Acrylic Painting for Beginners

Acrylic paint is a water-based art medium, made from synthetic resin binder mixed with pigments. The water-soluble part means it dries quickly, but it also means you don't need harsh solvents to dilute it, or clean your brushes - making it easier and faster to work with.

Acrylic paint is also incredibly versatile. Even though it's water-based, it becomes water-resistant when dry. Unlike other art media, acrylic paintings can be moved right away and canvas can also easily be rolled up without the risk of paint cracking.

1. Acrylic paint will adhere to most surfaces but won't work on anything that's oily or waxy.
2. Acrylic is known for its fast drying properties so keeping a spray bottle close by will prevent your palette from drying up or you can even get nifty stay-wet palettes
3. When mixing colours, stick to two or three to maintain colour intensity and avoid creating a 'muddy' effect.
4. Washing - a popular acrylic painting technique that involves diluting acrylic paint so that it becomes similar to watercolour, creating a translucent effect on your painting surface.
5. Flicking - a commonly applied practice that involves using a wet brush to flick paint onto a surface for a splatter effect that can add striking texture to artwork - it's also really fun!
6. Palette Knife Painting - which may sound technical and daunting but the goal is to create artwork that's unique and personal, so why not try! Use a palette knife as if you're spreading marmalade on toast to scrape, slice and splash paint on your surface.