Acrylic Painting Tips

THE MEDIUM- All acrylics are made from coloured pigments mixed with synthetic resin which acts as the binder and adhesive. Once dry acrylic colours form a tough plastic coating which is almost indestructible.

Acrylic Paint Change your rinse water often to keep colours pure and clean Wash brushes with cool water, not hot

Acrylic Paint Paint left to dry on clothing or in brushes becomes permanent – wash while wet! If you get paint on your clothes, rinse it out with cold water

Acrylic Paint Blend colours together on the painting surface while wet to achieve gradual changes in value/tone If you want an area to be well blended, it’s a good idea to pre-mix the colours you will need so you can apply them more quickly and be able to blend while still wet. For example, if you want to blend a red into a yellow, pre-mix a couple in between colours – this way, not all your blending is done on the painting surface, allowing you to work quicker

Acrylic Paint Acrylic dries slightly darker than it looks when wet If an area doesn’t work out, let it dry and simply paint over it again – it is very forgiving!

Opaque from the tube- easy to paint one colour over another, even a light colour over another one only takes one coat Translucent when one adds water- bold or subtle transparent washes. Does not behave as watercolour; washes are unsolvable so once dry cannot be removed. This allows you to add one transparent colour over another without disturbing the colour underneath. They also dry to a rather flat finish, the more water you use the less shiny the final work. Using a gloss medium can thin the paint and keep the shine Can be applied thickly to add texture. Mediums can be used to make this even thicker.

Acrylics are adhesive which works well with collage and mixed media projects. http://www.123rf.com/photo_3957417_acrylic-collage-painting-with-sun.html http://nadiasworks.mosaicglobe.com/

Surfaces Painting surfaces- wide range- canvas, board, cardboard, paper; also, plastic, metal, formica and other surfaces. All surfaces should be primed to seal the surface and provide a key for the paint to adhere to. It will not adhere to an oily or waxy surface so do not use it to paint over an old oil painting. Acrylic gesso or acrylic primer provides a good white surface. To retain the colour of the canvas board, card or paper seal the surface with acrylic gloss or matt medium. Bought surfaces- ready primed for acrylic use including, stretched canvas, boards, and canvas covered boards as well as special papers which have a texture similar to canvas.-limited range of sizes and shapes Inexpensive alternatives- hardboard, masonite, cardboard, thick paper- prime with two coats.

ACCESSORIES AND ADDITIVES- Palettes-use white plastic palettes or flat plastic or glass sheets, not wooden palettes. Keep paint moist while you work with an occasional spray of water. Styrofoam trays with moistened paper towels- can keep paint moist on a limited budget- cover with tinfoil Paint- tube paint generally thicker than that in jars. Mediums-gloss medium- allows the paint to become transparent with a shinier result. Often used when one colour needs to be seen underneath. Matt is the same but leaves it with a non=reflecting surface. Gel Medium and Texture paste- used to make it thicker, allowing for texturizing with a brush, knife or other tools. You can also make your own special textures by adding sand sawdust or other substances. Retarder- slows down drying time, used with thick paint to allow time for texturizing.

Layering Most effective way to adjust colours , tones and composition by overlaying paint rather than manipulating wet paint on canvas as with oils.

Layering The first step should be an underpainting. Underpaintings should not be detailed. This first layer of paint covers the gesso (primer) and prevents white areas. It can also add a different tint to layers on top of it. It can be one colour for the entire painting, or different colours for different areas. Broad brushstrokes of thinned paint are good for underpainting and blocking in large areas of colour. Smaller brushstrokes with thicker paint are useful for adding details

Layering, con’t Sometimes painters allow portions of the underpainting to show through, forming what looks like an outline. Allow successive layers to dry before building on top so the colours don’t become muddy; add glaze layers on dry paint to change tone of an area

Painting Order Work from background to middle ground to foreground! For example, in the example shown here, sky first, then blue hills, brown hills, white hills, then trees. Also consider that dark colours layer over light colours more easily than light over dark.

WASHES: Three uses you want your picture to look like a watercolour, or you want to use it as a starting place for your picture, or you want to use it as an overlaid colour. The latter is known as glazing and change the underlying colour without obliterating it. Some paints are strong and do not work well as glazes, such as phythalo blue and alizarin crimson. Remember water produces matt finish and medium a gloss finish.

Texture Impasto-thick or lumpy application of paint, or deep brush marks (brushstrokes), as distinguished from a flat, smooth paint surface. (pr. im-PAHS-toh) Other Textures -Model with a knife, scratch into with a brush handle (show layer underneath), imprint with another material such as tinfoil; combing; dab with your finger; dab from the tube; stipple with the flat of a knife; mix with sawdust , sand, rocksalt, rice, eggshells etc. ; have candlewax below, paint over such things as a doiley (stencil), paint over applied fabric. Don’t over do it- it can take away from the picture, be selective

Scumbling/drybrushing Scumbling/drybrushing can be used on top of completely dry areas to add soft, broken, transparent areas of colour – good for highlights for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcr55uRTD4M&feature=player_embedded

Skin Tones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRDwuoX43HQ&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCOf7gYq2iE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNyeJyNl_kI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzo1dXgwM7g&feature=related