Acrylic Paint

Acrylic Paint is a new medium relative to the history of art-making media.  It was developed post-WW2 for artists.  Acrylic paint is simply liquid plastic (if you are painting a room in your home, then latex paint is the commercial equivalent of acrylic paint).  If you let it dry on your brush, you will have serious difficulty cleaning it - if you are lucky, you may be able to salvage the brush.  

Acrylic Characteristics:
  • fast drying
  • colour dries darker than when wet
  • a form of plastic
  • available from textured formulas to smooth
  • ability to layer
  • water soluble - makes for easy clean-ups
  • ability to paint over
  • many different mediums and/or additives available to change or enhance paint in different ways

Acrylic Paint Demo (senior classes)

Initial Set-Up:
  • cut out two geometric shapes and an organic/irregular shape - larger than your sample surface
  • arrange shapes on sample surface so that they leave the page and overlap in areas
  • trace shapes in generally the same location for each sample you will create
  • tape compositions to a board, label with each technique (and your name!) 

In your Sketchbook:
  • title the sample
  • you will mount/glue your painted sample
  • you will note the technique and outline how you did it - record the steps
  • give personal comments on how you liked, see potential, etcetera for this technique in the future
1.  Alla Prima + Stippling
  • Directly apply paint to the surface.  Don't mix colours on your palette, rather, mix on the surface.
  • Use a stippled brush stroke - this is where the blending will take place.
  • The Group of 7 and Emily Carr worked in this style (alla prima) by going into the landscape to capture the feeling in the environment.  They would create studies and then return to their studios to work on the final piece.  Or if possible, they would complete the final work in the environment.
2.  Undercoat
  • this technique will add depth and can help create a more consistent, unified painting
  • psychological effects of colour can further emphasize an internal meaning that the artist wants to convey to the viewer
  • apply an even layer of paint (single colour or blending between 2 or 3 colours) before painting the composition
  • this initial colour will affect all of the colours painted over top of it
  • the initial colour should be used in the composition to and unity to the finished work
3.  Gel Medium
Note: Gel Medium is clear acrylic paint without pigment.  It can have a mat or glossy finish.  
Water breaks down acrylic paint, so don't try to extend the paint this way.

Three Different Approaches:
  • place a layer of gel medium over the area and then directly add colour when both are wet (like watercolour)
  • mix: gel medium + paint = translucent paint.  Work surface in layers, letting the paint dry in-between applications  (more like a glaze effect in oil painting)
  • using 100% paint, make an 'undercoat,' let dry.  Make a gel medium and paint blend over top.
4.  Earth Tones
  • use the paints that originally would have been made with natural materials (ochre, burnt and raw umber, burnt and raw sienna + white)
  • the addition of Rubine Red (or a cool red)  with the above makes a good palette for painting portraits.

Note on painting a portrait: don't try and match a 'skin tone.'  Rather, spend your time and observation on developing the volume and light & shadows.
5.  Complimentary
  • opposite colours on the colour wheel (if true compliments, each will intensify the other when placed side-by-side and mixing an equal amount of each will result in a beautiful, rich grey)
  • Use various degrees mixed together
6.  Neutral Black
  • create your own black through colour mixing (use colour theory to help you)
  • create a monochromatic painting using your black with white

Why? True blacks tend to deaden or flatten your painting.  Whereas, mixing your own black, the results will be visually richer and dynamic.
7.  Dry Brush
  • begin with an undercoat base
  • using VERY LITTLE PAINT ON YOUR BRUSH (blot before application) begin to build up your image
  • if you need to clean your brush to switch to another colour: wash the brush, squeeze out water and dry it - you want your bristles as dry as possible for this technique.

Note: The dry-brush application will be layered and you can use multiple colours to create depth.  You will be able to see the brush strokes and/or feathered marks from both the paint and the brush.