Art is a way of projecting one’s emotions. Taste and vision for art varies artist by artist. And hence the preferred medium for art is diverse also. One of the most popular contemporary arts medium is acrylic art. There are artists who are more contented working with oil colors. And there are those also who prefer acrylic over oil paints. Working experience with oils and acrylics is quite different and so is the end result.

Why acrylic paints?

Many artists find acrylic paints easier to work with. Acrylic paints are said to be distinguished from both oils and watercolors for the benefits they have. Some benefits are as follows:

-acrylic paints are permanent and hence they do not age and do not go yellow with time

-acrylic are easy to dilute as they instantly soluble in water

-because of being water-soluble, acrylics dry faster than oils

-no hard solvents are required to remove the paint

The only disadvantage is that the acrylics are not oils and the end results is not as bright as oils once they area dried. Acrylics tend to get dull when dried.

Toolkit for acrylic artwork

-Best choice for brushes for acrylic paint are synthetic brushes e.g. nylon brushes. Hard brushes are suitable for making a thick layer of paint whereas use soft ones for thinned acrylic paint.

-Since acrylics are water soluble, the palette must be water-resistant. Most suitable are plastic, enameled butcher trays, and thick glass, whereas, wooden palettes will absorb water and leave the paint dry sooner.

-When it comes to surface, the acrylic paints allows to paint on almost on every type of surface. Water absorbing surfaces, however, need to be sealed before starting painting.

-A large water container is also required as one will need water to dilute the paints.

Tips for acrylic artwork

-Avoid thinning the paints too much. While diluting, only 30 percent water should be added to acrylic paints as over-thinning will not allow to paint a perfect stable film.

-Start off with one manufacturer only to buy acrylics, however, after getting the hold of it try experimenting with different brands and products.

-For the beginners, less costly grades are recommended by well-known manufacturers. However, skilled people can use professional quality grades. However, a tip is not to use a low-quality surface for high-quality paints.

-Acrylic paints dry very fast. An easy way to keep the paints wet is to spraying water on them time to time.

-Use of gesso that includes latex allows an artist to paint smoothly and it makes the surface resistant also. Gesso can also be used to make texture beneath the paint.

-Using a palette or plastic knife or an extra brush is preferred to blend in different colors.

-While blending, wet to wet technique can be used. Already dried paint on the canvas can be painted on and blended in with another wet paint. Since acrylics stay where they are put they are easy to handle and do not go out of control.