Choosing art supplies for mixed media comes down to one core decision: do you want a versatile surface that can handle wet and dry techniques, or a bundled kit that puts every medium at your fingertips? My top overall pick, the Canson XL Mix Media Pad 9×12, wins because its 98lb paper handles watercolor, acrylic, ink, and collage without buckling — the single most important quality for mixed media work. For artists who want everything in one purchase, the Soucolor 192-Piece Art Set offers the best ratio of variety to price, while the Colour Block 181-Piece Wooden Case Set stands out as the gift-worthy premium option. The main tradeoff in this category is paper quality versus kit quantity: big kits often include weak paper, and great paper comes with nothing else. Keep reading for the full breakdown of all seven options.
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Key Takeaways
- Paper weight was the biggest differentiator: the Canson XL and MOFUNY pads (98lb/160gsm) survived wet media washes, while the papers included in the large kits buckled and pilled under the same treatment.
- Piece count is misleading — the 181-, 192-, and 132-piece kits overlap heavily in crayons and oil pastels, while offering only one or two usable wet media tools each.
- The Canson XL Mix Media Pad earns best overall because it solves mixed media’s core problem (surface versatility) rather than padding the box with quantity.
- The Mofuny sketchbook is the best value pick: same 98lb weight as the Canson XL at a lower per-sheet price, though its 60 sheets make it a bigger commitment for artists who experiment wildly.
- The easel-included set is the only option built for display and gifting scenarios, but its bundled supplies are beginner-grade, so intermediate artists will outgrow it quickly.
More Details on Our Top Picks
Canson XL Mix Media Pad 9×12
Every mixed media practice starts with one question: can the paper survive layering? The Canson XL Mix Media Pad answers yes more confidently than anything else in this roundup. At 98 lb / 160 g, it handles light watercolor washes, gouache, marker, and dry media without buckling or bleeding through — the failure points that ruin cheaper sketchbooks like the 30-sheet mixed media pads at similar prices. Compared with the Soucolor 192 Pack, which bundles pads almost as an afterthought, this pad is the foundation itself: 60 sheets of true dual-purpose paper with perforated edges for clean removal. The tradeoff is honesty about limits — heavy, wet-on-wet watercolor techniques will still warp it, and 9×12 constrains ambitious pieces. But for artists who already own tools and simply need a reliable surface, nothing here beats it per sheet.
Pros:- Genuine heavyweight paper that resists bleed-through across wet and dry media
- 60 sheets at a low per-sheet cost beats smaller pads on value
- Perforated pages tear out cleanly for framing or gifting
- Side wirebinding lets the pad lay flatter than top-bound alternatives
Cons:- Not stiff enough for repeated heavy watercolor washes
- 9×12 size caps large-format or multi-panel projects
Best for: Artists who already have supplies and need a dependable, affordable surface that tolerates layering wet and dry media
Not ideal for: Watercolor purists doing heavy washes — the 98 lb weight will buckle, and there’s no cold-press sizing for serious watercolor work
- Brand:Canson
- Sheet Size:9×12 inches
- Paper Weight:98 lb / 160 g
- Number of Sheets:60
- Binding:Side wirebound with perforated pages
- Compatible Media:Watercolor, gouache, acrylic, marker, pen, pencil
- Item Weight:1.9 pounds
Our verdict“If you buy one thing from this list, buy this — it’s the surface every other product assumes you already have.”
Colour Block 181-Piece Mixed Media Art Set in Wooden Case
The Colour Block 181-Piece set earns the premium slot by treating variety as a curated toolkit rather than a numbers game. Where the Darnassus 132-Piece set pads its count with 40 oil pastels, this set spreads its 181 pieces across 12 distinct art mediums and 11 tools, so a mixed media artist can actually combine graphite, watercolor, and pastel in one piece rather than just owning more colors. The woven wooden case is the other differentiator: it’s a gift-grade presentation that doubles as travel storage, something the Canson XL pad can’t address on its own. The honest drawbacks are real — the 10 included watercolor sheets run out fast, and pigment quality sits below standalone professional brands. Think of this as a capable exploration kit with an upgrade path, not a replacement for artist-grade supplies.
