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Are you looking for some new acrylic painting ideas? There are some amazing acrylic painting techniques that you may want to try to give your creations a new style. The techniques used for acrylic painting are varied and are specifically tied to its properties, so it's helpful to have some background knowledge of these acrylic painting techniques before you start out. So whether you're a seasoned master or looking for some simple acrylic painting techniques for beginners, we'll cover the important bases in this simple-to-follow guide that will give you some excellent acrylic painting ideas...

Otto Rohm is credited with having developed acrylic paints in the early 20th century, after initially inventing acrylic resin. Acrylic paint is synthetic and was first brought to the mainstream in the 1940s.

Acrylic has properties of both watercolour and oil paints. Like watercolour paint, it's a water-soluble medium. However, unlike watercolour, it becomes water-resistant when dry. The final result of acrylic paint on canvas can differ greatly, depending on a variety of variables; such as, how diluted the paint is with water, if it's mixed with other mediums (i.e. acrylic gels, pastes, mediums, sand), the tools used by the artist, and how it's applied to the canvas.

9 Acrylic Painting Techniques

The great thing about acrylic paint is that, unlike watercolour, it does not require a specialist canvas. Acrylic paint can be used on most surfaces and is commonly used on paper and fabrics as well as canvas. Don't be afraid to experiment with different surfaces and acrylic techniques.

We understand that a blank canvas can be daunting, so we've put together nine easy acrylic painting techniques for newcomers and experienced artists alike. We hope that this will inspire you to create your next masterpiece...

1. Dry brush

This is quite self-explanatory - simply apply paint onto your canvas with a dry brush. This technique is great if you wanted a highly pigmented stroke of colour with rough, scratchy unrefined edges.

2. Washing

Washing makes your acrylic colours more translucent. This technique emulates watercolour, but it sets permanently. Just add a little water to your acrylic paints and experiment with some effects.

3. Stippling

Stippling is based on a technique initially used for printing in the early 1500s by Gulio Campagnola. Apply the head of your brush to your surface with a repetitive dabbing motion to create this effect. You can use stippling to separate colour through individual strokes of pigment. Stippling is similar to pointillism, which tends to be more precise.

4. Pouring

This fantastic technique is simple to execute and allows you to create some stunning works of abstract art. Choose the colours you'd like to use and individually mix them with a pouring medium. After this step you have two options:

1. You can pour your colours individually onto the canvas

2. You can pour all the colours into a container, then put the canvas on top, right side facing down, flip it so that the right side of the canvas is upwards and the container of paint is on top, facing down. Slowly release the container and move the paint around the canvas.

5. Splattering

This technique is about colour, expression and embracing the chaotic nature of life. The technique is achieved by wetting your brush in water, before dipping it into an acrylic pigment of your choice before flicking/splatter your soaked brush onto the canvas.

Jackson Pollock was a prominent figure in the abstract expressionist movement and he was known for using the splatter technique to achieve bespoke pieces.

6. Dabbing

This can be achieved by using a stiff bristle brush or paper towel. Paint is applied with light and fast pressure. Dabbing adds movement to your painting and is often used to illustrate bushes or greenery. See Claude Monet for examples.

7. Palette Knife

This technique can be used in both acrylic and oil mediums. It is achieved by loading a palette knife with paint and applying it on to the canvas with the palette knife. This will create great texture. Bob Ross makes magic through the use of this technique.

8. Detailing

Detailing is accomplished by using a fine brush, moderately wetting it so it maintains a pointy form. The brush is then used in a similar way as a pen or pencil. You can use this technique to add intricate detail to your paintings.

