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Searching for an acrylic paint medium set usually means one of two things. Either you want a boxed set of acrylic colors with a medium-weight, creamy body that mixes well and takes additives without complaint, or you want the gels, gloss mediums and retarders that change how acrylic behaves. This guide covers the first and explains how to approach the second, because the two decisions are linked: the paint you start with determines which mediums are worth buying.
Below are six acrylic paint sets whose listings describe a smooth, blendable consistency and broad surface compatibility, from a 12-tube Liquitex BASICS set that pairs with the full Liquitex medium range to half-liter bulk bottles for murals and classrooms. We also cover the medium types you can add later and when a dedicated medium beats simply thinning with water.
Quick answer: The Liquitex BASICS 12 x 118ml set is the best acrylic paint set to build a medium-based workflow around, because the maker’s own listing states that BASICS is designed to be adjusted with its gels, gloss and matte mediums. For a lower-cost starter kit with brushes and a palette included, the Nicpro 24-color 2oz set is the practical pick. If you cover large surfaces, the Nicpro 14-color 500ml bulk set gives you the volume to mix paint and medium by the cupful.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
- Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set, 12 x 118ml — Best for pairing with professional mediums
- Nicpro Acrylic Paint Set, 24 Colors 2oz — Best starter kit with brushes and palette
- Shuttle Art Acrylic Paint, 36 Colors 2oz — Best color range in bottles
- Caliart Acrylic Paint Set, 36 Colors — Best alternative 36-color kit
- Nicpro 14 Colors Large Bulk Acrylic Paint Set, 500ml — Best for murals, pouring and classrooms
- unuaST 14 Colors Large Bulk Acrylic Paint Set, 300ml — Best mid-size bulk option
| Product | Best For | Key Spec | Key Strength | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquitex BASICS 12 x 118ml | Artists using mediums | 12 tubes, 4oz each, range of opacities | Same pigments as the professional line | $$$ |
| Nicpro 24 Colors 2oz | Beginners | 24 x 60ml bottles, 12 brushes, palette, color wheel guide | Complete kit for a low outlay | $$ |
| Shuttle Art 36 Colors | Color variety | 36 x 60ml bottles incl. metallic gold and silver, 12 brushes | Widest palette in the group | $$ |
| Caliart 36 Colors | Crafts and canvas | 36 x 2oz bottles incl. metallics, 12 brushes | Fast-dry formula for layering | $$ |
| Nicpro 14 Colors 500ml | Large-scale work | 14 x 16.9oz squeeze bottles | Volume for mixing with mediums | $$ |
| unuaST 14 Colors 300ml | Mid-size bulk | 14 x 300ml pump bottles, color wheel | Pump dispensing, numbered bottles | $$ |
How We Chose
Nothing here was painted with or swatched by us. The selections rest on the Amazon listing details and specifications as checked in October 2026, on how well each set’s consistency, volume and surface claims fit a workflow that leans on acrylic mediums, and on how widely each product has been reviewed by Amazon buyers. Price tiers are shown as $ for budget, $$ for mid-range and $$$ for premium rather than exact figures, which change often.
Criteria that shaped the ranking:
- Consistency described in the listing: creamy, buttery or smooth bodies take gels and flow mediums more predictably than thin craft paint.
- Volume per color: mediums are mixed by ratio, so small tubes run out fast once you start cutting paint with gel.
- Maker’s medium range: a paint whose manufacturer also sells matching mediums removes compatibility guesswork.
- Surface compatibility: sets claiming adhesion to canvas, wood, fabric and ceramic suit mixed-media painters.
- Safety labeling: ASTM D-4236 conformance noted on the listing.
Best Acrylic Paint Medium Sets Reviewed
1. Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set, 12 x 118ml — Best for Pairing with Professional Mediums
Liquitex states on this listing that it invented artists’ acrylics in 1955 and that BASICS uses the same pigments and manufacturing process as its professional range, with pigments ground using reinforced ceramic beads for fine dispersion. More relevant to this query, the listing says BASICS comes in a range of opacities and is meant to be adjusted as undertone, tint or shade, with the brand’s own mediums covering prep, finish and texture changes.
