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10 Acrylic Painting Tips for Beginners

Practical painting tips for anyone starting to use

acrylics.

Acrylics are extremely versatile, fast-drying paints, and can be used straight from the

tube like oils or thinned with water or a medium and used like watercolours. And a lot

in-between. Here are a few tips to help you get started painting with acrylics.

Acrylic Painting Tip 1: Keeping Acrylic Paints Workable Because acrylics dry so fast, squeeze only a little paint out of a tube. If you're using a

'normal' plastic palette invest in a spray bottle so you can spray a fine mist over the

paint regularly to keep it moist. 'Stay-wet' palettes – where the paint sits on a sheet of

wax paper place on top of a damp piece of watercolour paper – eliminate the need to do

this, but generally don't have a hole for your thumb so are more awkward to hold in

your hand.

Acrylic Painting Tip 2: Blot your Brushes Keep a piece of paper towel or cloth next to your water jar and get into the habit of

wiping your brushes on it after you rise them. This prevents water drops running down

the ferrule and onto your painting, making blotches.

Acrylic Painting Tip 3: Opaque or Transparent If applied thickly – either straight from the tube or with very little water added – or if

mixed with a little white, all acrylic colours can be opaque. If diluted, they can be used

like watercolours or for airbrushing.

Acrylic Painting Tip 4: Acrylic vs Watercolour Washes When an acrylic wash dries, it's permanent and, unlike a watercolour wash, is insoluble

and can be over-painted without fear of disturbing the existing wash. The colours of

subsequent washes mix optically with the earlier ones. A watercolour glaze can be lifted

out using water and a cloth.

Acrylic Painting Tip 5: Think Thin When Thinking Glazes If you want transparent glazes, these should be built up in thin layers; a heavy layer will

produce a glossy surface.

Acrylic Painting Tip 6: Improve Flow Without Losing Colour To increase the flow of a colour with minimal loss of colour strength, use flow-

improver medium rather than just water.

Acrylic Painting Tip 7: Blending Acrylic Paints Because acrylics dry rapidly, you need to work fast if you wish to blend colours. If

you're working on paper, dampening the paper will increase your working time.

Acrylic Painting Tip 8: Hard Edges Masking tape can be put onto and removed from dried acrylic paint without damaging

an existing layer. This makes it easy to produce a hard or sharp edge. Make sure the

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edges of the tape are stuck down firmly and don't paint too thickly on the edges,

otherwise you won't get a clean line when you lift it.

Acrylic Painting Tip 9: Washing-up Liquid with Masking Fluid Masking fluid can be used with acrylics washes, as well as watercolours. Once masking

fluid has dried in a brush, it's nearly impossible to remove. Dipping a brush into some

washing-up liquid first makes it easier to wash masking fluid out of a brush.

Acrylic Painting Tip 10: Using Acrylic Paint as a Glue for Collage Provided it's used fairly thickly and the item to be stuck isn't too heavy, acrylic paint

will work as a glue in a ylics are extremely versatile, fast-drying paints, and can be used

straight from the tube like oils or thinned with water or a medium and used like

watercolours. And a lot in-between. Here are a few tips to help you get started painting

with acrylics.

Acrylic Painting Tip 1: Keeping Acrylic Paints Workable Because acrylics dry so fast, squeeze only a little paint out of a tube. If you're using a

'normal' plastic palette invest in a spray bottle so you can spray a fine mist over the

paint regularly to keep it moist. 'Stay-wet' palettes – where the paint sits on a sheet of

wax paper place on top of a damp piece of watercolour paper – eliminate the need to do

this, but generally don't have a hole for your thumb so are more awkward to hold in

your hand.

Acrylic Painting Tip 2: Blot your Brushes Keep a piece of paper towel or cloth next to your water jar and get into the habit of

wiping your brushes on it after you rise them. This prevents water drops running down

the ferrule and onto your painting, making blotches.

Acrylic Painting Tip 3: Opaque or Transparent If applied thickly – either straight from the tube or with very little water added – or if

mixed with a little white, all acrylic colours can be opaque. If diluted, they can be used

like watercolours or for airbrushing.

Acrylic Painting Tip 4: Acrylic vs Watercolour Washes When an acrylic wash dries, it's permanent and, unlike a watercolour wash, is insoluble

and can be over-painted without fear of disturbing the existing wash. The colours of

subsequent washes mix optically with the earlier ones. A watercolour glaze can be lifted

out using water and a cloth.

Acrylic Painting Tip 5: Think Thin When Thinking Glazes If you want transparent glazes, these should be built up in thin layers; a heavy layer will

produce a glossy surface.

Acrylic Painting Tip 6: Improve Flow Without Losing Colour To increase the flow of a colour with minimal loss of colour strength, use flow-

improver medium rather than just water.

Acrylic Painting Tip 7: Blending Acrylic Paints Because acrylics dry rapidly, you need to work fast if you wish to blend colours. If

you're working on paper, dampening the paper will increase your working time.

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Acrylic Painting Tip 8: Hard Edges Masking tape can be put onto and removed from dried acrylic paint without damaging

an existing layer. This makes it easy to produce a hard or sharp edge. Make sure the

edges of the tape are stuck down firmly and don't paint too thickly on the edges,

otherwise you won't get a clean line when you lift it.

Acrylic Painting Tip 9: Washing-up Liquid with Masking Fluid Masking fluid can be used with acrylics washes, as well as watercolours. Once masking

fluid has dried in a brush, it's nearly impossible to remove. Dipping a brush into some

washing-up liquid first makes it easier to wash masking fluid out of a brush.

Acrylic Painting Tip 10: Using Acrylic Paint as a Glue for Collage Provided it's used fairly thickly and the item to be stuck isn't too heavy, acrylic paint

will work as a glue in a collage.

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Acrylic Painting: Getting Started

Acrylics are water-based paints, which means they can be mixed with water to thin

them down and you clean your brushes with water. They‟re made from pigment mixed

with acrylic resin and emulsion. Acrylics are very fast drying and can be use in thin,

watery glazes or impasto.

How do I know acrylic paints are the right choice for me? Only you can decide what‟s right for you and for your lifestyle. For me the attractions

are how quickly acrylics dry and that I don‟t have to use any solvents, just water.

For a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of acrylics as opposed to

oils, watercolors, and pastels, see Q&A: How to Decide What Paint to Use.

For opinions from artists who‟ve decided to use acrylic paints rather than oil,

read Should I Use Acrylics or Oil Paint?

What brand of acrylic paint should I buy? Any of the major brands will do. Many make acrylic paints in a fluid or liquid version

as well as with a paste- or butter-like consistency. Artists will have their own preferred

brand based on things such as the colors available and the consistency of the paint. You

should be able to check the of lightfastness of the pigment on the tube by, for example

an ASTM rating (American Society for Testing and Materials).

My favorite brand of acrylic paint is Golden, because of their magnificent colors,

followed by Liquitex because the consistency is great to use with a palette knife and

they come in plastic tubes which are incredibly robust. But I‟ve a lot of Winsor &

Newton because they‟re what my local art store stocks. When I travel I look out for

unusual or useful colors (such as Golden‟s range of neutral greys) or bargain buys.

Some people insist that you shouldn‟t mix brands of acrylics, but the research I‟ve done

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on the issue hasn‟t raised any problems with doing so.

(See also: Which Brand of Acrylic Paint is Best?.)

What colors should I get? For a list of recommended acrylic colors, see Basic color Palette for Acrylics.

Should the acrylic paints I buy be artist’s quality or will student’s quality do? Student colors are cheaper for a reason -- they‟ve more filler in them. Rather buy a few

quality colors than a whole range of cheap colors. Yes, you may be less inhibited about

experimenting if you‟re using cheaper student colors, but you can‟t beat the vibrancy

from quality artist‟s paints. Tip: Look for paints labeled „hue‟ or „imitation‟, for

example „cadmium yellow hue‟. These are made from cheaper modern pigments rather

than the more expensive traditional pigments and are very similar in color to the

genuine thing.

How many brushes do I need for painting with acrylics? You‟ll need stiff-bristled brushes for thick acrylic paint and soft-bristled brushes for

watercolor effects. You‟ll be faced with an array of sizes and shapes (round, flat,

pointed), and you also get different length handles. If you‟re on a tight budget, start with

a small and a medium-sized filbert (a flat, pointed brush). I love filberts because if you

use just the tip you get a narrow brush mark, and if you push down you get a broad one.

Tip: When buying very wide brushes, save money by buying a good-quality household

decorating ones. Look for brushes that aren‟t too thick, or cut off half the hairs.

Modern synthetic brushes can be of excellent quality, so don‟t restrict your selection to

only those brushes made from natural hairs such as sable. Look for brushes where the

hairs quickly spring back up when you bend them. With brushes, you tend to get what

you pay for, so the cheaper it is the more likely the hairs are to fall out. Be meticulous

about cleaning your brushes as if acrylic paint dries in a brush, it can be extremely

difficult to get it out.

What support should I use for acrylics? Suitable supports for acrylics include canvas, canvas boards, wood panels, and paper.

Basically anything to which acrylic paint will stick (do a test if you‟re not sure). If

you‟re buying a pre-made canvas or board, check that it‟s been primed with something

suitable for acrylics (most are.)

What kind of palette should I use for acrylic paints? Wooden, glass, or plastic palettes can be used for acrylics, but it can be tiresome getting

all the dried paint off. Disposable palettes -- pads of paper where you tear off the top

sheet and throw it away -- solve this problem. If you find the paint dries out too fast, try

a palette designed to keep the paint wet - the paint sits on a sheet of wax paper place on

top of a damp piece of watercolour paper. (Instructions on how to make your own

moisture-retaining palette.)

Can I mix acrylics with anything besides water? What about mediums? Mediums are added to acrylics to change the paint's consistency (make it thicker so it

shows brush marks or thinner for washes) and finish (matt or gloss), to slow drying

(retarders), to add texture, and avoid overthinning. If you overthin acrylics by adding

too much water, there will be insufficient binder to hold the pigment together and you

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end up with uneven paint. Trial and error will show you exactly how much water is too

much; it's quite a bit.

What should I wear when painting with acrylics? Because acrylics don't wash out easily once they're dry, it's advisable to wear old

clothes, an apron, or overall when painting. No matter how careful you are, at some

stage you will get paint on your clothes! Some artists simply wipe their brushes on their

clothes, instead of a cloth. Don't forget to wear old shoes too! I sometimes paint

barefoot, but if I‟m painting standing up (which I do unless I‟m really tired) by the end

of the day my feet will be letting me know that they would‟ve preferred some

cushioning under them.

What else do I need to start painting with acrylics?

Clean water -- one jar for washing your brushes and the other for mixing water.

A cloth or paper towels to wipe your brushes and hands on.

