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Acrylic paint is an artistic medium with the biggest number of paradoxes. Why so? When one paints with acrylic, they commonly use the watercolor technique. However, once the paint dries, it inherits the physical qualities of traditional oil paints. The paint turns from a water-soluble medium into a water-resistant one.

Whether you’re an arts student or painting is your hobby, acrylics are a cool medium to master. How to find which acrylic painting technique works the best for you? Check the article below.

Acrylic paint was a medium of such impressive artists as Mark Rothko and Lubaina Himid. The paint got popular in the 1940s and was developed as a medium for house refurbishment in America. Little did the marketers know that soon it would become the favorite medium of contemporary artists.

Once you get help with your essay on Paperwriter, we advise you to learn both pros and cons of mastering an acrylic painting technique.

Water is the main ingredient an artist uses when working with watercolor. Because acrylic is water-soluble, try the same technique on it!

Water will make your paint thin while allowing you to work in layers. This technique also allows you to stay experimental with the process. For instance, you may add gouache or mix the acrylics with actual watercolor paints.

The thing to remember is the surface quality. Don’t use water-resistant canvases. Instead, it is better to choose watercolor paper with higher-than-medium thickness.

Use a dry brush with stiff bristles for this one. After dipping your brush into thick acrylic paint, make strokes or continue quick dabbing on the canvas.

What does the technique give you? Firstly, texture. Because the paint lacks water, it is thick and quickly creates an edgy texture. Secondly, the colors are more vibrant if compared to the watercolor technique. The last one is convenience. Indeed, working in a dry technique gives you more control over layers compared to other techniques.

Stippling is like a modern pointillism technique. Remember the greatest pointillists like George Seurat and Paul Signac? Yeap, they used millions of tiny colorful dots to create visual effects. The result was especially majestic if observed from a distance.

So, how to implement the stippling technique in acrylics? First of all, think of the palette. Divide your palette into tones and apply each tone in tiny dots with a brush. We advise you don’t work in layers but take the full color you need. Secondly, don’t forget that this technique requires tons of patience. If you don’t feel comfortable being in a meditative state for hours, better skip it.

Remember the monotony of Jason Pollock’s technique? The artist dripped the paint on a lying canvas with precise movements in order to create surreal shapes. The end result was mostly layers of colorful lines and dots splashed in different ways.

To do the same on your canvas, put it dead-level. Take the can of paint and add some water to make it thinner. Take a brush, dip it into the paint and start dripping and splashing it all over the canvas. You can experiment with the canvas put vertically.

The process is meditative and chaotic. The result might be unpredictable. Hence, if you want more control, you better choose other acrylic painting techniques.

This is a technique stolen from traditional watercolor painting. All because acrylic is a water-soluble medium. Removing some pigment from the top layers will give you a soft transition in shades. This is a great technique if you must draw clouds or add more texture to the landscape.

For this technique, use wet napkins, sponges, or towels. Softly tap them into the spot you want to lighten or add texture to. Continue ‘erasing’ the color’s saturation until you’re happy with the result.

This technique reminds one of the dripping approaches. However, there is a huge difference. The dripping technique is usually performed on a dead-level canvas. Additionally, it requires more control over the painting process. At the same time, splash-and-splatter doesn’t require extreme control over the brush.

If you don’t like watercolor, switch to oil painting techniques. When painting with oils, artists use palette knives to create smooth transitions. By doing so, they avoid extensive textures and rigid edges. The same goes for acrylic painting. If you prefer working in thicker layers, use your palette knife. Don’t forget that acrylics dry fast, yet you should use the tools in time.

As it has been said, acrylics are a versatile material. It provides you with an opportunity for experimenting. To explore the effects, mix acrylics with other mediums. For instance, gouache. The result will be matte surfaces with less saturated colors. Especially if you mix the acrylics with gouache whites.

Just don’t mix the acrylic paint with oils. The latter need spirits, which don’t go well with water-soluble acrylics.

Acrylics are an amazing medium for both beginners and professional artists. They allow an artist to experiment and are more affordable than oils. Another great feature of acrylics is the number of painting techniques. Whether it is a dry or watercolor technique, your painting will shine with vivid colors.

We hope the article was helpful to you. Good luck with your artistic journey.

Story by Grace Johnson. Johnson is a blogger and working on a case study of the intersectionality of technology and equality. She knows what university life is about and wants others to share that.

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