Hammond - Acrylic painting basics for behinners

I have been writing art technique books for more than a decade. Some publications have dubbed me the Queen of Drawing. As flattering as that title is, I do more than just draw.

I love to paint, and the more I write about painting in acrylic, the more Ive come to love it. This medium is extremely versatile and user-friendly.

Painting with acrylic is all about painting in layers. Since acrylics dry rapidly, its easy to keep adding details or to cover up previous applications a little at a time. Youre never stuck when you work with acrylic paint; its a very forgiving medium.

Its also important to remember that every painting goes through what I call the awkward stage. The initial layers of a painting, applied when youre essentially creating a color map, will be sloppy, and the watered-down pigments will look weak. Dont become discouraged and stop too soon! By adding more layers and details with thicker paint, youll achieve the realistic look youre after.

The Awkward Stage

This example shows the typical stopping point for most beginning acrylic painters. The paint looks watercolor-like, the colors look weak and the canvas shows through. However, this painting looks unfinished because it is. This important awkward stage is merely a color map for the more detailed layers to come.

Dont Give Up

This painting looks much more professional. Thicker, undiluted paint and layered details create a realistic look. The canvas now is totally covered, and the colors are much more vibrant. Everything comes together in the final stages of the painting. The effort is definitely worth it!

Tiger Swallowtail on a Butterfly Bush

16" 12" (41cm 30cm)

You dont need a room full of supplies to begin painting with acrylics. I use a very small number of colors on my palette and only a few different brushes. Keeping it simple makes me feel more relaxed in my work area.

A tackle box is a great place to keep your painting supplies. Its easy to carry with you when you want to paint on location, and it acts as a storage unit when youre not painting. Have fun creating your own custom acrylic painting kit!

Paints, Tools and Supplies

A simple set of tools and a limited palette of colors are all you need to start painting in acrylics. A tackle box makes a great storage unit.

Acrylic paints are made of dry pigment in a liquid polymer binder, which is a form of acrylic plastic. Acrylics are water-based, so they require no paint thinners as oil paints do, though they can be diluted with water while painting.

Acrylic paint dries quickly to a waterproof finish. Because of its plastic, waterproof quality, it can be used on a variety of surfaces. Its a favorite for painting on windows, outdoor signs, walls and fabric. Its permanent, so items painted with it are washable.

Many varieties of acrylic paints are available. Your choice depends partly on the project youre planning to do. There are acrylics formulated for folk art, fine art, even for painting on fabric, walls or signs.

For the projects in this book, look for paints labeled high-viscosity or professional grade. Other kinds of acrylic paint will be too thin, with a pigment concentration too low for satisfactory results.

Student-grade paints and those in squeeze bottles generally have a lower concentration of pigment. The pigment is still high quality; there is just a little less of it. Many student grades are so good that professionals use them as well. They are very fluid, easy to work with and easy to mix.

Professional-grade paints have a higher concentration of pigment. They are usually a bit thicker than student-grade paints, and their colors may seem more deep and vivid. Professional grades are found in tubes or jars.

You will find paints in tubes, jars and squeeze bottles. I prefer using paint from a jar rather than from a tube or bottle. Acrylic paint dries quickly, so if I have some uncontaminated color left over on my palette, I return it to the jar to avoid wasting it. This is not possible with paint from a tube or bottle. I also like jars because I can mix my own custom colors for a particular painting and store them in separate jars. This is helpful if you are working on a large project and need to keep your colors consistent as you work.

I like a palette of nine colors: Ivory Black, Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Red Light, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Alizarin Crimson, Prussian Blue, Dioxazine Purple and Titanium White.

Tubes, Jars or Bottles?

Acrylic paints come in tubes, jars and squeeze bottles. I prefer to use the jars so I can reuse leftover paint. I can also mix special colors for specific projects and place those colors in empty jars.

As we just discussed, each form of paintjar, tube or squeeze bottlehas different characteristics. Once youve selected the paint you prefer, you will find that individual colors have their own properties as well.

Opacity: Some colors will cover better than others, appearing more opaque, while some will be more transparent. With time and practice, youll get to know your paints. Play and experiment first by creating some color swatches like the ones on this page. This will give you a better understanding of how each color on your palette behaves.

The swatches on this page show how some colors are opaque and completely cover the canvas, while others are more transparent and seem streaky.

Permanence: Certain colors are more prone to fading over time than others. Most brands will have a permanency rating on the package to let you know what to expect. A color with an Excellent rating is a durable color that will hold its original color for a long time. A color rated as Good or Moderate will have some fading, but not a huge difference over time. A color rated as Fugitive will tend to fade significantly. You can see this most often with yellows and certain reds. Try to avoid fugitive colors, but regardless of a colors permanence rating, never hang a painting in direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays in sunlight are the primary cause of fading.