If you’re new to acrylic painting, this list covers essential tips and tricks to help you build confidence and skills quickly. Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or trying to improve your technique, these practical insights will guide you through materials, techniques, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Start with Quality, Student-Grade Acrylics
While professional-grade acrylic paints offer richer pigments and better permanence, beginner-friendly student-grade paints like Liquitex BASICS or Winsor & Newton Galeria provide good color quality at a lower price. These brands balance affordability and performance, making them ideal for experimenting without wasting expensive materials. Avoid the cheapest craft acrylics, as they often have inferior pigments and poor blending qualities.
Use the Right Brushes for Acrylics
Synthetic brushes with nylon or polyester bristles work best for acrylics because they hold their shape and withstand the paint’s quick drying time. Brands like Princeton or Blick offer affordable sets tailored to acrylics, with flats and filberts that allow for varied strokes. Avoid natural hair brushes like sable, which are better suited for oils or watercolors and can be damaged by acrylic paint’s faster drying and stiffness.
Work on Proper Surfaces
Acrylic paint works well on a variety of surfaces, but primed canvas, acrylic paper, or wood panels are the best starting points. Canvas boards or stretched canvases pre-primed with gesso provide a stable, absorbent surface that prevents paint from soaking in too much or peeling off. Avoid unprimed paper or thin sketchpads, as acrylics can cause warping or deterioration.
Master Basic Color Mixing
Learning to mix colors effectively saves money and expands your palette. Start by understanding primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and how mixing them creates secondary colors like green, orange, and purple. Using a palette knife on a mixing palette allows you to blend paints thoroughly and avoid muddy colors. Avoid mixing all colors together, which often results in dull browns or grays.
Keep Your Paints Moist with a Stay-Wet Palette
Acrylics dry quickly, which can frustrate beginners trying to blend or layer colors. Investing in a stay-wet palette, such as the Masterson Sta-Wet Palette, keeps your paints moist for hours by using a special sponge and palette paper. This tool extends working time and reduces waste, especially helpful for complex mixing or longer sessions.
Understand Acrylic Drying Times
Acrylic paint dries fast—usually within 10 to 20 minutes depending on thickness and environment. This quick drying is great for layering but requires fast brushwork and planning. To slow drying, you can mist your palette with water or use a slow-drying medium like Golden’s Open Acrylics. Knowing drying times helps you decide when to blend wet-on-wet or when to add distinct layers.
Use Mediums to Adjust Texture and Finish
Acrylic mediums modify paint properties without changing color. For example, adding a gloss medium increases shine, while a matte medium reduces it. Texture gels like modeling paste add three-dimensional effects and body to your paint, allowing for impasto techniques. Using mediums from reputable brands like Liquitex or Golden can enhance your creative options and improve paint handling.
Practice Layering and Glazing Techniques
Layering involves applying thin layers of paint to build depth and detail, a key advantage of acrylics’ fast drying time. Glazing uses transparent layers of diluted paint to create luminosity and subtle color shifts. Both techniques require patience and understanding opacity; using transparent colors like phthalo blue or quinacridone rose makes glazing more effective.
Clean Brushes Immediately After Use
Acrylic paint dries quickly and can ruin brushes if not cleaned promptly. Use warm water and mild soap to rinse brushes thoroughly right after painting sessions. Avoid letting paint dry on bristles, as it causes stiffness and damage. Investing in a good brush cleaner or conditioner, such as Masters Brush Cleaner, can prolong brush life and maintain performance.
Experiment with Different Tools and Techniques
While brushes are standard, acrylics are versatile enough to be applied with palette knives, sponges, or even household items like credit cards. Palette knives allow for bold, textured strokes and mixing on the canvas, while sponges can create interesting patterns and gradients. Trying different tools helps you discover your style and keeps the painting process engaging.
How to Choose
When selecting acrylic supplies, prioritize paint quality, brush type, and surface compatibility. Good paint pigments and consistency affect color vibrancy and blending, so avoid generic craft paints. Synthetic brushes designed for acrylics offer durability and control, while your surface must be primed to prevent paint damage. Consider your budget and goals—student-grade materials are perfect for practice, but investing in higher-quality brands like Golden or Winsor & Newton can improve your results as you progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use acrylic paint on paper?
Yes, but it should be thick, heavyweight acrylic or mixed media paper designed to handle moisture. Regular printer paper will warp and deteriorate.
Q: How do I fix mistakes in acrylic painting?
Acrylics dry fast, but you can paint over mistakes once dry or gently scrape off thick paint with a palette knife before it dries completely.
Q: Is it necessary to prime a canvas before painting with acrylics?
Most pre-stretched canvases are pre-primed with gesso, which is sufficient. If using raw canvas or wood, apply a layer of acrylic gesso to create a stable painting surface.
Q: How do I make acrylic paint flow more smoothly?
Mix your paint with an acrylic medium like a flow improver or water (sparingly) to thin it without losing pigment strength or adhesion.
Q: Can I mix acrylics with watercolors or oils?
No, acrylics are water-based but dry to a plastic film, so they don’t mix well with oils or watercolors. Use each medium separately or in layered mixed media with proper drying time.
Q: How do I prevent acrylic paint from cracking?
Apply paint in thin, even layers and avoid thick, heavy applications. Using flexible acrylic mediums and painting on appropriate surfaces also reduces cracking risk.
Final Thoughts
Beginning acrylic painting is an exciting journey enhanced by understanding your materials and techniques. By starting with quality paints, proper brushes, and suitable surfaces, plus practicing color mixing and layering, you’ll build skills that lead to more confident and creative artwork. Remember to clean your tools and experiment with different methods to find what works best for your style. With patience and persistence, acrylic painting can be a rewarding and versatile artistic outlet.
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