10 Must Try Acrylic Painting Techniques and Ideas

Acrylic paint is loved by many due to its versatility and convenience. Unlike other paint types, acrylic paint does not require any special canvas. You may use paper or fabrics and even experiment with different surfaces. Every budding artist should have a rich and vibrant acrylic paint set on hand to create more unique colours for their artwork.
Whether you are a beginner looking for some inspiration or a professional who wants to widen their portfolio, here are some techniques you might want to try. 

Dry Brush

Just as its name suggests, use a dry paint brush. If you are aiming for a soft fluffy effect, you may use a soft and round brush, dry. A sharp firm chisel on the other hand is better used to emphasise the sky’s reflection on the backs of waves

Washing

Since acrylic paint has a watercolour aspect, you may dilute it with as much or as little water as you like until you achieve your desired effect. This technique is good when used for the gradation of colours. You may also want to try wetting your brush to make the top part of your sky painting lighter in order to make the scene more dramatic

Splattering

You may either use a paint brush or toothbrush to do this technique. Starry night or leaves can be easily achieved through splattering especially if you have a good quality acrylic paint made with rich pigments. 

Stippling
Stippling is done by making dots of pigments to create a pattern. Stippling can make the illusion of tree leaves and bushes. Just a reminder, make sure to pause at times to check the progress of your work to avoid getting lost in the small parts, sometimes you really can’t see the forest for the trees.

Palette Knife

You may want to explore other tools aside from brush, and developing a palette knife technique may well be right for you. Highlights of rocks, snow on a mountain, quick cover of canvas, and sharp edges are all possible with a palette knife. When combined with a brush, this can create a beautiful contrasting effect.

Underpainting
If you are bored with painting on a white canvass, underpainting is a technique you can try. By using a blue toned underpainting, you may imply a cold feeling. To express something warm or desert scene, a yellow underpainting is the best. When used correctly, this technique will bring cohesion to your artwork’s colour value

Sgraffito

Sgraffito is the art of scratching paint while it is still wet to show the underpaint. To make a unique multi-coloured effect, you may also add different colours on top of each layer. A painting canvas works better for this technique as it better holds the paint in place. 

Impasto

This technique gives an almost 3D effect to your artwork as it uses paint thickly laid on to your canvas. Impasto can be done through the use of either a palette knife or brush and is often used to express feelings and emotions which are emphasized by the effect of external lighting when displayed.

Glitter 

Glitters can easily catch peoples’ attention, so why not use them in your artwork? Used correctly, glitter gives a luxurious and elegant vibe. There are ready mixed acrylic paint that contain different types of glitter, so there is no need to apply glue and shake of excess glitter which in practice can be really messy.

Pouring

This is a fun and easy technique as you only need to pour the paint and tilt your canvas. You may also use a blower to create special effects. A neon acrylic paint pouring is a neat idea to make unique, stunning art. 

These techniques are used by artists to achieve special effects that enhance their work. Through constant learning and practice, you will be able to expand your skill set and eventually give you the freedom to bring to life images exactly as you envisage them. In addition to learning new techniques, using an acrylic paint set with a variety of colours and types will help achieve your creative goals.  For now, the question is, which technique will you try first?