“When something is finished, that means it’s dead, doesn’t it? I believe in everlastingness. I never finish a painting – I just stop working on it for a while” – Arshile Gorky
Creative Acrylics : A Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide to Creating with Paint & Mediums – Create Paintings Filled with Color, Texture, Unique Effects & More!
Acrylics are one of the most versatile, affordable, and accessible art mediums, and you’ll learn all the tips, tricks, and techniques for blending colors and building texture, plus excellent instruction on how to paint a range of different subjects.
Confused about which types of paints to use, and how to use them? Creative Acrylics cuts through the clutter and offers clear fundamentals for working with a variety of paints and mediums to produce beautiful results. Acrylic paint is water-soluble, dries quickly, and is forgiving, making it perfect for those starting out. Begin your acrylic painting journey with an expert who will guide you through enjoyable techniques and projects as you build confidence and ramp up your skills.
Step-by-step techniques, lessons, and projects cover a wide range of styles and genres, including color mixing, brushwork, glazing, and how to paint easy florals, still lifes, landscapes, and animals. Take your new skills even further and paint on different surfaces to create an apron, painted shells, a paintbrush rest, clay pot, and more.
- How to set up your workspace to make painting more enjoyable
- A guide to the different types of acrylic paint
- Basic techniques such as understanding color and value, and how to add texture and other effects using paint and mediums
- Lessons and projects that build skills: creating still lifes, florals, landscapes and skies, and painting on fabric, wood, shells, clay, and more
Perfect for all skill levels, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.
Laying Out Your Palette
Acrylic Painting Techniques – How To Lay Out An Acrylic Painting Palette Technique by willkempartschool
When you’re finished painting for the day, you’ll need to clean off your palette. Unlike watercolor paints which can be reconstituted with water once they’ve dried, acrylic paints cannot be reused once they’ve dried. If you’re using a Sta-Wet palette (as we recommend), you’ll be able to keep the paints for longer. If you’re using a standard plastic or wood palette, the dried acrylic will adhere and make it difficult to remove later on.
Applying A Ground
How To Apply An Acrylic Coloured Ground: Beginners Painting Techniques by willkempartschool
A “ground” is a surface you paint on. For example, gesso is a white ground. In this video, Will Kemp suggests using a Yellow Ochre ground for still life and landscapes and a Burnt or Raw Umber ground for portraits. Use a house painting brush or the largest brush you have to apply the ground quickly. Remember to paint the sides of your canvas too so it looks finished even without a frame when you hang it on the wall.
Cleaning Your Brush
Acrylic Painting Tips: How To Clean Your Acrylic Paintbrush by willkempartschool
If you’re using liquid soap, put a little in your hand and wash your brush just as Will Kemp does in the video. If it’s a cake soap (like the one he’s using), you’ll need to rub the brush on the soap first. He talks about using paper towels in the video—you may use paper towels also or a rag will do just as well.
