Best Acrylic Paints for Beginners in Sri Lanka (2026 Guide)

Posted by

adminhaanz

2026-10-13

On 2026-10-12

Haanz Art GuideFree, practical advice from the team at Haanz Art & Craft Materials

Acrylic paint is the easiest place to start painting: it dries fast, cleans up with water while wet, and works on canvas, paper, wood and more. This guide compares the acrylic paints for beginners we sell most at Haanz, explains who each one suits, and shows what goes into a sensible starter kit.

What is acrylic paint?

Acrylic paint is pigment carried in a water-based acrylic polymer. While wet it can be thinned and cleaned with water. As it dries, the polymer forms a flexible, water-resistant film, so dry acrylic is permanent. Acrylic usually dries slightly darker than it looks when wet, so mix colours a touch lighter than you need.

Student paints vs artist paints

Student-grade acrylics are made for learning, school work and crafts and come in handy sets. Artist-grade paints usually have more pigment, so colours are stronger and cover better and a little goes further. For a beginner, a good student set is plenty. Add larger tubes of the colours you use most, usually white and black, as you go.

The acrylic paints our customers buy most

Art Rangers Acrylic 12 × 12ml set: a popular first set for students and hobby painters. Twelve colours in small tubes, enough to learn mixing. For more colours there is the 24 × 12ml set, and larger tubes in the 12 × 22ml set.
Mont Marte Acrylic: our best-selling acrylic. 100ml tubs suit canvas painting, school projects and anyone who paints often. Mont Marte also comes in 75ml tubes and 300ml tubs for large work.
Camlin Fabrica Acrylic 15ml bottles: small bottles in many single colours, made for fabric painting and also popular for crafts. Start with white and black.
Fevicryl Acrylic Colour 200ml: large bottles such as Mars Black, economical for murals, wall art, decorations and big craft projects.
Pentel Arts Acrylic 28ml: a reliable middle option in tubes, such as white and black.

Prices change, so see each product page for today’s price. Browse all acrylic paints or just the acrylic sets.

A simple beginner’s acrylic kit

Paints: one 12-colour student set, plus an extra large white (you will use more white than anything else).
Brushes: a mixed set with a flat, a round and a filbert. See our paint brush guide.
Surface: a few small canvases or a canvas pad. Our canvas guide explains the options.
Extras: a palette, a palette knife for mixing, a water jar and a cloth.

Tips for your first acrylic painting

Squeeze out only a little paint at a time, because acrylic dries quickly on the palette. A light mist of water keeps it workable for longer.
Learn to mix colours from red, yellow, blue, white and black before buying many single colours.
Paint the background and large areas first, then add details and highlights on top once the layer below is dry.
Wash brushes in water straight after painting. Dried acrylic is very hard to remove.
Protect finished paintings with varnish; see our varnishing guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which acrylic paint is best for school?

A student set such as Art Rangers is usually enough for school work. Check your teacher’s list for the number of colours needed.

Can I use acrylic paint on fabric?

Camlin Fabrica is made for fabric. Follow the instructions on the bottle for drying and heat-setting before washing.

How long does acrylic paint take to dry?

Thin layers are touch-dry in minutes to an hour; thick paint takes longer. It takes a few days to dry all the way through.

Do you deliver islandwide?

Yes. We deliver across Sri Lanka in 2–5 working days, with cash on delivery, card or bank transfer. You can also visit our shops in Boralesgamuwa and Horana, open every day from 9 AM to 6 PM.

Not sure what to choose? WhatsApp the Haanz team on 0711 515 515 and we’ll help you put a kit together.

More Haanz Art Guides