The twelve 118ml tubes are large by starter-set standards, which matters once you start extending paint with gel or gloss medium. The set does not include brushes or a palette, and the exact color list is only given in the Amazon description rather than the bullets, so check it before buying if you need a specific hue.
Best suited for: painters who plan to use gels, glazing mediums, retarders or pouring mediums and want a student-grade paint with professional pigment behavior.
Key features:
- 12 x 118ml (4oz) tubes
- Range of opacities, adjustable as undertone, tint or shade
- Same pigments and process as the Liquitex professional line, per the listing
- Adheres to canvas, paper, board, wood, masonry, metal, styrofoam, stone and ceramics
Pros:
- Designed around a matching medium system
- Large tube volume for extending with gels
- Flexible film once dry
Cons/limitations:
- No brushes, palette or mediums in the box
- Highest price tier here
- Only 12 colors, so you mix more
Buying consideration: Budget for at least one medium alongside it. A gloss medium or soft gel is the usual first purchase, because both extend color without dulling it.
2. Nicpro Acrylic Paint Set, 24 Colors 2oz — Best Starter Kit with Brushes and Palette
The Nicpro 24-color set is the most complete beginner kit in this group. The listing describes 24 colors in 60ml bottles, 12 brushes, a palette and a user guide with a color wheel. The paint is described as smooth and creamy, easy to blend, mix and layer, with quick-dry and fade-resistant claims and conformance to ASTM D-4236.
For medium work, the bottle format is a small advantage: squeeze bottles make it easier to measure paint-to-medium ratios than tubes do. The brushes bundled with sets like this are typically basic synthetics, so treat them as practice tools rather than long-term kit.
Best suited for: adult beginners and students who want paint, brushes and a palette in one order before adding a single medium.
Key features:
- 24 x 60ml (2oz) squeeze bottles
- 12 brushes, palette and a beginner’s guide with color wheel
- Non-toxic, conforms to ASTM D-4236
- Rated for wood, rock, canvas, ceramic, fabric, glass, clay, leather and plastic
Pros:
- Lowest entry cost in this comparison for a full kit
- Bottles simplify measuring ratios
- Guide helps with color mixing
Cons/limitations:
- Craft-grade pigment load compared with artist lines
- Included brushes are basic
- No mediums included
Buying consideration: If you expect to glaze or pour, a general-purpose brand of pouring medium will work with this paint; the listing does not name a specific medium system.
3. Shuttle Art Acrylic Paint, 36 Colors 2oz — Best Color Range in Bottles
Shuttle Art’s 36-color set adds a dozen more hues than the Nicpro kit, including metallic gold and silver according to the listing, plus 12 brushes and one palette. The paint is described as creamy, easy to blend, mix and layer, with waterproof and fade-resistant claims once dry and ASTM D-4236 conformance.
Thirty-six colors reduce how much mixing you do, which some painters like and others find limiting because premixed hues can look flat without modulation. Metallics are also worth a mention here: they respond well to gloss medium, which boosts their sheen, but can look chalky under matte medium.
Best suited for: crafters and hobby painters who want a wide premixed palette and plan to use mediums mainly for texture or finish.
Key features:
- 36 x 60ml bottles including metallic gold and silver
- 12 brushes and a palette included
- Dries fast; waterproof and fade-resistant when dry, per listing
- Non-toxic and acid-free, ASTM D-4236
Pros:
- Widest color count here
- Metallics included without buying separately
- Multi-surface use
Cons/limitations:
- Large footprint to store
- Craft-grade formulation
- Premixed hues can discourage learning to mix
Buying consideration: Many colors means many bottles to keep sealed. Acrylic skins over fast in partly used bottles, so wipe the nozzles after each session.
4. Caliart Acrylic Paint Set, 36 Colors — Best Alternative 36-Color Kit
Caliart’s kit mirrors the Shuttle Art format: 36 colors in 2oz bottles including metallic gold and silver, with 12 brushes. The listing highlights a creamy paint with covering power for both large areas and fine detail, a fast-dry formula that allows layering additional coats, and ASTM D-4236 conformance.
