What Do You Need to Learn Acrylic Painting?

Acrylic paints are made of a combination of pigment and acrylic polymer emulsion. These water-based paints are versatile, affordable, and easy to use, making them popular among painters of all skill levels. Because they’re water-based, acrylic paints are easy to clean and less toxic than other mediums.

Acrylic painting requires relatively few supplies. All you need to start acrylic painting is acrylic paints, paint brushes, a painting surface, and a cup of water. The accessibility of these materials makes acrylic painting a common medium used among group painting classes and beginner-level art classes.

You might worry that acrylic painting will be too hard to learn if you have no prior experience painting. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning acrylic painting and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you’ll be successful however you choose to apply your new skills.

What is Acrylic Painting?

In the 1930s, a German chemical company invented acrylic resin and transformed it into acrylic paint. By the 1940s, acrylic paint was commonly used by house painters who realized that it was less toxic, easier to clean, and cheaper than other house paints on the market.

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In the 1960s, acrylic paint had become popular among artists. They had figured out how to use acrylic paint to mimic other mediums. By adding water to acrylics, they were able to achieve the transparency that’s characteristic of watercolors. Other mediums can be added to acrylic paint to thicken it up and give it a similar appearance to oil paint. The versatility of acrylic paint has allowed the medium to be used by professional artists and hobbyists alike.

Benefits of Learning Acrylic Painting?

Acrylic paint is considered one of the easiest mediums to learn to use. You don’t need painting experience to get started with acrylics, which makes it accessible to so many. Additionally, acrylic paint is water-based, which makes it less intimidating than oil-based paint. There are plenty of arts and crafts classes that involve the use of paint and group painting classes created for socialization that allow anyone to learn acrylic painting.

Acrylic paints can be used on a variety of surfaces, as such, it’s the ideal medium to use if you’re looking to elevate your art pieces. You can use acrylic fabric paint to decorate clothing or use acrylic paint on wood, glass, and steel items.

Learning acrylic painting is a great way to regulate your emotions. When done as a therapeutic activity, acrylic painting has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also boost self-confidence, as you work on creating something from start to finish with your hands.

Is Acrylic Painting Easy to Learn?

Acrylic painting is considered easy to learn. It doesn’t require solvents because it’s water-based and it’s not essential that you understand the chemistry of the medium before using it, like oil paint. However, painting can be difficult if you’ve never painted before and don’t have much creative experience.

There are several ways to learn acrylic painting. You can teach yourself the basics of acrylic painting by watching free online videos and tutorials. This method can help you learn terminology as well as techniques and tools. However, teaching yourself acrylic painting can be difficult if you learn better under the guidance of an instructor. Learning via videos means you won’t have anyone to ask questions or provide you with feedback.

Taking an acrylic painting class is the best learning method for those who prefer a traditional classroom setting. You can sign up for an in-person or online acrylic painting class on CourseHorse. These classes are taught by professional artists and expert instructors who will help you learn acrylic painting by providing in-depth demonstrations, step-by-step guidance, and feedback.

Acrylic painting classes are offered at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Beginner-level classes focus on techniques and styles. These classes can teach you how to start, develop, and finish an acrylic painting. Advanced classes will focus on more difficult techniques, styles, and projects.

If you live in the New York City area, you can enroll in the 92nd Street Y’s beginner-level acrylic painting class. In this class, you’ll explore different textures and surfaces as you recreate direct observations. This class is also available in an online format.

What You Need to Know Before Learning Acrylic Painting

You don’t need to have prior experience painting to learn acrylic painting, although it may help. Some find that starting with no prior experience is useful because then they won't be distracted by the techniques of other mediums when learning acrylic painting.

If you’re learning acrylic painting, whether on your own or through a class,, there are a few things to keep in mind.

You shouldn’t mix oil and water-based paint on your palette. Mixed medium paintings are common and can result in beautiful pieces of art. But if you’re going to use multiple mediums, you need to do so correctly. Oil and water-based paint are chemically incompatible and attempting to mix them will result in a flaky mess because acrylic will not adhere to oil. If you’d like to use oil paints and acrylic paints in your work, you need to use oil over the top of acrylic.
Acrylic paint is only as permanent as the surface it’s painted on.
Acrylic paints dry quickly. This makes painting much faster, but also more difficult if you’re painting outdoors. Acrylic paintings can be more easily transported after they’ve finished compared to longer-drying mediums.
Acrylic paints can be used to mimic watercolors and oils. Diluting acrylics with water will give them similar transparency to watercolors while adding a gloss medium can help them mimic the thick layers of oil paint.

What You Need to Learn Acrylic Painting

Learning acrylic painting doesn’t require many supplies. However, beginners might want to take an acrylic painting class, because many classes will supply you with the necessary materials. After you’ve gained some experience and understand the difference between tools, you might consider investing in supplies of your own. You can refer to this list of acrylic painting supplies when doing so.

Acrylic Paint

There are many different brands of acrylic paint on the market of varying quality at a range of prices. The higher the grade of the paint, the more pigment it will contain. There are student and artist-quality acrylics available for purchase. Student-quality paints are not recommended despite being less expensive because they’ll contain less pigment and more filler than artist-quality paints.

You can buy acrylic paint in jars, tubes, and bottles. If you’re interested in trying different brands, it’s recommended that you purchase smaller jars and tubes. You can also purchase sets that will contain essential colors like titanium white, cadmium yellow, cadmium red, and phthalo blue.

Paintbrushes

Natural bristle brushes and synthetic bristle brushes are both recommended for acrylic painting. Natural brushes can handle heavier paint and will maintain their shape after many uses. Synthetic brushes, which are typically made from nylon and polyester, are more durable and less expensive than natural brushes. Synthetic brushes can handle constant moisture from cleaning, making them ideal for beginners, but they don’t hold their shape well.

You should consider handle size, brush shape, and brush size when buying paintbrushes. Short brushes are lighter and easier to control while long brushes let you paint further away from your surface. Beginners should invest in a wash brush, bright brush, angle brush, and round brush.

Palette knives are also recommended for acrylic painting, especially if you’re using mixed mediums. They're used to mix paint on your palette and apply paint to your surface. This is particularly useful with oil paint, which requires thick layers.

Painting Surface

Acrylic paint can be used on just about any surface. Common painting surfaces include paper and canvas, but acrylic can be used on metal, glass, wood, and even silk. It’s recommended that beginners start out using paper or cardboard because they’re inexpensive, accessible, and absorbent. When deciding what painting surface to use, you should primarily consider what surface will best serve your project.

Cup of Water

Acrylic paint is water-based, so water is used to help break it down. Water thins the paint, making it easier to clean. Water also helps give your painting a diluted wash. You don’t need water for acrylic painting, but if you don’t use water your paint will be glossy.

Key Takeaways

Acrylic paint is one of the easiest mediums to learn to use because of its versatility, accessibility, and affordability.
You can learn acrylic painting using online videos and tutorials or by taking an in-person or online acrylic painting class available on CourseHorse.
Acrylic painting requires very few tools. You’ll need quality acrylic paint, paintbrushes, a painting surface, and a cup of water.
You can contact CourseHorse to learn about the online and in-person acrylic painting classes available to you, including private group sessions. These classes can teach you how to pick out and use the right tools and materials for your acrylic painting projects.