One of the very first decisions you must make when you start painting is what sort of

paint to use. This Q&A will help you decide between the most commonly used paints:

oils, acrylics, watercolors, and pastels. Or take the quiz: Painting Personality Quiz:

What Paint Should You Use?

Are these the only types of paint available? No, acrylics, oils, and watercolors are the mostly widely used. Pastels and watercolor

pencils are popular cross-over drawing/painting mediums; painterly effects can be

achieved with them while retaining the immediacy of drawing. Other painting media are

gouache, tempera, and encaustic. Special paints are used for painting on silk or fabric,

which are heat set (usually with an iron) to stop them washing out.

What are the advantages of each?

Acrylics: Dries very fast. Mixed with water or mediums/gels. Brushes cleaned

with water. Once dried, can be overpainted without disturbing underlying layers.

Can be used thickly (impasto), like oils, or in thin washes, like watercolor.

Water-resistant, so good for murals. Works as a glue, so good for collages.

Oils: Dries slowly, allowing plenty of time to work and to blend colors. Once

dried, can be overpainted without disturbing underlying layers. Rich, deep colors

which maintain their intensity when dry. Can be used thickly or in thin, smooth

glazes. Then there's the status factor, oils being what the Old Masters used.

(Take the quiz: Acrylics or Oils? to help you decide.)

Watercolors: Mixed with water and brushes cleaned with water. Paint can be

lifted off by rewetting. If paint squeezed from a tube has dried, it becomes

reusable if you add water. This is, afterall, the state pans or blocks of watercolor

come in (see How To Choose Between Pan and Tube Watercolors).

Pastels: There's no waiting for pastels to dry. Colors are mixed on the paper, not

on a palette, by overlaying or blending them (see Basic Techniques for Pastels).

A wide range of colors are available. No brushes to clean. Easy to use outside

the studio. Oil-based pastels can be thinned and blended with turpentine, or

scrapped off to reveal colors underneath, known as sgraffito.

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What are the disadvantages of each?

Acrylics: Dries very fast, though working time can be increased by adding

retarding medium to paint or spraying water on a painting. Completely

waterproof once dried, so cannot be removed by rewetting the paint. Difficult to

remove from a brush if it's dried in it. Except when used in thin washes, colors

dry a bit darker than when applied.

Oils: Mixed with solvents and oils, so need to work in a well-ventilated area.

Slow-drying, so consider working on several paintings at once. Have to wait

several months to ensure a painting is dry before it can be varnished. Brushes

need to be cleaned with white spirit or similar solvent. Water-based oils are

produced by several paint manufacturers.

Watercolors: Being quite transparent, it's hard to rectify or hide mistakes in a

watercolor painting. Need to allow for colours being lighter once they've dried

than how they appeared when you painted. There is no white paint in

watercolor; the white comes from the paper you're painting on.

Pastels: Usually requires a greater range of colours to create a picture than for

other media. Different brands and pigments vary in softness. Soft pastel works

tend to be liable to smudging and the pastel coming off the support. This can be

prevented by using a spray-on fixative, taping a piece of tracing paper over it, or

framing it with a mount that keeps it away from the glass.

What other things should I consider when deciding what paint to use?

Cost: Watercolors are the cheapest to set yourself up with; all you need buy is a

set of basic colors, a brush or two of different sizes, some paper, plus a board

and brown gummed tape if you intend to stretch the paper.

Poison hazards: If you've small children, you may not want to have the solvents

used in oil painting lying around. Some people are also allergic to the solvents –

low-odour versions are available, as are water-based oil paints. Soft pastels can

product a lot of dust; be careful to minimise the amount you inhale. For

example, don't blow on your work to remove loose pastel. Poisonous pigments,

such as Cadmium red, are usually available as a non-toxic hue (not that any

paint is made to be eaten!).

Before You Buy: Take a look at these tips on buying acrylic, oil, watercolor,

and pastel painting supplies.

How can I be sure I've chosen the right paint? You can't, not until you've tried it out. You'll soon discover whether you enjoy working

with it and the results, or not. If you like different things about different paints, you

could mix them – then you'll be working in what's called mixed media. If there's an art

college near you, see if they offer an introductory course on a particular medium. You

get to try the paint among other novices and will learn basic skills. It may also provide

you with a contact for cheaper art materials.

Acrylic Painting Problem Solver

Question: How Do I Apply Modeling Paste to Create Texture?

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"Could you please tell me the correct way of applying modeling paste to create texture,

for instance tree bark or water? Should it be applied in thin layers then dried, then

more added, or do you build up texture all at once?" -- Angie

Answer:

How you apply modeling paste to create texture in a painting depends on what type of

paste it is, how thick you wish it to be, and what support you're painting on.

Using a rigid support (such as wood or board) rather than a flexible one (such as canvas

or paper) means the painting won't flex or bend. This reduces the risk of dried modeling

paste cracking. How flexible or stiff a modeling paste is when it's dry depends on what

type it is and how thickly you use it.

Question: Will Acrylic Paints be Harmed by Freezing Temperatures?

"How are acrylic paints affected by cold and possible freezing? We're moving to a

village where the temperatures are sub-zero eight months of the year. During the move

our stuff will be subjected to the elements for many hours. I'm also sure that freezing

power outages will be a factor at some stage during our time there.

"Will acrylic paints thaw out and be fine, or will it be altered beyond usability? An oil

painter told me oils are not much affected by being frozen; she stored hers in a garage

one winter and they froze but she had no problems with them afterward. I don't know if

acrylics would fare the same." -- BB

Answer:

The information about oil paints not being negatively impacted by freezing is right, but

then they don't contain resins like acrylic paints do (or mix with water). Unfortunately

acrylic paints don't like extreme cold, and you may have to consider switching to oils

when you move (traditional oils, not water-based) or some other medium.

In one of its Just Paint magazines, the acrylic paint manufacturer Golden says acrylic

artists paints (and acrylic house paints) should not be used if the "temperature is below

about 5°C (about 40°F) or when the temperature is expected to fall below this level for

4 to 8 hours after the paint was applied. The reason is that strong, coherent films cannot

form at low temperatures, and even if the film later becomes warm, it will never

recover. ... To be on the safe side, [acrylics] should be used only at temperatures above

10°C (about 50°F), and the painting should be kept above this temperature for several

days after it has dried. Acrylics painted and dried under cold conditions may look OK,

but the films will be less durable and more vulnerable to cracking. Oils, on the other

hand can be used at freezing temperatures or below."

uestion: How Fast Does Acrylic Paint Dry Once It's Out of the Tube?

"As a newbie just beginning to dabble in painting, I am curious about the average

drying time for acrylic paint. I realize the time will vary depending on moisture content,

but I would like an idea before spending a lot of money on paint that will dry before I

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can use it. Once it is out of the tube, are we talking minutes, seconds, or hours before it

becomes unusable?" -- Ron

Answer:

It's minutes before acrylic paint is dry after you've squeezed it out, especially if the paint

is thin and the weather hot. However, paint in a tube with the cap on stays usable for

years (just don't leave the tube lying in the sun or next to a heater).

So if you want to squeeze acrylic colors onto a palette to have available as you work, a

moisture-retaining palette is essential. You can make one using a piece of watercolor

paper or thin sponge with a piece of baking parchment on top, or buy one. Provided you

ensure the watercolor paper stays damp, the paint will stay workable (except where it's

very thin). An airtight lid or piece of plastic wrap over the top will keep it workable

overnight or when you stop for a break.

Other options are to mix your colors on the canvas as you work, or working straight

from tube without a palette at all. These approaches can be harder for a newbie as you

make "mistakes" on your actual painting and need to be very willing to rework sections

or paint them out to start again. But I like doing it because it feels like I'm not wasting

paint on a palette.

You can buy retarder medium, or there are brands of acrylic designed to give a longer

working time. M. Graham gives a working time of about an hour, while Interactive can

be reworked for a while longer than most with a spray of water or their unlocking

medium. In July 2008 Golden released Open Acrylics which has an extended working

time, more like oil paint (read review). Brands of acrylic can be mixed, so you should

consider trying a few. (See also: How to Assess a New Paint Brand)

It also depends what you're painting on. If it's a very absorbent surface (e.g. unused

sheet of watercolor paper), the paint will dry faster than on a less absorbent surface (e.g.

onto a layer of dry acrylic paint). You can increase the working time by dampening the

surface before you start to paint, and by misting water over it as you work. Obviously

you don't want to overdo it as then your paint will dilute and run down in streaks.

Question: What Can I Add to Acrylic Paint to Thicken It Up?

My problem is that my acrylic paint is too runny. Is there some everyday, household

product that can be used to thicken the paint? My husband suggested corn starch. What

do you think? -- Judy S.

Answer:

While corn starch or flour may well thicken it up, I'd be hesitant to add it to paint

because it's likely to affect the longevity of the painting. Also, when you mix it with

water it makes a hideous, slimy paste that I can't see would be pleasant to work with. I'd

personally opt to spend a little money on a texture gel or modeling paste that's made

with the same resins etc. that acrylic paints are, and then you wouldn't have to worry

about it.

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Check on the label to see whether the gel or paste will dry clear or opaque, matt or

gloss, and whether it will influence the color of the paint if you mix it in. Some pastes

look white, but dry clear; others have fillers in them that influence the intensity of the

paint color.

Texture gels or pastes are water based, so it's easy to clean up your brushes or painting

knives after using it. You can either mix the texture gel with your paint, or use it to

build up texture first and then paint over it. Some you can even carve back into.

Various acrylic-paint manufactures produce such pastes, with a price tag related to the

brand. Something such as Winsor and Newton's modeling paste in their cheaper Galeria

acrylic range for starters.

Question: How Much Water and/or Medium Can I Add to Acrylic Paint?

"Are there any guidelines regarding what ratio of acrylic paint from the tube to medium

I should use?" -- Diane

Answer:

When it comes to thinning acrylics, the only 'rule' is to not mix acrylic paint with more

than 50 per cent water. Any more than this and it may loose its adhesive qualities and

peel off at some stage. You can mix in as much acrylic medium (glazing, texture paste,

etc) as you like because it's got the acrylic resin in it that acts as the 'glue' that makes the

paint 'stick'. (Golden describe their mediums as 'colorless paint'! )

If you're new to glazing, I recommend taking a small container and mixing some paint

with 50 percent water (judge it by volume), then mixing the two together thoroughly, to

get a feel for just how much water this is.

Acrylic paint mediums range from thin glazing mediums to thick impasto mediums,

with all sorts in between. The variety of acrylic paint mediums you can buy can seem

overwhelming, but they can be grouped together by type and use. This creates a more

manageable number to deal with and explore.

Why would you use a medium with your acrylics at all? To extend what you can do

with your paint, to change its properties and try new techniques. Browse through this

list to get an idea of the possibilities.

