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Painting inspiration: That splish-splash-splatter and there you have it- an acrylic painting masterpiece. Well, that magic lies with professional artists, but it can be yours- just spend some time with your art. To top it up, consume acrylic painting ideas and inspiration like oxygen.Â
Hold up! Get off your surfboard. This handbook runs the whole nine yards and serves everything you need to know about painting with acrylics. To make the deal sweeter, we bring you artwork by budding artists, authentic information on the topic, and handy hacks for working with acrylic paints. Â
First, what exactly are acrylic paints?
Image credit: eugenegarts
Are you sure about using acrylic paints for your next painting project? What makes you sure acrylics are better than oils, watercolors, or gouache? If you aren’t sure, here is an intro to what acrylic paint is and what makes the unique painting.
As an artist, you have many different options- other mediums, colors, techniques, canvasses, approaches, styles, etc. It is only logical, to begin with the fundamentals in such a diverse market.Â
Acrylic paints are opaque, water-based, dilutable colors. They have a thick consistency that can be thinned by dissolving in water. The polymer binders in these colors have a thick consistency, enhance vibrancy, fast-drying nature, and improve color-layer efficiency.Â
Compared to other mediums, acrylic paints dry quicker, are non-toxic, have less odor, are inexpensive, and are much brighter due to their high-quality pigment. Thus, working with acrylics is fun because you can easily:
Compared to gouache or watercolor paint, acrylic paints give a good texture and dimension. Because it dries so beautifully, all acrylic has great painting ideas.
Easy painting ideas come to life more in a much-defined and textured fashion. However, they tend to dry a darker hue with a more glossy finish.
Easy watercolor painting ideas include painting a landscape, a still life, flower paintings, abstract shapes, rock painting, and animals. You can also paint a scene from a favorite book or movie, a dreamscape, or a whimsical fantasy. If you want to challenge yourself, try painting a portrait of yourself or a loved one. To make it easier, you can use a photo for reference. You can also paint with a limited color palette or try using a wet-on-dry technique to create an interesting texture.This showdown of acrylics vs gouache vs watercolor makes the comparison clearer, making it easier for you to understand.
If you are a beginner, working with acrylic paint is beneficial. Let us explain better why acrylic paint is a newbie painter’s bestie.
Yes, acrylic paint is easy for beginners because:
If you are unhappy with what you have painted, you can let it dry and work on it again. This is because acrylic paints have a plastic polymer composition. So any paint devoid of oil paints or wax is convenient to paint over.
Moreover, acrylic paint is usable without solvents. This is also why it can be cleaned easily using only soap and water. For any beginner, it’s the best type of paint to test their artistic side, allow mistakes, and not regret the “spilled milk”.
So, how do you begin?
You begin with knowing the essentials for acrylic painting.
Image credit: AmeTist Artz
If you have made up your mind to paint with acrylics, here are the absolute essentials you ought to gather:
There are many easy cool painting ideas to choose from, after you learn how to paint and move ahead from learning beginner-level acrylic painting, it is time to tap into diverse painting techniques. With each different technique, a distinct supply comes to use. For example, a paper towel for dabbing and a sponge for sponging. Ergo, apart from the essentials of acrylic painting, you may need additional supplies too. You can also watch a painting tutorial which will give you a step-by-step tutorial – great for beginners!
You would have noticed that we have mentioned that it is optional for you to use a canvas as a base for acrylic painting. This is so because you can use paint colors with acrylics on endless surfaces. These include wood, glass, fabrics, metal, paper, cardboard, silk, etc.
Let us begin with the basics.
Image credit: LeonoraGalerie
Are you going for supplies shopping? Don’t let the many options boggle you. Because paints and brushes are quintessential, here is what you will look at.
You may choose from either student-grade acrylic paint or professional-grade acrylics. As per your creative calling and intensity of use, you can pick up a 24 or 36-piece paint set. For your reference, here are top brands you can trust:
If you are just starting, you may stick to a student-grade acrylic paint set because it is comparatively cheaper. Just a heads up, you can pick out individual tubes of colors (black or white) you think you may need more.
Don’t overthink about which acrylic brush to buy. Just put these basics in your cart:
Apart from this, working with acrylics can be a bit messy (especially if you use the splash technique for acrylic abstract painting). For these times, keep a paper towel, duster, gloves, soap and water handy.
Artists who paint with acrylics create the most diverse work of art they can see many things to paint in acrylic. This is why acrylic paint medium, although relatively modern (developed in the 1940s), is the most versatile and highly utilized.
But, as a beginner, finding a style can be daunting. To speed up the process, look up acrylic painting ideas and inspiration. Because we know that inspiration is everywhere, we have taken the liberty to bring all of it to your screen. Browse through these fabulous artworks by acrylic artists.
Image credit: Pamela Marie T
This Image credit: Pamela Marie T
Image credit: art9sense
This Image credit: art9sense
Image credit: art9sense
Image credit: eugenegarts
In conclusion, acrylic painting ideas can come from a variety of sources, including nature, emotions, personal experiences, and other works of art. It’s important for artists to stay open to new ideas and to constantly seek out inspiration in order to keep their creativity flowing. With the right inspiration, a painting can become a powerful expression of the artist’s unique perspective and vision.
