Checklist · 13 picks · 5 categories
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Want to paint but stuck staring at an art store aisle? Start small.
First pick your paint: watercolor is cheap, portable and great for loose, dreamy stuff, while acrylic is bold, dries fast and covers mistakes. Then grab the paper that matches it, since watercolor paper is built to soak up water and canvas paper handles thick acrylic without the cost of real canvases. Add a few brushes and a palette for mixing, and you're painting. The tabletop easel is a nice to have that saves your neck once you're hooked. Every pick comes from BestReviews' guides to paint sets, brushes, paper, palettes and easels, ordered from budget to splurge. Each card shows the drawback BestReviews flagged right next to why we picked it, so you know what you're getting before you buy.
Who this is not for. Skip this if you'd rather doodle and letter in a notebook than paint; our journaling starter kit is a better fit.
Tell me what you can spend. I pick a tier for every item, essentials first, and show what is left. The first amount covers everything you need at the cheapest tier.
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Estimates based on typical prices, checked Oct 30, 2026. Prices change; see the store for today's price.
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Sketchers' Pocket Box | budget | $15-25 | watercolor beginners who want to paint anywhere | 1 outlet |
| Liquitex Basics Acrylic Box Set | mid | $25-50 | acrylic painters who want paint that holds up | 1 outlet |
| Caliart Acrylic Paint Set (24 Colors) | budget | $15-25 | trying acrylics without spending much | 1 outlet |
Best paint setbudget pick · Pocket
Best for watercolor beginners who want to paint anywhere
BestReviews' best of the best watercolor paint set: a pocket-sized box with 12 half pans, a small brush and three mixing compartments in the lid.
Heads up. The box may be too small for some artists to use
1 outlet. BestReviews best of the best watercolor paint set.
$15-25
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mid pick · Tube set
Best for acrylic painters who want paint that holds up
BestReviews' best of the best acrylic paint set: student-quality paints that hold up well over time and work for tinting and shading.
Heads up. Some find the paint a little thin, so it takes a few layers for full color
1 outlet. BestReviews best of the best acrylic paint set.
$25-50
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budget pick · 24 bottles
Best for trying acrylics without spending much
BestReviews' best bang for the buck acrylic paint set: 24 matte acrylic colors plus 12 brushes in different shapes and sizes.
Heads up. BestReviews notes some reports of missing brush sizes
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck acrylic paint set.
$15-25
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Best paint brushesbudget pick · 12 brushes
Best for a starter spread of brush shapes
BestReviews' best bang for the buck artist brush set: 12 Taklon brushes in four shapes, with hardwood handles and a zip pouch.
Heads up. The plastic pouch can get dirty easily
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck artist brush set.
under $15
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mid pick · 4 brushes
Best for watercolor painters ready for better brushes
BestReviews' best brushes for watercolors: synthetic squirrel brushes that hold water and give smooth strokes.
Heads up. The brushes can shed
1 outlet. BestReviews best artist brushes for watercolors.
$25-50
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arteza Watercolor Paper Pads (9x12, 2-Pack) | mid | $15-25 | watercolor paintings you want to keep | 1 outlet |
| Bellofy Water Pad Series A5 Watercolor Paper | budget | $15-25 | lots of low-pressure practice pages | 1 outlet |
| Canson XL Oil and Acrylic Paper (9x12, 24 Sheets) | budget | under $15 | acrylic practice on a budget | 1 outlet |
| Canson Canva-Paper (12x16) | mid | $15-25 | a canvas feel without buying canvases | 1 outlet |
Best watercolor papermid pick · 9 x 12 in
Best for watercolor paintings you want to keep
BestReviews' best of the best watercolor paper: 140 lb cold-pressed paper that takes multiple washes without bleeding or warping.
Heads up. Some complaints of pilling under brushes
1 outlet. BestReviews best of the best watercolor paper.
$15-25
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budget pick · A5
Best for lots of low-pressure practice pages
BestReviews' best bang for the buck watercolor paper: two 50-sheet pads made for practice and messing around.
Heads up. The paper is lightweight, so it suits practice more than finished pieces
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck watercolor paper.
$15-25
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Best canvas paperbudget pick · 9 x 12 in
Best for acrylic practice on a budget
BestReviews' best bang for the buck canvas paper: a 24-sheet pad for practicing acrylics without using up real canvases.
Heads up. It may need a layer or two of gesso despite the pre-priming
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck canvas paper.
under $15
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mid pick · 12 x 16 in
Best for a canvas feel without buying canvases
BestReviews' best of the best canvas paper: a thick, almost cardboard-like sheet that best copies the feel of mounted canvas.
Heads up. Some complaints that paint doesn't blend as well on it
1 outlet. BestReviews best of the best canvas paper.
$15-25
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Best palettebudget pick · Pad
Best for zero-cleanup color mixing
BestReviews' best bang for the buck art palette: tear-off palette sheets that make mixing and cleanup easy.
Heads up. Creates more waste than a standard palette
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck art palette.
under $15
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mid pick · Box
Best for keeping acrylics wet between sessions
BestReviews' best of the best art palette: wet the sponge and the box keeps your mixed paint ready for weeks.
Heads up. The Sta-Wet pad is sold separately, and the sponge needs checking every few days to prevent mildew
1 outlet. BestReviews best of the best art palette.
$25-50
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Best tabletop easelbudget pick · Holds up to 11 x 14 in
Best for small desks and small canvases
BestReviews' best bang for the buck art easel: a small beechwood box easel with three storage compartments and a wooden palette on top.
Heads up. Not for large paintings, and the palette may warp in transit
1 outlet. BestReviews best bang for the buck art easel.
$25-50
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splurge pick · Holds art up to 34 in tall
Best for painting at a table now and outdoors later
BestReviews' best of the best art easel: it sets up as a tabletop or standing easel and has a drawer for supplies.
Heads up. At 13 pounds it's hard for some people to carry around
1 outlet. BestReviews best of the best art easel.
$50-100
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Broken link, wrong price range or an outdated pick? Tell me
Watercolor is the easy, portable pick if you like soft, loose looks, and the Cotman pocket box fits in a bag. Acrylic suits bold, layered paintings and lets you paint over mistakes once it dries. Either works; just match the paper to the paint.
No. Canvas paper is made for practice, so you don't use up a mounted canvas on early tries. BestReviews notes the Canson XL pad may need a layer or two of gesso, and the Canson Canva-Paper is its closest match to the feel of mounted canvas.
Not on day one, so it's marked nice to have. A tabletop easel helps once you paint for longer stretches. The Arteza box easel fits canvases up to 11 x 14 inches, and the Coronado also works as a standing easel.