Acrylic Mediums for Thinning Paint (Glazing or Fluid Mediums)

Image © Marion Boddy-Evans

Acrylic paints are made to be thinned with water, but if you add too much water you run

the risk that there's not enough binder in the paint for it to stick properly to the canvas or

paper. Acrylic mediums intended for thinning paint basically consist of the binder used

in acrylic paint ("colorless paint") and so ensure the paint will stick.

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Some glazing mediums seem milky white but dry clear without changing the color. If in

doubt, do a test before using it on a painting.

GLAZE: The term used for a thin, transparent layer of paint, particularly in oil painting

and acrylics. Glazes are used on top of one another to build up depth and modify colors

in a painting. A glaze must be completely dry before another is applied on top.

Top 7 Tips for Painting Glazes

A glaze is simply a thin, transparent layer of paint and glazing is simply building up

color by applying thin, transparent layers one of top of another, dry layer. Each glaze

tints or modifies those beneath it. So why is glazing something that can trouble, and

even threaten, artists so much? Well, while the theory may be simple, putting it into

practice takes patience and persistence to master.

If you‟re a painter who needs instant gratification, glazing is probably not for you. But

if you‟re a painter wanting to take your paintings up a notch, glazing will give you

colors with a luminosity, richness, and depth you cannot get by mixing colors on a

palette. Why is this? In very basic terms, it‟s because light travels through all the

transparent layers (glazes), bounces off the canvas, and reflects back at you. Your eyes

mix the layers of color to „see‟ the final color, giving a luminosity you don‟t get with a

physically mixed color.

Painting Glazes Tip No. 1: Get to Know Your Transparent Colors Take the time to learn which pigments are transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque.

Some manufacturers state this on their paint tubes (see How to Read a Paint Tube

Label), but you can also test for yourself.

Transparent colors work best for building up rich, subtle colors through layers of glazes,

but this is not to say you shouldn‟t experiment with opaque colors. But if you‟re just

starting to investigate glazing, stick to transparent colors for your glazes initially and

keep opaque colors for the initial layers. (How to check if a color is transparent.)

Painting Glazes Tip No. 2: Be Extremely Patient If you apply a glaze onto paint that isn‟t totally dry, the layers of paint will mix

together, which is just what you don’t want to happen. Be patient rather than sorry. If

you‟re working in acrylics, you can speed up things up by using a hair drier to dry a

glaze. How soon an oil glaze will be dry depends on the climate you live in and your

studio condition; do some sample glazes to find out. The paint must be dry to the touch,

not sticky. Work on several paintings at once so you can move from one to another

while you wait for a glaze to dry.

Painting Glazes Tip No. 3: Glazes Like Smooth Surfaces A glaze is a thin layer of paint which should lie smoothly on top of the previous layers.

You don‟t want it to collect or puddle on any roughness on your support, or rather not

when you first start glazing. (It‟s something to experiment with once you‟ve mastered

the basics of glazing.) A smooth hardboard panel or fine-weave canvas is ideal to start

with.

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Painting Glazes Tip No. 4: Use a Light Ground Use a light-colored or white ground, which helps reflect light, rather than a dark one,

which helps absorb light. If you‟re not convinced, do a test by painting exactly the same

glazes on a white ground and a black or dark brown one.

Painting Glazes Tip No. 5: Glazing Mediums Glazing mediums thin the paint you‟re using to the right constituency for glazing and, if

you buy a fast-drying formula, speed up the rate at which the paint dries. They also

solve any possible adhesion problems arising from diluting the paint too much,

particularly with acrylics (see How Much Medium Can You Add to Acrylic Paint?).

Experiment with the ratio of medium to paint to get a feel for how much to add; too

much and you sometimes get a glassy, excessively glossy effect.

Painting Glazes Tip No. 6: Use a Soft Brush Glazes want to be painted smoothly, without visible brush marks. Use a soft brush with

rounded edges, such as a filbert brush. You can glaze with a stiff, hog-hair brush, but

it‟s not ideal if you‟re new to glazing. Flicking over the top of the paint with a dry fan

or hake brush is useful way to eliminate visible brush marks.

Painting Glazes Tip No. 7: Unify a Painting With a Final Glaze When the painting is finished, apply one final glaze over the whole painting. This helps

unify all the parts of the painting. An alternative is to apply a final unifying glaze to just

the elements in the focal point.

Step-by-Step Demo: Painting Glazes

with Acrylics

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Instead of mixing paint on a palette and then applying it to a canvas, you can also build

up color by painting glazes. It is a painting technique that requires a bit of patience as

each glaze or layer needs to be totally dry before the next is applied, though with

acrylics, of course, you don't have to wait very long.

You also need enough knowledge of color mixing or color theory to be able to predict

what color(s) you're going to get.

This glazing demo shows how color on a leaf was built up from an initial layer of blue,

into a leaf that's red and purple. Let's get started...

If you want to know more about the principles of painting glazes, read this FAQ on

Painting Glazes using acrylics or oils.

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The first step is to block in the colors of the basic shapes in your painting. The colors

you use will be determined by the ultimate color you wish to create.

This painting (of which the photo shows only a detail) is of an abstracted strelitzia or

bird of paradise flower and leaf. I wanted the background as a flat orange without

anything else going on, so that was painted in as I intended it to be in the final painting.

The part of the flower that was to be included would be a fairly realistic yellow-orange,

so that was blocked in yellow with the intention of glazing over it to create form. The

leaf I wanted to be an unrealistic red and purple rather than a natural green, so that was

blocked in blue with the knowledge that I would then glaze over it with red.

As glazing is transparent, it's important to have your brush strokes going in the correct

direction starting with this initial stage as they will show through every layer or glaze.

With flowers, paint in the 'direction of growth'.

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This photo shows the blue leaf glazed over with red. I was using cadmium red, which is

an opaque red rather than a transparent red. By varying the thickness of the paint I was

able to control how much blue showed through (from almost nothing to quite a lot) to

create the various areas of shadow. This creates a feeling of form to what previously

was just a flat area of blue.

You need to be careful (and work quickly) when glazing with an opaque color with

acrylics. If it dries before you've got the result you want with that particular glaze, it'll

obscure everything you've done underneath.

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At this stage, some red has been glazed onto the yellow parts of the flower, creating

orange. The result varies from a pale to an intense orange, depending on how thinly the

glaze was spread.

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At this stage, some blue has been glazed over the yellow parts of the flower, creating a

greenish shadow to give it form. If you compare the painting at this stage to the initial

stage, you'll see that what was an intense and dominant blue has been transformed by

glazing.

Additionally, using the same blues and reds on the different parts of the painting created

a harmonizing effect, tying the separate parts together.

What You Need to Know About Color

Theory for Painting

Different pigments have different covering properties. Some are extremely transparent,

barely showing on top of another color. Others are extremely opaque, hiding what's

beneath. Considering this, and not just what the color is, can enhance a subject. For

example, using a transparent blue in a sky gives a greater feeling of airiness than an

opaque blue will. Compiling a chart of the colors you regularly use, such as the one

above, shows at a glance how transparent or opaque a color is.

You Will Need:

All the colors you usually paint with.

Medium-size brush.

Cloth to wipe the brush on.

Jar of clean water.

Pen to record the color names.

Piece of white paper. If you've got about a dozen colors, you want a sheet about

A5 size.

Ruler (optional, straight lines aren't essential).

Hairdryer (optional, for acrylics or watercolors).

How to Make a Chart:

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Sort out your colors in an order that makes sense to you, such as the color

spectrum (rainbow).

Mix up a little of each color. Paint a vertical stripe of each. Wait for them to dry.

Paint horizontal stripes for all the colors, in the same order.

If you're using a ruler, wipe the edge after each stripe so you don't contaminate

the next one.

Record the names of the colors next to each stripe.

Check the Results:

Opaque pigments are dense and tend to block out other colors. This makes them

ideal for subjects that are solid and heavy, such as tree trunks.

Transparent pigments are light and airy, barely showing on top of other colors.

This makes them ideal for atmospheric subjects such as a misty morning or

diaphanous fabrics.

Semi-transparent are somewhere between the two.

With time, you won't have to refer to the chart, but will instinctively know the

properties of a particular color. Until then, stick the chart up on the wall where

you can see it while you're painting.

See Also: Paint Tube Labels.

Color Theory Lesson: Avoiding Black for Shadows

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The details of Monet's cathedral painting show the colors he avoided using simple black

for shadows.

Think about how much is truly black in nature. Shadows are not simply black nor a

darker version of the color of the object. They contain the complementary color of the

object.

Take, for example, the shadow on a yellow object. If you mix black and yellow, you get

an unattractive olive green. Instead of using this for the shadow, use a deep purple.

Purple being the complementary color of yellow, both will look more vibrant. If you

can't figure out what colors are in the shadows, simplify what you're looking at by

placing your hand or a piece of white paper next to the bit you're having trouble with,

then look again.

Haven't Painters Always Used Black?

The Impressionists didn't use black at all (find out what they used instead). Take

Monet's paintings of Rouen Cathedral in the morning full sunlight, in dull weather, and

in blue and gold to see what a genius can do with shadows (he did 20 paintings of the

cathedral at different times of the day).

Or if you can't see yourself working without black, then consider mixing up a chromatic

black rather than using a straight-from-the-tube black. It also has the advantage not

'killing' a color it's mixed with to the same extent.

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Color Mixing Class: How to Mix

Chromatic Black

The list of colors my painting students take to the art supply store does not include

black. Instead, they learn to make a rich, deep color that appears to be black, known as

chromatic black. It‟s one of the first things I teach in my Painting 1 course after

introducing the „split-primary‟ color wheel.

How to Mix Chromatic Black

The more common way of creating a chromatic black is by mixing ultramarine blue

with an earth color, but I teach my students a different mixture that gives an even richer,

deeper „black‟. It‟s done by by mixing equal parts of Prussian blue, alizarin crimson,

and an earth color (my favorite is burnt sienna, but burnt umber, raw sienna, and raw

umber work as well).

When this chromatic black is added to white you get some of the most beautiful grays

imaginable. If these grays are too blue for you, simply add a little more of the earth

color to the original mixture, which will make the grays look more gray.

Create a Color Chart

I have a chart I made that shows what each chromatic black and the resulting grays

looks like. For example:

Prussian + Alizarin + Burnt Sienna = Chromatic Black (+ white = gray)

Prussian + Alizarin + Burnt Umber = Chromatic Black (+ white = gray)

Prussian + Alizarin + Raw Umber = Chromatic Black (+ white = gray)

Varying the amount of white added to these mixes creates several of gray.

An expanded version of my chart includes mixtures using Indian red, Venetian red, and

Van Dyke brown. You get a different set of grays depending on which 'brown' you mix

in with the Prussian and Alizarin.