The fast-dry claim is relevant if you intend to buy a retarder, since quick-setting craft acrylics are exactly the paints that benefit from a few drops of slow-dry medium during blending. Between Caliart and Shuttle Art, the right choice usually comes down to current price and which color assortment you prefer.
Best suited for: painters who want a second 36-color option to price-compare, or who paint seasonal craft projects on wood and rock.
Key features:
- 36 x 2oz bottles with metallic gold and silver
- 12 brushes included
- Fast-dry, waterproof and fade-resistant claims
- Non-toxic and acid-free, ASTM D-4236
Pros:
- Good covering power claimed for large areas
- Layer-friendly drying time
- Broad surface list including canvas, wood and rock
Cons/limitations:
- No palette listed in the bullets
- Fast drying can fight wet blending without a retarder
- Craft-grade pigment load
Buying consideration: Pair it with a slow-dry blending medium if soft gradients are your goal; the paint’s own speed is an asset for layering but not for feathering edges.
5. Nicpro 14 Colors Large Bulk Acrylic Paint Set, 500ml — Best for Murals, Pouring and Classrooms
When mediums enter the picture, volume starts to matter. The Nicpro bulk set supplies 14 essential shades, listed as including White, Mars Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and Burnt Umber, each in a 16.9oz (500ml) squeeze bottle. The listing describes a rich, creamy consistency for blending and layering, a quick-dry formula, non-toxic certification and adhesion to canvas, rock, wood, glass, ceramic, fabric, leather, plastic, clay and metal.
This is the set to buy if you pour. Pouring medium is often mixed at several parts medium to one part paint, which drains small bottles in a session. The 14-color range is restrained, but it covers the primaries, an earth tone and black and white, which is enough to mix most of what a muralist needs.
Best suited for: muralists, pour painters, teachers and anyone who mixes paint and medium by the cup rather than the drop.
Key features:
- 14 x 500ml (16.9oz) easy-squeeze bottles
- Essential palette including Mars Black, Burnt Umber and White
- Non-toxic, suitable for classrooms per listing
- Multi-surface adhesion including metal and glass
Pros:
- Volume for high-ratio medium mixes
- Core palette that mixes well
- Squeeze bottles dispense cleanly
Cons/limitations:
- Heavy and bulky to store
- No brushes or palette
- Only 14 colors
Buying consideration: Decant into smaller bottles for the easel so the main supply stays sealed and clean.
6. unuaST 14 Colors Large Bulk Acrylic Paint Set, 300ml — Best Mid-Size Bulk Option
The unuaST set sits between a hobby kit and a true bulk set. Fourteen commonly used colors come in 300ml (10oz) bottles, each labeled with a color number, and the listing specifies a pump dispenser plus an included color wheel. The paint is described as smooth, highly saturated and good at covering, with a non-toxic water-based formula meeting ASTM D-4236 and EN71.
Pump bottles are a practical detail for medium work. You can count pumps to repeat a ratio, which makes consistent glazes and pours much easier than eyeballing squeezes. The trade-off is that pumps can clog if paint dries in the nozzle between sessions.
Best suited for: hobby painters who have outgrown 2oz bottles but do not need half-liter volumes.
Key features:
- 14 x 300ml (10oz) pump bottles
- Numbered bottles and a color wheel
- Non-toxic, ASTM D-4236 and EN71
- Suitable for wood, rock, canvas, fabric, plastic and ceramics
Pros:
- Pump dispensing supports repeatable mixes
- Good volume at a mid-range price
- Numbered bottles help teaching
Cons/limitations:
- Pumps need cleaning to avoid clogging
- Less brand track record than Liquitex or Nicpro
- No brushes
Buying consideration: Store the bottles upright and wipe pump heads after each use; dried acrylic in a pump is difficult to clear.
Buying Guide: How to Choose an Acrylic Paint Medium Set
Decide which “medium” you mean
If you want additives, you are shopping for gloss medium, matte medium, gel medium (soft, regular or heavy), glazing medium, retarder, flow improver or pouring medium. None of the sets above include these, and most paint brands sell them separately. If you want paint with a medium-weight body that accepts those additives, the sets above are the starting point.
