How To Paint With Acrylics On Canvas

Acrylic paints offer a versatile and enjoyable painting experience. These paints are non-toxic and dry quickly. They can be applied to any non-greasy surface, such as leather, fabric, or wood, and are also easier to clean.

Acrylic paints are user-friendly, making them popular among both beginners and experienced artists. In this piece, we have made a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to paint with acrylics. 

What Are Acrylics? 

Acrylic paints are simply colorants added to a polymer mixture. These are popular painting materials and offer contrasting painting textures. The main advantages of acrylic paints are their easy accessibility and fast drying time. Because of their water solubility, they can be easily diluted with water.

Why Use Acrylic Paints?

One of the reasons you should use acrylic paints is that they can be used to create different effects in your painting, whether they are translucent, transparent, or opaque/glossy. A solution of soap and water can easily clean acrylics painting. Acrylics work in layers, and a variety of textures can be achieved by adjusting the layers, their color combinations, and their thickness. 

Here is an example of a painting made with acrylics.

View More Examples

What Surface To Use Acrylics On?

Whether it is acrylics or any other type of painting material, the surface of the canvas is hugely important. It can make the whole painting look completely different, depending on the combination you use. Two great options for acrylic paints are stretched canvas and art canvas, as they can endure multiple layers of paint with ease. Another great option is canvas board.

The beauty of acrylic paints is that they deliver great results for almost all types of canvas. This is why acrylics are not only used by beginners but also by experts, as they offer a wide range of textures and options.

What Should Your Equipment Look Like?

The basic equipment you need to canvas an acrylic painting includes the following:

• Acrylic paints
• Brushes 
• Canvas
• Water
• A cleaning cloth
• A palette to mix up your acrylics (optional)
• A stencil (optional)
• Masking tape (optional)

The Brushes 

Brushes are one of the most integral parts of painting. Artists use a combination of different types of brushes to add unique effects to the canvas. Factors such as variable water and paint compositions, as well as different brush angles, can also make a significant different.

Different brush sizes are used for various purposes.

• Large Brush Size—to prepare the background 
• Medium Brush Size—to do the main painting and to add special effects
• Small Brush Size—to add the detailing to the painting 

The Process

The first and foremost thing is to make your mental picture clear about what you want to make. Whether it's a portrait of a person or a landscape, you should first visualize the end product in your mind. Following are the phases of painting with acrylics:

Phase 1: Color Selection And Mixing 

The first step is selecting your colors, which is part of your visualization process. If you want to create a landscape, you can jot down the color combinations you want to use. One technique is to use a color palette that contains all the prime colors, which can then be mixed to create many other colors. 

The next step is to mix the colors you will be using for the painting. Start with the mixing background colors. You don’t need to prepare color shades for the entire painting, as they dry quickly.

Phase 2: Surface Preparation 

Preparing the canvas involves two main steps: first, cleaning the dust off of the surface, and second, sanding the canvas to smooth it out for a better painting experience and appearance. This is optional, and only some artists do it; most of the time, the artist's canvas is already pre-prepared for painting.

Sanding refers to using sandpaper to prepare the canvas surface before starting the painting. Once your canvas is ready, you can begin painting. You can also organize all your equipment during this step, as the main part comes next.

Phase 3: The Paint 

After doing all this, it's time to paint. You should follow what feels comfortable for you instead of sticking strictly to the rules. Many people start a painting by sketching with a pencil, allowing them to perfect their design before the actual painting and make any necessary changes. 

Now, after mixing your acrylics on a palette or canvas, start by painting the background first. Using a large brush, apply the paint to the surface. You can make long, broad strokes horizontally to cover up the blank canvas. Here, you need to blend the colors. You can either use tick painting just out of the tube or you can use a watery painting. It’s all about the style of painting you want. 

You need to use a thin brush to achieve special effects such as clouds, birds, etc. A large brush will not be effective here. You can make different layers of acrylic on the surface to create various textures and effects. Other tools ( such as different brush sizes and knives) can also be used to achieve different styles. A palette knife can help create the final textures. 