9. Underpainting

Underpainting - also referred to as "dead colouring" - is used to create a foundation for the artist to layer colour on. It is highly useful for building contrast and tonal values. Underpainting can be utilised to create tonal dominance within the painting through uniting.
Feeling inspired? Stock up on acrylic paints & accessories today enjoy some fantastic savings across our entire range!
Need some more acrylic inspiration? These blog posts have you covered:
How to Paint on Wood with Acrylics
Give your Artwork a Boost with Acrylic Mediums
How to Use Pouring Medium When Painting with Acrylics

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Are you looking for some new acrylic painting ideas? There are some amazing acrylic painting techniques that you may want to try to give your creations a new style. The techniques used for acrylic painting are varied and are specifically tied to its properties, so it's helpful to have some background knowledge of these acrylic painting techniques before you start out.

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Acrylic paint is a versatile and vibrant medium with which you can create paintings of any style. But before you can create beautiful paintings, you'll have to learn how to use acrylic paint. Read on to learn how to use different acrylic paint materials, methods and more.

If you've never used acrylic paint before, it might seem like an intimidating medium to master. But as you'll see in this post, it's anything but - in fact, it's one of the more accessible methods of painting for beginners. Supplies are minimal and the method is quite easy when you break it down.

Let's explore the wonderful world of acrylic painting so you can get started creating your own art.

Assemble your materials:

What do you need to get started with acrylic paint? Actually, not a whole lot. Here are some of the things you'll need.

Paint

Acrylic paint comes in a dizzying array of colors and textures. Which kind is right for you? In general, you'll find two different types of acrylic paint:

1. Fluid, which is thinner and will drip out of the tube

2. Heavy body or high viscosity, which is more like the texture and thickness of soft of butter.

One is not better than the other; it simply depends on what type of look you are going for. If you ultimately want to move on to thick, Van Gogh-style creations, go with the heavy body style. If you want to create fluid, dreamy landscapes, try out the fluid kind.

In terms of colors, for a beginner, it's good to start out basic with tubes of red, blue, yellow, black, and white paint. Between these colors, you can mix any color, from skin tones to nature scenes.

Not only is choosing minimal colors the most cost-effective way to get started with acrylic paint, but it will help you learn how to mix colors so that you can attain your desired hue and can understand the role that each color plays in mixtures.

Brushes

You'll need some brushes appropriate for acrylic paint before you get started. Acrylic brushes are typically longer and sturdier than watercolor brushes, and needfully so, as they are often pressed harder into the work surface while painting.

To get started, stay fairly minimal: one large and one small round brush, and maybe one large and one small flat brush, should be a perfect starting point.

A palette

You need a surface to mix different colors of paint. Paper is too absorbent, and your paint will stick to it. You want a non-stick surface. You can use palette paper, a professional palette, or even a porcelain plate.

A palette knife

A palette knife is an inexpensive and invaluable tool for working with acrylic paint. It will help you mix paint colors in the most efficient way. You can use the knife not only for mixing colors but to apply paint to a surface, too - this lends particularly painterly effect to your pieces.

You can, technically, mix colors with your brush. But you may find that paint gets embedded in the brush and ultimately gets wasted and not mixed properly. Plus, the vigorous mixing motion can damage the bristles, so it's not suggested that you use a brush to mix colors as a rule.

A work surface

What type of surface would you like to paint on? If you'd like to ultimately paint on canvas, canvas paper is a great beginning medium that is inexpensive and has a texture similar to stretched canvas. Board, wood, and bristol board are all great choices, too.

Depending on your work surface, you might find it easier to set up your surface on an easel. An easel is not appropriate for paper or more flexible work surfaces, though.

Water

Have a cup of water at the ready for cleaning your brush and watering down the paint if needed. If you're using a drinking cup, designate this as a paint-only cup from now on.

Scrap paper

Scrap paper is fantastic to have on hand to wipe away excess paint from your brush or test out paint quality. It can be as simple as a sheet of blank printer paper.

Assemble your work station:

By having your work station set up properly, you'll make the painting process far easier.

Set up your palette

Once you have your supplies ready, you can set up your palette. Regardless of what you want to paint, it can be helpful to have a dab of each primary color plus black and white.

Space each color so that there is plenty of "white space" around it, so that you have room to mix and that the paint can spread without getting crowded.