Match paint body to the mediums you plan to use
Heavy body tube paint holds texture and suits heavy gel. Softer bottled craft acrylic flows more readily and is already close to the consistency a pouring medium wants. Reading the listing’s own description, “creamy” or “buttery” usually signals a soft to medium body.
Check volume per color
Mediums are mixed by ratio, often one part paint to one or more parts medium. A 12ml tube disappears quickly at those ratios. For glazing, 2oz bottles are fine; for pouring or murals, 300ml to 500ml bottles are the sensible minimum.
Look for a maker with its own medium line
Mixing paint and medium from the same manufacturer removes variables such as differing binders or drying rates. Liquitex is the clearest example in this group; the others work with general-purpose mediums but do not name a matched system.
Consider finish
Most craft acrylics dry satin to matte. Gloss medium raises sheen and depth; matte medium lowers it and can lighten dark colors slightly. If you want a uniform finish, plan to varnish at the end regardless of which medium you used in the layers.
Think about drying time
Every set here advertises fast drying. That is good for layering and bad for soft blending. A retarder or slow-dry medium is the fix, but it should be used sparingly or the film may stay tacky.
Confirm surface claims
Acrylic sticks to most porous surfaces without help. Glass, metal and slick plastic generally need a primer or a specific multi-surface formula; listing claims for those surfaces are best treated as “with preparation.”
Related Reading on Acrylic Mediums
If you are not ready to buy a dedicated medium, our guide to what you can use instead of acrylic medium covers household and studio substitutes and their limits. Two common mix-ups are cleared up in acrylic medium vs gesso and acrylic medium vs varnish, which explain why a primer and a topcoat are not interchangeable with a mixing medium. For a broader overview of your options, read what medium to use with acrylic paint, and when the work is finished, how to varnish an acrylic painting walks through the final protective layer.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying gels before you know your paint body. Heavy gel on thin craft paint produces a lumpy, uneven film.
- Thinning with too much water. Past roughly a quarter water by volume, acrylic binder weakens and the film can lift or chalk; flow medium is the better thinner.
- Using varnish as a mixing medium. Varnish is a topcoat and not formulated to be painted over.
- Over-using retarder. A little slows drying; a lot leaves paint tacky for days.
- Ignoring finish differences. Mixing matte and gloss medium across a painting creates patchy sheen until it is varnished.
- Leaving bottle nozzles uncleaned. Dried acrylic blocks pumps and squeeze tips and wastes paint.
FAQs
Do any of these sets include acrylic mediums?
No. Each set listed here contains paint, and in some cases brushes and a palette. Gloss, matte, gel, pouring and retarder mediums are sold separately, so budget for at least one if you plan to extend or alter the paint.
What is the first acrylic medium a beginner should buy?
A gloss or soft gel medium is the usual starting point because it extends paint, adds transparency for glazing and does not dull color. A pouring medium comes next if you want to try fluid art.
Can I mix mediums from one brand with paint from another?
Generally yes, since artist and craft acrylics share an acrylic polymer binder. Results are most predictable when paint and medium come from the same maker, which is why the Liquitex BASICS set ranks first for medium-heavy work.
Is water a substitute for acrylic medium?
Only in small amounts. Water thins the paint but also dilutes the binder, and heavy dilution can leave an underbound, chalky film. Flow improver or a fluid medium thins without that penalty.
Which set is best for acrylic pouring?
The Nicpro 500ml bulk set, because pouring uses high medium-to-paint ratios and burns through small bottles. The unuaST 300ml set is a smaller alternative with pump dispensing.
Do craft acrylics work with professional mediums?
They do, but their lower pigment load means heavy extension with gel or pouring medium weakens color faster than it would with artist-grade paint. Use less medium or choose a higher-pigment set for glazing-intensive work.
Final Recommendation
For a medium-driven practice, the Liquitex BASICS 12 x 118ml set is the one to buy, since it is the only set here whose maker documents a matched medium system and describes the paint as built to be adjusted. Beginners who want brushes and a palette in the same order are well served by the Nicpro 24-color 2oz set, with Shuttle Art and Caliart as the picks for a wider premixed palette. Anyone pouring, teaching or painting walls should skip the small bottles entirely and choose the Nicpro 500ml bulk set, or the unuaST 300ml set if storage space is tight.
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