How To Paint With Acrylics On Canvas Beginners

How to Paint with Acrylics: Getting Started

If you're a beginner who is learning to paint, and so choosing to pigment with acrylics is a great option for you! Acrylic painting is a wonderful skill to larn, and ane of the easiest paints to piece of work with if y'all're new to the globe of painting.

This step-by-step guide will take you through the x steps you lot need to get started with painting. We'll also go over information about clean up, rubber, and painting techniques to make sure you enjoy the whole feel.

At the lesser of this postal service, you lot'll find answers to common questions that beginners take about acrylics. If you have a question that I oasis't already answered, please experience gratis to drib it in the comments section and I'll reach out with an reply.

Earlier we begin

If y'all want to learn how to pigment with acrylics in an easy to follow and user-friendly format, you lot'll love this Acrylic For Beginners: an A-Z guide to your first acrylic masterpiece all-in-one PDF east-volume. It includes everything in this postal service and more, including:

How to make beautiful blends and strokes (#one beginner challenge solved)
Easy paint color (theory) formulas yous can use to brand your paintings more captivating
iii full step by stride painting tutorials (pigment and sip friendly)
and more…

Whichever format you cull to get better acquainted with acrylics, you're on your manner to paint some pretty astonishing things – and I'chiliad excited for you to begin.

So sit back, grab your favorite drink(optional of course!) and get ready to step into the beautiful, joyful world of painting with acrylics.

Quick Navigation

Quick Reference Acrylics Materials List

The beauty of acrylics is the simplicity of the supplies you need to become started. Here are some of the nuts, along with some nice to take.

Must Haves

Acrylic Paint Set
Different size brushes
Palette
Painting surface
- Sheet
- Gesso hardboard
- Watercolor paper
- Other Ideas
Water container

Quick Tips and Techniques for Beginners

Pigment in a well lit and ventilated room
Cover your acrylic paints in an closed container when not in utilise
Buy a color wheel and lookout a color theory tutorial.
When layering, let each layer dry out before the next is practical. This will avoid a hodgepodge of colors.
Roughly sketch out your painting with a pencil before starting (especially for beginners in acrylic painting).
Beginning with the darkest acrylic colors first, then work your wait up to the lightest values in your composition. This method works beautifully with abstract paintings, as the night colors requite an interesting depth with the consistent light colors layered over it.
Have fun and don't overthink information technology!
Acrylic paint dries very fast, if you need the paint to stay wet for longer (similar overnight) check out this 8 means to continue acrylic paint wet overnight

For more than quick and like shooting fish in a barrel acrylic painting tips: check out this post.

Acrylics for beginning: A 10 Step Tutorial to Creating Your First Painting

Step 1 – Go your paint

The first thing y'all'll demand to do is figure out what paint colors you lot desire to purchase.

If y'all are an accented beginner then the wide variety of different colors and brands can exist overwhelming.

Fortunately, choosing pigment for your first canvas painting is easier than you think.

Acrylic paints come up in two grades: professional (or artist) and educatee quality. (Yous may also see craft paints in the acrylic section, only you'll want to avert those)

The professional quality paints are obviously going to be the best to work with. There will be more colors to choose from, and the pigments will exist more than vibrant -which will expect better once on the canvas.

The downfall is that they're more than expensive than the student-grade ones.

When starting out painting in Acrylics, I would suggest ownership just a set of basic colors in student quality. Yous don't really need a diversity of colors as long as you have all of the primary colors in the set. Simply since they're cheaper, yous'll salvage money while you lot acquire the basics of acrylic painting.

If you already Honey working with acrylics and want to level up your paints then definitely get pro, it's worth the extra cost and I know you lot won't regret it!

What are good acrylic pigment brands?

Liquitex Heavy Torso Acrylics is a great make for beginners and professionals – the paints are creamy and pigments are vibrant. My favorite one to piece of work with is Gilded Heavy Body Acrylics, I find them a bit more than pigmented, creamier and glide like butter across the sheet.

My Recommendations For a Starter Acrylics Set

Footstep 2 – Choose your brushes

Having a multifariousness of different brushes is of import to not only creating beautiful pieces merely also learning different acrylic techniques.

Brush size

It's best to have a mix of big, medium, and small detailing brushes and then that you can practice brush strokes with the different sizes.

Merely like Acrylic paints come in unlike grades, brushes exercise as well!

I really like the variety of brushes in this artist quality paint brush set, information technology comes with big, medium and small detailing brushes, and fifty-fifty has a conveying case and it's very reasonably priced too!