Treat your surface

If you're painting on canvas, you'll want to treat your surface before you get started. A coat of gesso will dry quickly and will keep your painting archival. Not all surfaces require treating. Check the manufacturer's suggestions on whichever work surface you've chosen.

Mix colors

Get painting

Start painting! Adjust the consistency of your paint using a small amount of water on the brush as desired. You can begin to paint free-form, or try out a simple method like a monochromatic painting or try a self-portrait.

Experiment, and enjoy!

From here, you can take your art into your own hands. Experiment with different styles, or different media, including painting with your palette knife or including catalyst wedges in your art.

Acrylic paint tips:

These tips will help ensure painting success.

Cover colors if you need to take a break

Acrylic paint cannot be "revived" once it dries, so if you need to take a break, seal your paint in an airtight container to keep it wet. For a short break, you could simply cover the palette with plastic wrap; for a longer break, you could put the entire palette in an airtight storage container, or use your palette knife to transfer individual colors to airtight containers.

Let your painting dry completely

After your painting is done, let it dry completely before you move it. There's no bigger bummer than creating a masterpiece and then accidentally mashing your thumb into wet paint.

Enjoy!

You might not be creating masterpieces right from the get-go, but with practice, you'll begin to develop skills and confidence in your painting. It's a wonderful journey - enjoy it.

Have you ever used acrylic paint?

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How to Use Acrylic Paint: Beginner's Manual for the Medium

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Acrylic paint is a versatile and vibrant medium with which you can create paintings of any style. But before you can create beautiful paintings, you'll have to learn how to use acrylic paint. Read on to learn how to use different acrylic paint materials, methods and more.

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Throughout art history, people have been using various materials to express themselves. Artists have always chosen concepts and techniques that fit their skills and artistic expression. This quest started with pigmented powder used for drawing on Altamira cave walls and has come a long way to implementing modern technology in creating art.

Our ultimate guide on art mediums will inform you about various art materials people have used over time. It will also point out what you should focus on when determining a perfect medium of choice for your fine art. The following article will help you choose the art medium that best suits you, whether you are starting an art career, selecting an art school, or are wanting to reinvent your artistic style.

Detail from Idealized Portrait of a Lady (1480), egg tempera on poplar panel, by SANDRO BOTTICELLI (1445-1510) | Source: artyfactory.com

Different Types of Traditional Painting and Drawing Styles

Because of the wide variety of painting techniques and drawing styles, painting mediums and drawing tools demand their own section in any comprehensive guide on different art mediums. There are a multitude of surfaces to paint and draw on.

Tempera

Tempera is a term that stands for paint mixed with cohesive materials, such as egg yolk, and describes the painting style and the art medium. This material makes tempera fast-drying and a long-lasting art medium, with evidence of tempera artworks dating back to the 1st century A. D.

Oil Painting

This is a traditional art technique that started being recognized as an artistic medium in 15th century Europe. Oil paints, as the name says, usually contain linseed oil that makes them dry slower than others. The prolonged drying time is the advantage of using oil painting as an art medium. It offers artists an opportunity to change some segments of their work or paint a different scene altogether by adding another layer of paint onto the canvas.

Acrylic painting

Regarding drying times, acrylic paints dry fast, as opposed to oil painting, and once they dry, they become water-resistant. However, you can dissolve acrylic paint with water before you apply it on canvas to achieve the effect of gouache or watercolors. Painting with acrylic allows artists to add layers or textures to their artwork, enhancing glossiness and giving it depth. Or they can add water to achieve a matte effect in their paintings.
Watercolors
Using watercolor paint as an art medium can be challenging for beginners in the art world. Many artists love watercolors because of their seemingly endless color palette. Once you apply these on paper, there is little you can do to change the result. However, watercolors add a translucent quality to paintings and are ideal for capturing the change of light.

