I bet you are taking about an already GLAZED ceramic figurine, then I'd recommend GLOSSIES by Liquitex... They are paint then bake in the oven colors for glass & glazed ceramics. You can buy them at Michael's in the Artist paint area, not with the hobby paint.
But if you are painting on unglazed ceramics, then you can use regular acrylic paint then coat the product with a spray-on or paint-on glossy clear enamel.
You can paint greenware with acrylic paint, but it is very breakable and will turn into mud if if it ever is in contact with water. On the other hand, I have pieces of raw clay (greenware) that my kids made in school that have been painting with craft paints, and they have lasted for decades. These were handmade pieces though, so they were a lot studier than the hollow ones that you buy from the ceramic stores.
If it is an old ceramic figurine that has already been glazed, you can paint over that with craft/acrylic paints.
It can only be painted if it has been fired and is "bisque" that means it is hard and white. You can paint with craft paints and acrylics. If it is soft and clay-like it is greenware and can only be painted with glazes that will then be fired.
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