My younger sister has recently taken a serious interest in painting. She’s still in school, but her art teacher said she had a natural flair for colours and brushwork, so she needed something better than those watery poster colours. That’s when I decided to look for good quality acrylic paints something that’s beginner-friendly but also feels nice to use, not chalky or flaky like some of the super cheap ones. I didn’t want to go all-in with professional artist brands just yet, but I also didn’t want to buy anything that would hold her back. So after spending a few days going through reviews and even visiting a local stationery store, I ended up getting her a set from Brustro and I’ll be honest, it was a great decision.
The One My Sister Uses: Brustro Artists’ Acrylic Colour Set
This was the first proper acrylic set my sister used, and the difference was visible from her first painting itself. The colours were rich, smooth, and blended really well. It’s a 12-tube set with all the basic shades she needed for her school projects and personal sketches. What I liked most and she mentioned this too is that the paint dries with a nice semi-gloss finish, not that cheap chalky texture some lower-end brands have.
Another thing: it doesn’t dry too fast while painting, so beginners like her can take their time mixing and layering. And it works on paper, canvas boards, even fabric to some extent. She has now started painting on old notebooks and tote bags at home. It’s kind of amazing to see her get creative like that.
Other Good Acrylic Paint Brands I Looked Into:
Camel Artist Acrylic Colours: Camel is probably the most easily available brand in India. It’s a reliable choice for beginners, especially for school students. The colours are bright and easy to work with. The only issue is that they dry a bit quickly, which can be tricky if someone’s just starting out. But for the price, they’re pretty great. They also come in individual tubes so you can restock specific colours without buying a whole set.
Faber-Castell Acrylic Colours: This brand is known more for their pencils and pens, but their acrylic paint sets are surprisingly decent. The colours are very vibrant, and the paint spreads well. I found the set a bit smaller for the price, but the pigment quality is good and very beginner-friendly. Might suit younger kids more than teens though.
Fevicryl Acrylic Colours: Fevicryl is a household name for DIY and school crafts in India. Their acrylics are super affordable and widely available, especially in small bottles. These are great for practice or school assignments, but they’re more like craft paints than artist paints. They’re good on fabric and glass, so if your child wants to paint old T-shirts or jars, Fevicryl is a solid choice.
Daler Rowney Simply Acrylics: This one is slightly more expensive, but I came across a lot of good feedback. It’s more of an entry-level artist-grade brand. Great for people just starting off but still serious about improving their skills. The consistency is smooth, and the paint dries with a professional touch. I didn’t pick this one for my sister because it felt like overkill for now, but maybe next year if she keeps at it.
After seeing my sister work with the Brustro set, I would say it’s the best balance of quality, ease of use, and price for beginners who are getting serious about acrylic painting. It’s good enough that it doesn’t limit their creativity, but not so expensive that you’ll regret it if they decide painting isn’t their thing. Of course, if you just want to start small, Camel or Fevicryl are perfect. But if you want something slightly more polished and better quality, Brustro is what I will go with again in a heartbeat. Let me know if you need help picking brushes or canvas boards too we went through that recently as well!
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Is there a reason you did not mention DOMS? DOMS has expanded into almost all kind of stationary products for kids you can imagine. I have not tried their acrylic paints yet; but the brand is good and worth a try. Especially because they are always priced better than competitor brands like Faber Castell.
That’s a really good point, Upasana. I did come across DOMS acrylics while browsing online, and like you said, they’re very budget-friendly compared to brands like Faber-Castell or Brustro. The reason I didn’t include them here is because I couldn’t find much user feedback from people who have actually painted with them on canvas or paper. DOMS is fantastic for colour pencils, crayons, and other school stationery, but I wasn’t sure if their acrylic range is consistent in terms of pigmentation and texture. For kids experimenting casually, I think DOMS could be worth trying, especially since they’re affordable and easy to replace. But for someone slightly more serious like my sister, I leaned towards Brustro and Camel which have been tried-and-tested among art students. That said, I will definitely keep an eye on DOMS acrylics sometimes these newer budget options surprise us. If you happen to try them before I do, would love to know how they hold up!
Do these paints wash off clothes easily? My niece is very messy when she paints, and we’re worried her clothes will be ruined every week.
