21+ Beginner Easy Acrylic Painting PRO Tips

| Techniques, Mediums, Blending, Brushes, Water for Acrylic Painting |

LEARN TO PAINT WITH ACYLICS – Like a pro!

21+ Acrylic Art Painting Questions Answered: Techniques, Mediums, Prepping, Blending, Brushes, Water

There’s a ton I could say about working with acrylics, but this post is for the beginning acrylic artist and answering their most-asked questions. I go over several things, but if you don’t find the answer you need, check my other posts and watch some of my videos!

(*Affiliate links are throughout this post* Thank you!)

TOP TIPS FOR LEARNING TO PAINT WITH ACRYLICS – BEGINNERS

• -Learn to mix colors on the palette and the canvas
• -Learn color gradients and how to do them
• -Impasto techniques
• -Thin layers of color, and using glazes and mediums to create layers
• -Working with palette knife
• -Working with various brushes

Does acrylic paint dry fast?

Acrylic paint dries quickly, so you need to work quickly. You can use various mediums to make it dry slower.

What are some of the basic techniques for acrylic painting?

There are so many! Artists come up with new ideas every day. However, the most basic acrylic techniques you should start with include: 

• Underpainting: Creating a “ground” or background and then working paint up from thin to thicker layers. Learn how to do this in this tutorial
• Roughing in your design. This means to basically sketch out your design first, before your apply your paint. You can use watercolor pencils to lightly draw your design and then wash them off or paint over lines. Work with a light hand and create a very light rough draft of your painting to get the dimensions and proportions correct before you add the acrylics.
• Build texture using texture mediums and/or impasto. How to: Tutorials
• Dry brushing – Using a dry brush, no water, with paint.
• Sgraffito – Creating marks in paint with various tools, like a fork or knife. You lay down the paint and then drag your tools through it to create lines and patterns, essentially removing the paint in those areas.
• Glazing – using mediums to create light layers and transparencies. Learn how to create transparent layers
  

How do you make acrylic paint look more like a professional?

1. Work quickly. Acrylics dry fast!
2. Don’t put too much paint on your palette. Mix what you need.
3. Be careful with blending; this is the one area that will separate a novice from a pro. Professional blend, blend, blend!
4. Acrylics require good mediums to really help manipulate them to do what you want them to do. Get comfortable with a few mediums and use them often.
5. Create various types of brushstrokes, layers, textures, etc. vs. a “one note” layer of paint.
6. Know color theory and experiment off canvas to avoid making big mistakes you cannot erase.

How do I start an acrylic painting?

Start an acrylic painting by first prepping your canvas.

You can use either Gesso or Titanium White (or a preferred ground color). give your surface (canvas, wood, etc.) a good coat or two. Let it dry thoroughly and then you can start your painting.

Why should you prep your canvas before starting an acrylic painting?

A prepped canvas that has a good coat or two of either Gesso or white will smooth out the “teeth” of the canvas and create a more professional-looking smooth surface for your artwork.

After prepping, you can add your texture mediums or your acrylic paint.

Do you wet the brush before using acrylic paint?

Acrylics are water-based and made to perform with water or mediums to help thin and blend the paints. Yes, you wet the brush or add some water to your surface (a fine mister bottle of water works well) and then add your paints.

How much water should I add to my acrylic paint?

This is a very common question and one that all artists who use acrylics remember wondering when they started!

The answer is very simple: Very little water should be added to acrylics.

Acrylics will break down (the pigments will break down in the paint) if you add too much water. Novice painters will no doubt do this a few times to understand how too much water can really ruin an artwork.

You want to add just enough water to your acrylics to help your paints flow and move on the canvas, but adding too much will create a grainy look in your paints/art. Your art will look dull and the colors will look essentially broken-down.

So, how do you make the paint flow and blend without a lot of water?

Acylic mediums are made to help make your paint flow and blend (and many other finishes and abilities). These are essential to good acrylic painting.

Yes, they cost money and water is basically free. However, since water is not the answer, you must invest in a few good acrylic mediums to help your paint flow, blend, move and be able to be manipulated into what you want it to do!

Best starter sets of acrylics for beginning artists / learning to paint:

I love this newer brand of paint! It’s one I find I am buying more of, although I still love my archival brands of Golden and Liquitex.

Best soft body acrylic paint for beginners:

What makes a good acrylic painting?

I only venture to answer this is terms of techniques and tools. Of course, a good amount of skill and experience will help create the most ideal final artworks, but even beginners can get lucky and create something very nice in a first go-around!