Use Chromatic Black to Darken Other Colors

Mixing small amounts of your chromatic black into your colors will darken them

without „killing‟ the color like regular black would do. I tell my students that Prussian

blue and alizarin crimson are „magic colors‟. In my experience, most painting teachers

don't include these colors on their lists of required colors, but once students discover all

the possibilities of using these colors they never go back.

About the Artist: Jim Meaders has taught a variety of art courses and workshops for

more than 25 years. Jim says his own work is an effort to draw the viewer into the

subject matter of the painting through a different viewpoint and to leave them with a

new sense of perceptiveness.

Top 5 Color Mixing Tips

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I truly believe that an artist could spend a lifetime exploring color and the results of

color mixing, there are just so many possibilities and results. Color mixing is something

beginners often shy away from. Don‟t, rather learn the few fundamentals, embrace the

challenge and get mixing. At worst you‟ll produce mud colors; if you don‟t want to

waste the paint by throwing it away, use it with some white to do a tonal exercise, or

underpainting. Here are some tips to help you with color mixing that I wish I‟d known

far earlier than I did.

Color Mixing Tip No 1: Add Dark to Light It takes only a little of a dark color to change a light color, but it takes considerably

more of a light color to change a dark one. So, for example, always add blue to white to

darken it, rather than trying to lighten the blue by adding white.

Color Mixing Tip No 2: Add Opaque to Transparent The same applies when mixing an opaque color and a transparent one. Add a little of the

opaque color to the transparent one, rather than the other way round. The opaque color

has a far greater strength or influence than a transparent color.

Color Mixing Tip No 3: Stick to Single Pigments For the brightest, most intense results, check that the two colors you are mixing are each

made from one pigment only, so you‟re mixing only two pigments. Artist‟s quality

paints normally list the pigment(s) in a color on the tube's label.

Color Mixing Tip No 4: Mixing the Perfect Browns and Greys Mix „ideal‟ browns and grays that harmonize with a painting by creating them from

complementary colors (red/green; yellow/purple; blue/orange) in the palette you‟ve

used in that painting, rather than colors you haven‟t used. Varying the proportions of

each color will create quite a range.

Color Mixing Tip No 5: Don’t Overmix If, when you mix two colors together on a palette, you don‟t mix and mix until they‟re

totally, utterly, definitely combined, but stop a little bit beforehand, you get a far more

interesting result when you put the mixed color down on paper or canvas. The result is a

color that‟s intriguing, varies slightly across the area you‟ve applied it, not flat and

consistent.

How to Read the Label on a Tube

of Paint

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How much information appears on the label of a paint tube (or jar) and where it is on a

label varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but good artist's quality paints will

typically list the following:

Manufacturer's name or common name for the color.

Names of the pigment(s) used and the color index name/number(s).

The vehicle the pigment is suspended in (e.g. acrylic polymer emulsion for

acrylic paint, or gum arabic for watercolor and gouache).

The manufacturer's lightfastness or permanence rating.

The volume of paint in the tube or jar.

Manufacturer's name and address.

Paints made in the USA have information regarding conformance to various ASTM

standards e.g. ASTM D4236 (Standard Practice for labeling Art Materials for Chronic

Health Hazards), D4302 (Standard Specification for Artist's Oil, Resin-Oil, and Alykd

Paints), D5098 (Standard Specification for Artist's Acrylic Dispersion paints), as well as

the required health warnings.

Another common piece of information on a paint tube label is an indication of the series

it belongs to. This is the manufacturer's grouping of colors into various price bands.

Some manufacturers use letters (e.g. Series A, Series B) and others numbers (e.g. Series

1, Series 2). The higher the letter or number, the more expensive the paint.

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Whether a color is

opaque (covers up what's beneath it) or transparent is of greatest importance to painters

who work with glazes to build up color, rather than mixing on a palette. Not very many

manufacturers provide this information on the paint tube label, so it's something you

have to learn and remember (see: Testing Opacity/Transparency).

A few paint manufacturers indicate whether a color is opaque, transparent, or semi-

transparent on the tube. The acrylic paint manufacturer Golden makes it easy to judge

how opaque or transparent a color is by having a swatch of the color painted on the

label over a series of printed black bars. The swatch also enables you to judge the final

dried color, rather than having to rely on a printed version of the color. If you notice

some variation in the swatches between tubes, this is because they're painted by hand,

not by machine.

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Every pigment has a

unique Color Index Name, consisting of two letters and some numbers. It's not a

complex code, the two letters stand for the color family e.g. PR = red, PY = yellow, PB

= blue, PG = green. This, plus the number, identifies a specific pigment. For example,

PR108 is Cadmium Seleno-Sulfide (common name cadmium red), PY3 is Arylide

Yellow (common name hansa yellow).

When you're faced with two colors from different manufacturers that look the similar

but have different common names, check the pigment's color index number and you'll

see whether they are made from the same pigment (or mixture of pigments), or not.

Sometimes the paint tube label will also have a number after the color index name, e.g.

PY3 (11770). This is simply another way of identifying the pigment, its Color Index

Number.

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Different countries have

different requirements for the health warnings printed on paint tube labels. (Within the

USA different states have their own requirements too.) Typically you'll see the word

"warning" or "caution" and then more specific information.

An ACMI Approved Product Seal on a paint label certifies that the paint is non-toxic

both children and adults, that it "contain no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic

or injurious to humans, including children, or to cause acute or chronic health

problems". ACMI, or The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc., is an American non-

profit association of art and craft supplies. (For more on safety with art materials, see

Safety Tips for Using Art Materials.)

Different countries have different requirements for the health warnings printed on paint

tube labels. (Within the USA different states have their own requirements too.)

Typically you'll see the word "warning" or "caution" and then more specific

information.

An ACMI Approved Product Seal on a paint label certifies that the paint is non-toxic

both children and adults, that it "contain no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic

or injurious to humans, including children, or to cause acute or chronic health

problems". ACMI, or The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc., is an American non-

profit association of art and craft supplies. (For more on safety with art materials, see

Safety Tips for Using Art Materials.)

The lightfastness rating printed on a paint tube label is an indication of the resistance a

hue has to changing when exposed to light. Colors can lighten and fade, darken or turn

grayer. The result: a painting that looks dramatically different to when it was created.

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The system or scale used for rating the lightfastness of a paint and printed on the label

depends on where it was manufactured. Two widely used systems are the ASTM and

Blue Wool systems.

The American Standard Test Measure (ASTM) gives ratings from I to V. I is excellent,

II very good, III fair or non-permanent in artist's paints, IV and V pigments are rated

poor and very poor, and not used in artist's quality paints. (For details, read ASTM

D4303-03.)

The British system (Blue Wool Standard) gives a rating from one to eight. Ratings of

one to three mean a color is fugitive and you can expect it to change within 20 years.

Ratings of four or five means a color's lightfastness is fair, and shouldn't change for

between 20 and 100 years. A rating of six is very good and a rating of seven or eight is

excellent; you'll be unlikely to live long enough to see any change.

Equivalents on the two scales:

ASTM I = Blue Woolscale 7 and 8.

ASTM II = Blue Woolscale 6.

ASTM III = Blue Woolscale 4 and 5.

ASTM IV = Blue Woolscale 2 and 3.

ASTM V = Blue Woolscale 1.

Lightfastness is something every serious artist should be aware of and decide for

themselves how they want to deal with it. Know your paint manufacturer and whether

their lightfastness information is to be trusted. It doesn't take much to conduct a simple

lightfastness test, other than time. Decide what colors you're going to use from a

position of knowledge, not ignorance, about lightfastness. While you may aspire to be

listed alongside the likes of Turner, Van Gogh, and Whistler, it's surely not as an artist

who used fugitive paints.

Art Glossary: Hue

e actual color of something, such as red, green, or blue, or the name we give a color.

What we generally, but less technically correct, call color.

When a tube of paint says 'hue' on it, for example cadmium red hue, it means that the

color will be almost identical to genuine cadmium red, but the pigment is something

different. A tube of paint labelled as a 'hue' may be a cheaper or blended version, it may

be that the original color is no longer produced (such as Indian yellow), or it may be

that the original was not lightfast (such as Hooker's Green).

In his blog "The Truth About Hues" (30 August 2006) Mark Golden of Golden Paints

pointed out that "just because something has the 'hue' designation does not mean it is a

cheap imitation." He pointed out that all Golden's historical colors were "created with

much greater lightfastness and consistency when compared to the original pigments.

These colors provide a meaningful part of a serious palette; they are not a secondary

grade of products."

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What's actually in a tube of paint and the reason it's a hue is yet another instance of

where, as an artist, you really need to know your pigments and colors.

Painting Techniques: 7 Ways to Create

a Painting

There are a variety of ways in which to approach creating a painting, none of which is

better or more correct than another. Which approach you take will to some extent be

influenced by your painting style and personality.

As with all painting techniques, don't assume a particular approach won't work for you

without having tried it. Neither do you have to use only one in a painting, you're free to

mix 'n match approaches if you wish.

1. Blocking In

Image © Marion Boddy-Evans

With a blocking-in first approach, the whole of the canvas is painted or worked up

simultaneously. The first step is to decide what the dominant colors and tones are, and

to loosely paint these areas, or block them in. Then gradually the shapes and colors are

refined, more detail added, and tones finalized.

Blocking in is my favorite method of painting, as I rarely plan a painting in great detail

before I start. Instead I start with a broad idea or composition and refine it as I'm

painting.

Blocking in makes it easy to adjust a composition without feeling I'm covering up or

changing anything that's so beautifully painted I can't lose it.

See: Painting Demo Using Blocking In

2. One Section at a Time

Image © Marion Boddy-Evans

Some artists like to approach a painting one section a time, only moving onto another

part of the painting when this is totally finished. Some gradually work from one corner

outwards, finalizing a certain percentage or area of the canvas at a time. Others paint

individual elements in the painting, for example each item in a still life, one at a time. If

you're using acrylics and want to blend colors, it's worth trying.

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This is an approach I use very rarely, but find useful when I know that I want to let part

of the foreground in a painting intrude into the background, such as waves dashing up a

sea cliff. When I don't want to have to try to fit the background in around the

foreground right at the end.

See: Painting Demo: Sky Before Sea

3. Detail First, Background Last

Image © Tina Jones

Some painters like to start with the detail, working up these areas to the finished state

before painting the background. Some like to get half or three-quarters of the way with

the detail and then add the background.

This is not an approach to use if you're uncertain of your brush control and worried

you're going to paint over something when you add the background. Having a

background that goes around a subject, or not quite up to it, will ruin a painting.

