Top-Rated Acrylic Paint Brands for Vibrant Artistic Creations

Acrylic painting has become a popular medium for both amateur and professional artists due to its versatility and vibrant hues. With so many brands available on the market, it can be challenging to choose the right one that offers quality, durability, and a rich color palette. This article aims to simplify that choice by providing a comprehensive list of the best acrylic paint brands that cater to various artistic needs, from beginners to seasoned painters. Explore the list below to find the perfect paint brand that aligns with your creative goals.

Illustration of acrylic paint

Best brands of acrylic paint in 2025

Golden Artist Colors

Golden Artist Colors, founded in 1980 by Sam Golden after his extensive career in paint making since the 1930s, is a leading US manufacturer of professional-grade acrylic paints known for their exceptional quality, archival properties, and innovative formulations, including their flagship Heavy Body Acrylics, with a commitment to sustainability and a strong connection with the artist community. As of January 1, 2025, they will be partnering with Royal Talens as their exclusive distributor for the EMEA region.

Liquitex

Liquitex, founded in 1955 by Henry Levison, is a leading US company specializing in acrylic paints, recognized for creating the first water-based acrylic gesso and launching the world's first water-based acrylic medium viscosity artist color in 1956, offering a vast array of products including heavy body, soft body, and fluid acrylics, plus mediums and markers. Their commitment to innovation is highlighted by the development of cadmium-free heavy body colors in 2017 and the first removable acrylic varnish in 1967. Liquitex is often used by professional artists due to the high quality and vibrant colors of its paints, which come in a wide range of mediums and are known for their excellent consistency and coverage. You can find their products on their official website.

Winsor & Newton

Winsor & Newton, established in 1832, is a renowned British manufacturer of fine art materials, including high-quality acrylic paints. Their Professional range offers exceptional color richness and intensity due to advanced resin technology that minimizes color shift. Meanwhile, the Galeria line provides a more affordable option with similar pigments in a lower concentration, making it a popular choice for artists seeking excellent results. The company introduced their first range of acrylics in 1970, solidifying their place in the art world, and are considered one of the best brands for acrylics among artists.

Sennelier

Sennelier, a renowned French brand established in 1887, offers a wide range of high-quality acrylic paints, including their Abstract line. Known for its innovative pouch packaging that preserves paint and minimizes waste, Sennelier's product offerings include extra-fine acrylics with a creamy texture, high pigment concentration, and 120 vibrant shades. These paints boast excellent lightfastness, meeting ASTM standards for safety and quality, making them a favorite among artists seeking intense and stable colors.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam, established in 1976 and part of Royal Talens since 1899, offers a wide range of high-quality acrylic paints, including the student-friendly Standard series and the professional-grade Expert series, both known for their 100% acrylic emulsion and high-grade pigments providing vibrant colors with great lightfastness and a smooth finish. The Expert series stands out with its thicker, buttery consistency suitable for impasto techniques; these versatile paints can be used on various surfaces and are intermixable, making them a favorite among artists. In 2006, they narrowed their focus to only acrylic paint products.

Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith, established in 1976, is a renowned manufacturer of professional-grade artist materials, including acrylic paints known for their high pigment concentration and vibrant colors, with a unique approach using pigments derived from semi-precious minerals. Their acrylics are considered a top-tier choice for artists seeking superior lightfastness and permanence, though some users have noted a slight tackiness in their oil paints. Daniel Smith's paints have been loved since 2002. You can find more information about their artist-grade acrylic paints at their official website.

M. Graham & Co.

M. Graham & Co., established by artists in Oregon, is renowned for producing high-quality, handcrafted acrylic paints in small batches, utilizing a unique 60% solid pure acrylic emulsion, which allows for increased pigment loads, resulting in vibrant colors with a creamy texture, longer open time for blending, and without any fillers or artificial thickeners, offering artists a gouache-like flow and a wide range of 50 colors with excellent lightfastness. You can explore their acrylic paint products to discover their exceptional quality.

Daler-Rowney

Daler-Rowney, a British company with a rich history dating back to 1783, is renowned for its high-quality art materials and was the first to introduce artist-grade acrylic paints in Europe in 1963, called Cryla. The company continues to innovate with ranges like System 3 acrylics, holding a significant market share in the artist-grade acrylic paint industry which is dominated by 5 companies holding a 30% share. Daler-Rowney is committed to sustainability and offers a wide range of acrylics, including heavy-body and fluid options, suitable for various techniques and applications, ensuring versatility and exceptional results for artists, globally.

Utrecht

Utrecht, established in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York, is a renowned producer of high-quality acrylic paints, known for their rich pigmentation and smooth, buttery texture, utilizing a unique milling process, and is considered one of the first manufacturers of professional acrylic colors, with a typical formula consisting of 50% acrylic binder, 30% pigment, and 20% other components; their paints are crafted with artist-grade pigments, ensuring excellent lightfastness and vibrant colors for over 50 years, with a range including heavy body and studio series acrylics available in various sizes.

Chroma Atelier Interactive

Chroma Atelier Interactive, established in 1965, is a well-regarded brand known for its professional-grade acrylic paints that feature a unique formulation allowing for extended open time, enabling artists to blend and rework colors, unlike traditional acrylics that dry quickly. With many customers noting the vibrant colors and high quality of the paint, Chroma Atelier Interactive offers artists the ability to control drying time, which bridges the gap between oils and acrylics, making it suitable for various techniques such as impasto and glazing. You can explore their products at Chroma Atelier Interactive's website.