How to Paint on Canvas With Acrylic
Acrylic paint provides the artist with a versatile medium for painting canvas. Acrylic paints can watered down to a transparent, watercolor-like state, or the colors can be layered on thickly to mimic oil paints. Unlike watercolor paint, acrylic paint is forgiving. Acrylics, unlike oil paint, are flexible and can be manipulated on canvas for acrylic paintings or mixed media works.
Things You'll Need
- Primed canvas
- Large cup of water
- Spray bottle with water
- Palette
- Acrylic retarder
- Acrylic flow release
- Acrylic paint tubes
- Palette knife
- Acrylic paint brushes: Filbert, round, flat
Instructions
-
-
1
Find a subject to paint. It may be useful to sketch out thumbnail drawings of the subject first. Acrylic painting subjects can come from outside, still life, photographs or models or be abstract.
-
2
Squeeze acrylic paint colors onto the paint palette. Use colors that match the subject to create a realistic painting. Abstract artists have free reign over their color choices. Over time acrylic artists may build their own specialized palette of signature colors.
-
-
3
Dip a brush into the paint and move it around to check its consistency. Each acrylic paint pigment and brand have their own viscosity level. Playing with the paint is one way to see how easily the paint moves and glides. Add acrylic flow release to help thick paint move more easily on the canvas.
-
4
Create an underpainting with shades of gray to guide the later layers of light and shadows. A complementary hue can be used as the underpainting when the primary palette for the painting has been planned. An underpainting in yellows, for example, would complement a painting with purples.
-
5
Paint on the canvas with the full-bodied acrylic paints to produce a thick texture. Use a palette knife to make thick strokes of paint or to scratch into the paint.
-
6
Experiment with different acrylic mediums including gloss, matte or gel to create different effects on canvas. Use the flow and retarder mediums one drop at a time or you will dilute the paint.
-
7
Experiment with acrylic mediums such as black lava rock, sand and sculpting foam on the canvas.
-
8
Use masking tape to tape off sections of color or to create geometric shapes on the canvas.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Mix paint colors on the palette, not the canvas, since acrylic paints dry fairly quickly. Spritz the paint in the palette with water to keep it from drying out as you paint.
Wash brushes thoroughly when done painting. Do not underestimate how important acrylic mediums can be when trying to achieve specific effects on canvas.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Johnnyberg/Sxc.hu