At a minimum, you'll demand one flat castor, one round brush, and one modest thin brush for the fine detail work.

Brush Fabric

In terms of brush cloth, I would suggest using synthetic nylon brushes instead of brushes fabricated out of beast hair.

Acrylics can be hard on brushes made out of animal hair especially when information technology's soaked in water.

1 of the about important things you tin can do after buying your brushes (and before painting your start painting) is to learn how to properly use each brush type and intendance for your brushes.

Because your brushes will be the single most important tool you lot have equally an artist.

I really wish acrylic paint brushes would come with a simple paint brush teaching manual because there are a few very important things that every beginner should know when starting out.

My Brush Recommendations

Optional- Palette pocketknife

Palette knives can be used to replace or complement paint brushes used in Abstruse painting. They create very distinct, flossy and modernistic-looking strokes (compared to brush strokes).

Palette knives can really add some beautiful motion and textures to acrylic paintings (especially when paired with 1 of the thickening mediums below).

As a beginner, I would just stick to brushes at the beginning of your painting journey. Merely every bit your skills improve or yous're wanting to experiment with dissimilar techniques, I would definitely recommend trying to paint with a pallet pocketknife.

It'southward surprisingly satisfying! It's a like feel to icing a cupcake – without any darn calories and sugar!

Step 3 – Go your Palette

Yous'll need a surface to grab and mix your paint from. Plastic or other waterproof material works well- since you'll need some water to make clean them afterward.

You may think that a palette isn't really a MUST when it comes to painting but trust me, you'll want one to practise your color mixing. (Read more about that in my 35 Easy and Awesome tips for Acrylic Beginners mail.

I use a plastic palette similar to this 1 and so I can work with a multifariousness of paints all at in one case.

If you want to minimize cleanup, these disposable paper paint palettes are not bad! I've used them, and makes cleanup happen in a jiffy!

My Reccommendations for Pallets

Footstep 4 – Pick your painting Surface

Choosing a surface for acrylic painting is a fun step since there are so many surfaces acrylics can work well on.

Traditionally, about paintings were done on primed canvass that was stretched over a wooden frame with stretcher bars are placed in the back to proceed the integrity.

Now you can choose from a variety of surfaces like flat canvas, newspaper, wood/boards, even rocks, and other natural materials!

Hither are some boosted tips if choosing a canvas as your surface of choice,

TIP # ane: Choose a pre-primed canvass. It'southward basically a canvas that's been painted (or primed) with gesso and is ready for acrylic paints out of the package. Most of them in fine art stores are pre-primed merely read the label just to make sure.

Gesso is a base of operations for acrylic painting and allows for the paint to glide easier.

TIP #2: Brand sure you don't purchase a sheet primed for oil painting – your acrylics won't adhere properly to information technology.

If yous're learning with acrylics, I these canvas boards are a adept choice. They're cheaper than stretched canvas so you tin can practice your techniques and save some money! These canvas boards can even be framed for display later on!

My Recommendations for Painting Surfaces

Pace 5 – Get your water container.

You can use a large loving cup or container of h2o to clean your brushes when changing colors and also to dilute your paint and moisten brushes for easier application.

Adept tip:

An even better approach is to apply 2 cups of water.

1 cup of water to rinse your brushes with once you're done with color
1 loving cup to dilute the paint and moisten brushes when you need it

Once the water does go "murky" rinse out the cup and fill up with clean water. Information technology'south also a good thought to keep a newspaper towel on hand for dabbing away excess h2o.

Stride half dozen – Get an easel (Optional)

Although you don't need an easel as a beginner, it can exist very useful when you desire to paint upright.

The benefit of an easel is that information technology props your canvas up as an angle which HUGELY helps with perspective, limerick, and proportions.

When working with a painting I ofttimes walk far away from the easel to take a wait at my painting to make sure I'm happy with the progress.

I likewise flip it upside downwardly on the easel to get a different perspective. It'south harder to do this when your canvas in laying flat on a table.

Easels come up in a variety of sizes and shapes. You can become a tabletop i (yous often see these being used at Paint Nite events), or you can go a floor easel.

I really like this convertible easel which converts from floor easel to tabletop easel, so you get the best of both worlds!

Step vii- Deciding What to paint

Now that we've covered the painting supplies you'll need, you lot are going to need to pick an idea of what to paint.