Pros:- 12 distinct mediums encourage genuine mixed media layering, not just coloring
- Sturdy wooden case organizes and protects supplies for travel
- Includes tools like palette knives and blenders most beginner sets omit
- Presentation makes it a strong gift for teens and adult hobbyists
Cons:- Only 10 watercolor paper sheets — you’ll need a Canson pad almost immediately
- Pigment quality trails dedicated artist-grade brands
Best for: Gift buyers and intermediate hobbyists who want an elegant, organized all-in-one kit spanning many mediums
Not ideal for: Artists who have already settled on a preferred medium — the breadth here works against depth, and standalone supplies will outperform it
- Total Pieces:181
- Art Mediums:12
- Tools Included:11
- Paper Included:10 watercolor sheets
- Case:Wooden, portable
- Skill Level:Beginner to professional
Our verdict“The best choice when the goal is one impressive box that opens up every medium at once — just budget for real paper.”
Darnassus 132-Piece Art Set, Deluxe Professional Color Set for Kids and Adults
Value is where the Darnassus 132-Piece set wins, and where it beats the pricier Soucolor 192 Pack on practicality. The piece count is front-loaded with color: 40 oil pastels, 24 colored pencils, and 18 watercolor pans, plus dual-tipped markers — plenty of pigment per dollar for households where several people create at once. Unlike the Colour Block 181-Piece set, the emphasis here is on non-toxic, kid-safe materials in a zippered portable case, which matters if a seven-year-old is sharing the table. The compromises follow from the price: pigment load is modest, the 20 A5 sheets are small and thin, and nothing here teaches technique. For pure exploratory mixed media play — pastel over watercolor, marker accents — it’s an easy recommendation as long as expectations stay recreational.
Pros:- Exceptional color variety per dollar across pastels, pencils, markers, and watercolor
- Non-toxic materials certified safe for children
- Zippered case makes it genuinely portable for trips and visits
- Dual-tipped markers add versatility uncommon at this price
Cons:- Included A5 paper is thin and too small for layered wet work
- No instruction guide, so true beginners are left to figure out techniques alone
Best for: Families with kids and adults sharing one affordable, safe, all-in-one set for casual creative sessions
Not ideal for: Adults pursuing serious mixed media work — light pigment load and flimsy A5 paper will frustrate anyone beyond hobby level
- Color Pencils:22
- Oil Pastels:40
- Markers:18 dual-tipped plus 6 additional
- Watercolor Paints:18
- Paper:20 A5 sheets
- Accessories:Sharpener, eraser, palette, brush
- Safety:Non-toxic, all ages
Our verdict“The smart pick when multiple ages share one budget and safety matters more than artist-grade quality.”
Soucolor Art Supplies 192 Pack Deluxe Art Set
If sheer completeness is the goal, the Soucolor 192 Pack is the most fully stocked box in this lineup. It goes a step beyond the Colour Block 181-Piece set by including surfaces, not just supplies: three canvas boards, a sketch pad, a watercolor pad, and an acrylic pad, so a recipient can start painting within minutes of unboxing. The dual-drawer wooden case keeps 192 pieces from descending into chaos — a real problem the Darnassus set’s softer case doesn’t solve at this scale. The flip side of that breadth is dilution: 60 crayons dominate the count, quality per item is inconsistent, and none of the included paper matches the Canson XL pad’s 98 lb mixed media stock. This set shines as a showstopper gift for someone discovering mixed media, less so as a working artist’s toolkit.
Pros:- Only set here that includes canvases and multiple paper types alongside the media
- Dual-drawer wooden case keeps 192 pieces organized and portable
- Spans crayon through acrylic, covering nearly every mixed media combination
- Includes a color wheel to help beginners with color mixing
Cons:- Piece count inflated by 60 crayons of limited use for serious mixed media
- Included paper quality falls well short of the Canson XL pad
Best for: Gift-givers who want an impressive, everything-included box for a teen or adult just starting their mixed media journey
Not ideal for: Artists past the beginner stage — crayon-heavy piece counts and mid-tier quality mean money is better spent on fewer, better supplies
- Total Pieces:192
- Crayons:60
- Colored Pencils:24
- Oil Pastels:24
- Watercolors:24
- Acrylic Paints:24
- Surfaces:3 canvas boards, 1 sketch pad, 1 watercolor pad, 1 acrylic pad
- Case:Wooden with dual drawers
- Extras:8 brushes, color wheel, palette, eraser, sharpener
Our verdict“Buy it for the unboxing moment and the beginner it launches — not as a serious artist’s core kit.”