Unfortunately, once acrylic paint dries on fabric, it becomes almost permanent that’s why it’s often used for T-shirt painting and DIY crafts. For kids who are messy, I would recommend keeping an old apron or oversized shirt as a painting outfit. If the paint is still wet, washing immediately with cold water can sometimes save the fabric. But after it dries, it’s nearly impossible to get out. On the bright side, it’s a good way to repurpose old clothes into painting uniforms.
Fevicryl has been my go-to for school projects because it’s cheap and available everywhere. But now I want to try painting on canvas boards. Do you think Fevicryl will work, or should I move on to something else?
Fevicryl is fantastic for craft-based projects, T-shirts, glass bottles, fabric bags, you name it. But when it comes to canvas boards, you might notice a difference. Fevicryl tends to behave more like craft paint it’s thinner, less pigmented, and doesn’t give that rich, layered finish you expect on canvas. It will work for practice, but if you want your paintings to have depth and vibrancy, I suggest upgrading to something like Brustro or Camel. You will immediately see how much smoother blending feels and how much better the colours pop on canvas.
I’m new to acrylics and sometimes I feel overwhelmed with brushes. There are so many types round, flat, filbert. For a school student just starting, which ones are really necessary?
I get you, the brush aisle can be confusing! For a beginner you don’t need a huge set. A flat brush (for large areas), a round brush (for outlines and details), and maybe one medium filbert (for blending edges) are more than enough to start. Many Brustro or Camel brush sets for students are already put together with these basics. Later, as you explore techniques like dry brushing or stippling, you can add more brushes. But right now, keeping it simple will make painting feel less overwhelming and more fun.
Using Camel Acrylics since school days, and honestly, theyre not bad at all for beginners. But like you mentioned, they dry a little too fast which is annoying when you’re trying to blend colours. Do you think Brustro is actually better in this regard?
You are absolutely right about Camel drying a bit too quickly. That’s exactly what my sister struggled with when she tried her friend’s set. Brustro is noticeably better in terms of open time it gives you a few extra minutes to mix, layer, or even fix mistakes. For a beginner, that’s huge because it reduces frustration. I’d say Camel is great for practice and quick projects, but Brustro feels more forgiving and painter-friendly. If blending and layering are priorities, Brustro definitely edges ahead.
Have you tried Daler Rowney? A friend recommended it to me, but I felt it was a bit pricey compared to Indian brands. Is it really worth paying extra if you’re still learning?
Daler Rowney’s Simply Acrylics are definitely a step up from most Indian beginner brands in terms of smoothness and professional feel. But for a beginner still learning brush control, layering, and colour mixing, It’s not essential to spend that much right away. Brustro gives you 80-90% of that experience at a more affordable price. Once you are confident and want to experiment with more techniques like glazing or impasto, then Daler Rowney makes sense. Until then, I recommend holding off and building skill with Brustro or Camel.
This was helpful! I’ve seen artists on Instagram use palette knives instead of brushes. Can these acrylic sets be used with knives too, or do you need thicker professional paints for that?
Palette knife painting works best with thicker, buttery acrylics usually the professional-grade ones. Beginner sets like Camel or Brustro student tubes are a bit on the smoother, slightly thinner side. That said, you can still experiment with knives using them, but the textures won’t be as bold or raised. A middle-ground option is to mix the paint with a texture paste or gel medium, which makes it thicker and more knife-friendly. For beginners, brushes are enough, but if your interest grows, exploring palette knives is a fun next step
I’ve always liked Faber-Castell for their colour pencils, so I was tempted to buy their acrylics for my cousin. But I’ve heard the tubes are quite small and not very economical if the kid paints often. What’s your take?
Faber-Castell acrylics are good quality vibrant, smooth, and easy for kids to use. But yes, the tube size is on the smaller side compared to Camel or Brustro. For someone who paints casually once in a while, they are fine. But if your cousin paints regularly, the colours finish fast and you end up spending more in the long run. I think Faber-Castell is better as an intro set for younger kids who are just getting a feel for acrylics. For teens or those painting more frequently, Brustro or Camel makes more sense economically.
One thing I noticed is that some paints dry glossy while others look matte. Does that depend on the brand, or is it something you can control?
The finish does depend on the brand for example, Brustro dries semi-glossy while Fevicryl leans more matte. But you can also control it using mediums. Adding a gloss medium will make any acrylic dry shinier, while matte medium will flatten the finish. Some artists even varnish their finished work to give it uniform gloss or matte protection. For beginners though, it’s fine to work with the natural finish of the paint set you have. But if your sister wants her paintings to look more polished later, mediums are a great upgrade.