Tina Jones, whose painting Faces of Karen Hill is shown here, adds the background

when she's at about the halfway mark. After adding the background, she then made the

colors of the skin and clothing darker and richer, refined the overall shapes, and finally

added hair.

4. Finish the Background First

Image © Leigh Rust

If you paint the background first, it's done and you don't have to worry about it. Nor

stress trying to paint it up to your subject but not over it. But doing so means you need

to have planned it out, visualized the colors in it and how these fit with the subject of

the painting. Not that you can't change it later on the painting, of course.

See: Painting Demo: Background First

5. Detailed Drawing, Then Paint

Image © Marion Boddy-Evans

Some painters like to do a detailed drawing first, and only once they're totally satisfied

with this do they reach for their paints. You can either do it on a sheet of paper and then

transfer it to the canvas, or do it directly on the canvas. There is a strong argument to be

made for the fact that if you can't get the drawing right, your painting will never work.

But it's an approach not everyone enjoys.

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Remember a paintbrush is not simply a tool for coloring-in shapes, but that the direction

of the brushmarks will influence the result. Even if you feel as if you're coloring-in a

drawing, it's not the kind a five-year-old will do (not even a gifted one).

See: Painting Demo: Detailed Drawing First and Paint With the Contours, Not Against

6. Underpainting: Delayed Color

Image © Rghirardi

This is an approach that requires patience, and is not for anyone who's in a rush to get a

painting finished or to get the colors sorted. Instead, it involves first creating a

monochrome version of the painting that is as finished as the final painting will be, then

glazing color over this. For it to work, you need to glaze with transparent colors, not

opaque. Otherwise the form or definition created by light and dark tones of the

underpainting will be lost.

Depending on what you use for the underpainting, it can be called different things.

Grisaille = grays or browns. Verdaccio = green-grays. Imprimatura = transparent

underpainting.

See: How to Test if a Paint Color is Opaque or Transparent and Tips for Painting Glazes

7. Alla Prima: All at Once

Image © Marion Boddy-Evans

Alla prima is a style of or approach to painting where the painting is finished in one

session, working wet-on-wet instead of waiting for the paint to dry and building up

colors by glazing. Quite how long a painting session is depends on the individual, but

the limited time to complete the painting tends to encourage a looser style and

decisiveness (and the use of smaller canvases!).

22 Mistakes to Avoid When Painting

Tips on how to avoid mistakes commonly made in

paintings.

This list of commonly made mistakes in paintings comes from Canadian artist Brian

Simons, who works in acrylics. Brian says: "I first began to paint approximately 20

years ago, when we moved from Alberta to Vancouver Island. Prior to that I focused

mostly on drawing and sketching. Being a self-taught artist, I have derived much of my

29

inspiration from the 'Group of Seven', the French Impressionists, and the writing of

Baha‟i Faith. From the regular workshops I teach I‟ve seen how beginners (and not-

such-beginners) repeat the same mistakes, time and again. My hope is that this list will

help stop you making these mistakes in your paintings."

1. Using repetitive brush strokes: these put the viewer to sleep. Use a variety of brush

strokes.

2. Applying scratchy, dry, scumbled strokes: these look cheap, afraid, stingy, not

masterful.

3. Tippy-tapping paint and poking it on the canvas: this is not bingo and your brush is

not a bingo dobber.

4. Concentrating on one area of the canvas while neglecting the rest: the whole of the

canvas is important.

5. Mixing paint on the canvas: finalise your colours on your palette.

6. Not taking the time to study your subject: if you don‟t know your subject, how can

you paint it?

7. Using too many colors: use three or four with white and see how many variations you

can arrive at.

8. Adding detail: this cheapens the work and you end up talking down to your audience.

9. Painting what you know and not what you see: remember mistake number six.

10. Stealing small pockets of time: allow yourself ample time to work, otherwise you

may lose your initial inspiration.

11. Listening to admirers: paint alone as much as possible and avoid seeking others

opinions until you find your own.

12. Being stingy with paint: use lots and, yes, you will waste some.

13. Changing to small brushes: stay with the larger brushes as long as possible.

14. Using too much white: this makes paintings chalky and cold.

15. Adding bits and pieces in your composition: keep things in larger groups.

16. Putting paint on simply because you don‟t want to waste it: you‟ll waste your

painting this way.

17. Scrubbing the paint on: instead, lay it on and leave it.

18. Fixing every „mistake‟: good paintings are full of wonderful accidents that the artist

refused to „fix‟.

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19. Thinking too much: painting is a doing, feeling thing and not a thinking, intellectual

thing.

20. Losing the „big shapes‟ and values: remember mistake number six.

21. Trying to paint like somebody else or another painting you saw: be yourself and be

honest. You can‟t hide anything in a painting.

22. Worrying about the results: trust your instinct and trust yourself.

This list of commonly made painting mistakes is an extract from Brian Simon‟s book 7

Steps to a Successful Painting, and used with permission. Brian says the book evolved

from his years of teaching people from all walks of life to paint with acrylics. "It

represents the heart of my 18-hour workshop program and is enormous fun for young

and old."

5 Ways to Destroy Your

Artistic Creativity

Don't undermine your own creativity, or your

paintings will suffer.

It‟s to be expected that there will be ups and down in your level of artistic creativity,

that some days you‟re full of new ideas for paintings and others your brain feels dull.

But there are also environmental and personal factors that can sap your creativity and

energy for painting, so you end up having more dull days than creative ones. Here's a

list of five easy ways to ruin your creativity...

Creativity Destroyer No.1: Only Paint When You Feel Like It

It‟s hard to imagine your doctor putting a notice on their surgery saying “I didn‟t feel

like dealing with ill people today, so I‟m not working.” But if you only paint on those

days when you feel like it, you‟re effectively putting up a notice on your easel saying

“Out, back when I feel like it”.

Being a part-time artist means you‟ve only limited time to spend painting, so make the

most of it; being a full-time artist is a creative profession, but it‟s also a job, and that

means turning up for work more days than not. The painter Chuck Close put it very

baldly: “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up.”1

How to Beat Artist's Block

Creativity Destroyer No.2: Only Ever Paint on Commission

The more successful you are at attracting commissions, the more crucial it becomes to

remember to paint just for yourself regularly. If you‟re worried about the time it takes

away from paintings that are earning you a living, think of it as an investment in

yourself. The enjoyment and satisfaction of a painting or study done without a client

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dictating what ought to be in it and looking over your shoulder will feed back into your

other paintings.

How To Create Time for Painting

Put Yourself in a Creative State of Mind (From About.com‟s Desktop

Publishing Guide)

Creativity Destroyer No.3: Restrict Yourself to One Form of Expression

If all you ever paint is a particular style and subject, your work is going to get stale. Try

new things. It doesn‟t have to be every week, and it doesn‟t have to be radically new or

different. Try a different format canvas (such as square or twice the size you usually

use). Test a new color; mix it with all the colors you usually use and see what the results

are. Shift the horizon line up or down in your composition.

10 Tips for Loosening Up Your Painting

Monthly Painting Projects

Renewing Your Creative Energy (From About.com‟s Drawing / Sketching

Guide)

Creativity Destroyer No.4: Don’t Keep a Note of Your Ideas

It doesn‟t have to be a sketchbook with page after page of spectacular sketches with

perfect perspective and in full color. It doesn‟t have to be a written journal with page

after page of detailed recordings of your thoughts, dreams, hopes and aspirations. But

you need to keep some sort of record of your ideas, things that you thought were great,

inspirational photos, postcards of paintings, etc.

You‟re not going to remember them all, some may be too advanced for where you are

now as an artist, some may need development. It can be a box, file, journal, or

sketchbook… just find a place to store those ideas for a rainy day.

Tips on Keeping a Painting Creativity Journal

Ideas for Getting You Sketching (From About.com‟s Drawing / Sketching

Guide)

Creativity Destroyer No.5: Stress Too Much

Some level of stress is good, such as the stress of not quite being satisfied with what

you‟ve painted, which makes you strive for greater things. But too much stress is

seriously detrimental to creativity; it saps energy and distracts.

Assess your lifestyle and habits to figure out what stresses you the most, and find some

method of reducing or dealing with it. It may be something big (such as no-one wanting

to buy the paintings you think are your best ones), or something small (such as your

canvases not being stored neatly enough).

10 Tips for Loosening Up Your Painting

Ways to make your paintings looser and freer.

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If you think your paintings are too tight and controlled, this collection of tips and

techniques to try should help. Don't dismiss a technique without giving it a good try as

while it may seem unlikely or perhaps even daft, you may well be very surprised by the

results. There is, of course, no 'magical' way to suddenly loosen up the way you work.

Like everything else in painting it's a goal you have to pursue. But one that is achievable

through practise and persistence.

Tip 1. Use the 'wrong' hand: If you're left-handed, put your brush in your right hand, and if you're right-handed, put it

in your left. It'll feel awkward and you won't be able to paint as precisely as you can

with your dominant hand. This lack of co-ordination also means that you can't get into

that automatic paint mode where your brain says "I know what an apple [for example]

looks like" and you paint an idealistic apple rather than the one in front of you.

Tip 2. Work in the dark: Well, not complete darkness, but in reduced light where you can't see every last bit of

detail. Try lighting a still-life with a strong lamp from one side (oblique light). Or if you

can't change the light, squint your eyes so the lights and darks in your subject become

stronger.

Tip 3. Leave stuff out: Our brains are quite adept at filling in missing details, so you needn't put down every

single thing. Take a long hard look at your subject, trying to decide which are the

essential bits. Put down these only, and then decide whether you want more detail or

not. You'll be surprised at how little can be necessary to capture the essence of

something.

Tip 4. Don't paint outlines: Objects are three-dimensional, they don't have outlines. If you're unsure about this, look

at your body and see if you've got an outline or if you're 3-D. You do have an 'edge'

when you look at e.g. your leg, but as you move, so this changes. Instead of drawing an

outline (or painting one) and then filling it in, paint the object as a whole.

Tip 5. Let the paint drip: Load your brush with lots of dripping colour and let it run down the surface of your

painting as you apply it to the 'right' place. Don't tidy up the drips. They add a fluidity.

Tip 6. Try unrealistic colours: Instead of worrying whether you've got accurate colours, try some that are completely

unrealistic. Paint a self-portrait in your favourite colours rather than skin tones. The

result will probably be a lot more emotive – and certainly dramatic.

Tip 7. Paint with water: First paint your subject with clean water only (okay, not if you're using oils!). This

familiarises you with your subject. Then introduce colour, which'll flow into the wet

areas. Don't try to stop the paint from spreading or worry about the colours becoming

'wrong'. Wait until you've finished, then see if you like the result.

