This is a canvas that is stretched on a frame. This has a responsive surface and deep sides that look professional and is easy to hang. A recommended specification is a triple primed, 300 gsm cotton canvas.
Studio Saturday: Acrylic Paint Techniques That Will Blow Your Mind
Think you’ve seen everything there is to see about acrylic paint? Have you looked in your trash lately? Because there’s probably something there that will shake up your mixed-media art and give you a new reason to love acrylic paint. I’m talking about skins. Paint skins. On your canvas. Now. Let’s go.
Thank artist Staci Swider for this fantastic idea for taking leftover dried paint skins and turning them into vibrant abstract flower collages. In the September/October 2017 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors she shares her secrets in the article “Skin Deep,” even explaining how the pieces came to be.
I immediately connected with this technique because I’m guilty of squeezing out a lot of paint when I’m working on an art journal page or canvas—a lot. I try to be thrifty in my art practice, but for some reason acrylic paint always comes gushing out of the tube like toothpaste squeezed by a four-year-old. I feel so guilty looking at the leftover paint that eventually gets tossed in the garbage.
But no more! Let’s put that color to use, shall we? You may have excess paint at the ready, but if not, no worries. Let’s make some skins. Spread acrylic paint on a sheet of freezer paper or a nonstick craft sheet. I used the latter, swirling various shades with a palette knife to create some marbled effects. Don’t mix the colors too much or you risk making mud with the wet paint, but do try for some cool color combinations. As Staci says, “Don’t be afraid to use unusual colors; the crazier the better.” Be sure to leave some open spaces on the sheet.
When that layer is dry or almost dry, spread on another layer of paint, making sure the sheet is covered and filling in any gaps. Let that dry completely.
Now it’s time for the big reveal! Pull up an edge of the paint skin and carefully peel it away from the sheet. You’ll be amazed at how great the underside looks, and what wonderful color combinations you’ve created.
To create the painted collage, cut or tear a piece of heavyweight watercolor paper; I used a 5″ x 7″ piece of 140-pound cold press watercolor paper. I then painted it with a few layers of acrylic paint until I achieved a lovely shade of pale aqua, with a few streaks of yellow and magenta thrown in. I mounted it to another piece of watercolor paper that measured 7″ x 9″.
Staci shows a great way of making flower stems and leaves—she coats pine needles in light and dark shades of green paint and presses them to the canvas. I could only find short pine needles, so I used some long grass blades, better known as weeds, which worked great. Don’t even think about going for precision here—Staci’s stunning abstracts will convince you that imperfection is the way to go.
To create the blossoms, Staci tears the paint skins into shapes and layers them, emphasizing the abstract look. I discovered that the skins can also be cut easily with scissors, and I cut rough petal shapes for the flowers. The petals were adhered to the paper with thick white glue.
Using acrylic paint I added a little depth with shadows around the leaves and stems.
What makes Staci’s collages even more more eye-catching and dramatic is the addition of fabric scraps. These can be added a number of ways, and you’ll see lots of her finished artwork in the article, which will inspire more ideas. I glued some wool and faux silk scraps to the bottom of the piece, and added a small scrap of acrylic paint skin to tie everything together. The cherry on the sundae is Staci’s easy shadow box technique that uses another surprising recycled material, plus plaster gauze. This is not to be missed.
If you have paint skins left over, hang onto them! Store them between sheets of freezer paper so the pieces don’t get stuck together, and incorporate these little gems in future paintings, collages, cards, tags, and art journal pages.
More great techniques for acrylic paint are waiting for you in these terrific resources from the North Light Shop. Don’t miss Staci’s fantastic book and video series!
Impasto
You might largely associate the process of impasto — that of applying thick and heavy strokes of paint — with oil painting. However, it can also be very relevant to acrylic paint, not least because, like oils, acrylic enables you to easily achieve an ‘impasto’ effect straight out of the tube.
Indeed, with acrylic, all that you really need to do is add a gel medium or modelling paste, in order to make the paint as thick as you like.
This is difficult to do with oil paint, given that it dries slowly and can only be thickened to a certain degree without its visual appeal being harmed.
