What to buy, what to skip
You do not need expensive supplies to start painting with us. A handful of well-chosen basics is genuinely enough — here is exactly what to get.
Before You Buy Anything
Beginning acrylics does not require an overwhelming collection of materials. A thoughtfully chosen set of essentials lets you focus on creativity rather than complexity.
Surface, paints, a few brushes, a palette, water, a cloth and a pencil. That is a complete beginner kit.
Student-quality paint is made for exactly this stage. Save the professional tubes for much later.
Nearby art shops often beat online prices. The links here are simply a convenient fallback.
Print It or Screenshot It
Everything to have ready before your first class. Tap any item to jump to the detailed guidance.
Essential Supplies
Nice to Have
Item by Item
What each item is for, what to look for when buying it, and where to find it online if you cannot get to a local art store.
Essential
Use thick paper above 280 GSM, a canvas panel, a stretched canvas, or a canvas pad. High-GSM watercolour or mixed-media paper also works well for acrylics.
Where to buy
Check your local art store first — offline stores often run discounts and let you see the quality before buying.
Essential for canvas
Gesso primes the surface so paint grips properly and your brush glides instead of dragging. Needed for canvas panels and stretched canvas — not for thick paper sheets.
Where to buy
Check your local art store first — offline stores often run discounts and let you see the quality before buying.
Essential
A limited set of colours is better than a big box. Working with fewer colours is how you actually learn to mix. Look for a creamy, semi-thick consistency with good opacity.
Reliable student-grade brands: Liquitex Basics, Winsor & Newton Galeria, Pébéo Studio Acrylics, Mont Marte and Arteza are all consistently well reviewed and widely available.
Recommended starter set
Where to buy
Check your local art store first — offline stores often run discounts and let you see the quality before buying.
Essential
You need three types, not thirty. Synthetic brushes are ideal for acrylics and much kinder on the wallet than natural hair.
Where to buy
Check your local art store first — offline stores often run discounts and let you see the quality before buying.
Essential
A flat palette works best — it gives you room to mix properly. Plastic, wooden and paper palettes all work.
Where to buy
Check your local art store first — offline stores often run discounts and let you see the quality before buying.
Essential · free
For rinsing brushes between colours. Do not buy one — an old jam jar, yoghurt tub or mug works perfectly.
Essential · free
For wiping excess paint and water off your brushes. A cloth is the better choice — reusable, more absorbent, more durable, and it keeps brushes cleaner as you work.
Optional
A small palette knife is used for mixing colours on the palette. It mixes more thoroughly than a brush and saves your bristles from wear.
Where to buy
Check your local art store first — offline stores often run discounts and let you see the quality before buying.
Only If You Want Them
None of these are required to join a class. They simply make some things easier once you are painting regularly.
For lightly sketching your composition before you paint. A regular HB pencil is perfect.
A light mist keeps acrylics on your palette workable for longer instead of drying out mid-session.
For clean, crisp edges and neat borders around your painting.
Protects finished paintings from dust and UV once they are fully dry. Buy this much later.
Spend Wisely
01
Offline stores frequently run discounts and let you feel the brushes before buying. The links on this page are only there for convenience.
02
Student-grade paint is designed for this stage and performs beautifully. Upgrading early rarely improves the painting — practice does.
03
Send a photo of what you own before buying anything new. We will confirm what works and what is genuinely missing.
Gather your materials, then join a live class and start painting with guidance every step of the way.