Tip 8. Apply masking fluid: Masking fluid enables you to block out areas a watercolour so you don't have to worry

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about accidentally painting there. For example, instead of painstakingly trying to paint

around the petals of a white daisy, paint the petals in masking fluid first. You can then

paint freely safe in the knowledge that your white petals will appear pristine when you

rub off the masking fluid (do it as soon as your painting is dry; it becomes harder to

remove the longer it's on the paper).

Tip 9. Use a BIG brush: Painting with a big brush makes it hard to put down detail. A big brush encourages you

to use your whole arm to make broad, sweeping strokes. Use a flat brush not a round

one because you're wanting to increase significantly the width of the painting strokes

you make.

Tip 10. Use a ridiculously long brush: Take a stick at least a metre/yard long and tape it to the handle of your brush. Put a large

piece of paper on the floor. Now paint. The long brush handle exaggerates the

movement of your hand and arm, creating longer marks on the paper than you'd usually

make. Don't fight this by trying to make smaller movements!

Learn to Paint

If you're wanting to learn how to paint, have just begun painting, or wish to refresh your

knowledge on some essential technique, this is the place to start.

1. What Paint to Use

2. Selecting Art Supplies

3. Essential Painting Techniques

4. Your First Painting

5. Painting Tips

6. Painting Problem Solver

7. Painting from Photos

8. Acrylic Painting Techniques

9. Oil Painting Techniques

10. Watercolor Painting Techniques

11. Pastel Painting Techniques

12. Other Types of Painting

13. Beating Creative Block

14. Varnishing & Framing

15. Exhibiting & Selling Paintings

What Paint to Use

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Having decided you'd like to learn to paint, you need to decide what paint you're going

to use. The four main choices are: oils, acrylics, watercolors, and pastel. It's a very

personal choice, and if you don't get on with one type of paint, be sure to try another.

Pros and Cons of Different Types of Paint

Personality Quiz: What Paint Should You Use?

Quiz: Should You Use Oils or Acrylics?

Selecting Art Supplies

I believe in buying the best quality paint you can afford that still lets you feel you can

play or experiment with it. You need to feel able to paint over something that's not

working, or scrape it off, rather than desperately trying to keep it because of the cost of

the paint you've used. Here you'll find advice and tips on selecting suitable art supplies

to start painting.

Student's Quality Paint vs Artist's Quality

What You Need for Acrylic Painting

What You Need for Oil Painting

What You Need for Watercolor Painting

What You Need for Pastel Painting

Introduction to Art Paint Brushes

Types of Painting Easels

What the Label on a Tube of Paint Tells You

Assessing a New Brand of Acrylic or Oil Paint

Safety Tips for Using Art Materials

Photo Gallery: Inside Artists' Studios

Recommended Art and Painting Books

Recommended Art and Painting DVDs

Essential Painting Techniques

There are certain essential or fundamental painting techniques that apply regardless of

what type of paint you're using.

What You Need to Know About Color Theory for Painting

Color Mixing Quiz

Why Tone is Even More Important than Color

How to Hold a Paint Brush Correctly

5 Ways to Ruin an Art Paint Brush

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How to Use a Painting Knife

How to Paint Glazes

Painting Basic Shapes: A Sphere

Composition of Paintings

Painting on a Big Canvas

Sketching for Painting

Art Worksheets

Painting Terminology Explained

Your First Painting

Once you've got your paints and brushes, you're ready to start painting. But what

exactly is it that you're going to be doing. Find out how to approach your first-ever

painting.

Six Things To Decide Before Starting to Paint

Approaches to Covering a Canvas

Where to Find Painting Ideas

Developing an Idea for an Abstract

7 Steps to a Successful Painting

22 Commonly Made Mistakes to Avoid When Painting

How Long Should It Take to Finish a Painting?

Monthly Painting Projects

Tips on Painting from Reference Photographs

Painting Tips

Learn from the experiences of other artists through these painting tips. Some will save

you time, some will save you paint. All will save you learning the hard way.

Painting Tip of the Week

Top 100 Painting Tips

Color Mixing Tips

10 Tips for Loosening Up

Tips for Landscape Painting

Oil Painting Tips

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Painting Tips for Beginners

Acrylic Painting Tips

Pastel Painting Tips

Watercolor Painting Tips

Painting Problem Solver

Find answers to numerous painting problems and questions on all aspects of painting.

You'll find solutions for issues associated with a specific type of paint and to things that

apply generally when you're learning to paint, such as color mixing.

Visual Painting Problem Solver

Answers to Beginner's Questions

Acrylic Problem Solver

Oil Painting Problem Solver

Watercolor Problem Solver

Pastel Problem Solver

Color Mixing Problem Solver

Copyright for Artists FAQ

Is it Okay to Use House Paint For Art?

Painting from Photos

Photos are an extremely useful tool for a painter. Find out how to make the most of your

reference photos, and browse the collections of free artist's reference photos to find

inspiration.

Tips on Painting from Reference Photographs

How To Take Reference Photographs

Altering a Reference Photo for a Painting

Free Reference Photos: Landscapes

Free Reference Photos: Trees

Free Reference Photos: Flowers

Free Reference Photos: Monet's Garden

Free Reference Photos: Abstract Ideas

Free Reference Photos: Sunsets & Sunrises

Free Reference Photos: Clouds

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Free Reference Photos: Sea

Free Reference Photos: Snow Landscapes

Free Reference Photos: Butterflies & Bugs

Free Reference Photos: Barns

Free Reference Photos: Venice

Free Reference Photos: Textures and Details

Free Reference Photos: Lions

Free Reference Photos: Cheetahs

Free Reference Photos: Zebras

Free Reference Photos: Christmas

Acrylic Painting Techniques

Acrylic is a versatile paint that's great when you"re learning to paint (but it's definitely

not just for beginners!) as it's easy to use, simple to hide mistakes, and can be painted on

almost any surface.

Getting Started with Acrylics

Basic Color Palette

How to Use a Moisture-Retaining Palette

Painting Without a Palette

10 Acrylic Painting Tips for Beginners

How to Clean Your Acrylic Paint Brushes

How Thick Should the Paint Be?

How Much Water / Medium Can You Add?

How Many Brushes to Use

Which Brand of Acrylic Paint is Best?

Mixing Different Brands of Acrylic

Painting Glazes with Acrylics

Acrylic Painting Problem Solver

Quiz: Should You Use Acrylics or Oils?

Oil Painting Techniques

Oil paint is what the Old Masters used and can produce beautiful results. It's a paint

choice that requires patience as it dries slowly, but that also means you've lots of time to

rework sections.

10 Tips for Oil Painters

The Crucial Fat Over Lean Rule

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Solvents and Resins for Oil Painting

Drying Oils for Oil Painting

How to Paint Glazes in Oils

How To Stretch Your Own Canvas

How To Varnish an Oil Painting

How to Prime a Canvas for Oils

Oil Painting Quiz

Using Water Soluble Oil Paint

Watercolor Painting Techniques

Many beginners start with watercolor because it's easy to understand how to use it and

you just need some paint, a brush, and paper. But easy to use doesn't mean it's quick to

master, so allow yourself time to get to grips with the potential of watercolors.

What You Need to Know About Watercolor Paper

How To Stretch Watercolor Paper

How To Remove Errors in a Watercolor

Painting a Watercolor Wash

Painting Wet-on-Wet and Wet-on-Dry

Step-by-Step Demo: Painting Glazes with Watercolor

How to Paint Reflections in Water

How to Use a Waterbrush

How To Use Salt to Create Snowflakes in Watercolour

Wax Resist

Online Watercolor Mixing Palette

Pastel Painting Techniques

Pastel is a great choice if you like to see immediate results as there"s no waiting for

paint to dry. It's a versatile choice that offers a range of techniques and approaches.

Stuck in an Artistic Rut? Try Pastels

Basic Techniques for Pastels

How To Select Suitable Pastel Colors

Which Brand of Pastels are Best?

Can You Use Hairspray to Fix Pastel?

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How to Make Your Own Pastels

Recycling Leftover Bits of Pastel

Pastel Demo: Step-by-Step Seascape

Other Types of Painting

While oils, acrylics, watercolors, and pastels are the most common choices, they're by

no means the only options available to you. Explore some of the other types of painting

and paints.

Egg Tempera

Water Soluble Oil Paint

Watercolor Pencils

Mixed Media Painting

Encaustic Painting

Encaustic Painting

Digital Art

Fabric Painting

Fine Art Prints and Giclee Prints

Step-by-Step Chinese Painting Demonstration

Beating Creative Block

Every artist has days when they feel uninspired and uncreative, but it's just a bump in

the road, it doesn't mean your desire or ability to paint has deserted you. Here's help on

getting over a creative block and getting your enthusiasm back.

5 Ways to Destroy Your Artistic Creativity

Myths About Being an Artist

How to Beat Artist's Block

Overcoming Fear of a Blank Canvas

How To Create Time for Painting

10 Tips for Loosening Up

Painting Ideas Machine

7 Ways to Improve Your Painting While at Work

Keeping a Painting Creativity Journal

40

How Chocolate Can be Good For Painters

The Real Reason We Paint

Murphy's Laws on Art and Painting

Four Steps in Dealing with Criticism of Your Art

Right Brain Painting: What's It About?

Right / Left Brain Quiz for Artists

Tips on Creativity

Best Books for Creative Inspiration

Varnishing & Framing

Once you've finished a painting there are still two possible steps left, varnishing it to

protect it, and framing it for display. Whether you do these depends on the type of paint

you use and what you painted on.

Why Varnish a Painting?

How To Varnish an Acrylic or Oil Painting

Using a Dedicated Varnishing Brush

What to Expect from a Professional Framer

What a Gallery-Wrap Canvas is

What to do With the Edges of a Canvas

Should You Make Your Frames?

Exhibiting & Selling Paintings

Making a living from selling your paintings isn't easy, but it can be done. Like any other

career, in order to be a successful painter you need to work at it and strive for your

goals.

Choosing Art as a Career

How to Create a Body of Work & Distinctive Style

Amateur vs Professional Artist

Juried Art Show: What to Expect

How to Set a Price For a Painting

Signing a Painting

How to Write an Artist's Statement

Selling Paintings: Which Subjects Sell Best?

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Painting Projects, Tutorials & Demos

Challenge yourself with the painting projects, or advance your painting skills and

generally brush up your knowledge of painting techniques through the tutorials and

demos.

1. Monthly Painting Projects 2008

2. Step-by-Step Painting Demos

3. Video Painting Demos

4. Color Theory Tutorials

5. Composition for Paintings

6. Perspective Tutorials

7. Landscape Painting Tutorials

8. Abstract Art Tutorials

9. Figure & Portrait Painting Tutorials

10. Painting Animals Tutorials

11. Still Life Painting Tutorials

12. Paint Like the Old and Modern Masters

13. Painting for Halloween

14. Painting for Christmas

Monthly Painting Projects 2008

Each month a new painting project is set with the intention of encouraging you to

explore new subjects and/or techniques, to challenge yourself in a new way, and to

kickstart your creativity.

