Art & Craft Paints Price Comparison 2026
Compare 1,287 art & craft paints — from Vallejo and The Army Painter to Liquitex — and find the best price across dozens of UK retailers.
Art and craft paints are one of those categories where the price gap between a bargain and a rip-off is enormous — and not always where you'd expect. We track 1,287 products here, ranging from 1 £ for a single Vallejo 17 ml pot to 28 £ for specialist sets, and the spread tells a story. The bulk of the catalogue sits firmly below 3 £, which means most buyers are well served without spending a fortune.
Vallejo dominates this space with nearly 500 references, and for good reason: their acrylic range is the go-to for miniature painters, scale modellers, and hobbyists who want consistent pigmentation at a sensible price per millilitre. The Army Painter follows closely, particularly popular among wargamers who appreciate the colour-matching system designed around their own miniatures range. Humbrol, a British institution, holds its ground in the enamel segment — still the preferred choice for traditional scale modellers who grew up with those iconic tins. Tamiya commands a higher average price but delivers exceptional quality for plastic kit work, while Royal Talens and Liquitex cater to fine artists who need professional-grade pigment density.
One thing worth noting: the category spans wildly different use cases. A pot of Vallejo Game Colour for painting Warhammer figures and a tube of Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic for canvas work are both "art paints" — but they're not interchangeable. Knowing your surface, your technique, and your drying-time tolerance matters far more than brand loyalty. We'd also flag that hobby paint mediums and additives can dramatically extend the life and workability of your paints, and are worth comparing alongside.
Prices shift noticeably around Black Friday and the January sales, particularly on starter sets and larger format bottles. Retailers like Amazon.co.uk and Currys tend to discount Vallejo and Army Painter bundles aggressively during these periods. For fine art brands like Royal Talens, John Lewis and specialist art retailers often offer the most competitive pricing. If you're building a full palette, comparing cost per millilitre across bottle sizes is the single most useful exercise you can do — a 40 ml Vallejo bottle at 3 £ often works out considerably cheaper per ml than two 18 ml pots. Browse our artist paintbrushes and art & craft varnishes sections to complete your setup without overpaying.
How to Choose the Right Art & Craft Paint
With 1,287 products across wildly different paint types, formats, and use cases, picking the right paint isn't just about colour. The wrong type on the wrong surface — or the wrong viscosity for your technique — will cost you time and money. Here's what actually matters.
Paint type matched to your surface and technique
This is the single most important decision. Acrylic paints (Vallejo, The Army Painter, Liquitex) are water-based, fast-drying, and work on almost any surface — they're the safe default for most hobbyists and artists. Enamel paints (Humbrol, Tamiya) require solvent thinners, dry slowly, and are prized for their smooth finish on plastic and metal — essential for scale modelling but overkill for canvas work. Oil paints offer the longest working time and unmatched blending, but need days to dry fully. Gouache and tempera suit illustration and children's projects. Don't buy enamel if you're painting on canvas; don't buy watercolour acrylics if you need opacity on dark surfaces.
Cost per millilitre, not sticker price
A single 18 ml Vallejo pot at 1 £ looks cheap until you realise a 40 ml bottle of the same range costs only marginally more. Always calculate cost per ml when comparing. Humbrol tins offer excellent value per ml at their price point. Royal Talens and Liquitex cost more per ml but their pigment concentration means fewer coats — so the maths can still work out. For large projects, buying 100 ml+ bottles or sets is almost always more economical than individual small pots.
Pigmentation and opacity for your project
Cheap paints often skimp on pigment, meaning you'll need three or four coats to achieve what a well-pigmented paint does in one. For miniature painting, opacity is critical — thin, transparent paints are fine for glazing but useless as base coats. The Army Painter's Warpaints are specifically formulated for high coverage on small surfaces. For fine art, some artists deliberately want transparent or semi-transparent colours for layering effects — in which case a lower pigment load is actually desirable. Know what you need before you buy.
