Acrylic is often recommended to beginners because it dries quickly, thins and cleans up with water, and works on many surfaces (see the best paint medium for beginners if you are still choosing). Those same traits can also trip you up, so most good habits come down to working with the fast drying rather than against it. This guide collects the basics, with links to deeper pages on canvas, layers and brushes.
Start with a small, simple setup
You do not need a large kit. A few tubes, two or three brushes, a surface to paint on, a palette and two water jars are enough to begin. Many teachers suggest starting small (for example, panels or small canvases) so you can finish paintings and learn from them instead of stalling on one large piece.
If you are choosing between grades, student-grade paints are generally cheaper and fine for learning. Artist-grade paints usually contain more pigment, which can make colors stronger, but they are not required to get started.
Which colors to buy first
A limited palette teaches color mixing and keeps costs down. A common starting set is:
- A warm and a cool red
- A warm and a cool yellow
- A blue (ultramarine is a frequent choice) and a second, cooler blue
- Titanium white
- Optionally a dark brown or earth color such as burnt umber
Mixing from a few colors helps your paintings look unified. You can add tubes later when you notice a specific color you keep wanting but cannot mix.
Straight from the tube, or thinned?
Both are common. Thick paint straight from the tube gives bold, opaque coverage and visible texture. Thinned paint, mixed with water or an acrylic medium, flows more easily and is used for washes and glazes. Water in small amounts is usually fine, but too much can make the paint weak and streaky and may stop it from forming a good film. If you want a much more fluid paint, a medium is generally the safer choice than lots of water.
Keep your paint workable
Acrylic can start to skin over within minutes, depending on the room and how thickly you apply it. A few habits help:
- Squeeze out only as much paint as you need for the next stretch of painting.
- Mist the palette lightly with water.
- Try a stay-wet palette, which uses a damp sheet under a layer of palette paper to keep paint usable for longer.
- If you want longer blending time, a retarder or slow-drying medium can help, following the maker’s directions.
- Do not put all your hopes on smooth wet blends. Many painters build gradients in several quick layers instead.
Prepare the surface and tone the canvas
Most store-bought stretched canvases and canvas panels come pre-primed with acrylic gesso. Raw canvas or board usually needs a coat or two of gesso first. See the page on whether acrylic paint is good on canvas and the comparison of canvas types for acrylic for more detail.
Many painters also tone the surface with a thin wash of a mid-value color. A blank white canvas can make it hard to judge values, and a light tone removes that glare. Drawing your layout in chalk or thinned paint first is another common step; chalk can be wiped away or painted over. The idea of toning is covered in more depth in toning a canvas for oil painting, and the principle is the same for acrylic.
Build the painting in layers
A reliable order is to start with thin, loose layers to block in big shapes and values, then move toward thicker, more opaque paint and details at the end. Let layers dry before painting over them where you want clean edges or glazes. The first pass often looks rough, and that is normal. For drying times, glazing and fixing problems, read painting layers with acrylic.
Choose a few brushes
For acrylics, synthetic brushes are the usual recommendation because they tolerate water and fast-drying paint. A medium flat, a medium round and a small round or liner cover a lot of ground, and a larger flat helps with backgrounds. A closer look at shapes and what they do is in brush types for acrylic painting.
Mix colors on purpose
Muddy color is a common complaint, and much of the advice in oil painting color theory and mixing basics applies to acrylic too. Frequent causes include mixing too many colors together, working over paint that has not dried, and picking up dirty water on your brush. Try these steps:
- Mix from two or three colors at a time, plus white.
- Change your rinse water when it becomes cloudy.
- Wipe the brush on a towel after rinsing so you are not adding extra water to the mix.
- Remember that acrylic often dries slightly darker than it looked when wet, so test a swatch if the color matters.
Glass and faces
Can you use acrylic paint on glass? Standard acrylic can be applied to glass, but it may not adhere well over time and can scratch or peel, especially where the object is handled or washed. Craft paints made for glass, or a primer or sealer designed for glass, are commonly suggested for items you plan to use. Check the product labels.
How do you paint a face? Faces are easier when you break them into steps: a simple pencil or thin-paint layout, a mid-tone base, then darker shadow shapes and lighter highlights. Keep early layers thin so you can correct proportions. Practicing with a photo reference and a limited palette is a sensible way to start, and a basic drawing foundation helps.
Clean-up, drying and finishing
Rinse brushes often during painting and wash them with soap and water afterward. Do not let paint dry in the bristles at the ferrule, because dried acrylic is hard to remove. Allow finished paintings to dry fully before moving or stacking them. Many artists apply a varnish to protect a finished piece, though it is optional for casual work; follow the instructions for the product you choose.
A short practice routine
- Paint a small value study in one color plus white.
- Mix a color chart from your starting palette.
- Practice brush strokes with each brush: lines, dabs, flat strokes and washes.
- Finish a small painting each week, keeping notes on what you would change, or try daily painting challenges.
Short, regular sessions tend to help more than rare long ones.