There are several different mediums for painters to work in and choosing one is usually based on the effect the artist wants to achieve. Acrylic painting however, is sometimes feared by novice artists because it is very fast drying and one needs to work quickly. It does have many positive aspects, one of which is to train the painter to produce work speedily. Also, different results can be achieved according to the application technique.
Acrylic painting is one of the newest forms of art painting mediums and has only been available since the 1950’s. They soon became popular, particularly with Mexican artists who used them for murals. The closest form of acrylic paint that you will have come across is the type of paint used to paint the walls of your house using emulsion paint. For the beginner or seasoned artist, acrylic painting techniques offer an extremely versatile method of painting.
This sort of paint can be used straight from the tube or it can be thinned with water and used like watercolour. It can be thinned with other medium too, to look like an oil painting. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between an oil and acrylic painting. It can also look like the picture has been painted with oils and show the distinctive properties of that paint. All these decisions are up to the artist!
The paint is designed to suit any surface and is water resistant when dry, at which time; it is extremely difficult and usually impossible to remove. The finish can be high gloss or matte and has never been known to crack or yellow. This endears acrylic painting to gallery owners because it’s hoped that these types of pictures will escape the aging difficulties that beset oil paintings. Of course, only time will tell.
How to use acrylic paint
If using directly from the tube, the advice is to squeeze a little at a time because it dries so fast. If the artist wants a glaze, this is best done by applying thin layers. Paint brushes should be blotted and speed is of the essence if mixing colours. Masking tape can be used with acrylic painting for hard edges. Sometimes, collage artists use acrylics as glue. Some surrealist artists specialized in a technique called grattage, which involve using acrylics and then scraping the paint off the canvas.
There are several manufacturers of the paint and the tubes are sold in student range and professional range. Winsor & Newton and Daler-Rowney are the most popular brands in the UK and America’s favourite is Golden Artist Colours. There are instruction books and videos on the techniques of acrylic painting but the best way to proceed is to practice and learn from one’s mistakes! When mastered, this form of painting is very satisfying.
Acrylic paint is a water-based medium and has very similar texture and consistency to that of oil paint. However, unlike oil paint, acrylic paint can come in a wide variety of viscosity. The density can range from a very thin, ink-like consistency able to be used in airbrushes through various degrees of ‘flow’ to the consistency of soft cream cheese.
The flexibility of acrylic paint means you can achieve very heavy 3D (impasto, or paste) effects with your paintings. You can also choose between mixing the paints with additives in order to create a solid color throughout the impasto, or simply letting the impasto dry, and then painting over it.
There are various additives available that you can add to the paint to create all sorts of textures. Or you can use your own, such as plaster or sand, for a further variety of textured effects. Some artists actually use thinned down acrylic in a pure ‘watercolor’ style.
Basically acrylics, although similar in style and finish to oils paints, have subtely different qualities and one of the biggest benefits is the speed of drying.
You can learn more about acrylic painting techniques here.