January: Limited Color Palette

February #1: Valentine's

February #2: Expressive Self-Portraits

March: Knife Painting

April & May: Portrait of a Flower

June: Landscapes

July & August: Abstracting an Urban Scene

September & October: In the Style of Matisse

November: Mixed Media

December #1: Still Life of a Chair

December #2: Christmas Cards

Learn to Critique Your Paintings

Painting Critique Checklist

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Step-by-Step Painting Demos

Follow the development of paintings from start to finish in this collection of step-by-

step painting demonstrations and tutorials.

Forest in the Style of Klimt

Chinese Painting Demo

Seascape Painting Demo

Sea Painting Demo: Breaking Wave

Pastel Seascape Demo

Abstracted Seascape Demo

Monet's Pond Painting Demo

Self-Portrait Demo

Expressive Figure Painting Demo

Desert Landscape with Tree Painting Demo

Abstracted Landscape Demo

Abstract Demo

Abstracted Cityscape Painting Demo

White Horse Painting Demo

Video Painting Demos

Watch artists at work in this collection of short video painting demos, which includes

technique demonstrations and start-to-finished paintings.

Visual Index: Painting Videos

Watercolor Video Demos

Oil Painting Videos

Acrylic Painting Videos

Landscape Painting Videos

Figure Painting Videos

Still Life Painting Videos

Videos on Creativity

Color Theory Tutorials

43

Knowledge of color theory and color mixing is one of the most important aspects of

painting. Don't let the word 'theory' intimidate you, it's not about memorizing facts, but

rather about practical experimentation. Color is, after all, a fundamental aspect of

painting.

Color Theory Lesson: The Three Primary Colors

Color Theory Lesson: Secondary Colors

Color Theory Lesson: Tertiary Colors

Color Theory Lesson: Complementary Colors

Hue, Value, and Chroma in a Color

How to Test Opaque and Transparent Colors

How to Mix a Chromatic Black

Mixing Green on the Canvas Rather than on a Palette

Know Your Red Paint Colors

The Accidental Discovery of Prussian Blue

Ultramarine: The Most Expensive Pigment Ever

What Colors are Shadows?

How To Do a Simple Lightfastness Test for a Paint Color

Color Mixing Quiz

Composition for Paintings

Composition is about how elements are arranged or organized in a painting. There are

certain rules, or fundamentals, every painter ought to be familiar with -- even if you're

intend on breaking the rules.

Using a Viewfinder to Compose a Painting

How to Make a Viewfinder

Number of Elements in a Painting

Arranging the Elements in a Painting

Rule of Thirds

Selecting Dynamic Lines

Background or Foreground First?

Negative Space in a Painting

Composition Tips

Perspective Tutorials

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Perspective is the system or technique used by artists to create a three-dimensional

illusion of what we see on a two-dimensional surface, that is a canvas or a piece of

paper.

What is Meant by Perspective?

Why is Aerial Perspective Important for Landscape Painters?

How To Accurately Measure the Angles in Object

How to Do Ellipses

Landscape Painting Tutorials

A spectacular landscape makes my fingers itch to paint it. Find out more about how to

approach a landscape painting, including deciding what to include or leave out.

Tips for Landscape Painting

Direction of the Sun in a Landscape Painting

How to Paint Trees

How to Paint Clouds and Sky

How to Paint Realistic Water Drops

Observing the Sea with an Artist's Eye

Painting Outdoors or Plein Air

How to Use Salt to Create Snowflakes in Watercolour

Reference Photos for Artists: Landscapes

Landscape Painting Videos

Desert Landscape with Tree Demo

Klimt-Style Forest Painting Demo

Abstract Art Tutorials

In the century or so since abstract art first hit the Western art world, we've learned to

take much of it for granted though it's still probably the most misunderstood form of

painting. Learn more about what exactly is meant by abstract art, and how to approach

the creation of this style of painting.

45

What is Abstract Art?

How to Interpret Abstract Art

How to Paint Abstracts from a Photo

Painting Without a Road Map

Using Nature as a Source for Inspiration for Abstracts

Abstract Art: Which Way is Up?

Abstract Painting Demo: "Universal Ties"

Demo: Color-field Painting

Abstract Painting: Developing an Idea

Abstract Art Painting Ideas

Painting Project: Abstracting Nature

Figure & Portrait Painting Tutorials

The human figure is a very appealing subject for a painting, but presents an array of

challenges, not least getting the proportions right so the result looks like a human and

not an alien.

How to Paint Skin Tones

Figure Painting: Body Proportions

Figure Painting: Face Proportions

Figure Painting: Children's Body Proportions

Figure Painting Tips

How To Work With Models For Figure Painting

The Thin Line Between Portraiture and Caricature

Figure Painting Videos

Expressive Figure Painting Demo

Self Portrait Painting Demo

Figure Painting Using Wax Resist

Painting Animals Tutorials

The beauty of animals can make for gorgeous paintings, but there are various unique

challenges, not least of which is painting fur and feathers!

Tips on Painting Animals

Top 10 Tips for Painting Dogs

Top 10 Tips for Painting Black Fur

46

10 Tips from a Wildlife Artist

Painting Cats: Fur Map

Painting Cats: Whiskers

Painting Cats Demo

Step-by-Step Painting Demo: Chameleon

Step-by-Step Painting Demo: Zebra

Step-by-Step Painting Demo: White Horse

Step-by-Step Painting Demo: Orangutan

Still Life Painting Tutorials

A still life is one of the most exciting subjects for a painting as you've got so much

control over what you include, how you arrange the elements, and how you light it.

What is a Still Life Painting?

How to Set Up a Flower Still Life for Painting

Painting Project: Still Life with Fruit

Painting Project: Still Life With Red

Painting Project: Portrait of a Flower

Set-Up for a Still Life in a Small Space

Still Life Painting Videos

Reference Photos for Artists: Still Life

Paint Like the Old and Modern Masters

Studying and copies the work of famous painters and the Old Masters is both inspiring

and instructional. Looking at a painting you wish you'd painted will motivate you to try

something similar, while studying the way an artist worked and making a copy of a

painting helps improve your own work.

How to Paint like Monet

How to Paint Like an Expressionist

Master Palettes: Vincent van Gogh

Master Palettes: Gauguin

Master Palettes: Jackson Pollock

Master Palettes: Pre-Raphaelites

Master Palettes: Leonardo da Vinci

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Master Palettes: Rembrandt

Old Masters Style: Sfumato & Chiaroscuro

The Medieval Use of Ultramarine

Gallery of Famous Paintings

DIY Moisture-Retaining Palette

2008-08

You don't have to spend money on one of those moisture-retaining or "stay wet" photos

to brushwork and landscape brushwork . Get a regular white enamel palette (often

called butcher's pet canvas artworks and oil brushwork). Lay a few layers of wet paper

towels in the bottom of it (it has an edge like a shallow baking dish) and then put a sheet

of waxed paper or designer's vellum. When you are finished for the day, just lift the

waxed paper up a little bit and spray some water on the paper towels. The only danger

is, that your paints may start to mold after a few weeks. So don't be disgusting and do

change the picture to paint and photo to oil painting towels every once in a while.

THE ACRYLIC DRYING PROCESS

Water is Forced Out by Capillary Action

Acrylics dry as the vehicle that carries them, mostly composed of water, leaves the film.

As water evaporates or is absorbed by the substrate, tiny acrylic polymer spheres are

forced into ever closer contact. Eventually they are crowded so tightly that the spaces

between them create capillary forces, and water is pulled from the paint film. This

capillary action packs the acrylic spheres against one another in a honeycomb-like

pattern, and they begin to form a continuous, cohesive film. As this occurs, the polymer

spheres, composed of long chains of acrylic, actually deform and partially combine with

one another in a process of film formation called coalescence.

The Two Drying Stages of Acrylics

The drying of acrylic paints occurs in two very different stages, hence drying times

must be thought of in two different time frames. The first stage, a relatively short period

of time, results in the formation of a skin over the surface of the paint. This is the time

that it takes for acrylics to "dry to the touch". At this point, the flow of water towards

the surface is no longer sufficient to keep the paint film wet. Very thin films can feel dry

within seconds, while thick films may take a full day or more to skin over.

The second stage of drying is the time for the entire thickness of the film to be

thoroughly dry. That is, the time required for all of the water and solvent (used as

freeze-thaw stabilizer and coalescent) to evaporate and leave the film. This is a most

crucial time frame, as the ultimate physical properties, such as adhesion, hardness and

clarity, do not fully develop until the film is near complete dryness. For very thin films,

this time may be a few days, while films of 1/4 inch thickness or more will take months

and even years to be completely dry.

Many artists are not aware of this more lengthy drying time. This is the reason that one

may find that a rather thick layer of paint has not adhered to the surface when tested a

day or two after application. This same layer of paint will also seem very soft. The skin

may have dried sufficiently, but the paint in the center is still wet. Regarding

48

development of clarity in gels and/or mediums, one can allow a painting to clear, store it

away and later notice that it has become cloudy. The film may have only been partly

cured, and is soft enough to allow moisture from the air to penetrate, turning it slightly

milky again. Given enough time for more complete drying, these properties should

improve dramatically.

INFLUENTIAL DRYING FACTORS

Temperature, humidity and airflow are environmental factors that influence the drying

times of acrylic paint films. By controlling all of these factors, the artist can make use of

their advantages.

Temperature

Ideally, the temperature should be around 70 to 90oF during the drying/curing process.

Temperatures below 49oF (9oC) will not allow the polymer solids to properly coalesce

to form a continuous film, and may result in film failure (cracking, adhesion failure,

powdered film, etc.). Higher temperatures, like those reached with a hair drier or heat

lamp, can speed drying times up significantly, but overheating can cause bubbling or

burn the acrylic film. Likewise, lower temperatures will slow down the drying process

and can be used to one's advantage for increasing the working time of the acrylic paints.

Relative Humidity

Relative humidity in excess of 75% will slow the evaporation of water from the surface,

slowing down the drying process. Temperatures of 70 to 85oF and humidity under 75%

are ideal for drying.

Air Flow

While a moderate and steady airflow in the drying area is favorable for thorough drying,

a strong breeze, especially one directly on the paint surface, can cause film formation

failure, such as cracking and/or wrinkling.

DRYING EFFECTS

Utilizing the Quick-Drying Tendencies

The naturally quick drying time of acrylics can also be a great benefit. Many of the most

successful uses of acrylic paint come from people taking advantage of this property,

which allows for painting over almost immediately. Unique acrylic glazing techniques,

hard-edged applications and quick manipulation of the painting surface would not be

possible without these very rapid drying properties.