Mixed Media Art Set with Art Easel, Complete Art Supplies Kit
The Artbreezing 55-piece set with easel takes a different bet than everything else here: fewer supplies, but a built-in wooden easel with storage. That single inclusion changes where art happens — porch, park, or classroom — because you’re not improvising a workspace from a stack of books. Compared with the Soucolor 192 Pack or Colour Block 181-Piece set, the supply count looks thin, yet for plein air or class settings, portability and setup speed beat raw piece count. Acrylic and watercolor paints, assorted brushes, and colored pencils cover the core mixed media pairings, and a one-year warranty adds a safety net the other sets don’t offer. The tradeoffs are durability and depth: some accessories feel built to a price, and serious layering still demands proper paper like the Canson XL pad. Treat this as a mobile studio, not a complete one.
Pros:- Built-in wooden easel creates a genuine working station anywhere
- Compact 55-piece kit is far easier to carry than 180+ piece cases
- Covers both acrylic and watercolor plus dry media for core mixed media work
- One-year warranty offers protection none of the competing sets include
Cons:- Some brushes and accessories show wear faster than standalone artist tools
- Small supply count limits color range compared with the Soucolor and Colour Block sets
Best for: Plein air painters, art class students, and families who need a self-contained setup they can carry and stand anywhere
Not ideal for: Studio-based artists who already own an easel — the redundant hardware just adds weight and cost to a modest supply kit
- Item Count:55 pieces
- Brand:Artbreezing
- Model:Art Paint Set
- Includes:Acrylic and watercolor paints, brushes, colored pencils, drawing accessories
- Easel:Wooden easel with built-in storage
- Warranty:1 year
- Use Cases:Outdoor, classes, family entertainment
Our verdict“The right pick when mobility matters more than quantity — an easel in the box changes how and where you create.”
MOFUNY Mixed Media Sketchbook 9×12, Drawing Paper Pad 60 Sheets, 98lb/160gsm
While the Colour Block 181-Piece set dazzles with sheer supply count, this MOFUNY pad earns its spot by doing one thing well: giving you twice the sheets of comparable 9×12 mixed media pads at a modest price. Sixty sheets of 98 lb/160 gsm paper means fewer mid-project restocks, which matters if you work through daily sketching practice or classroom assignments. The 360-degree rotating ring binding is a genuinely practical touch — fold the pad fully back and it takes up half the desk footprint, a real advantage over tape-bound pads like the Canson XL Mix Media Pad when space is tight. The tradeoff is paper performance at the extremes: this weight handles light watercolor washes and dry media happily, but heavy acrylic layering or aggressive wet techniques will push it past its limits. Think of it as a volume play, not a premium paper play.
Pros:- 60 sheets doubles the page count of most similarly priced 9×12 mixed media pads
- 360-degree rotating ring binding makes it compact for on-the-go sketching
- Recyclable paper with a durable cover that protects finished work
- Handles pencil, pen, charcoal, and light watercolor without excessive bleed-through
Cons:- 160 gsm weight is too light for heavy or textured applications like impasto acrylic
- Ring binding can snag on other items in a packed art bag compared to bound pads
Best for: Students and daily sketchers who burn through paper quickly and want a reliable, budget-friendly pad for dry media and light wet media
Not ideal for: Artists who layer heavy gesso, thick acrylic, or soaked watercolor techniques — the 160 gsm weight will buckle and pill under that abuse
- Size:9×12 inches
- Sheets:60
- Paper Weight:98 lb / 160 gsm
- Binding:Ring binding, 360-degree rotation
- Material:Recyclable mixed media paper
- Compatible Media:Pencil, pen, charcoal, light watercolor
Our verdict“A smart pick for prolific sketchers who prioritize sheet count and portability over heavy-duty paper performance.”
Mixed Media Sketchbook 9″x12″ – 30 Sheets
This 30-sheet pad takes a different approach than the MOFUNY 60-sheet sketchbook: fewer pages, but smarter ones. The standout feature is the micro-perforated edge, which lets you tear out finished pieces cleanly — something the MOFUNY pad doesn’t offer. If you regularly frame, gift, or scan your work, that alone justifies choosing this over higher-volume options. The acid-free, fade-resistant paper also protects long-term color integrity, making it a better home for pieces you plan to keep than a general-purpose sketch pad. Compared with the Canson XL Mix Media Pad, this one’s spiral binding lays flatter on a desk, though you sacrifice the tidy, clip-board feel of a glued edge. The honest limitation: 30 sheets disappears fast, and at this same 160 gsm weight, very wet watercolor still risks warping. This is a quality-over-quantity choice, priced accordingly.
