Whether you’re picking up a brush for the first time or looking to refine your skills, acrylic paints offer vibrant colors, quick drying times, and easy application. In this guide, we’ll explore beginner-friendly acrylic painting techniques that will help you build confidence and create your own acrylic art.

What are Acrylic Paints?

Acrylic paints are water-based, making them easy to clean and work with. They are versatile and can be used on traditional surfaces like paper and canvas, and many other surfaces like glass, fabric, and wood. Acrylic paints dry quickly, which can be both an advantage and a challenge. You can thin them with water or acrylic mediums to create different effects, from thick impasto to transparent washes.

Basic Supplies

Before diving into techniques, gather these basic supplies:

1. Acrylic paints: starter sets with primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) are great for mixing any color. Daler-Rowney has a great System3 Acrylic Starter Set with 6 tubes.
2. Brushes: a variety of flat and round brushes are great to start with.
3. Canvas or acrylic paper: Our favorite is the 300 Series Stretched Canvas or 400 Series Acrylic Pads from Strathmore Paper.
4. Palette for mixing colors
5. Water container for rinsing brushes
6. Paper towels or a rag
7. Palette knife: optional for texture and mixing colors on your palette.

Our Favorite Beginner Acrylic Paint Brushes and Tools

• Princeton Select Brushes: An affordable and beginner-friendly option. They’re durable and offered in 108 different shapes and sizes.
• Princeton Velvetouch Brushes: You can get either the short handle if you’re painting on a pad or long handle if you’re painting on a canvas. These are Princeton’s best quality brushes for all mediums so you can use them for more than just acrylic!
• Catalyst Wedges and Blades: Play around with different textures or add thick layers of paint with wedges and blades. And they’re silicone so they’re super easy to clean!

Basic Acrylic Painting Techniques

Artwork by Angela Anderson

Dry Brush Technique

This technique involves using a dry brush with a small amount of paint. It creates a scratchy, textured effect, ideal for adding rough textures like clouds and foliage.

Artwork by Kate Birch

Glazing or Wash

Glazing involves applying thin, transparent layers of paint as the base of your painting (underpainting) or over dry layers to create depth and luminosity. To create a wash, mix your acrylics with a glazing medium or water.

Artwork by Angela Anderson

Wet-on-Wet/Blending

Although acrylics dry fast, you can still use the wet-on-wet technique by working quickly or using a blending medium. This technique helps blend colors smoothly. It’s a great way to create gradients and backgrounds.

Artwork by Kate Birch

Layering

Layering is one of the most effective techniques in acrylic painting. Let each layer dry before adding another to create depth and dimension with different shades/colors.

Impasto

This technique uses a thick, textured painting style where paint is applied directly onto the canvas with a palette knife or a brush. You can use it to create bold, dramatic effects.

Artwork by Mii Painting’s

Dripping and Acrylic Pouring

Dripping and pouring is a fun way to create swirls, waves, splashes, and other fun textures. Add a clear acrylic medium to your paint to help the color drip and run on your paper or canvas.

The best way to improve is to practice. Don’t be afraid to try different techniques and tools. Have fun experimenting with colors and textures. Over time, you’ll gain confidence and develop your unique painting style.

With these basic acrylic painting techniques, you’re well on your way to creating your own stunning works of art. So, grab your brushes and start painting!