It seems similar an like shooting fish in a barrel plenty job, but I notice it'south often the most challenging 1, especially when you lot're just beginning.

Consider the Difficulty Level

Showtime off, y'all want to pick something that's non also difficult. If information technology's too challenging, you might get frustrated and not savour the process, which is non want I desire for you!

Choosing the right difficulty level of painting is of import so that you enjoy the process and experience empowered to learn and paint more!

Try a Guided Tutorial

For some piece of cake painting idea on what to paint, I've curated a list just for you lot: 40+ Like shooting fish in a barrel Sheet Painting Ideas. Most of the ideas on the list have text or video tutorials.

If yous accept never painted before, you may desire to choose a guided video tutorial equally your first painting so that you can get a feel for the process.

I have a Library of Gratuitous Acrylic Painting Video Tutorials available for y'all on my Youtube Channel.

A few of my most pop ideas for your first painting

Red Poppies Acrylic Abstract — Cherry Poppies Abstract Acrylic Painting for Beginners

What to Paint: Ideas for freestyle painting without a tutorial

If tutorials aren't your thing, here are some more than ideas. Using day-to mean solar day-life as inspiration:

blossom from your garden
vase of flowers
your favorite indoor plant
a bowl of fruit (or individual fruits)
simple mural
your favorite trinkets
nevertheless life objects you accept at abode (cups, bowls, bottles, etc.)
beach scene
garden scene
dusk scene
easy acrylic painting ideas
Easy Acrylic painting thought: lilac bush

If you're painting without a tutorial, make sure yous read through the "Planning the Layout" section below earlier you lot go started.

Planning Your Painting's Layout – Advanced

If you've decided on a painting to become you started, so you might be tempted to jump right in and first adding pigment onto your canvas.

Just taking an extra step before beginning painting can aid your painting look more beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

The detailed work you lot do won't matter if you've prepare yourself upwardly for failure correct from the offset.

It will as well add to your conviction with acrylics and compositions in general!

Information technology's a uncomplicated enough play tricks or guideline but unfortunately is often forgotten nigh, and sometimes non fifty-fifty taught in art classes!

This fob tin can as well be applied to photography, to capture more interesting pictures!

What'south the trick?

It'southward called "the rule of the thirds."

If you're painting a bailiwick matter (flowers, landscapes, a basin of fruit, etc), using the "rule of the thirds" roughly sketch your layout with a pencil, before kickoff painting.

This will guide yous better as the painting progresses and everything will stay in proper proportion.

If you're doing abstruse fine art, just keep the rule of the third in listen, and use it at the end to add some focal areas in the right places.

Stride 8 – Troubleshooting your Painting

There might be a time when you're creating your acrylic painting when something doesn't feel quite right.

And many of the times, you lot simply tin can't pinpoint what'south bugging yous because you have been looking at your painting with the same perspective.

Your eyes can't "encounter" what is going amiss, especially if yous've been at it for a long time.

The all-time tip to overcome this: make information technology a habit to step abroad from your painting multiple times as your painting progresses.

TIP: Stand up away from your painting and analyze it equally yous would looking at some fine art in a museum.

Analyze your paintings from afar

Seeing your painting from a distance gives your eyes and encephalon a different perspective and you end up seeing more, as strange as it sounds. It can frequently help you figure out what is bugging you about your art piece.

Some other tip is to leave the room, do something else for five minutes or so then come back. This volition requite you a "fresh set of eyes".

Flip your painting upside downwards.

It sounds weird, but trust me, information technology works!

My husband finds information technology amusing when I pace back and forth and flip my painting upside down, simply its totally worth it! This technique has saved many of my paintings and my sanity!

Pace 9 – Sealing your Painting

Once you lot're washed with your painting, an option is to seal it (especially if you are selling your paintings). Sealing your painting will protect your painting from the surroundings around information technology and protect the paints & pigments from UV calorie-free- which tin can yellow over fourth dimension.

You tin apply an cheap varnish-similar Liquitex Gloss Varnish.

While oil paints can make some gorgeous pieces of fine art, working with them is a bit higher maintenance compared to acrylic paints.

Step x – Clean Up

In terms of brush clean up after you're done with your acrylic paints, wash your brushes with warm water and gentle soap. That'southward it!

Besides, as a word of caution: avoid letting acrylic paints dry out on your brushes. If they do dry on, yous'll demand solvents to take off the dried pigment – take information technology from someone who's been in that location -it's non fun!

