Using Acrylics

"Hello,
I just wanted to ask if you would be willing to help explain your painting process a little? I don't quite understand how you manage to get your acrylics so diluted, yet paint evenly. When I try this (it's hard enough to mix it smooth without any clumps!), I usually get uneven streaks.

A big difference, of course, is that I don't have any water colour paper on hand most of the times. I have been trying to get back into painting in sketchbooks first, a la James Jeans' sketchbooks.

In any case, I haven't much time for painting most nights, hence my using acrylics at the moment rather than oils.

Thanks for any advice!"


Thanks for the question. Acrylic is very versatile. I tend to water it down(I just use water) to a fairly thin consistency. I would try different consistencies to see what fits you. Starting off with a medium viscosity acrylic helps a lot ie Liquitex's Soft Body acrylics or Golden's Fluid acrylics. I usually add a drop of water (an eye dropper comes in handy) mix it around a bit then add more drops and mix, gradually mixing as I thin it out so I don't have chunks floating around within a watery mixture.

Using other wells in my water color palette, I'll have 1 w/a more intense solution, another w/ a medium intense solutioin, and a 3rd with a very thin solution all of the same color. So if I need a more subtle change in my painting I can use the very thin solution.

I paint in very thin washes on watercolor paper. Different papers react differently with the paint (hotpress vs coldpress vs illustration board vs canvas etc) It's not the fastest way to paint. One should recognize this. Don't have expectations to do a great painting in a day. My paintings go through a very unfinished "ugly" stage before they get refined at the very end. If you're just getting started or trying to get back into painting. I would recommend working with a vey simple still life to practice your craft, technique, and observational skills. When you're comfortable with your skills you can apply them to your personal work. If you're trying to be realistic good reference is key. Also, before picking up the brush be sure the drawing is exactly the way you want it. It's the foundation of your painting. If the drawing is off it doesn't matter how rendered something is it's going to be wrong.

Hope that makes sense.

Good Luck:)