Choose The Best Quality Acrylic Paint
Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. When you go to buy your acrylic paint, you’ll be faced with a myriad of choices…and prices. At the end of the day, your money is best invested in the highest quality acrylic paint you can afford. The better the quality, the better the colour and coverage. High quality Student standard paints are now available although nothing beats the pigment and quality of Professional standard.
Mixing It With Acrylic Paint
You might think you have to pay a pretty penny for your acrylic paint but remember – you don’t need to buy every colour! Challenge yourself to learn to colour mix and you’ll be a better artist as a result. You can also create just the right colour to capture the look you’re after. A great exercise to help you achieve this is to do a colour wheel.
Always Use A Medium With Acrylic Paint
Water is not ideal when using acrylic paint. As vibrant as it is, the colour in acrylic paint diminishes somewhat when water is added to the mix. Always use a medium like Atelier Clear Painting Medium; this extends your acrylic paint while keeping the pigment suspended. As acrylic is a plastic based paint it is good to use a medium to help each subsequent layer stick to the next paint layer.
Use Acrylic Paint Without A Worry
Stress and creativity are not comfortable bedfellows. So the next tip is simple. Don’t worry! Acrylic paint is very forgiving, thanks to its fast-drying qualities. So enjoy painting with acrylic paint, let those creative juices flow and forget about having to get it right the first time. When you’ve completed a section of your artwork, take a look at it with a critical eye. If you are not completely with it, you can paint it over once the paint dries. As your acrylic paint will dry quickly you won’t have to wait long. Even a wash with a transparent colour in some sections, or all over, may be all that’s required to blend or knock back certain areas.
Use Canvas For Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint can be applied to just about anything, which is one of its many strengths as a medium. But what is the best surface? Theories abound but there is little disagreement that acrylic paint and canvas are very well matched. Canvas provides a great foundation for your artwork, good adhesion and ‘holds’ the paint better than many smoother surfaces.