How to Paint with Acrylics

Acrylic paintings have bright vibrant colors and a glossy finish. Choose any surface. Select perfect brushes for your painting.

Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints are made from mixing colour pigments with a liquid plastic medium. The paints can be diluted or “thinned out” with water. Artists save time working with acrylics. They are healthier and more environmentally friendly than oil based paints and solvents such as turpentine.

Acrylic paints have colors that are usually bright and vibrant with a glossy finish. You can use almost any surface because the plastic base of the paint acts as a primer. You can paint on canvas, wood and metal. Acrylic paint does not stick to plastic or wet surfaces because the plastic in acrylic paint is water solvable.

Those who are just learning how to paint may want to consider acrylic paints because they require less equipment and are less expensive. The difference between acrylic paint and oil paint is the drying time. Acrylic paint dries almost immediately while oil paint has an extended drying time. This makes blending and mixing on the canvas difficult. It needs to happen in the first few minutes of application. Your acrylic paintings will not have as many layers as an oil painting but there is an immediacy to acrylic painting that can resemble the urgency of water colour paintings.
The acrylic starter paint kits contain basic cadmium red, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, a titanium white and a black. I always advise buying an extra tube of titanium white for every new artist especially because with acrylics, the paints tend to dry out quickly on the palette. You will be mixing your paint before each painting session so picking up extra secondary colours such as green, purple and orange gives a variety of pigments, and is much cheaper than buying oils. The selection of secondary and tertiary colours available can be inspiring, and help to distinguish your paintings from those who just use the colours found in the basic acrylic paint kits.

Acrylic Mediums

An acrylic medium is not a solvent. However, by adding a medium that has a longer drying time you can extend the life of your paint. It can also be used to add texture and shine to your painting.
You do not need to use a medium to paint with acrylics. There are however a large variety of acrylic mediums on the market, exciting new mediums that add textures and gloss to your paintings. Using a high gloss or mat medium will give your paint that extra finish. Mediums that thickened and extend the drying time can be used to imitate the impasto effect found in oil paint. Adding sand to your acrylic paints will create a rough textured effect to your painting. The plastic medium in the paint will act like glue and bind the textures together. Premixed mediums can add depth, fun and inspiration to your art. The choices are unlimited.

 

Acrylic Paint Brushes

When you are choosing your brushes make sure you have a good selection of synthetic brushes. The paint easily washes out of synthetic brushes with a little soap and water. It is important to wash your brushes quickly after use. When dry, the paint will bind all the hairs on the brush together ruining the brush.

The size and shape of brushes are not the same for acrylic paint and oil paint. The handles on acrylic paint brushes are shorter and designed for quick brush strokes. You can find brushes with angles that give smooth and controlled strokes. There is less time for playing around with the acrylic paint on the canvas so these specially designed brushes help an artist complete their goals.

Palette and Easel

Disposable palettes are the best choice for acrylic  painting. Once the paint dries and hardens which can happen during a painting session the palette is forever stained. You can use paper plates or a sheet of waxed paper or store bought disposable palette sheets. It is not necessary to use an easel when painting with acrylics but it is a good idea when painting on large canvases to sturdy the canvas while working, and to easily step back and change the perspective on your work.