Essential Materials for Acrylic Painting – A Beginner’s Guide

One of the most common questions I hear from new students is:

“What materials do I need for acrylic painting? Do I have to buy everything before class?”

The short answer: No, you don’t. You only need a few essential tools to start painting meaningfully. Whether you’re joining one of my workshops at Berlin Drawing Room or painting at home for the first time, this guide to essential acrylic painting materials for beginners, you will find everything you need to choose wisely — without overspending or getting overwhelmed.

Essential Acrylic Painting Materials: What Every Beginner Should Know

Paint: Start Simple, Mix More

You might be tempted to buy a full box of 24 colors. But using fewer colors is actually the best way to train your eye, improve your mixing skills, and understand how color works.

Recommended beginner palette:

• Titanium White
• Primary Yellow
• Magenta (or Primary Red)
• Primary Blue (Cyan)
• Optional: Black or Burnt Umber

With just these five, you can mix a huge variety of tones — and, more importantly, start understanding how color works.

Tube size: go for medium bottles (250 ml)

Acrylic paint keeps really well if stored in a tightly closed container. Buying slightly larger bottles is a good investment, especially for colors you’ll use a lot. White, for example, runs out fast because it’s used for mixing tints, toning down colors, or preparing surfaces. Consider getting a 500 ml or 750 ml bottle of white to avoid restocking constantly.

In my classes, I often explain that when using acrylics, it’s important to be mindful of how much paint you squeeze onto your palette — acrylic dries quickly, and colors can easily get muddy or contaminated while you’re mixing.

Affordable and reliable paint brands available in Berlin:

All of these brands are beginner-friendly, good quality, and widely available in Berlin at stores like Boesner and Modulor.

• Lukas Studio
  Great balance of price and quality. Creamy consistency, good coverage, and solid pigmentation. It behaves like a more professional paint but at a student-friendly price.
• Amsterdam Standard Series
  Slightly more fluid than other brands, with a very smooth application. Consistent texture and a wide range of bright colors. 
• Schmincke Akademie Acryl
  Excellent color selection, extremely smooth to work with and a professional feel.

If you’re unsure, you can start with one or two colors from each brand to compare how they feel. Many students are surprised how different two blues can behave depending on the brand. A small experiment like this helps you find what suits your style best.

Brushes: Quality Over Quantity

Understanding brush shape, size, and bristle length helps you paint with more intention and better results — even as a beginner. For acrylics, synthetic brushes are best: durable, easy to clean, and made to handle thick paint. Look for brushes labeled “for acrylic or oil”. 

My recommendation: Try painting the same shape with a long and short bristle brush — you’ll feel the difference right away.

Shape:

• Flat brush
  • Good for crisp edges, clean lines, and large areas.
  • Press lightly for thin lines, or use the wide edge for broader strokes.
    
• Round brush
  • Great for curves, organic shapes, and blending.
  • Responds well to pressure and direction changes.
    
• Large brushes
  • Ideal for covering big areas smoothly and quickly.
  • Avoid using a small brush on large surfaces — you’ll get a noisy texture (like Van Gogh). Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s just distracting.
    
• Small brush
  • Use for accents and final touches — don’t get stuck in detail too early.
    

Bristle length and behavior:

• Long bristles
  • Hold more paint and water
  • Let you make longer, flowing strokes
  • Perfect for expressive and intuitive painting
    
• Short bristles
  • Offer more control and resistance
  • Produce strong textures and visible marks
  • Great for impasto techniques and layering

 This small kit gives you endless possibilities, from bold backgrounds to delicate lines:

• 2 medium brushes – one flat, one round
• 2 large brushes – one flat, one round
• 1 small round brush – for details

You don’t need a stretched canvas to make a great painting.

For beginners, painting on paper is often the best option. It feels less intimidating, encourages experimentation, and makes it easier to focus on the process rather than the result. A sketchbook can also be a great companion to document your progress and try out ideas.

Recommended: Hahnemühle Mixed Media Block – 30×40 cm, 250g/m²
This type of paper is durable, portable, and perfect for acrylic beginners. Thick enough to handle acrylic paint without warping, lightly textured surface, great for both detail and broad strokes and glued on all sides, so it stays flat while you paint. Available at Boesner and Modulor.

Other Essentials:

Palette
Don’t be shy with the size — the bigger your palette, the more comfortably you’ll be able to mix your colors. A generous surface gives your brush room to move and helps you keep your colors clean. To start, you don’t need anything fancy: a white plastic plate, a large ceramic dish, or even the lid of a plastic container will do the job.
What matters most is that the surface is non-absorbent — if it absorbs water (like cardboard or paper), your paint will dry faster and “disappear” into the surface, making mixing frustrating.

Water Jar
Any glass or plastic container will work. A wide opening is best, so you can rinse your brushes easily — something like a clean Nutella or jam jar is perfect.

Rags or Kitchen Towels
Having at least one rag nearby might seem like a minor detail, but it’s actually one of the most useful tools you’ll use while painting.

• Drying brushes: After rinsing a brush, you’ll want to gently press it against a rag or paper towel to remove excess water. Too much water left on the brush can dilute your paint unintentionally, make colors runny, or affect coverage.
• Controlling moisture: Learning to control how wet or dry your brush is will dramatically improve how your paint behaves on the surface. Your rag helps you “reset” your brush quickly.
• Cleaning up: A dedicated rag helps keep your hands, palette, and workspace cleaner — especially when switching between colors or techniques.
• Texturing and mark-making: You can also use a rag creatively — to dab or lift wet paint, blend edges, or even draw into the surface while the paint is still fresh. This adds texture and spontaneity to your work.

Soft, absorbent cotton cloths (like old T-shirts or tea towels) are ideal. They soak up water well and are reusable — just wash them between sessions. Avoid synthetic fabrics, which don’t absorb well and can smear paint instead of picking it up. Paper towels also work fine, especially the thicker, more absorbent kind, but they create more waste.

Quick Shopping List for Beginners:

Paints

• Titanium White
• Primary Yellow
• Magenta or Primary Red
• Primary Blue (Cyan)
• Black or Burnt Umber (optional)

Brushes

• Medium Flat
• Medium Round
• Large Flat
• Large Round
• Small Round

Other Tools

• Hahnemühle Mixed Media Block (30×40 cm, 250g/m²)
• Water container (jag jar)
• Rag or kitchen towel
• Palette (plastic plate or lid)

At Berlin Drawing Room, we provide paper, acrylic paint, shared brushes, and all essential materials for your first session.

That said, we highly recommend bringing your own starter set — especially your own brushes — so you can get used to them during class and, most importantly, keep practicing at home.

Many of my students are amazed by how expressive their paintings become, with just a few tools and a little guidance. If you’re excited to begin or want some structure and encouragement, join me at one of my painting workshops at Berlin Drawing Room: