If you are taking up painting as a hobby or even as a part of your professional portfolio it is good to start with an easy medium. For instance, it is normally believed that oil paints can be used to produce paintings that have a specific look that is clear and distinctive and watercolors are used to create paintings that are a bit vague and lighter in nature. Both these mediums have their own pros and cons and need a lot of thought and efforts required in their own way but acrylics are considered to be an easier medium to paint with. Having said that, acrylics also have the quality of drying out quickly, which if you are into painting, you will know is both a good and bad quality to have. You need to learn how to mix acrylic paints as a first step to be able to paint well.

Only when you master this initial step for painting with acrylics should you even consider abstract acrylic painting ideas. It would also be a good idea for you to learn acrylic painting tips for beginners so that you have a good idea on how to go about it.

Painting With Acrylics: Tips And Examples

Try to keep the paint moist with mister: Since the special quality of acrylic paints is the tendency to dry quickly, it is best you keep a mister that is often used to clean houseplants to keep the paints moist.

Be efficient and paint your larger shapes first: Since the paint on the palette is going dry out fast, make it a point to be very efficient and paint the larger shapes in the painting you are planning first. The details which could be smaller can be painted later.

Use a medium to keep the paint wetter for a longer time: The fact is that though acrylic paints tend to dry faster, it is possible to use a special medium to do this and this could help you with your work.

Use brushes that are made of synthetic material: Since acrylic paints are a little hard on the brushes, it is better to use synthetic brushes to ensure that they last longer. They also tend to hold the paints well and are easier to keep clean.

Use medium sized brush: A flat medium sized brush can be used for most things like a slightly broader stroke or used sideways to make the finer strokes. Once you have done the painting broadly, you can always go in with a finer brush and add the details you want to.

Wet your brush constantly: When painting with acrylics, another thing that you can do is keep the brush wet at all times by dipping it in a shallow dish of water to ensure easier application of color and ease of cleaning once you are done.

Remember that acrylic dries dark: Since acrylics tend to drier than when they are wet, one has to take care to apply the layers accordingly to get the desired result.

Use acrylics for layering: Since acrylics tend to dry really quickly, these are great for painting layers as one does not have to wait for one layer to dry before applying another one.

Acrylics can fulfil the role of water and oil colors: Acrylics are flexible in the sense that they can produce paintings like the ones that look as if they have been produced watercolors as well as oil paints and can be used for all kinds of paintings.

Add white to increase the opacity of the color: Some pigments in acrylic paints have a translucent quality and to circumvent this, you can mix it in white to increase the opaque quality of the color.

As we have said earlier, acrylic paints tend to dry faster and you can use it to create an under layer if that is what your painting requires. What is more, this medium makes it easier to do many kinds of art projects.