Painting acrylics

[gitamerah]

I want to learn to paint using acrylics. I am an absolute beginner, though... and I have a tight budget

Anyone know a good site/DVD/book where I can learn? Any painting tips?

 

[Singin4Him]

Do you have a Hobby Lobby or MJ Designs around your house? They offer painting classes for a very low cost and civic centers do as well. Acrylics are really easy to work with, if you can't afford lessons I'd suggest getting some DVD's by Bob Ross, he's great! Really though you can get as many tips as you want but the best way to learn is hands on, just start painting. You probably won't love your first few works but over time you'll the hang of it. Just don't try to be perfect, allow yourself to have your own style even when you're taking lessons don't copy exactly. Good luck!

 

[LiberatedChick]

Really though you can get as many tips as you want but the best way to learn is hands on, just start painting. You probably won't love your first few works but over time you'll the hang of it. Just don't try to be perfect, allow yourself to have your own style even when you're taking lessons don't copy exactly. Good luck!

Definately...just use the paints, play around with them and experiment...it's all part of learning.

 

[BarbInArk]

I'm pretty sure that www.wetcanvas.com has an acrylics forum. It's a community of artists and wanna-be artists who learn from each other.

 

[exodus19]

learn to mix colours and the world of art opens all doors

 

[mandapanda445]

I take painting, and my advice is to just buy a basic acrylic set and some brushes, and maybe canvas paper to start, and let your imagination go wild! You can learn so much by just playing with the paints.

 

[divinehumor]

I agree with the advice of practicing and playing with it to loosen up and find you own style.

I suggest adding to your initial investment of basic brushes and colors, a nice gel medium (satin, or mix gloss with matt to achieve satin). I constantly use it, mixed with color and a bit of water.

THere are many ways to express yourself with acrylics, and as I mentioned, it depends on your personal style, what you want to achieve. If realism is your goal, even in part, pay attention to the lessons about "scumbling" and "glazing" techiniques. There are alot of techniques that others use, but may not be particularly conducive to your own methods. In reading any art book (or website) there is usually a small percentage of techniques that fit for me, but it's all inspiring in some way.

I like acrylics for their fast drying. Sometimes too fast, I have a spraybottle handy to keep my paints from drying out too fast on the pallette. The medium I mentioned (and others) helps slow the drying too. Also, get a good fanbrush and soften any edges as you go, before the paint has time to dry.Even if not going after realism, that can be a useful technique. Fanbrushes rule.

 

[FLANDIDLYANDERS]

If u wanna keep it cheap, buy a HUGE (5ltr) tub of white emulsion house paint.... you can use old tubs and mix yer colours using acrylic and emulsion ----- only use a teeny amount of acrylic as it totally transforms the emulsion.

This way your paints will last for a good 6 months, or about 40 painings A1 sized.