Glaze
If the impasto technique is as thick a paint application as acrylic gets, applying a glaze is the opposite. Basically, a glaze is a thin layer of paint that is highly translucent, thereby allowing some of the colour underneath to show through. In the process, the underlying colour is subtly transformed.
The glazing technique, then, simply involves mixing medium with transparent pigment, and applying this over a dried underpainting. To the viewer’s eye, the colour of the underpainting will blend with that of the transparent glaze.
However, as the underpainting has already dried, the two won’t be literally mixed. As a result, an optical effect will be created akin to a transparent-coloured window having been placed on top of the underpainting.
Scumbling
‘Scumbling’ is a bit of a vague term, but it can be basically described as the practice of adding a layer of broken, scratchy or speckled colour over another colour. This enables bits of the lower layer of painting to show through the scumbling.
One way to think of scumbling, is that it allows for a certain degree of transparency — like a glaze — but also an exuberant spontaneity akin to impasto.
If you love visible brushwork, texture and layering in a painting, you’ll therefore probably love scumbling, which is typically done quickly and crudely, often with dry paint and using old, worn-out brushes. The surface variations and transitions that can be achieved with this technique often make it as intriguing to look at afterwards as it is to do.
Acrylic paint on fabric
Why not use acrylic paint on clothes instead of canvas? The result can look amazing since it has a hand-drawn, bespoke effect.
Step 1: Use a protective sheet
This will stop your fabric from sticking to the surface you are working on, particularly if it is a porous surface such as wood.
Step 2: Thin down your paint with water
This will give your paint greater flow, which is good for outlines or organic lines. It will also create a soft, translucent effect.
Step 3: Mix your paint with a fabric medium
A fabric medium is a transparent substance that will give your paint a softer, flexible feeling that is more suited to fabric. It will also stop your colours from bleeding and help the paint to adhere to the fabric.
Step: 4: Heat set your painting
Heat setting refers to hot ironing your painted garment, which increases the durability of the paint due to heat fusion. Wait for at least 24 before doing this, as the paint needs to be perfectly dry! Also, remember to set the heat on a low level if your fabric is more delicate.
Step 5: Use a low heat setting when washing
This will ensure your painting lasts longer and that it doesn’t accidentally bleed onto other garments!
How to get acrylic paint out of clothes
Rubbing is not recommended as it will push the paint further into the fabric. Instead, remove excess paint by scraping it off with a knife. Then dab the area with a wet paper towel. If the paint is still noticeable, leave the garment to soak in water or wash it as a separate item in a washing machine. If the paint has already dried on the garment, you can try scraping it off with your nail or a knife.
Because acrylic paint is water-based you can use water to clean it off your brushes. You need to be careful that you don’t damage the shape of the brush head, so try to pull the paint off the end of the brush instead of pushing or scrubbing the brush. You can use a cotton rag or your hand for this. Don’t let your brushes dry upright as this will cause water to seep and damage the head. Instead, let brushes dry horizontally (or upside down if you can!).
If you make the unfortunate mistake of forgetting to wash the brushes before the paint dries, don’t panic! It is possible to clean dry acrylic paint from your brushes most of the time: it just takes a little longer. You’ll need to soak the brushes for five minutes in rubbing alcohol, also known as isopropyl alcohol, and then gently massage the paint out of the bristles with warm soapy water. You may need to repeat this process a few times. Try not to do this too often, though, as it can damage the brushes. In severe cases where the paint was particularly thick and dried completely, you may have to cut your losses and replace the brush. Keep jars of water nearby when you paint, and pop them straight in when you are not using them to avoid this.
How long does acrylic paint take to dry?
The general drying time is about 20 to 30 minutes, with higher quality paints taking slightly longer to dry. The process can be elongated by using an acrylic retarder medium. Remember that local conditions will also affect the drying process, for example, hot and dry conditions will speed up the drying process. If you are in a rush to dry your painting, try placing it next to a fan.
Standard acrylic paint is not toxic. Acrylic paint is water-based, which means that it doesn’t require any chemicals for cleaning. If accidentally eaten, it might cause an upset stomach, but nothing more serious than that.