Drying time and workability window
Acrylics typically dry in 15–30 minutes, which is great for productivity but punishing if you need to blend. If you're doing wet-on-wet blending on canvas, look for 'open' or 'slow-dry' acrylics, or add a retarder medium. Enamels give you hours of working time — a genuine advantage for panel painting on models. Oil paints can stay workable for 24 hours or more. For children's craft projects or quick-turnaround work, fast-drying acrylics win every time. For fine art blending, slower is better.
Colour range depth within a brand
Vallejo's Game Colour and Model Colour ranges each exceed 100 shades, which means you can build an entire palette within one consistent system — important for colour-matching across a project. The Army Painter similarly offers a curated range designed to match their own miniature primers. Humbrol's enamel range covers around 150 colours but with some gaps in modern fashion tones. If you're working across a long project, sticking to one brand's system avoids subtle inconsistencies in finish and sheen. Mixing brands mid-project is a common mistake that leads to patchy results.
Safety and ventilation requirements
Non-toxic, water-based acrylics are the obvious choice for households with children, or for anyone working in a poorly ventilated space. Enamel paints and solvent-based products require proper ventilation — working near an open window isn't enough for extended sessions. Tamiya and Humbrol enamels carry clear warnings; follow them. If you're buying for a child or a school project, stick to water-based acrylics or specifically labelled non-toxic ranges. The Ghiant and Marabu craft paint ranges are good options here, designed with safety in mind.
- Entry-level and single pots (From 1 £ to 3 £) : Individual Vallejo 17–18 ml pots and Humbrol small tins dominate this bracket. Perfectly adequate for trying out colours or topping up a specific shade. Don't expect sets or premium brands here — this is the per-pot price for hobbyist acrylics and basic enamels. Good value if you know exactly what colour you need.
- The sweet spot for most buyers (From 3 £ to 3 £) : The majority of individual hobby paints and small craft sets sit here. Vallejo 40 ml bottles, Army Painter Warpaints, and Humbrol enamel tins all land in this range. This is where the best cost-per-ml value is found for regular users. Most miniature painters and craft hobbyists will spend most of their budget here.
- Sets, larger formats, and mid-range fine art (From 3 £ to 3 £) : Starter sets from Vallejo and The Army Painter, Tamiya acrylic sets, and entry-level Liquitex tubes appear here. Also covers Marabu and Ghiant craft paint multipacks. A good bracket for anyone setting up a new workspace or gifting a paint kit. Tamiya's precision acrylics for scale modelling are particularly well represented.
- Professional and specialist ranges (Over 3 £) : Royal Talens, Liquitex Heavy Body, and Talens fine art ranges occupy this space, alongside FOLIATEC specialist automotive enamel sets. These are not impulse purchases — they're for fine artists who need professional pigment density, or for specific technical applications like brake caliper lacquering. The price premium is justified by performance, not brand prestige alone.
Top products
- Vallejo 72.120 Acrylic paint 18 ml 1 pc(s) (Vallejo) : One of the most competitively priced Vallejo Game Colour pots available — excellent pigmentation for miniature base coating, though 18 ml goes quickly on larger projects. A reliable entry point into the Vallejo system.
- Vallejo 73.802 Acrylic paint 40 ml 1 pc(s) (Vallejo) : The 40 ml format is where Vallejo's value proposition really clicks — more than double the volume for a modest price step up from the 18 ml pots. Best choice for colours you use regularly. The Model Air range in this size is a staple for airbrush users.
- FOLIATEC Brake Caliper Lacquer Set Enamel paint (FOLIATEC) : A niche but genuinely useful product if you're restoring or customising brake callipers — durable, heat-resistant, and available in multiple colours. Completely wrong choice for any other craft application. Don't buy this unless you specifically need automotive enamel.
