In our years of studio tests, few products have surprised us as much as Holbein Heavy Body Artist Acrylic. We are admittedly partial to oil colors—acrylics are too often sticky and dull. These were the first acrylics we’d ever tried that gave us the feeling of pure painting, without the medium getting in our way.

Naturally, we had to stock all 113 colors. This buttery smooth, maximally pigmented acrylic offers sharper strokes and deeper color than other artist-grade acrylics. Despite its velvety texture, it also retained our brushstrokes more than the competition, making the final product look like high-quality oil paint.

But the best part of Holbein’s line of acrylics? The color selection. Other color makers offer too many redundant shades and few truly exciting ones. Holbein’s 113 colors include rich, practical earth tones, intense modern pigments, shiny metallics and pearl colors, and ultra-vibrant fluorescent colors. Looking through the color chart, it’s easy to start daydreaming about what you’d do with a particular green.

Made in Japan to the most stringent quality standards.