In terms of what makes a good acrylic painting, I would suggest:

• Prep your canvas and create a nice, smooth surface for your design.
• Work with the correct paints and mediums – use products that area formulated for acrylics
• Do not use too much water
• Spend the time to research complementary colors / understand color theory and keep your color palette minimal until you are fully comfortable with what goes with what (helps avoid garish, overly-worked art)
• Experiment on smaller canvases and mixed media paper before you apply techniques to larger canvas
• Work in layers! Don’t plop a bunch of paint on your canvas for a single-session finish. Successful artists understand the value of working in layers.
• Use mediums. They are necessary. You don’t need a full shelf of them; a few will suffice. Work with a few, get very comfortable with them and use them in your art with an experienced hand.
• Understand proportion, balance and structure. Even with abstract (my own form of art), I have to create a sense of balance and proportion in my paintings.
• Use enough light to counteract the dark. A dark painting is usually more attractive with some light source and vice versa.
• Pull back – it’s common to over-work a painting. Even professional artists find themselves doing too much now and then. The most successful art has “just enough” done to it. When that is can be difficult to ascertain, but as you get more experienced, you understand when to stop and call it done.
  
  

21+ Acrylic Art Painting Questions Answered | Techniques, Mediums, Prepping, Brushes, Water

What brushes do I use with acrylic paint?

The good news is that you can use cheap, synthetic/nylon brushes with acrylics and get some great paintings! You do not need to spend a lot of money on brushes, especially when you are just learning.

Do not use real hair brushes, as they can be difficult to work with, unless you doing very detailed work. Also, synthetic brushes are easier to clean.

Your brushes can be super cheap (I like these and use them almost exclusively) or you can invest a little more on a few higher quality brushes, like a good mottler or flat wash brush.

A good quality brush is great for your final finish of glaze or varnish and will leave a smoother coat.

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How to sketch on canvas before using acrylic paint

I find the best thing to use on canvas (to rough out a design or figure out proportions), are watercolor pencils.

These are great because:

Watercolor pencils can be easily washed away or painted over – use a very light stroke when working with them so you don’t see lines after painting.

I like this set and use them consistently:

WATERCOLOR PENCILS I USE

Watercolor pencils are also good for helping to determine basic colors. You can do a light drawing and then scuff a little color down to be sure you like it. It’s easily washed off if you don’t!

How to avoid brushstrokes in your acrylic painting

• Be sure you are working on a prepped/smooth canvas
• Use mediums like flow medium or acrylic release mediums
• Use high flow or fluid acrylics – these are a more “watery” preparation (with excellent pigment) and will help your paint flow and lay very smooth. Using soft body or heavy body will retain brush strokes and are better used for impasto or effects where you want the strokes to show.
• Blend, blend, blend
• Use a good quality brush, like a mottler or flat wash brush, to help lay down smooth layers of paint. Use brushes like these:
  -Flat brush https://amzn.to/2IixoT1 or mottler brush 
• Work with higher-quality paints – craft paints and lower-quality student grade paints will have a lower pigment load and be more difficult to get a smooth finish without using a lot of paint and medium.
• Use a little water – a little!
• Work quickly – acrylics dry fast, so the faster you get, the better to help blend and smooth your pigments together.
  

What’s a good ratio of water to acrylic paint?

You definitely need a little water to work with acrylics, but the key is: a little! My best suggestion for water-to-acrylic ratios is:

ACRYLIC PAINT + WATER RECIPE:

2-3 Tbsp. acrylic paint
1 tsp. water
(+ 1 tsp. acrylic medium (flow, glaze, etc.)

This is a very, very loose suggestion! It’s meant for the beginner who really has no idea of how much water to use per amount of paint. More experienced artists have their own recipe; this is my starter suggestion to keep in mind when mixing your paints!

