introduction to acrylic painting - smart...

Acrylic Painting Basics from Tools, to Body-Type, to

Canvas choice, to Method

By Daniel Anderson

Introduction to Acrylic Painting

2015 © Daniel Anderson

By the end of this presentation, the student will be able to:

Identify various acrylic painting tools

Select a paint body according to their ability and preference

Select a canvas type according to their preference and task

Apply various beginner painting methods

Return to 2015 © Daniel Anderson

Palette

A flat surface on which to pour the colors you are currently using.

Can be made out of wood, plastic, or acrylic (pictured). Brushes

Any basic set of brushes are good for beginners.

Acrylic Gesso

Gesso is used for surface preparation.

It provides a smooth surface for your canvas. Palette and Brush Shapes images from http://www.art-is-fun.com/

Gesso image from http://www.liquitex.com/


• Name three brush shapes that you might use in painting.

• What is acrylic gesso and what is it used for?

• What are some uses of a palette?


Light or Soft

This is a standard beginners paint body.

It is light, smooth, and easy to apply to any

surface. Medium

This is an intermediate paint body.

It is still smooth, but allows for some texturing. Heavy

This is an intermediate to advanced paint body.

It is thick, and allows for easy mixture of colors

and retaining of textures and brushstrokes.

Images from http://www.liquitex.com/


• What are the three types of paint bodies?

• Which paint body is best for texturing?

• Which paint body is best for advanced artists?

• As a beginning artist, should you only stick to light body paints?


Stretched Canvas

Canvas stretched over a wooden frame.

Anywhere from ½” to 2” thick:

Generally the most expensive. Canvas Board

Canvas stretched over a thin board.

Usually about 1/8” thick:

Generally the most affordable. Canvas Paper/Pad

Canvas on paper.

Paper thin:

Most inexpensive of the three.


• What are the three types of canvasses?

• Which canvass is best used for practicing?

• Which canvas should you use?


• Wet

• Used for most applications of paint.

• Motto: Keep your brush wet at all times.

• Dry

• Used for applying a textured coat of paint

• Wash

• Used for applying a thin layer of paint over other colors.

• This allows for special color affects such as color blending and shadowing.

• For Color Mixing Guide, click here

Images from http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/07/acrylic-painting-techniques-for-beginners/


https://sites.google.com/site/andersonwebfolio/home/file_cabinet/PropertiesOfColor.notebook?attredirects=0&d=1

• What are the three methods of paint application?

• Which method is best for color effects?

• Which method is best for mixing colors on palette or canvas?

• What is the motto?


introduction to acrylic painting - smart...

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