You tin also apply lather and water to wash your painting pallet. If it'southward already dried on, try peeling information technology off – or you can just get out it. If it doesn't bug you, it won't affect.

Got some acrylic paint on your fav outfit? This how to get acrylic paints out of clothes post will take y'all through 10 different means to lift paint stains from wearing apparel.

Using Acrylic Paint Safely

Acrylics are more often than not very safe to utilise, merely some pigments can exist toxic if not properly handled.

Also, simply to put things in perspective, pigments are more concentrated in professional-level paints and lesser in student quality ones.

The pigments to be aware of are:
Cadmium pigments
Cobalt color pigments
Phthalo Blueish and Dark-green
Umber pigments

Regardless of the pigment, here are some rubber means to handle any type of paint, and then that y'all're in the habit of using them properly:

Wash easily thoroughly with h2o and lather after utilise
Avert eating/drink while painting
Proceed paint out of eyes, mouth, and lungs
Use heart protection if your doing something like splatter painting

As with all art cloth, keep paints away from small children. Young students should exist monitored and taught prophylactic treatment techniques.

If y'all're looking for prophylactic acrylics for kids, delight check for the "Approved Product" seal on the paint bottles.

Finding the Joy in Painting – A Self-Care Approach

When you first learn painting in acrylics, as with learning any new skill, it can seem intimidating. And sometimes when things don't plough out according to programme, it can get a fleck disheartening.

Your paintings might not plow out the way you think they volition the first few times.

This is to be expected!

My advice, from someone whose been there, DON'T GIVE UP! Go on practicing with different techniques, follow some gratis youtube acrylic painting tutorials, or invest in an online or in-person acrylics painting class (they are so worth it).

If I gave upwardly years ago when I was first learning, I would have never found the joy that comes with painting with acrylics.

Learning how to paint has given me an incredible skill that I have applied in unlike ways and unlike times in life. It has been both my therapy every bit it has my creative outlet.

My wish for you is to find the same joy with painting.

Practise Self-Compassion With Your Inner Creative person

Another lesson learned is: don't exist too difficult on yourself and your work! We tend to be our own worst critics, I know I've been guilty of that, the expert news is this can exist changed!

All information technology takes is a perspective change (just similar when troubleshooting your acrylic painting above). If you can do that, yous'll find the act of painting(or anything in life) much more enjoyable.

Here'southward a play tricks…
Instead of beating yourself up considering your art doesn't expect anything like y'all had hoped, shift your focus to the large moving picture instead:

Yous're a brave soul to exist learning and practicing a make new skill, that a lot of people are scared, or don't make time to larn.

Pat yourself on the back and be proud of every second you spend exploring new enjoyments, experiences and taking the time to invest in yourself.

Are acrylic Paints the All-time Option for Beginners?

Before answering this question (which I'll do below), let's compare Acrylics with the other main types of paints.

Watercolor vs Acrylic Paint

Many beginners oftentimes wonder is acrylic painting easier than watercolor?

The curt answer is acrylics are much easier for beginners.

While watercolor and acrylic paints share similarities ( both water-soluble and easy cleanup), painting in watercolor can be very technical, with a steeper learning curve with both the paint and the amounts of water being used.

Some watercolor teachers even recommend their students accept a couple of classes on acrylics earlier jumping right into Watercolor!

Acrylic paint vs Oil Paint

Oil Paint is a very popular paint called by professionals. Simply if yous've ever worked with oil paint, you know that its definitely a bit of a trickier paint.

Fortunately, you can get a very like result using Acrylic.

But just in case you aren't completely convinced, let'southward go over some the differences between oil paint vs acrylic painting.

Acrylic Paint

Tin be thinned with h2o
Dries inside minutes
Clean up with water
Minimal Odor
Tin utilise a synthetic castor

Oil Paint

Must use solvent or a thinner
Can have iii-6 months to fully dry out
Clean upwardly with solvent
Stiff olfactory property
Must apply natural brushes

Too to notation:

Acrylic Paints can be transformed into translucent (watercolor-like)by diluting it with water or used in a creamy opaque consistency like oil paints.

Acrylic paints tin be mixed together to create different colors/tints/shades, much like oil paints.

You can employ oil paint over (stale) acrylic paint, but you can't paint acrylic over oil paints.

Acrylic paints are less expensive than oil paints!

Just for Fun

Can you lot tell which painting below is painted with Oil paints and which one is painted with acrylic paints?

Answer: It's difficult to tell isn't it? Both paints share opaque qualities (the contrary of "run across-through") and can be used to paint like subject area matter.

