How to Paint with Acrylics for Beginners
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How to Paint with Acrylics for Beginners

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Beginner’s Guide to Acrylics…

Okay Hobbyists… let’s start something new! I have always loved to paint and acrylics have been my weapon of choice so to speak. I thought I would share my beginner’s guide to acrylic painting for those of you who are interested. Remember, I’m not a professional, I’m a hobbyist so as always your thoughts, feedback and comments are MUCH appreciated!! 

Getting Started With Acrylics

What are we painting? Floral/Fantasy/Scenic designs are great, beginner friendly painting ideas. Something else for you to consider though is what you are painting on. I recently made a post about the painted serving tray I did for Mother’s Day Best DIY Gifts: Painted Floral Serving Trays – The Hobbyists and while I love canvas painting I thought this was a new and fun way to gift a painting.

Acrylics work well on:

  • Glass
    • Canvas
      • Paper
        • Wood 

Materials for getting started:

  • Canvas of whatever size floats your boat https://a.co/d/g0NGJw2 
  • Paints, of course! You can either opt for a starter kit on amazon/your local craft store or hand pick a couple colors at Walmart/your favorite store. I recently bought https://a.co/d/cVLFY6B off Amazon. To be honest, especially at first, I do not think brand matters. I will say that my first paints were the APPLE BARREL brand (Walmart) and they work just fine for me (they are just a little bit on the runny side).
  • Brushes (a variety pack will do!)
  • Paint palette (s) (in a bind, a swatch of cardboard or paper plates suffice!) https://a.co/d/cyduB27  

**I have also used construction paper but this often leads to a soggy mess over time**

  • Paint cup (I like to use a glass/see through cup so I can monitor where the water is at.. From kinda murky to absolute abyss)

**Additional Materials**

unchecked Finishing gloss: this step not only helps to even out a painting but enhances color brilliance, depth and is a protective coat. While I have seen many artists use a thicker finishing gloss (one they paint in a thin layer over their finished project). I, however, have opted instead for a spray paint finishing gloss because… easy 😉

unchecked Gesso: a multi-service paint primer good for aiding in extending a paint’s life cycle and make a surface easier to work on

unchecked Acrylic paint pens (these are great for adding small details/outlines and even for signing your project) I bought a set from Amazon that I kept seeing on TikTok and they have worked pretty well for me (with a few dry issues) which I am not sure if this is normal, user error or brand-specific as these are the only I have worked with. https://a.co/d/4phk4Nh 

How to find Inspiration for your Paintings

Art is rather forgiving in that it can be perfect in its imperfection, so you can take off the pressure to be perfect, especially from the rip! But in terms of gathering ideas and getting into something new, I highly recommend consuming art as much as possible and seeing what floats your boat the most. When I started painting years ago, I often looked to skylines and streets, landscapes and individual objects to paint. More recently, I was inspired by florals (specifically hydrangeas which you will have seen on the Mother’s Day board) and also bookshelves. This is because I found videos on social media which sparked joy for me.

This actually brings me to my second tip:

MIMIC what you see!

Listen closely, there is NOTHING wrong with seeing artwork you like and trying to create it yourself! From a Bob Ross video to your favorite online creator… mimicry is how you learn! It helps to start off with a certain technique/style and play with it until you’re comfortable enough to make changes/add your own flare and develop your own personal style!

I have personally LOVED the work of artists such as Ktscanvases who’s bookshelf paintings inspired my “painted bookshelf wall” https://www.tiktok.com/@ktscanvases?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc 

@ktscanvases

And Camilla_Creations who not only did a step by step video tutorial for painting hydrangeas but whose general demeanor and painting style I find rather soothing.

@camilla_creations

Patience is a virtue… unfortunately!

This for me is the hardest part… waiting for paint layers to dry is the ABSOLUTE worst! This is most likely due to the fact that as a hobbyists and NOT a professional I sit to paint when the mood strikes and not because it is my job.

Ergo, I do not want to wait! I want to get it done in one sitting because who knows if I will still feel like painting when the first layer is dry!

Practice, practice, practice

This doesn’t require that you create entire pieces over and over; I have often found myself practicing a particular technique or shape on cardstock (construction paper is also fine though if you have cardstock on hand that material tends to hold paint a little better than construction paper). You can also find booklets of acrylic paper at Walmart, Target, your local craft stores or even Amazon for those of you who prefer to shop online https://a.co/d/g78FWiC.

This is more cost effective than purchasing canvases. 

Consider your light source

This is a game changer as far as improving your paintings! It can make your projects look more realistic, add depth and can be a fun way to play with your work. Light sources can be natural or artificial such as sunlight or a flashlight; whether this object is pictured in your painting or not, light manipulates highlights and shadows in your work which can make a huge difference in your approach to your painting!

Don’t Neglect Your Highlights & Shadows

These will make a HUGE difference in your overall piece! A little highlight (be that a slightly lighter shade of an object’s primary color such as a pale yellow on top of a darker yellow or even a white highlight for a more dramatic highlight) can go a long way!

The opposite goes for shadows; a darker shade of your primary color adds depth and aids in creating a more dynamic piece!

Start with your mid-tone

This piggy-backs off my previous tip about finding your light source! For example, say you’ve decided to paint a ball. Just a simple, round ball. Your highlights and shadows will give it depth, but it helps to START your painting with your mid-tone as the base.

Shade while wet

Though I previously mentioned the importance of patience… There is some benefit to utilizing wet or semi-wet paint when it comes to SHADING your work. You will find that those highlights and shadows blend much more easily when your work has yet to dry down. I especially appreciate this whenever I am painting flowers as they require a more delicate blend in order to seem lifelike!

Give Yourself Some Grace!

You’re doing this for fun! I love wearing my comfies and drinking coffee or tea with a sweet treat, a comfort movie or music in the background and nothing but a mess of color in front of me! Painting is one of my many happy places and I hope to share that with all my fellow hobbyists!

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