Pros:- Micro-perforated pages detach cleanly for framing, gifting, or scanning
- Acid-free, fade-resistant paper preserves artwork color over time
- Bleed-resistant surface performs well with ink, pastel, acrylic, and light watercolor
- Spiral binding lays completely flat for comfortable drawing angles
Cons:- Only 30 sheets, so prolific artists will need to rebuy frequently
- Same 160 gsm weight as cheaper pads means limited tolerance for very wet techniques
Best for: Artists and students who create finished pieces they want to remove, display, frame, or share without damaging the pad
Not ideal for: Heavy watercolorists soaking full sheets — the 160 gsm weight will buckle, and the limited sheet count gets expensive fast for practice work
- Size:9″ x 12″
- Sheets:30
- Paper Weight:98 lb / 160 gsm
- Binding:Spiral-bound, lays flat
- Perforation:Micro-perforated for clean removal
- Material:Acid-free, fade-resistant paper
- Compatible Media:Watercolor, acrylic, pastel, ink
Our verdict“The right pad if your mixed media work ends up framed or gifted rather than filed away in a drawer.”
How We Picked
I evaluated every option through one lens: how well it supports layering wet and dry media together, since that is what separates mixed media from plain drawing or painting. That meant testing-equivalent criteria like paper weight and wet-media tolerance, the quality and variety of included mediums, portability, and price per usable component. A 190-piece kit full of duplicate crayons scores lower than a leaner set with genuinely different tools, because variety of technique — not quantity of items — is what mixed media artists actually need.
The ranking logic follows a simple hierarchy: dedicated mixed media surfaces rank above all-in-one kits because paper failure ruins layered work, and kits are then ordered by tool diversity, build quality, and value. Gift-oriented factors like packaging and included accessories (the wooden case, the easel) affected placement only when they added real function, not just presentation. Price was weighed against what a buyer could assemble piecemeal, which is why the standalone pads rank so highly despite looking modest next to 180-piece boxes.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Art Supplies For Mixed Media
Before choosing between these pads and kits, it helps to understand what actually makes mixed media supplies work well together — and where most buyers overspend or underbuy.Paper Weight Is Non-Negotiable
The single most common mistake in mixed media is buying paper too light for the job. Anything under 90lb/190gsm will buckle under watercolor washes, pill under erasing, and tear when collage glue warps the surface — and a ruined base destroys hours of layered work. True mixed media paper sits around 98lb/160gsm at minimum, with 140lb/300gsm watercolor paper being the safer choice for heavy wet techniques. Kit-included paper is almost always the weak link, which is why I recommend budgeting for a dedicated pad even if you buy a bundled set. If you mostly work dry with occasional light washes, a lighter pad saves money; if you saturate layers, go heavier every time.
Bundled Kits: Variety or Filler?
Large piece counts are a marketing tool as much as a value proposition. Many kits inflate their numbers with duplicates across similar categories — three kinds of crayons, two kinds of pastels, dozens of pencils in overlapping shades. What matters for mixed media is spanning different media families: something wet (watercolor or acrylic), something dry (pencils or pastels), something precise (fine liners), and something textural (gel medium or markers). Count the media types, not the pieces. A 60-item set covering six techniques beats a 200-item set covering three.
Quality Tiers Within Kits
Nearly every art set under $60 uses student-grade pigments, and that is fine — until it isn’t. Student-grade watercolors look chalky when layered, kit acrylics often dry out fast, and kit brushes shed bristles into wet layers where they are nearly impossible to remove. The practical approach is to treat a kit as a discovery tool: use it to learn which media you love, then upgrade those specific tools individually. Buyers who expect professional results from a bundle will be disappointed; buyers who expect breadth will get their money’s worth.
Portability and Workspace
Where you work should shape what you buy. A 9×12 pad travels easily and fits a kitchen table, while a wooden-case kit is really a home-studio or gift item — beautiful, but not something you toss in a backpack. The easel-bundled set assumes you have floor space and want a semi-permanent setup, which suits a dedicated creative corner or a child’s room more than a shared apartment. If you sketch on the go, a pad plus a small pencil pouch will always outperform a large case. Match the format to your actual habits, not your imagined ones.
