Keeps Smiling Acrylic Colour Paints - Pack of 12 (12ml)

Key Features (General for This Type of Set):

1. Vibrant Colors: Usually includes a spectrum of 12 essential colors like Titanium White, Black, Primary Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, as well as some earth tones and secondary colors.

2. Water-Based & Quick-Drying: Easy cleanup with water and soap. Dries relatively quickly, which is great for layering but requires you to keep your paints moist on the palette.

3. Versatile: Can be used on canvas, paper, wood, terracotta, fabric (with a medium), and more.

4. Non-Toxic: Generally certified non-toxic and safe for general use (check the specific label for ASTM D-4236 certification).

5. Good Consistency: Often has a creamy, buttery consistency that's smooth for brushing.

Best Suited For:

• Beginners & Students: Perfect for learning color mixing, techniques, and practicing without a high cost.

• Craft Projects: Ideal for DIY crafts, home decor, painting on rocks, signs, or models.

• Sketches & Studies: Artists sometimes use these for quick studies or underpaintings.

• Children (with supervision): Due to their affordability and non-toxic nature.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• Student Grade: "Keeps Smiling" is typically a student-grade brand. This means:

  • Lower Pigment Concentration: Colors may be less intense and less mixable than professional brands.

  • Fillers: Contain more fillers (like calcium carbonate), so they may not cover as opaquely or last as long without fading as artist-grade paints.

  • Great for Practice: Absolutely fantastic for learning and casual use, but a professional artist might eventually upgrade for finer control and archival quality.

• Quantity: Tubes are usually small (e.g., 12ml or 21ml), so you might run out of favorite colors quickly on larger projects.

Tips for Using These Paints:

1. Use a Palette: Don't mix colors directly in the tube lid. Use a plastic, ceramic, or disposable palette.

2. Keep a Spray Bottle: Mist your palette with water to prevent paints from drying out too fast.

3. Invest in Good Brushes: A few decent synthetic brushes (a round, a flat, and a detail brush) will make a huge difference compared to the very cheap ones often included in kits.

4. Prime Your Surface: For best results on canvas or wood, use a coat of gesso primer. It improves adhesion and color vibrancy.

5. Experiment with Mediums: You can buy inexpensive acrylic mediums (gloss/ matte varnish, texture paste, retarder to slow drying) to expand your techniques.

Alternatives in a Similar Range:

If you're looking for other beginner-friendly brands, consider:

• Mont Marte

• Daler-Rowney System 3

• Liquitex BASICS

• Artist's Loft (Michaels brand)

Final Verdict:

The Keeps Smiling Acrylic Colour Paints - Pack of 12 is an excellent starter set to dive into the world of acrylics. It offers great value, decent quality for the price, and all the basic colors you need to begin exploring and creating. If you find yourself passionate about painting and want more pigment strength and permanence, you can always upgrade specific colors to artist-grade brands like Liquitex Professional, Golden, or Winsor & Newton later.

Enjoy your painting journey! The most important thing is to have fun and experiment.