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Acrylic Painting: the Beginners Guide

With acrylic painting, you got the best of both worlds! They dry fast like watercolors do since they are water-soluble and unlike oil paintings, they retain their glory even after years have passed. They also dry insoluble, remain flexible and aren’t brittle like oil paintings. Since they dry fast, it may be a tad difficult for beginners who don’t get much time to mix and manipulate the wet point. Acrylic can be used opaquely or with water or media based on the transparency you need. Acrylic is relatively a newcomer with its advent only in the 1950’s, much later than the materialization of oils and watercolors. Acrylic Painting has gained popularity since then and is now commonly taught in drawing classes for adults as well as kids.

Here are some Acrylic Painting Tips:

  • Due to their water-soluble properties, cleaning up involves no harmful solvents. Most acrylics have a small amount of formaldehyde or similar components to prevent mold growth on them. This might be allergic to some people.
  • They dry pretty easily, making it difficult for people in dry climates to paint using them. Painting in layers are much easier with acrylics.
  • Acrylic paintings are compatible with a variety of mediums such as glossy medium, pumice stone gel, matte acrylic patenting gel, crackle paste and thus produce textures and surfaces of different kind.
  • To create a strong current of color, a dry brush and undiluted paint will do. This produces uneven lines but can be used effectively for a painterly effect.
  • When diluted, they act somewhat like watercolors but are permanent in nature.  Translucent washes can applied with the same. Mixing dry and wash brushes can create wonders on a single piece.
  • Stippling is a technique that creates a constellation/ assemblage of tiny dots which is a great way to show texture and create intriguing effects with different shades of the same color.
  • Splattering is the technique in which one flicks or splatter wet paint on a surface for an uneven splatter effect. It’s perfect for illustrating an abstract landscape or a starry night or simply to add texture to any piece.
  • Dabbing is yet another effective technique for adding textures. Using the corner of a sponge or a piece of paper towel you can dab on color blotches. Dabbing adds movement, like the one needed to depict the movement of trees or rustling of leaves.
  • For an artsy effect, one can opt for a palette knife. Even though it may appear complex, even beginners can easily get accustomed to it. Taking spreading Nutella on bread as a reference, you can easily get used to this technique. Simply scrap a bit of paint using the palette knife and apply it on the work surface ad let your imagination fly.

Ocean Kids, Dubai can nurture your child’s drawing skills. Our experienced trainers provide the best art/ drawing classes in Dubai and teach them everything from the dots, lines, hatching to creating wonderful landscapes, portraits and other everything around us. We also have dance classes, music classes, karate classes and yoga classes for your kids.

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