How to Paint with Acrylics?

Are you starting out with acrylics and looking for your style? We’ve put together an overview of techniques to help you develop your painting style. Acrylic paints are truly versatile and let you achieve many interesting effects.

The beauty of acrylic paint is that it can look completely different depending on how you apply it. The more you experiment, the better your results will be!

Dry Brush

When you apply a layer of pure acrylic paint to the canvas with a dry brush, it creates a strong stroke of color. The lines will be uneven without adding water, but a dry brush can give you a deliberate painting effect.

Wet Brush

This is a technique where you won’t be sparing with the water. If you “flood” acrylic paint with plenty of water, it can look a little like watercolor. This technique is great for making paint transparent or creating soft color transitions. Unlike watercolor, however, acrylic paint dries permanently.

Dotting

You can easily bring this popular technique into your painting, too. Acrylic paints are ideal for it. Just add a large number of small dots to create a shape or texture with subtle color variations.

Splattering Paint

Splattering paint is one of the most fun techniques you can try with acrylics. Using a fairly wet brush, you can flick or splatter paint onto your work surface to create a striking abstract effect. It’s a fantastic way to create an abstract landscape or a starry night, add texture, and have fun painting.

Dabbing

You can use a sponge or cloth to dab thick paint onto your surface. This creates interesting textures that add depth and character to your painting. It’s a great technique for adding something special to your artwork.

Palette Knife Technique

Applying paint with a palette knife is a quick way to give your work an artistic look. And since it’s similar to spreading frosting on a cake, even beginners can do it. Simply use a painting knife to apply paint to the canvas. If you want to get even more creative, try using a gel medium and experimenting with different household objects. An ordinary fork or comb can work well, too. They create fun, unusual textures.

Although these tried-and-true techniques may inspire you at first, don’t let them limit you. Feel free to get creative and let your imagination run wild. Develop your own style and switch between techniques as needed. Over time, you’ll refine your own style, and painting with acrylics will become a natural way for you to express yourself.

Which Acrylic Paint for Which Technique?

Acrylic paints vary in consistency, making them suitable for different techniques:

• Thick (heavy body) – for the palette knife technique, impasto, and bold strokes that hold their shape.
• Medium-bodied (soft body), such as Solo Goya – easy to mix and apply with a brush; suitable for dry and wet brush techniques, dotting, and dabbing.
• Fluid – for splattering, glazes, and pour painting. You can also make fluid paint from medium-bodied paint using pouring medium.

You can mix paints of different consistencies. If you thin paint with water, do so sparingly, as heavy dilution reduces its coverage. A flat palette works well for thick paints, while a palette with wells is better for fluid paints.

Student or Professional Paints?

Beginner paints are all you need while you’re learning. They’re less expensive and ideal for trying out techniques. Professional paints contain more pigment, provide better coverage, and are more lightfast, so they’re worth considering if you paint regularly or want to sell your artwork. You can compare them in the acrylic paints for artists category, and find options for beginners among the acrylic paint sets.

Wishing you lots of imagination and fun as you explore acrylic paints.

Best,

Your Majka.