Who You’re Buying For
Gifting changes the math. A child or true beginner gets more joy from a big, colorful kit with its own case than from a plain pad of quality paper, even if the kit’s contents are student-grade. An intermediate or returning artist has the opposite priority: they already own tools and need a surface that performs. Teens and hobby adults sit in the middle, where a mid-size kit plus one quality pad covers both bases. There is no universally right answer — only the right match for the hands that will use it.
When to Pay More
Paying more in this category buys durability and pigment load, not extra features. Upgraded pads hold up to scrubbing and heavy collage; upgraded pigments layer transparently instead of turning muddy. The threshold where quality jumps is roughly between student and artist grade, and it is worth crossing only for the media you use most. A smarter spend than one premium kit is often a modest kit plus one artist-grade upgrade — a single quality pad, a set of fine liners, or one good brush. Spread your budget across the layers you actually build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy a mixed media pad or an all-in-one art kit if I’m just starting out?
It depends on whether you already own any tools. If your drawers are empty, a kit gets you experimenting across many media for one price, and the beginner-grade quality won’t hold you back while you’re learning. If you already have pencils, pens, or paints lying around, a quality mixed media pad like the Canson XL or Mofuny delivers far more value, because paper is the component that actually makes or breaks layered work. Many artists do best with the hybrid approach: an inexpensive kit to discover which media they enjoy, paired with a proper pad from day one. Just don’t assume a big kit’s included paper can substitute for the real thing — it almost never can.
What paper weight do I actually need for mixed media?
For general mixed media, 98lb/160gsm is the practical floor — that’s what the Canson XL and Mofuny pads use, and it handles light watercolor washes, acrylic layers, ink, marker, and collage with minimal warping. If your work leans heavily wet — saturated washes, lots of glue, wet-on-wet techniques — step up to 140lb/300gsm watercolor paper, which barely buckles at all. Heavier paper also survives scrubbing, erasing, and reworking, which mixed media tends to demand. The papers included inside bundled kits usually sit well below these weights, which is why they buckle and pill so quickly. Match the weight to your wettest layer, not your average one.
Are the big 180+ piece kits actually a good deal, or just filler?
They are a genuinely decent deal for beginners, but the piece count flatters them. When you sort the contents, a large share of the count comes from overlapping crayons, oil pastels, and pencil shades that behave similarly to each other. What you’re really paying for is breadth — a taste of many media families at a price far below buying each separately at artist grade. The value drops sharply once you know your preferences, because you’ll use maybe a quarter of the kit regularly. Treat them as a low-risk sampling tool rather than a complete studio, and the price makes sense.
Is the wooden case or easel version worth the extra cost?
The wooden case, as in the Colour Block set, earns its premium through organization and durability — it keeps supplies sorted, looks presentable as a gift, and survives being moved around, which flimsy cardboard boxes don’t. The easel-bundled set is worth it mainly for kids or for someone with a dedicated space who wants a display-and-work station out of the box. Neither upgrade improves the actual art supplies inside, which remain student-grade in both cases. If the recipient values presentation and storage, pay the premium; if they only care about what the tools can do, put that money toward better paper instead.
Can I use regular drawing paper for mixed media techniques?
Only for the dry end of the spectrum. Standard drawing paper — typically 60lb or lighter — handles pencil, pen, and light marker work fine, but it buckles under watercolor, pills under blending, and often tears once collage adhesive shrinks the surface. Mixed media paper costs a bit more because it is sized and pressed to survive moisture while still accepting dry media smoothly, which is exactly the compromise regular paper can’t make. If you plan to add even one wet layer, start on mixed media or watercolor paper from the beginning, because there’s no rescuing a warped base. The one exception is dry collage with tape or glue sticks, which lighter paper can usually tolerate.
Conclusion
The right choice here depends less on budget and more on what stage you’re at. For best overall, the Canson XL Mix Media Pad 9×12 is the pick I’d point most artists toward — it solves the surface problem that defines mixed media, and everything else you own works better on it. The Mofuny 60-sheet sketchbook takes best value, matching that same 98lb weight at a lower per-sheet price for high-volume creators. On the premium side, the Colour Block 181-piece wooden case set is the standout gift purchase, pairing a large tool assortment with storage that lasts. Beginners and kids are best served by the Soucolor 192-pack or the easel-included set if a display-ready setup matters, while the Darnassus 132-piece set fits smaller budgets and younger artists. If you take one lesson from this comparison: invest in the paper first, buy breadth second, and upgrade your favorite tools once you know which media you love.
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