What are three best acrylic painting mediums (for beginners)

(See my post and demo using acrylic mediums in a painting)

Acrylic mediums can be pricey, especially if you use archival brands. These are my best suggestion for acrylic mediums for beginner artists to have in their toolkit (my suggestions are based on my own abstract art; artists in different genres may suggest other options):

• Acrylic glazing mediums – Satin and Gloss
• Acrylic flow mediums – flow release, etc.
• Acrylic retarder

A little about each medium and why I suggest it:

ACRYLIC GLAZING MEDIUMS

These are my personal go-to mediums (if you have taken any of my tutorials or watched my videos, you see I use them often!) These are links to my favorites:

Gloss Glaze

–Satin Glaze

I like these because glazing mediums:

PROS of ACRYLIC MEDIUMS

• Help acrylics flow and blend
• Create a lighter pigment load on the canvas – create translucent layers to build upon
• Help give the acrylics a nice sheen / less heavy plastic look to finished art – See how I glaze a final artwork before varish using acrylic mediums

CONS OF ACRYLIC MEDIUMS

• Reduce pigment load – if you are looking for intense color/paint, do not use a glazing medium. Use a flow release.
• Must dry thoroughly between layers. Glazes get tacky quickly. Once tacky, they cannot be worked on. It requires patience to work with glazes, but they are worth it in the final look.
• Satin + Gloss gives the best finish (in my opinion). You can use one or the other, but unless you want a very glossy finish, you need Satin. Satin can be a little too matte sometimes, so I add a little Gloss = $$

ACRYLIC FLOW MEDIUMS / RELEASE / IMPROVER

You will find these under various names. What they do is essentially act like water without reducing pigment or breaking pigments in your paint.

You can add them to your acrylics to help them flow, blend and smooth out. These are ideal to have in your toolkit!

ACRYLIC RETARDER – what does it do?

Acrylic retarder will help your acrylic paints take longer to dry. It slows the drying time of acrylic paint so you can work with it a little longer. This is a great medium to have as a beginner, since it takes some skill to learn to work quickly with acrylics to get them to do what you want!

Acrylic retarders will help you be able to blend your colors, move the paint more easily (for a little longer) and manipulate the paints.

While it does not keep them wet for a long time (like oils), it will give you a little more working time. I’d say acrylic retarders give you about a 1/3 longer working time, but this is just my rough guess based on my experience.

Learn how to paint with acrylics like a pro!
Step-by-step guided tutorials for creating abstract art

Should you seal an acrylic painting?

My suggestion is yes. However, it depends upon many factors:

• Do you have texture on your painting? Yes, seal texture.
• Do you have other pigments, like pigment powder, on your art? Yes, seal the painting.
• Do you want it to be archival? Yes, seal a painting prior to varnish to give a more archival finish.
• Does your painting look dry or dull? Yes, seal with a coat or two of glaze for a nice, final sheen over acrylics.
• Are you just experimenting? No, don’t bother sealing it.

WHAT SHOULD YOU USE TO SEAL AN ACRYLIC PAINTING?

My go-to sealing option is a couple of coats of my acrylic glaze mix (See my glaze recipe)

This gives my painting a final finish, helps seal the textures I use and is a nice final look before I varnish.

Best tables/surfaces for painting with acrylics

If you are working with smaller paintings (under 30″) you will find a table that slightly tilts is a great option. Like this one:

If you are working on larger canvases and surfaces, 30″ – 40″

I often work on canvases this size: 30″ x 30″ / 30″ x 40″ / 36″ x 36″ / 40″ x 40″

For these sizes, I find a table/flat is best. I use various textures and mediums and don’t want a tilted or upright surface. I use a table like one:

For very large paintings or those which are best-suited to upright work, I use one of my easels. I have a smaller one and a very large, professional one and they are both excellent:

For canvases up to 48″

MEEDEN Large Painters Easel Adjustable Solid Beech Wood Artist Easel, Studio Easel for Adults with Brush Holder, Holds Canvas up to 48″

Large professional artist easels – If you are thinking of buying an easel, buy one of these higher-end. You can grow into it as smaller easels you will grow out of!

For larger canvases, up to 80″, these are ideal
MEEDEN Versatile Studio H-Frame Easel – All Media Adjustable Beech Wood Studio Easel, Painting Floor Easel Stand, Movable and Tilting Flat Available, Holds Canvas Art up to 77″

How do I blend acrylic paint for a smooth look/smoothly?

You can blend acrylic paint by doing just a few things:

• Use mediums that help the paint flow and blend easier (see above)

• Use blending brushes, like mops and flat brushes or what I call “utility” brushes (get them at the hardware store – excellent large-scale blenders, cheap and easy to use) – Use flat brushes like these to smooth paint

• Work quickly – acrylics dry fast, so you must work to blend the colors before they get tacky. Working with tacky acrylics is a recipe for disaster. Acrylics will lift off the canvas if they are starting to dray and leave “holes” of paint and patches you will have fill in. Very difficult to fix; try to not let it happen!
  

LEARN TO PAINT WITH ACYLICS – STEP-by-STEP ACRYLIC ART TUTORIALS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES

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