Acrylic Paint: How to Paint on Canvas
Do you love painting? Or maybe you've always wanted to learn how to paint but never had the time?
In this article, we will discuss the basics of acrylic painting on canvas. Acrylic painting is a great and fulfilling way of spending time! It's creative and relaxing, and you can make some beautiful pieces of art as a bonus.
We'll talk about the supplies you need, as well as some basic techniques that you can use to create your own masterpieces! With just a little bit of practice, anyone can learn how to start painting with acrylics on canvas. So why not give it a try?
What You Will Need
Acrylic paints are so easy to use! All you need is some basic art equipment. However, if you are painting with acrylics on canvas, there are some basic art supplies you will need, which most people might already have in their homes.
Acrylic Paint Brushes
Make sure to purchase good quality paint brushes so you can focus entirely on your art instead of getting frustrated over bad brushes.
We recommend investing in a selection of different sizes and shaped brushes, like this amazing set from D'Artisan Shoppe- Paint Brush Set for Acrylic Painting.
D'Artisan Shoppe
15pc Art Paint Brush Set - a mix of 4 natural hog hair bristle brushes and 11 synthetic bristle brushes to create the brush strokes you need.
Acrylic Paints
You will need acrylic paints. A large selection of colors ensures you can create all the shades for your artwork and have an array that is appropriate to any project or mood!
Paint Palette
It's easy to create your perfect shades with acrylic paints. Just take a paint palette or mixing pot and you're ready!
Preparing Your Canvas
The canvas is a wonderful medium for painting, But painting on an unprepared canvas is never beneficial to your artwork. Although not mandatory, priming your canvas and applying a background wash ensures that your paint lasts longer.
Gesso is a great way to close the fabrics of the canvas, ensuring your paint colors aren’t absorbed by the fabric.
Gesso also favors bolder colors on your canvas.
Before starting with the main elements of your painting, it is also recommended to put on a wash or toned background for a more interesting composition. This can be in keeping with your color scheme or completely contrasting.
Painting Techniques
It's been said that everyone is an artist. Maybe you're not the next Michelangelo, but that doesn't mean you can't express yourself through art. And with so many different mediums to choose from, there's sure to be one that fits your personality and style. Here are some Painting Techniques to help improve your masterpiece.
Detailing
The key to illustrating fine details with acrylic paint is using a high-quality delicate brush to add small touches like the sparkle in an eye. The touches that will bring your work of art to life.
Dabbing
The ‘dabbing’ technique: you dab paint onto the surface using the corner of a sponge or a piece of paper towel. Dabbing adds texture and movement to a piece. For example, you can use the dabbing technique to create clouds and treetops.
Wet Brush
Another common paint application technique is ‘washing’.
Applying water to your brush or mixing some directly into the acrylic paint will allow you to get a more water-clog-like effect from the paint. Mixing washing with the dry brushing method can create a variety of textures for your piece.
Dry Brushing
Applying paint to your surface using a dry paintbrush and paint that has not been diluted with water This will create incredibly vibrant colors that give the illusion of movement and texture.
Palette Knife
This versatile tool is a must-have for those who are engaging creatively with acrylic and oil paints especially.
The palette knife can be a difficult tool to master because the initial application of paint is so direct and striking.
But since you don't need to dilute your paint with a medium as you would with a brush, as a result, the color that you apply with a palette knife is more vibrant.
We hope that this information was helpful and that you are now inspired to create your very own masterpiece (or at least have fun trying it). Remember, practice makes perfect, so be sure to experiment and find the techniques and colors that work best for you.
Happy painting!