By Ralph Serpe
Hello fellow artist. Welcome to wonderful world of Acrylic Painting!
Since you are new to Acrylic Painting, you will certainly benefit from the tips I will be sharing with you in the following article.
One of the more important points a new acrylic painter should be aware of is the quick drying time of acrylic paints. Since acrylic paints do dry so quickly, it’s important to only squeeze out enough paint for that particular session, otherwise you will be wasting a lot of paint.
To keep your acrylic paint moist, you will need to have a special palette that will keep your paint workable during your painting session. There is a really awesome palette on the market that was made just for this purpose called the Masterson Sta-Wet Handy Palette. This palette is a good buy and will keep your paint in a good working condition for a longer period of time while you paint.
If you do not want to purchase a palette, another solution is to buy a handful of small 35mm film canisters and store your paints inside the canisters. The caps on these canisters will screw on pretty tight and keep most of the air out.
Some artists also keep a spray bottle handy and spray a light mist of water over the paint while they are painting.
Another issue you may be faced with is deciding what type of acrylic paint you should purchase.
My advice is to choose a good quality student grade acrylic paint in the beginning. There is no need to go out and buy the most expensive acrylic paint right away, as you are just beginning and experimenting. A wonderful paint for beginners is Liquitex Basics Acrylics Colors. These are high quality, affordable paints. These are also great for experienced acrylic painters who may be on a tight budget. I know of a lot of artists both beginners and experienced who love working with these acrylics.
Make sure you take good care of your acrylic paint. When you close your paint tubes, make sure you clean the cap and the threads of the tube thoroughly. If you leave any paint on the cap or on the threads, it will dry and form a strong bond. It will be quite difficult to pry the cap off. Make sure the cap is also sealed tight, otherwise some of the paint in the beginning of the tube will dry also, making it very hard to squeeze out the fresh paint underneath.
To improve the flow of your acrylic paint try adding a special medium to the paint, instead of using water alone. If you only use water as a medium to improve flow, you will find that it diminishes the brilliance of your colors. Purchase a medium like Liquitex Acrylic Flow Aid, which works very well for improving the flow of your acrylic paint.
To care for your brushes, make sure you store them properly after washing. There is ite a bit of controversy over the best way to clean and store your brushes. I have found that when I hang my brushes with the tips pointing down, gravity does most of the work by pulling the water from the brush. Water can really damage your brushes if it builds up on the ferrule, so it’s important to dry your brushes well.
Go out and buy some wooden clothespins. Clip the pins to the end of the brush and then hang them off the side of a table or desk. Lay a towel under the brushes to catch the dripping water.
The next best thing to hanging your brushes is to lay them flat.
NEVER let your brushes soak in any type of liquids.
When choosing a palette for your acrylic paints, make sure it is a non-porous surface. If the palette is too porous it will absorb the water from the acrylic paint.
NEVER mix acrylic paint with oil paint or paint acrylics on top of oil paint
I hope these tips have helped. Remember to never give up and happy painting!
Ralph Serpe is Webmaster for CreativeSpotlite.com. Visit today for more free acrylic
painting tips & techniques.
Renderings in Watercolor and Acrylic of Waterscapes
By Lynne Albright
The fascination of the almost-mesmeric effects of ever-changing, sparkling light patterns on water has intrigued artists for centuries. The subject could be pounding seas, a placid lake, a rampant river, or a wandering stream. Translating the feeling of the play of light on water to a two-dimensional painted surface is an engrossing artistic endeavor.
Watercolor and acrylic are two interesting mediums (among many) having unique characteristics when used to give the illusion of reflections on water. Handled differently, both are water-based paints, but are definitely diverse in their applications and results.
Different rendering methods are required for reflections of clouds, trees, bridges and boats on top of the water as well as earth and rocks under the water. Please refer to the author bio for the link to view these images.
Painting #1, Red Boats, will illustrate the usefulness of both the opacity and the transparency of acrylic in reflections.
The reflection of the sky was painted in a transparent, thin wash with lots of water and let dry. The reflections of the trees were then built up in many layers of opaque and darker, less intense colors, as reflections would appear in water. (Notice the darker red of the boat reflection in the foreground).
The colors of the sky and clouds, showing through between the tree branches, were added in opaque light blue and white. Shadows on the end of the bridge reflect in the water in transparent, washy layers.
Painting #2, Canal Crossing, is a watercolor example of rendering the bubbling, foamy water behind a paddling parade of canal ducks.
