Walking into an art supply store as a beginner is overwhelming. The sheer number of products, mediums, varnishes, and accessories suggests you need a lot more than you actually do. Here is the honest, minimal setup that covers everything you need for your first months of acrylic painting — and nothing you do not.
The Essential Setup (Everything You Actually Need)
Acrylic Paints
Start with 6-12 colors. A split-primary palette (warm and cool of each primary) plus white. Arteza or Liquitex BASICS are great starting points.
Brushes (6 to start)
2 flat brushes (large and medium), 2 round brushes (medium and small), 1 fan brush, 1 liner. Synthetic brushes work perfectly for acrylics.
Canvas
Start with a pack of canvas boards or stretched canvases. 11×14 or 12×16 is a good beginner size — large enough to develop brushwork, small enough to finish.
Stay-Wet Palette
Regular palettes let acrylics dry in minutes. A stay-wet palette keeps them workable for hours. This is the single most impactful upgrade for beginners.
Two Water Jars
Any jar works — one for rinsing brushes, one kept clean for diluting paint. Never use just one; dirty water kills clean colors.
Paper Towels or Rags
For wiping brushes between colors and blotting excess paint. Paper towels work fine. Old cotton t-shirts are even better — softer and reusable.
Optional but Genuinely Useful
- Acrylic Retarder Medium — slows drying time, giving you more time to blend. A few drops mixed into paint makes a huge difference.
- Gesso — white primer for surfaces that are not pre-primed. Most canvases come ready-gessoed, but it is useful for painting on wood, cardboard, or fabric.
- Spray bottle of water — mist the palette and canvas to keep paint workable. A $2 bottle from a garden store works perfectly.
- Palette knife — for mixing paint on the palette without contaminating brush shapes, and for applying textured impasto effects.
- Varnish — applied over a finished, dry painting to protect the surface and even out sheen differences between areas.
What NOT to Buy Yet
Resist the urge to buy mediums, gels, texture pastes, and specialty products until you understand why you need them. Most beginners collect a cabinet full of products they use once. Master painting with paint and brushes first — everything else is supplementary.
Total Budget Estimates
| Budget | What You Get | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | Student paints, basic brushes, canvas boards | ~$40 |
| Recommended | Arteza paints + brush set + stretched canvases + stay-wet palette | ~$90 |
| Serious Start | Liquitex BASICS + quality brushes + larger canvases + mediums | ~$160 |
For most people starting out, the Recommended budget gives you everything needed to paint seriously for 3-6 months. Once you know which colors you reach for most, upgrade those specific pigments to artist grade.