AdurArt

A Beginners Guide to Acrylic Painting

by Maya Brooks

beginners guide to acrylic painting

Acrylic painting is one of the most versatile and forgiving mediums for artists of all levels. It dries fast, works on almost any surface, and can mimic both watercolour delicacy and oil paint depth — all without the long drying times or strong solvents.

If you’ve ever wanted to start painting but weren’t sure where to begin, acrylics are the perfect choice. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need — from paints and brushes to surfaces and basic techniques — so you can start creating confidently from your very first session.

Table of Contents

Choosing Your Materials

Paints

Acrylic paints come in two main grades: student and artist.
For beginners, student-grade paints offer great value and are ideal for practice. Once you gain experience, you can upgrade to artist-grade paints for richer pigment and smoother blending.

✅ Recommended sets:

  • Winsor & Newton Galeria Acrylic Set (10 Tubes) – smooth, consistent, and affordable.
  • Liquitex Basics Acrylic Set – ideal for beginners and easy to mix.
  • Golden Heavy Body Acrylic Intro Set – professional quality with buttery texture.

A good starter palette includes: Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Alizarin Crimson, and Mars Black.

Brushes

Acrylics can be tough on brushes, so choose synthetic bristles designed for resilience. They spring back well, hold their shape, and clean easily with water.

✅ Essential brush shapes:

  • Flat (Size 6–10) – for broad strokes and backgrounds.
  • Filbert (Size 4–8) – for blending and curved edges.
  • Round (Size 2–6) – for details and line work.
  • Angle Shader or Bright – for precision and control.

Recommended brands: Princeton Velvetouch, Pro Arte Acrylix, Da Vinci Nova Synthetic.

Surfaces

One of the joys of acrylics is that they’ll stick to almost anything — canvas, paper, wood, or board. For best results, start with a pre-primed surface so the paint glides smoothly and colours stay bright.

✅ Recommended surfaces:

  • Winsor & Newton Classic Canvas Pad (10 Sheets) – ideal for practice and testing colours.
  • Daler Rowney Simply Canvas Boards – sturdy, economical, and perfect for beginners.
  • Canson Acrylic Pad – 400gsm Paper – heavy enough to resist warping with wet layers.

Mediums & Additives

Acrylics can be adjusted easily with mediums to change their flow, texture, and drying time.

  • Gloss Medium – enhances colour depth and transparency.
  • Matt Medium – softens sheen and improves flow.
  • Retarder – slows drying for easier blending.
  • Modeling Paste – adds body for impasto texture.

Recommended brands: Liquitex, Golden, and Winsor & Newton.

Palette & Tools

  • Stay-wet palette – prevents paint from drying too fast.
  • Palette knives – great for mixing or impasto techniques.
  • Water spray bottle – keeps paints moist during sessions.
  • Rags or paper towels – for wiping brushes and soft blending.

Basic Techniques to Try

Layering & Opacity

Acrylics dry quickly, making them perfect for layering. Start thin and build up colour gradually for depth and texture.

Blending

Work swiftly — acrylics dry fast! Use a retarder medium or mist of water to extend blending time and create smooth gradients.

Dry Brushing

With very little paint on your brush, you can add texture, highlights, or rough edges — ideal for landscapes and textured subjects.

Glazing

Thin your paint with gloss medium for transparent layers that enrich colour and tone.

Impasto

Use thick paint or add modeling paste for expressive, textured brushwork that stands out from the surface.

Mixing Colours

Acrylics mix beautifully — but because they dry darker than they look wet, test your mixes on scrap paper before applying them to your painting.
Keep your palette limited — it encourages cleaner mixes and helps you understand colour relationships.

Cleaning & Care

Acrylic paint dries permanently, so clean your brushes immediately after use.
Use lukewarm water and mild soap, or The Masters Brush Cleaner for thorough cleaning.
Don’t leave brushes standing in water — it damages the bristles and ferrule.

Simple Starter Projects

  1. Abstract Colour Study – experiment with layering and blending.
  2. Simple Still Life – learn form, tone, and light.
  3. Textured Landscape – practice dry brushing and impasto.
  4. Monochrome Portrait – explore value and shading.

Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

❌ Overwatering your paint – it can break the paint film.
✅ Use mediums instead of excess water for thinning.

❌ Letting paint dry on brushes – ruins bristles quickly.
✅ Rinse often during painting and clean immediately after.

❌ Overmixing colours – leads to muddy tones.
✅ Mix partially and let colours blend visually on the canvas.

❌ Using too many layers too soon – can cause lifting.
✅ Allow each layer to dry fully before adding more.

Why Acrylics Are Perfect for Beginners

Acrylics offer freedom — they’re fast, forgiving, and adaptable. You can paint thinly like watercolour, thickly like oil, or mix the two for your own unique style. Mistakes are easy to fix, and materials are affordable and easy to clean.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll find acrylics can take you anywhere — from vivid abstracts to fine realism.

Beginner’s FAQ: Acrylic Painting with Maya Brooks

1. Do I need special brushes for acrylics?

Yes. Choose synthetic brushes made for acrylics — they’re springy, durable, and easy to clean.

2. Can I use acrylic paint on paper?

Yes, but use heavyweight acrylic or mixed-media paper (300gsm or higher) to prevent warping.

3. Do acrylics dry quickly?

Yes — usually within 5–20 minutes. To extend drying time, use a retarder or stay-wet palette.

4. Can I mix acrylics with water?

Yes, but sparingly. Too much water weakens the paint film. Use a medium for better consistency.

5. How do I make acrylics look like oils?

Use a gloss or slow-drying medium and paint in thicker layers. Heavy body paints like Golden give an oil-like finish.

6. Do I need to varnish acrylic paintings?

It’s optional but recommended. A varnish like Winsor & Newton Professional Gloss Varnish protects against dust and UV damage.

7. Can I paint over dry acrylics?

Yes — acrylics dry permanently and form a solid base for layering new paint.

8. Are acrylics safe to use indoors?

Absolutely. They’re water-based, non-toxic, and easy to clean up with soap and water.