To start, buy the most basic colors: titanium white, mars black, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, and yellow ochre. Most of the paint colors you’ll need can be made from a combination of those few hues. As you paint more and more, you’ll know which colors you want to add to your collection. Tubes of paint are typically preferred by beginners because you can purchase smaller quantities to start, but there is no difference in quality between a tube or a jar of acrylic paint.
Visit an art supply store and feel a few different brushes for a good idea of what you prefer. Synthetic brushes are softer and easier to clean than real fur brushes. Unless you’re in it for the long run, don’t splurge on the paintbrushes. Although having good paint brushes to work with can be beneficial, it is more important to have quality paint.
Keep plastic wrap or another cover of some sort on hand to preserve paint on your palette that you aren’t using at the time. If you’re mixing large quantities of paint at once, it may be beneficial to have small cups/lids to store your paint between sessions. This will better preserve the acrylics than a plastic wrap covered palette.
If you’re afraid of painting on something expensive, start with watercolor paper and work your way up to canvas or wood.
Because acrylic paints dry notoriously fast, mist your painting/palette from time to time to keep the paints moist. [4] X Research source Consider wearing a smock or old shirt while painting to prevent staining your clothes with the acrylics. Some painters like to lay down newspapers on their tabletops to prevent large messes.
A bowl of fruit A vase of flowers Objects in your home A sunrise/sunset
You can do multiple sketches on paper before ever turning to do one on canvas, just to make sure you are confident with your drawing of your subject.
Use a color wheel as a helpful reference for mixing your paints. All the basic colors can be made by mixing the primary hues (red, blue, and yellow), and more specific colors can be made by mixing the primary and secondary hues. Remember, if you can’t get the exact shade of paint that you’re looking for with a limited paint palette, you can purchase nearly any color pre-mixed in tube or jar form from an art supply store.
Some beginner painters find it easy to use a grid system when painting their subject. Split up your canvas into parts using an imaginary grid, and paint an entire grid space to finality before moving onto the next one. Remember to add medium value colors first, followed by darker, and then lighter colors. It is hard to go over a dark color with a light one, so working in this way will make layering of hues much easier.
Stipple on paint by holding your paint brush vertically and tapping it onto the paper. This works best with a dry paintbrush and a small amount of paint, and will give the appearance of many small dots. Use a palette knife to sweep on broad strokes of color. For a rough, unedited paint look, paint with a palette knife. Coat the knife in a thick layer of paint, and move it across your canvas to load up thick layers of textured paint. Create a wash of color by thinning your paint with water. This gives an effect similar to watercolors, where the paint gradually lightens on your canvas. This is great for creating a gradation effect.
To maintain an acrylic painting properly, you have to know the best way to clean it.