Charcoal

This is one of the oldest art mediums used for drawing. Charcoal sticks are made of powdered organic material bound with wax or gum. You can use charcoal to make either pale lines or strong, expressive ones. This artistic material is easily erasable, so it is recommended to apply some fixatives on charcoal drawings to ensure the artwork's longevity.
Pastels
These art mediums consist of paint pigment similar to the ones in oil paints and a binding material. Using pastels in drawing and painting became popular in the 18th century. Artists can use a combination of different pastels depending on the effect they want to achieve. For example, soft pastels are great for blending, while you use hard pastels to create sharp outlines or sketch the larger composition. There are also pan pastels, a modern version of this art medium that is applied with a soft sponge. You can choose to work with oil pastels that provide an intensity of colors, or water-soluble pastels if you want thinner layers of semi-transparent colors that blend easily.
Chalk
Here is another organic material artists have been using for drawing since the Paleolithic era. Artistic chalk usually comes in three versions, black, white, and sanguine, depending on the material. Black chalks contain soft black stone, whites are made from limestone, and sanguines contain red ochre. Chalks were originally used for sketching but became an independent art medium during the Renaissance.

Graphite pencils

These have been in use as an art medium since the 17th century France. You can use graphite for sketching, outlining, or shading. There are graphite pencils of varying hardness you can use in creating fine art. This is a convenient art medium because it allows you to remake your work by erasing parts of a drawing or an entire work.
Colored pencils
Everyone used colored pencils for drawing and coloring as a child, making your first attempts to express yourself creatively. Colored pencils have come a long way from being a child's toy to becoming a professional art medium. They gained considerable attention and respect in the modern art world because of the numerous advantages they offer. Colored pencils' artwork is expressive, deep, and luminescent. At the same time, this art medium gives artists an opportunity to make photographically realistic pieces of art.
Pen and ink
This is also a familiar art medium where you use a pen for outlining and adding color in art forms like pen art or hand lettering and calligraphy. You can choose between different types of pens, like graphic pens, fountain pens, or drafting pens, depending on what you want to do with it. Ink is a powerful but unforgiving art medium, so you really need to master ink drawing skills before you start creating with it. What makes pen and ink artworks so expressive is the ratio of the blank spaces and the ink-filled spaces on paper.

We are going to move on now and explore what other types of art mediums artists have used throughout history to express their ideas and emotions.

Umberto Boccioni's Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1912-1913) from different angles, via zbrushcentral.com | Source: antheamissy.com

The Evolution of Three-Dimensional Art

The most common definition of three-dimensional artwork is a piece of art that can be observed in dimensions of height, width, and depth. Since the beginning of time, people have been creating sculptures using various concepts, techniques, and art materials. Installations, performance art, and decorative art, also fall into this category along with sculpture, which is the epitome of three-dimensional art.

The oldest piece of three-dimensional art is a sculpture of Venus of Berekhat Ram. This stone-carved figure dates back to 230,000 years B.C. It represents a symbol of female fertility and is one of the numerous similar figures scattered around Europe. It is believed that these first examples of prehistoric sculptures had significant roles in rituals and ceremonies.

Three standard sculpture types that the art world recognizes are:

A free-standing sculpture that you can look at from any side or angle by walking around it.

Bas relief is when the shape is carved out so that it stands out slightly against the background of the original material

High relief forms are carved out to stand prominently against the background.

The most traditional art mediums used to create three-dimensional artworks were wood and stone. Nowadays, you can use contemporary materials, such as glass, foam, and plastic, to transform them into a genuine art piece. Artists use numerous techniques to create a three-dimensional interpretation of their artistic vision.

Carving - cutting out pieces of material, usually wood or stone, until you create the desired shape.

Casting - pouring a liquid art medium like iron into specially designed molds to develop parts of a large sculpture.

Modeling - manipulating and transforming soft art materials, like clay or plaster, and letting them harden into the desired shape. Contemporary artists also use different modeling methods for creating fantastic glass art pieces.

Construction is a creative process in which artists assemble a sculpture by combining various materials and using glue, wire, or welding to keep the elements together.

