightfastness ratings are essential
- For color-intensive works, the superior pigment load of premium paints often means using less paint overall
- For commissioned pieces, the predictable mixing behavior and color consistency provide reliability
- For experimental techniques, professional paints typically perform more consistently with various mediums
However, for students, beginners, or artists creating ephemeral or practice works, quality student or mid-range acrylics often provide excellent performance at more accessible prices.
Conclusion: Selecting the Right Acrylic Paints for Your Artistic Journey
Finding your ideal acrylic paints ultimately depends on balancing your artistic goals, technical requirements, and budget considerations. The truly “top-rated” paints are those that serve your specific creative vision while providing the performance characteristics you need. For professional artists creating gallery work, investing in premium brands like Golden, Liquitex Professional, or Winsor & Newton Professional typically provides the color quality, archival stability, and handling properties necessary for museum-quality results. Mid-range options from Amsterdam or Winsor & Newton Galeria offer excellent performance for serious hobbyists and art students, providing good color strength and reliability without the highest price tags.
For beginners or those working on temporary projects, quality student brands like Arteza provide an accessible entry point without sacrificing too much performance. Most importantly, experiment with different paints to discover which characteristics matter most for your artistic style. Some artists prioritize color intensity, others value working time or texture retention, while still others focus on specific technical requirements like flow characteristics or adhesion to unusual surfaces.
Remember that even within a single brand, different color lines may perform differently due to the inherent properties of specific pigments. Cadmium and cobalt colors, for example, typically offer exceptional opacity and intensity across brands but come at premium prices due to the cost of these minerals. Synthetic alternatives often provide good performance at lower cost points, particularly for artists with health concerns about traditional mineral pigments.
Ultimately, the vibrant artwork you envision deserves materials that will bring it to life authentically, whether that means investing in premium paints for a major exhibition piece or selecting quality student paints for exploratory studies. By understanding the factors that determine acrylic paint quality, you can make informed choices that serve both your creative vision and practical considerations.