Acrylic Painting Tips
© by Carl
(CAKUart); all rights reserved
Acrylic painting is a versatile medium to use as it dries quickly, can be
increased in density to create more texture, thinned down
to create a lighter appeal and
can be painted over without spoiling the previous layer of
paint.
Acrylic paint
is a mixture of pigments and water that is combined with a
binding agent (polymer emulsion) which becomes quite tough as
the water eventually evaporates from the paint mix.
"Music To My
Ears"
Original Art by Carl (CAKUart)
4 x 40 x 40cm Acrylic on Canvas
If
you are planning on using acrylics as your chosen medium,
then please go ahead and have a look at some of my acrylic
painting tips below -- they have served me well so far and I am
sure you will get at least one "golden nugget" from
this page...
Cling
wrap is very handy to mix your colours on if you have
opted to keep a clean palette. It reduces your cleaning up time.
Cling wrap is also a good little tool to cover the wet area
on your palette if you have stop painting due to unforseen
circumstances i.e.: a phone call etc. This
will keep your paint wet and prevent wastage.
Although
acrylic paint is fast drying, you can get a couple of days grace
if you cover your palette well.
Tip:
Take the phone out of your studio and switch it onto answering machine.
You'll get more painting done. It may be a hard habit to get
into at first, but if you are looking to develop your craft seriously,
try to eliminate as many unnecessary detractions as you can.
Paint Palette
 I
use a glass panel palette on top of a clean white sheet
or big piece of white paper.
The
glass need not be any thicker than a standard windowpane.
The
reason why I use this method is because you can clearly
see your colours as you mix them on the glass pane. The white
sheet (or paper) acts a great "neutral" backdrop.
Try
it; you'll never look back.
This
works exceptionally well for oils. I like both acrylics
and oils but I think oils respond better to the mixing
process.
Preserving
Your Leftover Paint
Ok
I admit it; I am not really good with colour names. I am
referring to the colours that I mix in the "heat" of a painting
session. I don't really have a colour chart to try and
research as to what colour I have invented (or at least think I have
invented).
Yeah I know, it is hardly unlikely I have ever
invented a new colour... but I like to think I have (wink).
There
have been times when I have a substantial amount of one or two colours remaining from my
painting session.
It doesn't happen a lot any more -- as I have become quite good
at measuring what I need -- but it does still happen on occasions.
So
what I to do is...
-
Put
the remainder into an empty small container or small fruit
jars that can be sealed properly and then swipe a strip of
that particular colour on the front of the container jar…
then seal the container. If I have no lid, I seal it with
some cling wrap.
-
You'll
now know what your colour is by sight instead of having
to remember the actual name of the colour you've mixed.
Writing the colour details on the container simply does not
register with me as well as physically seeing the
colour -- that's why the "splash of paint" on the
container is great for immediate recognition.
-
This
little procedure is a good way to salvage some of your art
painting supplies.
If
you are like me, when you start your next painting session, you
probably wont even scrape the paint back onto your pallet and
instead... paint from the container. It saves time and creates
less mess.
Water
Water Water
Make
sure you have adequate containers of water on your working
table.
Having
a rinsing container then a water and soap container is handy to
have within arms reach.
I
don’t clean each brush as I use it – it's simply not
practical for me as it chews up too much time. What I do is
throw my brush into a container of clean water to let it soak
and there it stays until I am ready to clean up, unless off
course I need it again throughout the session.
If
I do need to re-use a brush, I have off cuts of sheets and
old rags in my studio, so I can dry the brush properly before I
use it again. Doing this prevents those water runs when you
apply the
paint on the canvas.
I
do clean my brushes properly after the day's session. Its a good
idea not to fall into the habit of leaving your brushes in the water for too long.
The bristles will eventually lose their sharpness, shape and fall out – onto your
painting as you apply them to the canvas – Grrrrrh!
Additional
Tools of The Trade
 I keep
a pair of pliers (or multigrips) handy to help unscrew those very
difficult to loosen paint tube caps.
Years
ago I would let my tubes soak in hot water for a little while.
But this became a little too time consuming for me. (Are
you beginning to pick up that I don't like wasting time?)
In the past... if I have not managed
to get the cap off... I often resorted to simply cutting the
opposite end of the tube open in haste, just so I could start working.
The
multi-grips do the job just fine though.
Side
note: Make
sure you use good quality acrylic paint materials. It really is
worth it to pay the extra money to have a quality product. The
problem with cheaper types of paints is that they do not respond
well to varying temperatures and light.
Enhance Your
Acrylic Painting Techniques
 Want
to add some exaggerated texture to your painting without having to
use too much of your acrylic paint supply?
Then
add some impasto gel in your paint mix.
A
good quality impasto won't alter your colour
-- at least not to the naked eye.
Impasto gel is much
like an "extender" that allows you to cover more canvas
space or create more textural depth.
Of
course... if you want the opposite effect, simply use water to thin
your paints down.
While
I favour oils over acrylics -- as they are more earthy
in colour and texture -- I really love acrylics because they are
very versatile.
With
acrylic being a quick drying paint, it is great if you
are producing work for private art commissions and you need to ship
some work out sooner than later. But having said that...quick drying doesn't allow
you the time to work (manipulate) your paints as well as you can
with oils.
So the answer is... to use an acrylic gel retarder. A gel
retarder will slow the paint drying speed down quite
considerably and allow you to work with a bit more ease.
Acrylic
paints are excellent for outdoor murals (see one I produced
below) as they are weather
resistant. So one of my acrylic painting tips here would be to make sure you treat the
back and sides of the board with
a water proofing agent before you actually start painting.
This will help
to eliminate dampness in the board if the rain does hit the
mural from different angles and also protect it from the extremity of the sun.
"Greek Island
Mural" Original art by Carl (CAKUart)
Acrylic on Hardboard -- 5.2 metres by 1.8 metres
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