Beginner's Guide to Acrylic Painting

This guide will cover the basics of Acrylic Paint. It will include paint suggestions, brush information, recommended supplies, and special tips when using.

Acrylic Paint

Choosing a successful brand of acrylic paint can be a very painful process. There is no brand of paint that really sets the standards because it is more personal taste than anything else, but the brands Liquitex and Windsor Newton are two of high quality. I know students and professionals alike who swear by Liquitex. It is an easier paint to handle for beginners and has the high quality for professionals. An important note about choosing paint: never buy generic brand or student grade acrylic. Both Liquitex and Windsor Newton (among others) have a student grade version of their paints. The student grade, although cheaper than the professional grade, is not even close in quality. In addition to this, the student grade paints do not mix smoothly with each other, sometimes causing dirty colours. Stay away from student grades and generic paint. I also suggest staying clear of paint in jars. Use tubed paint. The stuff in jars does not seem to mix or work as nicely as tubed paint.

Brushes and Brush Care

Brushes come in many shapes, sizes and qualities. A painter can spend as much as a couple thousand dollars for top notch sets of paintbrushes. Luckily, an acrylic painter should not spend that much. The best way to choose the right brushes is to find cheap brushes that will hold their shape and will not fray. Don't go out and buy expensive brushes because acrylic paint will destroy them quickly. You will go through more brushes than watercolour or oil painters because of the harsh effects acrylic has on them. It is important that the brush can maintain its shape without fraying or bending. This also means replacing them when they no longer do so. However, your brushes should not be so cheap that they are unusable.

The proper way to care for your brushes is as follows:

-Do not leave your brushes in your dirty (or even clean) water with the brush end down. This will ruin your brushes and make them lose their shape.