Acrylic Painting
Painting by Sammi Dumas, NHS, 2017
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Painting by Jun Wu, NHS, 2016
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Acrylic Vocabulary
Gradient
Wash
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Reasons for using acrylics:
Acrylic paints are polymer-based, which means they are made of molecules that bind together to form a chain. It hardens to pliable plastic. Acrylic paints become permanent if not washed off
immediately.
Opposite of watercolors, once acrylic paint has dried, you can over the top with another color. A dark color over a light one will cover the light one completely. If you apply enough paint, you can completely cover a dark area with a light color. Mistakes are easily fixed in this way.
While thick paint can create interesting textures, you can also mix acrylics to be as light and
watery as watercolor paints, although they won’t create the same spontaneous effects as
watercolors. Watered down acrylics are transparent and you will be able to see the colors
applied underneath other colors.
When you add another color over the top of a previously
applied color, the old paint must be dry if you don’t want the colors to mix together. However,
brilliant sunsets, water scenes or colorful backgrounds can be created by mixing up many shades of diluted paint and allowing them to combine on the painting surface, keeping everything fairly
wet while working.
Water containers should always contain clean water. Light colors will be altered if you use dirty
water to mix them.
Care of brushes:
Our art budget does not allow for frequent replacement of brushes. Brushes should last for years if cared for properly. There are three parts to a brush---the handle, the ferrule and the bristles.
Only dip bristles in paint, never the ferrule. Once paint gets into the ferrule, it cannot be cleaned out easily and will affect the way the bristles lay, damaging the brush. You are responsible for
damaged brushes.
To wash a brush, run the ferrule and bristles under a flowing stream of water, gently loosening
bristles at their base, pushing the paint out in the same direction as the bristles come out of the
brush. You cannot simply run the bristles under the water---you must play an active role in the
process with your other hand! It is extremely important that there is no paint left near the ferrule. Gently spread bristles to check. Dry without twisting or pulling. Blot with a paper towel in the
same direction as the bristles.
Store brushes with bristles pointing up. This prevents damage to the bristles.
- Acrylic paint dries fast and that has always been it's primary advantage.
- Acrylics stick to a wide variety of surfaces.
- Acrylic paints are odorless and artists love this quality.
- Acrylics may be thinned with water just like watercolors.
Acrylic paints are polymer-based, which means they are made of molecules that bind together to form a chain. It hardens to pliable plastic. Acrylic paints become permanent if not washed off
immediately.
Opposite of watercolors, once acrylic paint has dried, you can over the top with another color. A dark color over a light one will cover the light one completely. If you apply enough paint, you can completely cover a dark area with a light color. Mistakes are easily fixed in this way.
While thick paint can create interesting textures, you can also mix acrylics to be as light and
watery as watercolor paints, although they won’t create the same spontaneous effects as
watercolors. Watered down acrylics are transparent and you will be able to see the colors
applied underneath other colors.
When you add another color over the top of a previously
applied color, the old paint must be dry if you don’t want the colors to mix together. However,
brilliant sunsets, water scenes or colorful backgrounds can be created by mixing up many shades of diluted paint and allowing them to combine on the painting surface, keeping everything fairly
wet while working.
Water containers should always contain clean water. Light colors will be altered if you use dirty
water to mix them.
Care of brushes:
Our art budget does not allow for frequent replacement of brushes. Brushes should last for years if cared for properly. There are three parts to a brush---the handle, the ferrule and the bristles.
Only dip bristles in paint, never the ferrule. Once paint gets into the ferrule, it cannot be cleaned out easily and will affect the way the bristles lay, damaging the brush. You are responsible for
damaged brushes.
To wash a brush, run the ferrule and bristles under a flowing stream of water, gently loosening
bristles at their base, pushing the paint out in the same direction as the bristles come out of the
brush. You cannot simply run the bristles under the water---you must play an active role in the
process with your other hand! It is extremely important that there is no paint left near the ferrule. Gently spread bristles to check. Dry without twisting or pulling. Blot with a paper towel in the
same direction as the bristles.
Store brushes with bristles pointing up. This prevents damage to the bristles.
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ACRYLIC PAINT METHODS
Divide your paper into rows of rectangles.
Select ONE color, along with some white. Fill in your rectangles in the following way: *very thin straight lines with the tip of a thin brush *alternating thin and thick lines *circles and dots *cross-hatching (plaid) *stippling *gradient from dark to light *make a design with a white crayon and brush a light wash over it *paint one layer of wash, then wait for it to dry and paint over a portion of it *paint and press bubblewrap over the wet paint *use q-tips or pencil eraser Be careful not to go outside of the rectangles, and keep your paper neat. |
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