Application of Additional Layers of Acrylic Paint

There are no limitations on applying additional acrylic paint layers. That is, an artist can

apply acrylic paints while the underpainting is still wet, just skinned over, or has dried

for several years. If one is going to apply oils over an acrylic underpainting, then a

proper curing time should be allowed to be sure the acrylics are completely dry. For thin

films on canvas, this can be 1 to 3 days. Thicker films on less porous supports like

masonite may take several weeks to dry sufficiently to ensure proper adhesion.

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Varnishing Considerations

For varnishing, it is best to wait until a painting is completely dry. Otherwise, an

excessive level of water and/or solvent may be trapped, which could result in clouding

or poor initial adhesion of the varnish. This is more important when the varnish forms a

relatively tight, non-permeable film, such as is the case with GOLDEN MSA Varnish.

When using more permeable varnishes, such as GOLDEN Polymer Varnish, this is less

crucial.

Another critical element to consider when varnishing is the substrate. A canvas will

allow trapped moisture, retarders and other additives to escape, while metal, masonite or

plywood make this migration difficult, and can influence adhesion of the varnish layer.

In extreme cases, it can cause delamination or cracking of the varnish. (Refer to the

GOLDEN Varnish Information Sheet for a more through understanding of these

properties). Generally, the painting should not feel cool, excessively soft or tacky. All of

these symptoms indicate an uncured acrylic paint film.

STORING AND SHIPPING

Storing Paintings

Generally, a painting should not be put into any closed-in storage environment until

fully dry. The preferred conditions for paintings that are in the process of drying is to

have ample air flow over the front and back of the paintings, while experiencing no

extremes in temperature or humidity.

If a painting is rolled while still curing (a poor storage choice in any event), it will

coalesce as a rolled film. Upon unrolling, it will be curved and in lower temperatures be

more likely to crack.

Shipping Artwork Considerations

When shipping artwork, it is important to not allow anything other than air to touch the

paint surface. This includes any type of glassine, paper, bubble wrap or other plastic, as

these may stick to the surface and result in ferrotyping (transferring a texture to the

paint surface).

Conservators take many precautions when shipping artwork in regard to temperature

and humidity. After packing the artwork, allow it time to adapt to its new surroundings.

Acrylics shrink in colder temperatures and swell in warmer temperatures, so it is critical

not to roll, unroll, or excessively disturb the painting during this transitional period. On

flexible supports, carefully back the work with cardboard to reduce the "bouncing" the

artwork will encounter during shipment.

If the work is going from room temperature to below freezing temperatures, it is wise to

put the packed painting in a lower temperature environment, i.e. 32-40oF, for several

hours before taking it outdoors. This will lessen the stressful shock to the acrylic.

Conversely, the same rules apply after the painting is received. Do not immediately

unpack the piece. Allow it the same chance to re-adjust to warmer temperatures. If it

was subjected to freezing temperatures, put it in an area of lower temperature as was

done before shipping.

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SLOWER DRYING TECHNIQUES

Depending on their objectives and techniques, artists have varying needs to keep paint

from drying too quickly. They may require longer mixing time on the pallet, or longer

blending time on the canvas or other support.

Studio Environmental Conditions

There are as many ways to control the drying process as there are ways to control the

evaporation of water. High humidity, low temperature, low air movement and non-

absorbent surfaces slow the drying of acrylic paint. Conversely, dry conditions, high

temperatures, significant air flow and absorbent surfaces speed the evaporation (or

absorption) of water, and therefore also speed the drying process.

By reducing studio air-flow, lowering temperature, and increasing humidity, an artist

can slow down the drying of acrylic paints without additives or altering painting

methods. Keep in mind that many studios are under-ventilated to begin with, and it may

be better to just be sure there isn't air directly blowing on the painting while working. It

is important to ensure ammonia and other escaping paint additives are not building up in

the studio space.

Paint Additives

Some situations call for chemical agents that retard the drying of acrylic paint. These

are usually a blend of several materials, predominantly glycols. By evaporating far more

slowly than water, glycols keep the polymer spheres apart, preventing early

coalescence. Humectants, (agents, such as glycerin, that absorb or hold water), also

have been added to retard or slow drying. However, humectants must be used with

extreme care, as they tend to percolate to the surface of the film during drying leaving a

residue that may reduce inter-coat adhesion. Retarders are not very effective if paint

must stay wet in thin films on very absorbent surfaces.

Paint additives alone will most likely not be effective to slow down the drying process.

They must be accompanied by proper environmental factors, a working support with

low absorbency and other contributing factors.

Drying on the Palette

In addition to additives, several techniques will help keep paints wet on the palette. A

most important first step is to use a non-absorbent palette. Glass works nicely, as do

plastics such as polyethylene. Glass stays fresh and free from stains, cleans easily and

works well as long as it doesn't break. The problem with a glass palette tends to be the

weight. A new commercial tempered-glass palette made in several sizes has convenient

hand-sized holes for carrying. Many artists construct their own glass-topped taboret to

use with acrylic paints. On wheels, the glass palette is portable and the artist can use

larger plates of glass without worrying about excess weight or breakage.

To slow the drying of paints on glass or plastic palettes, use a small amount of retarder.

About three to ten percent of GOLDEN Retarder will keep a mass of paint from

forming a skin for up to six hours, depending on the atmosphere. Using excessive

quantities of retarder, especially when working in thicker impasto, will leave the paint

skin feeling like soft gum, as the glycol may not totally release from the film.

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Some people prefer to lightly mist the paint on their palettes. This can be a very

effective technique to provide more open time. A simple plant mister, easily obtained at

a hardware store, may be filled with water (we recommend distilled or de-ionized) or a

10:1 water/retarder mixture for this purpose. Note again that excessive levels of retarder

will result in a weakened paint film that remains sticky. Excessive spraying may cause

colors to drip, or to stain the support in an undesirable manner.

Moisture-Retaining Palettes

On the market are several covered varieties of moisture-retaining palettes that help keep

acrylic paints in working condition. The most effective is the Stay-Wet Palette®, which

takes advantage of what we know about acrylic drying: that is, if one can control the

atmosphere, they control the acrylic. The Stay-Wet Palette® is a large plastic tray on

which a large, flat sponge is placed. After soaking the sponge in water, a special filter

paper is placed over it, and the paper acts as a palette surface. The filter paper allows

water vapor to permeate, keeping the paints moist. If the sponge stays wet, paints will

remain wet for hours without the use of a retarder. This palette has a cover to further

extend working time. Some artists have suggested that this tool slightly dilutes acrylic

colors, but if you plan to work outdoors with acrylics on a palette, it may be of great

benefit.

When paint dries on a glass or plastic palette, the best way for removal is to saturate the

dried surface with water, using a very wet sponge or rag. After a period of 3-5 minutes,

the paint should be softened and can easily be scraped or peeled off.

Slowing Drying on the Substrate Surface

Canvas and other substrates should be sealed to reduce absorbency, which will aid in

keeping acrylic paints wet on the surface. Several years ago an artist called us,

complaining that our Heavy Body Acrylic was drying too quickly on her paper. When

she first encountered the problem, she decided to slow down the drying by adding more

water to the paint. Intuitively, her approach made sense, but when she added water, the

paint dried even more quickly. In this case, the drying was not dictated by evaporation

as much as by absorption into the substrate (paper). The paper was not sealed in any

way. As she thinned the paint, it had less hold-out and the water was absorbed more

easily into the paper. Had she sealed the surface first with GOLDEN Polymer Medium

or a skim coat of GOLDEN Soft Gel Gloss, the substrate would not have absorbed as

much water, and drying would have occurred mostly by evaporation.

Increasing Humidity

A cool air humidifier may prove useful to increase the localized relative humidity, and

thus slow the drying process. Directing the cool moisture flow on the painting surface

will maximize the effect. A cheaper way to achieve a similar result is to use a plant

mister set on a very light spray setting. Spraying across the surface at regular intervals

will dramatically lengthen the wet time of the paint.

Soaking the Back of the Canvas

Another technique to retard drying capitalizes on the permeability of acrylic gesso.

After allowing the gesso layers to completely dry, attach the canvas to a temporary

stretcher. Soak the back of the canvas with water, and/or attach wet rags or sponges to

the back of the canvas. You have now created a stay-wet canvas. The dried gesso acts as

a semi-permeable membrane, allowing water through to keep the paint moist. This

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technique allows you to paint in relatively thin glazes for hours with acrylics, but

beware of some limitations. Cotton canvas may shrink, causing the stretcher to warp

and make restretching a necessity. Also, the water may wash impurities out of the

canvas and into the paint film. In severe cases this causes noticeable discoloration.

These problems will be minimized or eliminated by using scoured (washed) cotton

canvas. Or use polyester canvas, which is not dimensionally sensitive to water and does

not contain the contaminants found in unwashed cotton canvas.

PAINT STORAGE

To prevent paint from drying out in storage, be sure not to place it near blowers or

heaters. All plastic containers are slightly porous and allow a small amount of water

vapor to escape. Also, it is critical to clean the threads of lids and jars. If paint

accumulates on these surfaces, the tops will not seal properly and the paints will begin

to dry out. Some artists suggest spraying a small amount of water on top of the paint to

keep the paint fresh. When spraying, use distilled or de-ionized water to avoid

contaminating the paint. Paints will stay quite well in most basements, but should not be

frozen. Although most acrylic paints will sustain several freeze-thaw cycles, freezing is

not advisable.

CLEANING ART TOOLS

Tools should be kept wet to keep paint from hardening on them.

Avoid storing brushes with the bristles/hairs upward.

Even a small amount of acrylic building up over time will get into the base of

the ferrule and start to harden the brush.

Keep your brushes well-conditioned. Normal hair conditioner works as well as

any product marketed for brushes. This will help reduce the amount of acrylic

that will stick.

A small amount of dish detergent added to water helps remove semi-dried paint

from tools.

For hardened paint, most of the commercially available brush cleaners will work

well, as long as the brush has not been abused.

Pre-conditioning brushes with a small amount of conditioner will greatly

improve the clean up of your brushes. After cleaning a brush, pat the bristles dry

and condition with a small amount of conditioner. Brush the excess onto a hand

until you cannot see it.

Disclaimer The above information is based on research and testing done by Golden Artist Colors,

Inc., and is provided as a basis for understanding the potential uses of the products

mentioned. Due to the numerous variables in methods, materials and conditions of

producing art, Golden Artist Colors, Inc. cannot be sure the product will be right for

you. Therefore, we urge product users to test each application to ensure all individual

project requirements are met. While we believe the above information is accurate, WE

MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR

FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, and we shall in no event be liable for any

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damages (indirect, consequential, or otherwise) that may occur as a result of a product

application.