Getting started with Acrylic - A beginners guide to acrylic painting

What are acrylic paints?

Vibrant and fast drying, acrylic paints are one the most popular format of paints that have a creamy texture and glides smoothly on application.  Acrylic paints are one of the most versatile and beginner friendly paint- perfect if you are new to art or starting after a long break.

Acrylic paints come in wide range of colour and can be applied on many surfaces. The colours are bold and vibrant giving your artwork a bright and eye-catching satin finish. They can be mixed with water to create different consistencies of paints.

The best part of painting with acrylics – you don’t have to be an expert in painting. Whether you want to paint abstract or you want to paint landscapes or playful patterns - anything is possible for acrylic paints as they are easy and forgiving. If you don’t like the last stroke - you can easily paint over it.

What do you need to get started?

Here is the good news: you don’t need much to get started with acrylic painting.

Easy essentials that will make your painting experience fun and enjoyable:

1. Acrylic Paints:

We recommend you start with an acrylic paint set of 12 or 18 colours - they have a wide range of shades giving lots of options to discover and experiment.

2. Acrylic Brushes:

When you are starting off, you want to have an option of a few brushes that will allow you to try different styles - from filling out larger areas to create smaller details. Choose a set of brushes that has different sizes and shapes.

3. Acrylic Paper Pad:

Designed to offer an enjoyable experience and to handle the thick paint, the canvas textured natural white paper is the perfect companion for your acrylic painting journey. The best quality of reeves paper pad is that they are ready to use and don’t need any preparation.

Reeves art supplies including paint tubes, brushes, and a palette on a wooden surface.

What are the different ways to explore acrylic painting?

1. Start with basic painting techniques

Try simple strokes to get a feel of the paint and see how the brushes work on the paper with the paint.

2. Try layering

Paint one colour, let it dry and then paint another colour on top of it to see how they sit together

3. Make Abstract Art

This is the perfect way for beginners to create an artwork. There are no rules - all you have is add your favourite colours to the paper pad. Swirls, dots, splashes or overlapping shapes - explore the colours and brush movements at your pace.

4. Find Inspiration

Feeling stuck and not sure what to paint? Find inspiration – a flower from your garden or the coffee mug on your desk or even an easy reference from the internet.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to take the first step. The rest will just follow.

Why should you choose acrylic painting?

Whether you are painting to relax or trying out something new, here are top 5 reasons why you should choose acrylic painting:

1. Beginner Friendly: Easy to use and enjoy, acrylic paints are perfect for beginners

2. Quick drying: Perfect doing quick and easy painting sessions as acrylic paints are quick to dry

3. Works on multiple surfaces: Acrylic paints are versatile and can be used on paper, wood or canvas

4. Pocket friendly: Acrylic painting is budget friendly as you don’t need a lot of materials to get started.

5. Forgiving Medium: It is easy to make changes to your painting with acrylic painting if you are not happy with your last layer of colour.

Acrylic painting is about exploring colours, expressing yourself and most importantly - remembering to have fun doing it. You can experiment and create your own art with reeves’ quick drying acrylic paint with vibrant colours.

Grab your paints and brushes and take that first step – simply enjoy the process.