Modern times brought contemporary variations of three-dimensional art. For example, glass has become a significant art medium used in sculpting, installation, and decorative art. Concepts and techniques used in creating glass artwork determine their type. Many glass artforms involve the use of hot glass techniques, such as blown glass, sculpted glass, and cast glass. As the name indicates, artists work with hot glass, shaping it by blowing or casting it into molds.

The warm glass creative process involves heating the glass in an oven or a kiln. Two dominant techniques to reshape warm glass are slumping and fusing.

You can also work with cold glass to create pieces of art. You can grind, polish, or engrave glass to get the desired effect. There is also an etching technique you can apply in glass art to change the glass texture. You can achieve this by sandblasting or acid etching.

Another of these contemporary versions is installation art, where artists combine audiovisual effects and various materials to address significant issues that concern them. Art installations may focus on politics, human rights, or the environment, for example. The most common is light installation art, where light and sculpture blend to create a magnificent artistic effect.

Artists involved in performance art use their bodies or bodies of other participants as a perfect medium to express their core values and convey their unique message to audiences.

Left: Pablo Picasso - Maquette for Guitar, 1912 / Right: Maquette for Guitar at the exhibition of Picasso sculptures in MoMA | Source: widewalls.ch

Mixed Media Techniques and Unconventional Artistic Expression

Art continues to evolve, bringing numerous avant-garde artistic movements to the scene. Artists who want to differentiate themselves seek unconventional art mediums that will express their aesthetic principles and defy deeply-rooted definitions of fine art.

Mixed media art derives from the idea that you can use anything and everything for creating an amazing piece of art. Picasso and Braque first used various materials and everyday objects to created instinctive collages as amazing examples of mixed media art.

Collages are art pieces you make by combining various materials, like paper, cloth, newspaper clippings, and everyday objects to create unique artwork. You can even create a digital collage from art online.

Assemblage is a three-dimensional version of mixed media art created by arranging different objects and materials on a specific surface. Artists like Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg adopted it as an anti-aesthetic approach to making assemblage art which became widely used in the 1950s and 1960s.

Found objects are a mixed media form where artists use everyday objects and transform them into art pieces by putting them into a specific artistic concept.

Altered books technique involves physically changing a book and using it as a medium in an artistic process. You may cut out pages of a book to change it, or you can use cut pages as material for separate artwork.

Art journaling represents a way to enrich your record of different events, memories, and thoughts by adding the artistic touch to it. You can use a wide variety of art concepts and techniques in a mixed media art journal, or you can step up your game and start with mixed media journaling, also called junk journaling. This version of art journaling incorporates different items, like postcards, concert tickets, washi tape, decorative paper, or pictures from magazines. You can use various recycled items as art journal prompts. You can start with digital art journaling if you are an ardent fan of digital technologies and are exploring vast possibilities of implementing technology in creating art.

Photography as an Art Medium

Ever since its invention, photography has had a significant impact on the way people perceive history and everyday life. This powerful medium preserved some captivating moments in time to mark periods of groundbreaking social changes.

Technology development has provided people with numerous possibilities to express their artistic principles through photography. Artists have an opportunity to affect the final presentation by choosing different cameras, lenses, or films and setting parameters for framing and timing before they take a shot. The photography equipment and techniques used in the creative process rely heavily on the subject matter, tone, and the original impression the artist wants to achieve with their work. For example, portrait artists who focus on capturing single subjects will opt for larger cameras with shallow depth of field to keep the focus on the subject. Landscape photographers will choose quite the opposite camera and technique.

The same goes for choosing to work with black and white rather than colors. Black and white photography leaves a long-lasting impression by bringing lines, texture, and tone into the limelight.

Documentary photography aims to capture significant moments in history or everyday life that will faithfully depict an era. This type of photography is closely related to photojournalism and plays a significant role in pointing out burning social issues.

Landscape photography originated from landscape painting. Here, photographers focus on the environment, takingpictures of natural and urban surroundings and using framing and cropping methods to create extraordinary compositions.

