Acrylic Painting Tips

Here are some good Acrylic Painting Tips:


1. Don't use retarders at all, as they change the chemical binding of the paint and sometimes never dry properly.

2. If working En Plein Air, on location, set up in the shade or use an umbrella, and keep a very small (cosmetic size) mister bottle of water handy. You want a fine mist. Mist your palette regularly so the paints don't dry out. I have used the same palette for two consecutive paintings without any problem with the paint drying out.  I use a mister in the studio as well.

3. Put out a nickel-size blob or more, and mix colors on the painting as you go. Premixing can dry out the paint. If you need to premix, add a little water to the mix, and scrape the mixed color into a pile, don't leave it spread out. I use Liquitex heavy body paints as they seem to hold their consistency longer and have true vibrant colors.

4. Rinse your brush often or add a little water to the brush, dabbing it on a rag so as not to flood the paint. Use as large of a brush as possible for the entire painting. My small brushes come out at the very end.

5. While on location, I keep a plastic jar of water half full to rest my brushes in after I have used them, so the paint won't dry on them. Water does not have to be kept clean, the paint settles to the bottom of the jar, so it doesn't hurt to keep using the same water. (I like to bring an extra jar to pour dirty water in at the end, don't pour it out at the site.) I do start a new painting with clean water, however, for pure clean skies. When in the studio, I keep a shallow water container next to a larger one. After cleaning my brushes out in the larger container, I rest my small brushes in the shallow container with a little water in it, so the bristles do not get bent standing on their heads.

6. Work quickly. Don't fuss with detail, save them for last. I lay everything in very thin and wet to get started. Then I can make adjustments easily. I like to work one section at a time. Example: get the whole sky in, then get the middle distance, etc . . . I work small when on location, so it goes very quickly.



7. Try different palettes. I like the styrofoam meat trays, they have a lower edge than the fruit trays and can be easily painted white. Let the white paint dry before using, and you have a nice lightweight palette! Use an extra one as a cover. I also like an inverted Rubbermaid oblong container. The lid can be used as a palette, and the container can be used to seal up the paint. ( At home I use a very large Rubbermaid oblong container and set my meat tray palette inside of it, mist it with water, and seal it up until tomorrow!)

8.  To make major corrections, use white to block out a section and let it dry before adding the correct color.  This is especially true if changing a dark color.  Each layer affects the next, so if you want a brighter or lighter color it is best to paint it white first and then add the color you want.  (I often paint from light to dark because it is easier to cover a light color with dark colors.)


The best part about using acrylics is that if it is not going well you can work on a different section of the painting and let the previous one dry. Then come back and change what you don't like. You can paint over mistakes as many times as you need to with acrylics. But if you are doing it En Plein Air, try not to change it too much, or you will lose the effect of capturing the moment.


The next best part is that my paintings are dry before I load them in the car, and they do not get smudged or smeared during transport.