Have Fun & Learn How to Start Acrylic Painting

You need very little to start acrylic painting.

1. A space to paint, a table or easel.
2. Somewhere to store your equipment.
3. A selection of brushes suitable for acrylic painting.
4. Acrylic paints of your choice.
5. Something to paint on, ie canvas, paper, Acrylic paper etc.
6. Pots for water. any old waterproof pot will do.
7. Something to mix your paints on. An old plate etc or
8. Invest in a proper Acrylic wet board. Acrylics dry fast so this helps prolong their use especially in hot conditions.

Paints come in many different sizes, colors and qualities. Which one you decide on depends on your personal needs, preferences and budget. If you pay more you do usually get a better quality paint.

Things to consider when you buy Acrylic paint.

1. Price
2. Usability
3. Quality of paint
4. Length of use of paint
5. Color trustfulness
6. What colors you need
7. How many colors you need

Like any paint you get what you pay for. It is best if your budget can stretch to get better quality 'Artist' quality paints. There are several reasons for this.

1. The quality is better.
2. The consistency is better.
3. The affects you create are better.
4. The length of time the paint stays 'wet' is longer.

And most importantly your painting experience will be a hundred times more enjoyable.One of the challenges with Acrylics in particular is the length of time you can use them before they dry out (hence the recommendation in the pallet section).

The cheaper paints dry out really quickly and they just don't have the velvety soft feel when you are using them. You can get things to mix in to keep them wet longer and you can get pallets to do the same. However my recombination is to get a better quality paint to start with, one that will help rather than hinder your painting experience.

Just get a smaller set or only a few individual tubes to start with and build up. If you can and you know someone who paints try out their paints before you buy.

The colors you need will depend on the following:

1. What you are going to paint.
2. How much or little you want to mix
3. How good you are at mixing (this can be taught)
4. Available colors in your chosen paint brand

For beginners you can choose to get a basic range of acrylic paints or you can pick the paints chosen for your by your course tutor or your book or online course recommendations.

As a very basic rule you will need the minimum of the following paints:

1. Warm Red
2. Cold Red
3. Warm Yellow
4. Cold Yellow
5. Warm Blue
6. Cold blue
7. Titanium White
8. Burnt Umber

Each painting medium is different and you need different types of pallets for each one. Sometimes you can cross over and use a different type of pallet. However to start with it is best to stick with the right equipment. This is especially so for acrylics which don't stay usable for long (see the section on Acrylic paints for more)

Make sure you take your paint selection into consideration when choosing a pallet. The stay wet ones will prolong your use of color mixing and painting time before they become unusable.

It is possible to make a makeshift one with a plate, water and some grease-proof paper, but if you can get the real thing.

Knowing how to choose your Acrylic Painting Brushes is something that will come in time. As you gain experience you will know which brushes suit you and your style of painting. It is different for every artist. Some artists prefer and find using cheap brushes fine. Others prefer the expensive ones. Some artists only have a few trusted old ones while others have lots. Some swear by natural bushes while others like the synthetic ones. The shapes of the brushes will vary according to what you are painting and your own preferences and painting sizes. Whether you use stiff or soft brushes will depend on how you use your watercolor paint. (Watercolor can have the abilities of both oil if mixed thickly and watercolor if watered down). Only through use will you gain enough knowledge and experience to know what brushes suit you specifically.

My own view on this is to get a range of brushes both natural and synthetic in a range of shapes. You don't have to get everything at once so just start off with a few items.

To start with just pick a few brushes specifically made for acrylic painting. Brushes like paints vary greatly. You will find that cheap ones don't last and the hairs will probably fall out! Start out with a mid range priced brush selection to start with.

You will want to have ones known as a filbert brush to start as this can be used for both flat and pointed work. Also a round one and a completely flat one. Each in a couple of different sizes.

With thanks to:

PRIMARY COLORS (picture of 3 Paint tubes)
© Kasia Biel | Dreamstime.com

© Photographer: Kasia75 | Agency: Dreamstime.com

THREE BRUSHES
© Kasia Biel | Dreamstime.com

Lens photo THE RIVER
© Anna Dobos | Dreamstime.com

ARTISTS PAINTS (tubes of paint in acrylic painting colors section)
© Christopher Hall | Dreamstime.com


© Photographer: Christopherhall | Agency: Dreamstime.com