How much does painting cost?

$66 buys all 4 essentials.

4 priced items · checked 10 Sept 2026 · retailer prices, we earn a commission

Everything essential, cheapest sensible pick

$66

4 items, nothing rented

Against 247 hobbies

Below median

Cheaper than 52% of them. Median hobby: $84.

What each thing costs

Every essential item, cheapest sensible option first. Mid-range and top picks alongside.

Acrylic Paint Set essential

mid $41top $61

$29

Paint Brushes essential

mid $24top $28

$16

Canvas essential

mid $32top $67

$15

Palette and Palette Knives essential

mid $15top $49

All 4 essentials

$66

What you need

$66

Everything you need to start painting. None of it is a big commitment.

Acrylic Paint Set

$29

12-color heavy-body sets in the $30-60 bracket give beginners enough range to mix any common color without sacrificing pigment load.

Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Set (12 tubes)

mid $41top $61

Canvas

$15

Stretched canvas for finished work; canvas boards for studies and practice. 11×14 or 12×16 are the right beginner sizes.

Artkey Canvas Boards for Painting 8x10 Inch 12 Pack, 10 oz Primed 100% Cotton White Blank Canvases for Painting, Art Supplies Paint Canvas Panels for Acrylic Oil Watercolor Tempera Paints

mid $32top $67

Paint Brushes

$16

Long-handled artist series for canvas; round and flat in 3-4 sizes covers most beginner work. Avoid hardware-store craft brushes — they shed bristles.

Artify Acrylic Paint Brush Set

mid $24top $28

Palette and Palette Knives

Stay-wet palette for acrylic; glass palette for oils; palette knives for mixing and impasto work.

U.S. Art Supply 5-Piece Plastic Palette Knife Set for Acrylic Painting

mid $15top $49

Later, if you stay

Not needed to start. These are the upgrades that matter once the habit has stuck.

Easel

$18

Tabletop H-frame for indoor practice; field easel for plein-air; floor easel for serious studio work.

U.S. Art Supply 16" Mini Wooden Studio Tabletop Easel

mid $180top $199

Startup cost · all 247 hobbieslog scale

$1Blogging

$84median

$1245Kite Surfing

$82

Painting costs more to start than 48% of the 247 hobbies we price. The median is $84.

Cost questions

How much does Painting cost to start?

About $66 for the 4 essential items, taking the cheapest sensible option for each.

What does each thing cost for Painting?

Acrylic Paint Set: from $29. Paint Brushes: from $16. Canvas: from $15. Palette and Palette Knives: from $6.

Is Painting an expensive hobby?

Painting costs about $82 to start, dearer than 48% of the 247 hobbies we price. The median hobby costs $84, so this sits around the middle.

What should I buy first for Painting?

acrylic paint set, canvas, paint brushes, palette and palette knives — $66 together. They are the cheap half of the kit and the half you keep whatever you decide about the rest.

Hobbies that cost about the same

The 6 nearest to painting by startup cost, out of 247.

Mycology$3 less$79 Gardening$2 less$80 Mineral & Gem Collecting$1 less$81

Paintingyou are here$82

Jewelry Making$1 more$83 Painting Miniatures$1 more$83 Billiards$2 more$84

Start painting Painting beginner guide