Posted on May 7, 2022

These Quick Tips Can Save Your Paint and Help You Get Better

Painting with Acrylics is a great way to get introduced to painting and has many benefits. These paints are easy to use, spread evenly, and dry quickly. There are some tricks that can help preserve your paints and make your paintings turn out better and Jerry’s Artarama wants to share these tips from professional artists so that you can grow into the great artist quickly. So here are 5 tricks to help you get even better:

1. Work quickly.

Acrylics dry faster than other types of paint. This is a great benefit if you’re looking to paint in layers, but the shortened work time can be a little daunting for newer artists. To be able to work faster, always have an idea in your head of what you want to paint and get it on the canvas quickly. The more time you spend repainting the same areas, the less responsive your acrylics will become. If you need more time to work, you can use an acrylic retarder like Matisse’s Drying Retarder or if you’re working on paper, a light dabbing of water works.

2. Don’t put too much paint on your palette.

You have to be careful to not put too much paint on your palette when you’re working with acrylics. They can dry and harden while you’re waiting to find another chance to use that color so always be careful. You also can always squeeze more out of the tube when you need more. And remember, it wont go back into the tube, so its best not to waste it. If you need to preserve your palette overnight, mist your palette with water and cover with an air-tight bag or container and your paints should hold up for a limited amount of time.

3. Be careful blending.

Blending the colors you have is a great way to expand your palette and create a more vivid landscape on your canvas, however you have to blend the right way. Blend too quickly and you will create bubbles in your paint that can pop up on your canvas and dry and we’re pretty sure that’s not the effect you want when creating a beautiful piece of art you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.

4. Acrylics wash off your brushes with soap and water.

Although other types of paint like oils and oil mediums may require you to wash your brushes with turpentine or mineral spirits, these are unnecessary for acrylics. All you need to clean your brushes is a little soap and water and the acrylic paint washes right off.

5. Create opaque colors without mediums.

You can turn any color into an opaque color if mixed thickly with titanium white. This will give you the opaque or even transparent color you’re looking for. We suggest not adding water into the mixture, but leaving it thick with just the titanium white and color of your choice. However, if you’re looking for something looking more like a watercolor, thin it up a little with some water.

These tips can save the quality of your paints, your painting time and help better you as an artist. Acrylic painting is a great way to get introduced to painting or if you’re an artist who just prefers to work more quickly, than acrylics are the way to go.

Original Post: 5 Pro Tips for Beginning Acrylic Artists