Portrait photography has been around since the invention of the daguerreotype. This artistic photography style replaced portrait painting as a much faster and affordable way of capturing someone's image. The technological progress enabled artistic photographers to go out and use natural surroundings and light to create mesmerizing portraits.

Nude photography dates back to the invention of this art medium, and nude photographers originally wanted to evoke the classical ideal of beauty by presenting their subjects as nymphs or ancient heroes. As opposed to this, avant-garde nudes presented the human body as an independent entity liberated from all art conventions.

Digital photography has appeared with the rise of digital technology, offering an array of new possibilities for creating fantastic art pieces. Now photographers can create, edit, and retouch their work with the help of advanced programs and apps.

Artist Refik Anadol uses large collections of data and machine learning algorithms to create mesmerizing and dynamic installations. | By Wired on YouTube

Advanced Technology Provides Extraordinary Art Mediums

These are times of unprecedented progress in digital technology. The idea of using new computer technology in creating art appeared in the sixties with the first examples of digital art. Later, some tech and art enthusiasts started incorporating digital technology into their artistic installations. But the groundbreaking event that has opened new worlds to digital artists is the appearance and rise of the internet in the nineties. This enabled artists to create their art and present it to global audiences using various social media platforms.

Nowadays, the modern art scene is booming with artists that include digital technology innovations into their art installations to express their concern about significant issues. Some artists use lasers to create fantastic multimedia projects that present the perfect combination of light and sound. Others use 3D printers to embody their artistic visions and create memorable art performances. Therefore, advanced technology is reinventing the art scene by introducing extraordinary art mediums as a means of artistic expression.

Final Words

We compiled this complete guide on different mediums you can use in creating your art to present a short recapitulation of various art mediums throughout art history. We also focused on essential questions you need to answer before you start searching for an ideal medium for your artwork. Whether you are making your first steps in the world of art or are an accomplished artist seeking a fresh artistic expression, you need to choose your medium wisely.

The materials you will use to create works of art should reflect your unique idea and original message that you want to send to the world. Also, make sure that you use materials you enjoy working with because art creation should bring joy and satisfaction to the artist, not make them struggle all the time. With this in mind, you can choose the art medium that will fit your artistic identity.

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The Ultimate Guide on Different Art Mediums - ARTDEX

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The materials you will use to create works of art should reflect your unique idea and original message that you want to send to the world. This comprehensive guide on art mediums will help you make the right choice for your artwork. Read on to learn all about it.

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Listen to a song.
How does it make you feel?
What does it remind you of?
Literally describe the song!

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Find a masterwork from a past famous artist and recreate it in your own light.

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If you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in MoMA's collection, or an image of a MoMA publication or archival material (including installation views, checklists, and press releases), please contact Art Resource (publication in North America) or Scala Archives (publication in all other geographic locations).

MoMA licenses archival audio and select out of copyright film clips from our film collection. At this time, MoMA produced video cannot be licensed by MoMA/Scala. All requests to license archival audio or out of copyright film clips should be addressed to Scala Archives at [email protected] . Motion picture film stills cannot be licensed by MoMA/Scala. For access to motion picture film stills for research purposes, please contact the Film Study Center at [email protected] . For more information about film loans and our Circulating Film and Video Library, please visit https://www.moma.org/research-and-learning/circulating-film.

If you would like to reproduce text from a MoMA publication, please email [email protected] . If you would like to publish text from MoMA's archival materials, please fill out this permission form and send to [email protected] .

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Masterworks from the Collection Pre-1945 | MoMA

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If you would like to reproduce an image of a work of art in MoMA's collection, or an image of a MoMA publication or archival material (including installation views, checklists, and press releases), please contact Art Resource (publication in North America) or Scala Archives (publication in all other geographic locations).

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Drawing & Painting - The Virtual Instructor

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10 Essential Drawing Materials for SERIOUS Beginners