- FOLIATEC Brake Caliper Lacquer Set NEON Enamel paint (FOLIATEC) : The neon variant of FOLIATEC's calliper set — eye-catching finish for car enthusiasts, but a very specific purchase. Priced higher than the standard set for the novelty of the fluorescent finish. Only worth it if the visual impact matters to you.
- Vallejo 70.320 art/craft paint Acrylic paint 17 ml 1 pc(s) (Vallejo) : From the Model Colour range — Vallejo's most respected line for historical miniatures and scale models. Exceptional colour accuracy and consistency. At this price point it's arguably the best value single pot in the entire catalogue for serious hobbyists.
Related categories
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between acrylic and enamel paint for hobby use?
Acrylics are water-based, dry in 15–30 minutes, and clean up with water — enamels use solvent thinners, dry slowly, and produce a harder, smoother finish. For most hobbyists, acrylics (Vallejo, Army Painter) are the practical choice: safer, faster, and easier to correct. Enamels (Humbrol, Tamiya) are preferred by traditional scale modellers for their self-levelling finish and ability to be thinned to a very fine consistency for airbrushing. The key trade-off is working time versus convenience.
Is Vallejo paint worth the price compared to cheaper alternatives?
Yes, for miniature painting and scale modelling, Vallejo is genuinely worth it. The dropper bottle system prevents waste, the pigmentation is consistent across the range, and the colour-matching between their Model Colour and Game Colour lines is reliable. Cheaper craft paints may look similar on paper but often have lower pigment loads, meaning more coats and more paint used overall — which erodes the apparent saving. That said, for large background areas or base coating, a cheaper craft acrylic is perfectly sensible.
Can I use hobby paints like Vallejo or Army Painter for fine art on canvas?
Technically yes, but it's not ideal. Hobby acrylics are formulated for small surfaces and thin application — they lack the body and pigment density of fine art acrylics like Liquitex or Royal Talens for canvas work. You'd go through a lot of 18 ml pots very quickly. For canvas painting, invest in proper artist-grade acrylics in larger tubes. Hobby paints are excellent for what they're designed for; fine art paints are a different tool for a different job.
What paints should I avoid for children's craft projects?
Avoid enamel paints and any solvent-based products entirely for children — the fumes are harmful and the thinners are dangerous. Stick to water-based, non-toxic acrylics or specifically labelled children's craft paints. Marabu and Ghiant both offer ranges suitable for younger users. Always check the label for EN 71 toy safety certification if buying for under-12s. Washable formulas are worth the slight premium for anything involving fabric or furniture risk.
How do I get the best value when buying art paints — sets or individual pots?
Sets offer better value per pot when you'll actually use every colour included — but most sets contain colours you'll rarely touch. For miniature painters, a curated set from Vallejo or Army Painter matched to a specific project (e.g. a skin tone set or a terrain set) is genuinely efficient. For general craft use, buying individual pots of the colours you use most in larger formats (40 ml+) beats buying sets hands down. Compare cost per ml rather than headline price.
Do art paints expire, and how should I store them?
Yes — acrylics typically last 2–5 years if stored correctly, but can dry out or separate much faster if lids aren't sealed properly. Store pots upright, away from direct sunlight and temperature extremes. Vallejo dropper bottles are particularly good for longevity as they minimise air exposure. Enamel paints in tins can last longer but will skin over if the lid isn't replaced immediately after use. A dried-out pot is wasted money — always reseal after every session.
Are the FOLIATEC brake caliper paints in this category suitable for general craft use?
No — FOLIATEC brake caliper lacquers are specialist automotive enamel products designed for high-heat, high-stress metal surfaces, not for general craft or art projects. They appear in this category due to their enamel paint classification, but they require proper surface preparation, ventilation, and curing. Using them for craft projects would be wasteful and potentially hazardous. If you need a tough enamel for metal surfaces in a craft context, Humbrol or Tamiya enamel paints are far more appropriate and better value.