Synthetic brushes are a better choice because they are softer than more natural brushes, making it easier to use them with acrylics. A charcoal pencil is also helpful for sketching on the canvas.
Pick out just what you want to use each day, including your paints and brushes. [3] X Research source If you don’t want to buy polyethylene, use trash bags or newspapers.
Remember ROYGBIV, or red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Don’t forget to add white and black, too. Mix colors in the center of the palette using a palette knife. Try adding a gray waxed blending sheet in the middle for a neutral background. [5] X Research source For a cheaper option, paint a piece of wood grey. When you need to leave the paints, mist both the paints and the inside of a plastic container with water. Cover the paints using the upside-down container, and place something heavy on top to seal it.
Charcoal is a good choice because it will dissolve into the paint.
For instance, move a little red over to the middle of the triangle side, and move a little blue to the same spot. Mix them together to make purple. Yellow and red make orange, while blue and yellow make green. Experiment to find the colors you like. For instance, you might want to mix a lot of blue with a little yellow for a bluish green. You can use a brush or a palette knife to mix paints.
To change colors, rinse out your brush in a cup of water. Dab off the water, so you don’t end up with watery paint running down your canvas. Lightly dry the brush between colors. [8] X Research source
A bigger brush can help you cover more of the canvas and incorporate brushstrokes into your painting. You can also use a bigger brush to make the large shapes of what you’re painting, which gives the painting fluidity. [10] X Research source For instance, if you’re painting a flower on a background, fill in the background with a large brush. Paint the petals and any other big section of color with a medium to large paintbrush.
Change the angle of the tip as you’re painting a stroke to move from a wide line to a fine line or vice versa.
These brushes come in all sizes from very small to large. If you’re painting a flower, go in with a smaller brush to add things like the flower’s center, veins on the leaves, the stem of the flower, and shading details on the petal.
You can slow down the drying process by placing a wet paper towel over your palette or paper plate. Then pour and mix the paint on the paper towel. Gel medium can also extend the life of your paint. Just add a little bit to the paint as you’re mixing the colors.
You can also use this technique to water down the paint, making it more like watercolors. However, try not to use more than 1 part water to 2 parts paint. Thinning it out too much can cause the paint to separate. [16] X Research source
The key to this stroke is to not get too much paint on your brush.
For this technique, thin your paint with 1 part water to 2 parts paint.
Keep in mind that acrylic paint is permanent on many surfaces once it dries so only use items you’re willing to throw away afterwards.