The reflection of the colorful underside of the bridge was painted first and let dry. Then the waterway passage underneath and behind the ducks was scrubbed out with clear water and a soft brush. Carefully done, this takes off the surface paint and exposes the white base of the watercolor board. After thoroughly dry, the board was then painted with horizontal strokes to create the illusion of moving water behind the swimming ducks. This method takes advantage of the non-permanence of the watercolor medium.
Painting #3, Shallows, illustrates how acrylic paint is utilized both opaquely and transparently in painting 1) pebbles and the ground when seen under water and 2) bridge railings reflections on the surface of the water.
1) The pebbled ground in the lower left foreground steps down under the water towards the middle of the canal. This part of the painting was done at the same time as the bank of pebbles on the right, but the detailing of submerged pebbles is slightly blurred, as it would be when seen under the water. Then, after it all was dry, a transparent water effect was painted over the area. Because of the permanency of the pigment, however, the image underneath remains perfectly intact.
2) The reflections of the bridge railings are opaque, wavy, abstract patterns looking almost like ribbons bobbing across the surface of the water and over the submerged stones.
Painting #4, The Yellow House, shows the multi-layering effect obtained using opaque acrylic paint in rendering reflections on water.
First, the opaque, blue-green pigment representing the sky reflection in the canal water was put on the canvas. Next the reflection of the dark fronds of the palm tree in the center was added. Over the top of the palm frond reflection, several shades of lighter blue-green ripples of water portray the surface movement of the canal water. Three layers of opaque paint create the illusion.
In acrylic, white pigment is added to a color to get a lighter value. In watercolor, a light value of a color is achieved by letting the white of the watercolor surface show through and darker values are achieved by laying down cumulative washes.
Go to: http://www.lynnealbright.com/. To see the images described in the text, scroll to the Featured panel on the extreme right of the home page. Framed and matted original, photographic reproductions of watercolor and acrylic paintings.
Beginners Tips For Decorative Acrylic Painting
By suegold
Acrylic painting offers many benefits such as quick drying time and the fact that it’s allergen- and odor-free. Acrylic paint is versatile and gives a lasting finish. If you’re just learning the art of decorative acrylic painting, use the tips below for a great start.
Acrylic Painting Supplies
You should have a variety of brush sizes so you can be flexible in your painting. Also, a palette or tray for painting will be useful. Other supplies include a palette knife, fan brushes, and toothbrushes. Be sure to include plenty of practice materials and papers for sketching.
Drying Time
Acrylics dry very fast, usually within only minutes, so it’s wise to keep the paint in the tube and only use a little at a time. If you prefer to use a palette, there are now palettes that will stay wet during use so your paint won’t dry out. Or, you can use a regular palette and keep it wet by spraying it with a small amount of water occasionally. This keeps your acrylic paint in a ready-to-use form.
Blending Acrylic Colors
With fast-drying acrylics, blending colors can be a trying task in itself. You can blend colors several ways. Colors can be mixed and stored in tubes or containers and then blended using a web palette. Also, you can use very small dots of different shades and overlap the colors to blend them. You can also layer shades instead of trying to blend them while wet.
Beware of Cheap Acrylic Paints
Avoid buying cheap acrylic paints unless you’re using them for practice only. These will often fade after exposure to the sunlight for a period of time, especially particular light shades such as pink and violet. Invest in artist-grade acrylics for lasting beauty in your art works.
Use Sketches as a Starting Point
It’s wise to use pre-drawn sketches as the starting point of your acrylic drawings. Trace or copy the sketch onto canvas or board. Then, use a thin layer of acrylic paint to prime the sketch. Be sure your sketch-work can still be seen through the thin layer. You can also prime the canvas or board first with white color and then copy your sketch onto the primed surface.
Masking Fluid for Layering
Watercolor masking fluid works well for layering colors or saving areas of your painting to paint later. The masking fluid can be applied to keep an area of the painting clear. You must remove the masking fluid only after it has completely dried. It can be removed by rolling it with clean fingers. Also, be sure to use a brush specifically for masking fluid. Don’t use your regular painting brushes.
Learn from the Pros
Study after a few acrylic painting pros to get pointers and learn new techniques. Artists such as Donna Dewberry (One Stroke technique) and Priscilla Hauser (First Lady of Decorative Painting) offer many great tips. You can learn creative techniques such as Trompe L’oeil or create beautiful wall murals and other great works.
Acrylic painting can be both fun and rewarding. Use your imagination along with these tips to create decorative acrylic works of art that you and your friends can enjoy for years to come!
The author Mary Johnson manages the beading techniques, techniques and beading basics website where you can get a complete and comprehensive beading ebook for both beading beginners and pros and 2 quality bonuses when you get the ebook. She also provides access to quality beads and beading supplies online at low prices.
acrylic painting