You probably notwithstanding desire to know which is which, right?

I gotcha!

The first picture (the wintertime scene with the cabin and winding road) is painted with oil paints. The second painting (the mountain scene ) is painted with acrylics.

After personally working with all 3 paint mediums, I really believe that acrylic paints are the best selection for beginners.

That's not to say watercolor and oils paints shouldn't be attempted for beginners, they just have a slightly steeper learning bend for different reasons.

Often Asked Questions about Acrylic Painting

Q: What are acrylic paints fabricated of?

A: Acrylic paints are a fast-drying paint that'southward made with pigment that's mixed in a polymer medium- the aforementioned stuff plastic is made from.

Q: Are acrylic paints water based?

A: Yes, acrylics are water-based and therefore water-soluble – I.e. tin exist thinned and cleaned with h2o. Only once they are dry, they become water-resistant and the texture of soft pliable plastic. Acrylic paints can be used on canvass, forest, paper, boards, rocks, and other materials.

Q: How long does acrylic paint take to dry out?

A: It depends on the thickness of the paint. A thin layer of acrylic dries in a affair of a minute or two, while thicker strokes of paint can have a few additional minutes.

But nothing like oil paintings were information technology tin take 3-vi months to completely dry out.

Q: How exercise I paint over acrylic pigment (I.e. an old painting you want to repurpose)?

A: If the painting doesn't have a lot of texture to it, you lot can only pigment over information technology with a coat or two of white Gesso (acrylic primer).

If there'south lots of texture (the painting isn't flat or smooth to the impact), you might desire to sand information technology downwards a bit before applying the coats of Gesso.

Besides, never pigment acrylic over superlative oil paintings, otherwise, it volition peel or bit off.

Acrylic paints are great for beginners. In fact, many artists have classified acrylics as the most "forgiving" of the paints because they are so easy to use.

Q: How do I make my Acrylic Painting Shiny?

A: If you're trying to get a sheen over your unabridged painting, read the section in a higher place near sealing your painting.
Yet, if yous're goal is to make i particular role of your painting glossy (ie. when y'all're painting a pond), you lot'll want to consider calculation a medium to your paint.

The simplest way to get that shine is to add together a chip of gloss medium to your paint. The medium will thin your paint and increase the dry fourth dimension.

Paint mediums are not a beginner technique merely they are quite elementary to use. Acrylic artists have been known to use all kinds of things in their paint (call up eggshells and coffee grounds) in order to become a specific texture or lengthen dry out time for more workability. If you want to acquire more most mediums, I go into a lot of item in My A-Z Acrylics for Beginners class.

For beginners who desire to endeavor out paint mediums for the first time, I would highly recommend Gold's beginner's set of Acrylic mediums. I have personally bought this set and love it! It comes with 6 jars of popular mediums for yous to effort.

Q: Can I use acrylic pigment to pigment rocks or other materials?

A. While many tutorials with acrylic paint usually use a canvas or thick paper as a surface to paint on- there is a whole globe of other possibilities.

Paint on Water bottles

hydro flask painting ideas — Acrylic Painting on Reusable Water Bottles

One project I did a few months back was to pigment on reusable water bottles. I gave them away as Christmas gifts, but they would likewise make unique altogether and Mother twenty-four hours gifts too!

The tutorial shows y'all how to pigment on Hydro Flask specific water bottles, but the same steps can be used to paint on many other brands/types.

Paint on Rocks

Another on-trend/pop painting idea is rock painting! From kids, teens, and adults, rock painting is super easy, cheap, and fun!

All you need is a stone/pebble, some acrylic paint, and some inspiration! Cheque out my comprehensive guide: Stone Painting 101-Ultimate Guide. It volition go over all you demand to know virtually stone painting plus x+ piece of cake designs for adults and kids to get yous started. Looking for more kids-friendly painting ideas? This 83 kids painting ideas post has enough ideas for your young budding artists.

AND NOW Information technology'Southward YOUR Plough…

You're now well-armed with what you need to know equally a beginner in acrylics. I'm going to turn it over to you at present.

Your bare sheet awaits…What volition you fill information technology with?

P.due south. I would love to hear what type of painting you are going to make, feel gratis to drop a comment below and share your ideas, You might inspire another budding artist!

P.s.s If your dying to learn anything in item with Acrylic paintings, let me know and I'll make sure I embrace it (either in this mail or another).

And until next time, stay groovy and creative!

Jasmine

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