Phase 4: Blending

This stage of painting is crucial for giving the artwork a professional look. It's all about applying the correct technique. For example, consider the background; you need a green color at the top that transitions into blue all the way down the canvas. 

First, divide the canvas vertically into three sections. Paint the upper segment green and the lower segment blue. For the middle part, mix both colors slightly, making sure not to blend too much, keep it half-mixed, and then begin painting the middle part. Start by blending upward into the green area, using long horizontal strokes. Similarly, blend the lower part in the same manner.

A Pro Tip: To achieve perfect blending, use more of a green shade when blending into the green part and more of a blue shade when blending into the blue part. 

Phase 5: Painting An object

Each painting contains certain objects, such as ships, horses, geometric shapes, etc. Once the background is dry, use a light pencil to sketch your object. Next, with a small brush, begin painting the object. Once the base paint is applied, use different brushes to add various colors and shades to create a more realistic look.

Phase 6: The Drying 

Once the painting is complete and you're satisfied, it's time to let it cool and dry. Acrylics usually dry quickly, but 24 hours should be allowed for the painting to dry completely. During this period, it is strongly advised that you do not move or touch your artwork, as this might disturb the paint and result in a less-than-ideal final painting.

Phase 7: Finalization

Once the painting has dried properly, it is time to apply the final touches. The final step depends on what you want to do with the painting now. If you plan to sell it at a gallery or online, you can add varnish to create a protective layer over the painting. 

Another important element is adding a frame to the painting, which will make it look more appealing. If you want to store the painting, you can cover it with a gentle material that won't disturb the painting and its colors.

Some Great Tips And Tricks

Following are some tips you can use to create a better acrylic painting experience for yourself and a better final copy. 

• Take Time Out To Prepare Your Canvas And Brushes

Prepare your canvas with gesso (a chalk-like material that provides a better surface for painting), which will ready the surface to accept acrylic paints. Proper canvas preparation before painting results in a finer end quality. While some may think this process isn't important and you can paint without it, it can add a different quality to your work. It only takes five minutes, but it will benefit greatly in the big picture.

• Get High-Quality Acrylic Paints And Brushes

You must invest in high-quality equipment for your painting because cheap brushes and acrylics will always result in a poor final outcome, no matter how hard you try. The vibrancy of cheap acrylics is also very low. Your set of brushes and their quality are essential to creating a great painting.

• Practice Your Acrylics On A Scrap Canvas

Before starting the main painting, you must familiarize yourself with the paint brushes and the acrylics on a rough canvas. You can mix the colors and see what blends you get. 

For better practice, you can use all the elements from your actual painting, such as the same paint brushes, acrylics, and the canvas that will be used for your main painting. This way, you will gain experience before actually starting the painting.

• Use Thin Layers

Painting with acrylics is a process of layers. You should work carefully with the layers. To create a better final product, you can use thin layers and layer them on top of each other. A common method is to use lighter colors for the underlayers and darker colors on top. A good approach is to practice all of these techniques on an experimental basis before applying them to the main canvas.

Conclusion

If you haven't yet used acrylic paint, now is the time. Before using it for your main painting, try it out and familiarize yourself with it on an experimental basis. You can use it under different circumstances to see what results it offers.

FAQs

How is the first layer prepared on a canvas before painting?

The first layer should always be the gesso, followed by a tone layer. The tone layer is just a slight wash that gets your canvas further ready for acrylics after the gesso is applied.

How do I remove acrylic paint?

Acrylic paint becomes permanent when it dries. Some liquids can be used to remove dry and semi-dry acrylics. These include thinners, some alcohol variants, and ammonia solutions.

Which is better: oil or acrylic?

Both oils and acrylics have their advantages and disadvantages. Acrylics offer superior durability and adhesion, while oils provide greater flexibility in blending. Oils also retain moisture longer than acrylics.